Creating Languages, Creating Worlds: Self-Instigation from the Individual创造语言，创造世界：从个体出发的自我策动

On 21–22 November 2025, the second De Ying Foundation Curatorial Fellowship concluded after 18 months with a two-day symposium at the Institute of Contemporary Art, NYU Shanghai. The three fellows – Sam Shiyi Qian, Nie Xiaoyi and Wang Huan – each presented their research with invited guests.

11月21日至22日，历时18个月的第二届德英基金会策展学者项目在上海纽约大学当代艺术中心（ICA）举行终期学术研讨会，三位策展学者钱诗怡、聂小依、王欢分别邀请嘉宾，分享各自的实践与思考。

聂小依环节 My session

11月22日上午，学术研讨会进入第二天的议程。学者聂小依先开始她的环节。她用多元的形式串联起艺术表达、生活感悟与学术对话，为上午的研讨注入了丰富的层次与温度。

首先，聂小依以自己的研究主题“创造语言，创造世界：从个体出发的自我策动”为线索，简要回顾了过去18个月中的策展实践与思考收获。

接着，实践者赵伊人受小依邀请，在现场演唱了若干首原创音乐，其表演触动了现场每一位观众。表演结束后，她进一步分享了自己近年来在艺术实践与日常生活之间的感悟与思考，呈现出一位创作者在时间流动中的自省与成长。

在环节的第三部分，艺术家万青上台，分享其近年来的艺术实践。万青通过放映自己的影像作品，直观地呈现了其艺术创作的方向和视觉语言。此外，她还介绍了自己参与书籍编辑与制作的经历，从影像到纸质媒介，万青展现出艺术实践在媒介与形态上的多元探索。

最后，香港理工大学中国历史及文化系副教授潘律登台，与聂小依、万青、赵伊人展开了一场轻松而深入的对谈。潘律从学者视角依次对小依和艺术家们的分享进行了精要的总结与回应。现场观众也积极参与，在问答环节中踊跃提问，与台上嘉宾就艺术创作、社会实践与文化思考等话题展开了双向交流。

The research was published in the fellowship compendium Future Projects 待续 (2026) as “Creating Languages, Creating Worlds: Self-Instigation from the Individual”.

Machine translation (AI) of the Chinese original, not yet reviewed by the author. Please cite the original.

On 21–22 November 2025, the second De Ying Foundation Curatorial Fellowship concluded after 18 months with a two-day symposium at the Institute of Contemporary Art, NYU Shanghai. The three fellows – Sam Shiyi Qian, Nie Xiaoyi and Wang Huan – each presented their research with invited guests.

My session

On the morning of 22 November, the symposium moved into its second day, and fellow Nie Xiaoyi opened with her session. Using a variety of formats, she wove together artistic expression, reflections on life and scholarly dialogue, bringing rich layers and warmth to the morning’s discussion.

First, taking her research topic “Creating Languages, Creating Worlds: Self-Instigation from the Individual” as a thread, Nie Xiaoyi briefly looked back on her curatorial practice over the previous 18 months and what she had taken from it.

Nie Xiaoyi presenting her research project “Creating Languages, Creating Worlds: Self-Instigation from the Individual”

Next, at Xiaoyi’s invitation, the practitioner Zhao Yiren performed several original songs live, moving everyone in the audience. After the performance she went on to share her recent reflections on the space between artistic practice and everyday life, offering a glimpse of an artist’s self-examination and growth as time moves on.

In the third part of the session, the artist Wan Qing took the stage to share her recent practice. Screening her own moving-image works, she gave a direct sense of the direction and visual language of her art. She also spoke about her experience of editing and making books. From moving image to paper, Wan Qing showed how her practice explores a range of media and forms.

Finally, Lu Pan, Associate Professor in the Department of Chinese History and Culture at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, joined Nie Xiaoyi, Wan Qing and Zhao Yiren for a relaxed yet searching conversation. Speaking as a scholar, Lu Pan responded to Xiaoyi’s and the artists’ presentations in turn, with concise summaries and comments. The audience joined in eagerly, asking questions in the Q&A and engaging the speakers in a two-way exchange on art-making, social practice and cultural thought.

The research was published in the fellowship compendium Future Projects 待续 (2026) as “Creating Languages, Creating Worlds: Self-Instigation from the Individual”.