Traditional Art Research Articles

Archival F(r)ictions: A Queer Vocabulary for a Live art Pedagogy

ABSTRACT In this article, I consider the global tradition of live art as a pedagogical force that draws on queer affect and resonance. Scholars of performance studies have situated live art in the field of experimental and undisciplined art but have not given enough attention to its pedagogical potential. In southern Africa, live art has been theorised as a practice that is leaky, transgressive, and undisciplined, emphasising risk, extremity and endurance. These conditions are partly shaped by the region’s historic struggle for liberation since the twentieth century but cannot be reduced to this period alone. As an African practitioner and scholar of live art with a Namibian and South African experience and training, I draw on various experiences of performing, workshopping, curating and researching live art, offering a queer vocabulary to develop the pedagogical potential of live art. I posit that this is a vocabulary for Archival F(r)ictions, emphasising the centrality of archival work in live artistic pedagogies. These pedagogical frameworks rely on the principles of critical consciousness, embodied learning and democratic participation as put forward by the Brazilian critical pedagogue Paulo Freire. As a result, I show how gestures of hoeing and smuggling can produce joy, pleasure, and irritations as sites of queer epistemic work.

Biography and Works of Zhang Xiaoqin: The Transmitter of Ganzhou Folk Songs in Societal and Anthropological Context

Background and Aims: Zhang Xiaoqin is a transmitter and custodian of Ganzhou folk songs and her contributions to the preservation of this intangible cultural heritage within the Han ethnic group in China. The aim is to explore Zhang Xiaoqin's biography and works as the transmitter of Ganzhou folk songs within societal and anthropological contexts. Materials and Methods: This research employs a qualitative approach utilizing ethnographic fieldwork, archival research, and thematic analysis. Data collection included immersive fieldwork in Ganzhou, interviews with Zhang Xiaoqin, alongside a comprehensive review of the literature concerning the cultural transmission and the sociocultural significance of folk music. Results: The findings demonstrate that Zhang Xiaoqin's work not only sustains the musical traditions of Ganzhou but also adapts them for contemporary audiences, ensuring their relevance and continuity. Her initiatives in educational settings and public performances are pivotal in maintaining community engagement with Ganzhou folk songs, highlighting the dynamic interaction between cultural preservation and societal change. Conclusion: Zhang Xiaoqin's research highlights the importance of individual agency in cultural preservation and the adaptability of intangible cultural heritage in the face of globalization. It highlights the potential of traditional arts to thrive in modern societies and emphasizes the need for strategic educational programs and public-private partnerships to support cultural custodians.

The Singing Techniques of Traditional Chinese Yu Opera in Sociological and Anthropological Perspectives

Background and Aims: Traditional Chinese Yu Opera, a culturally significant art form, embodies unique singing techniques that offer rich insights into the social and cultural dimensions of China. This research aims to investigate the singing techniques of traditional Chinese Yu Opera from sociological and anthropological perspectives. Materials and Methods: The study utilized a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis, ethnographic observation, and expert interviews. Extensive literature reviews provided a theoretical foundation, while fieldwork included observing performances and conducting interviews with Yu Opera artists and cultural experts. This comprehensive methodological framework aimed to capture the nuances of singing techniques and their socio-cultural implications. Results: The research findings highlight that Yu Opera's singing techniques are not only artistic expressions but also potent cultural symbols that reflect and influence social structures and values. Detailed analyses of performances, particularly the opera "Mulan", revealed how these techniques convey cultural narratives and facilitate social interaction, aligning with sociological theories of cultural capital and anthropological views on cultural transmission. Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of Yu Opera's singing techniques as cultural texts that extend beyond mere performance, serving as vehicles for social cohesion and cultural continuity. The findings advocate for enhanced educational programs and interdisciplinary research to preserve and understand traditional arts like Yu Opera, ensuring their relevance in contemporary society.

TFETF Framework Development in MOOC Based on Art-Technopreneurial

This study explores family economic empowerment through the Framework Economy of the Family (TFETF) through the implementation of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) through concrete-based pottery, supporting the development of creative family technopreneurs. Integrating traditional arts, entrepreneurship education and technology is the key to creating innovative human resources in the digital era. This research uses the ADDIE model to design a MOOC curriculum that facilitates collaboration in entrepreneurship and craft technology. The results of the research in the form of developing the TFETF framework obtained a media expert validation score of 91.45%, material expert validation 90%, practicality test 90%. The TFETF framework developed has proven effective in strengthening the family economy by providing adaptive learning materials, helping overcome geographic and socio-economic barriers and encouraging social inclusion and global connectivity.

The impact of traditional Chinese paper-cutting in digital protection for intangible cultural heritage under virtual reality technology

Under the impact of the digital wave, traditional paper-cutting art faces unprecedented challenges in preservation and dissemination. Given the urgent need for Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) protection, this study explores the application of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the preservation of paper-cutting art. VR efficiently digitizes and widely disseminates paper-cutting art by skillfully integrating modern technological elements. The study not only deeply analyzes how VR technology can safeguard and inherit traditional Chinese paper-cutting art but also focuses on the meticulous design and optimization of the paper-cutting VR system. The constructed VR system integrates cutting-edge technologies such as 3D modeling and modular design. It showcases outstanding performance in virtual environment rendering and user interaction, rigorously validated through precise evaluation methods. Experimental results demonstrate the paper-cutting VR system's response time of only 10 ms and a high frame rate of 90 frames per second, highlighting its exceptional performance. Furthermore, comprehensive research on the profound impact of the VR system on various stakeholders contributes a new perspective and profound insights into the digital preservation of ICH. In summary, this study successfully innovatively applies VR technology to the protection and dissemination of paper-cutting art, achieving digital preservation goals and injecting new vitality into its inheritance. This pioneering research path opens a hopeful new channel for the digital preservation of ICH and provides a valuable reference for the conservation of other traditional cultures. The study holds critical academic value and significant practical implications. Moreover, the extensive prospects of VR technology in the cultural heritage conservation field urgently require further exploration and investigation.

The Spatial Differentiation Characteristics and Influencing Mechanisms of Intangible Cultural Heritage in China

Intangible cultural heritage represents a cultural evolution shaped by human responses to adapting and transforming environments. Unveiling the characteristics and patterns of its spatial distribution can offer a more scientific foundation for the protection of intangible cultural heritage and the development of heritage tourism. By using ArcGIS software and Geo-detector, the regional differentiation characteristics and influencing mechanisms of Intangible Cultural Heritage, specifically the Hometown of Chinese Folk Culture and Art (HCFCA), have been investigated. Results show that the distribution and structure of HCFCA in China vary significantly across regions and categories. Eastern China holds the highest number, while Southern China has fewer. Traditional fine arts and dance dominate, with folk literature being less represented. HCFCA exhibits a clear clustering trend, reflecting a "Polycentric Agglomeration" pattern, particularly in traditional drama, calligraphy, craftsmanship, sports, performing arts, and acrobatics. The study presents an influential mechanism model, with the natural environment as foundational, economic development as the primary driver, social development as supplementary support, and historical background as a catalyzing factor. This understanding not only enriches theoretical insights but also provides a scientific basis for the protection of intangible cultural heritage and the development of heritage tourism.

Research on the History of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Film Creation

As a leading figure in Taiwan’s “new film movement”, Hou Hsiao-hsien perfectly integrated the Western author’s film art tradition since the Italian neorealist film with the aesthetic purview of traditional Chinese culture and created the Chinese author’s film style. Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film works are very rational and connotation, with a strong documentary style and a sense of social distress, full of local flavor, and containing concern for Taiwan society. The film works have distinct personality and unique style, creating “Hou’s” artistic style through the lens language. This article will analyze Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film creation history from two aspects: the theme change and film style characteristics.

Arena and (Re)Stabilization of Reog Bulkiyo Dance Cultural Production

Contestation among traditional art performances, in the technology and information era, creates complex and diverse challenge to the dance of Reog Bulkiyo. In 1999, the dance had to be stopped following the regeneration and economical problem. Although Reog Bulkiyo has been performed again since 2009, the conditions which makes this dance can be produced is still inexplicable. This article attempts to explain why dance experiencing production and activity stagnation. Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural production theory is used to analyze this problem, while ethnographic qualitative is used as the method. This study found that Reog Bulkiyo dance is in the arena of traditional dance art which has a double-tiered structure. The first structure leads to popular culture, while the second structure leads to art culture. In the first structure, Reog Bulkiyo dance group uses relational capital with relatives, social and Islamic groups to survive in the midst of competition with other popular arts. The dance then gains a relationship with the academy and the state which provides relational, cultural, and symbolic capital in the form of granting intangible cultural heritage status. These two relations give Reog Bulkiyo dance group the opportunity to maintain its cultural production.

RITUAL BELA DIRI KUTAU DALAM MASYARAKAT DESA SURO, KABUPATEN MUSI RAWAS

This paper discusses the Kutau martial arts ritual practiced by the people of Suro Village, Muara Beliti District, Musi Rawas Regency, South Sumatra Province. Kutau is one of the ancestral heritages consisting of a set of rituals. Kutau takes the form of traditional martial arts that has been developed by the Suro Village community. Applying the qualitative approach, this study aimed to systematically document all forms of rituals in Kutau and its functions within the Suro community. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, which were then analyzed using Victor Turner’s ritual approach and Talcot Parsons’ function approach. Results show that Kutau is a medium of communication between the community and their ancestors to pass down the Kutau knowledge, which is closely related to Suro people’s belief system. Kutau still prevails thanks to the latency function of the Kutau community, so that the whole system is able to survive and adapt to the current society.

A Plein Air Painting Event as a Liminal Experience Building the Artists’ Community

The subject of the article is a plein air painting event, considered as a liminal experience that is widely practiced by traditional artists to create and maintain communities in the local and supra-local art fields. The interest in organizing this kind of meetings among artists, modern art galleries, and art schools is not decreasing, and one can talk about the exceptionally long duration of the phenomenon. This article discusses the experience of participants for whom these joint meetings have a metaphysical dimension. The descriptions and expressions used by the artists have become the inspiration to use Victor W. Turner’s concept in the analysis. That is why this practice is discussed as a liminal experience and a rite of passage, whereas the relations between its participants are understood in terms of a specific type of community that is called by Turner ‘spontaneous communitas’. All the considerations and conclusions included in this text are based on qualitative research conducted among visual artists.

Metamorphosis of Tradition: Dong Arts from Folk Dong Painting to Contemporary Expressions

The Dong ethnic minority in southwest China possesses a distinctive cultural heritage. Dong's painting emerges as a unique and diverse form within Dong's artistic endeavors, capturing the essence of daily life among the Dong people. Regrettably, Dong paintings often endure neglect compared to the more recognized Dong architectural art. To revive appreciation for Dong culture, this study delves into traditional Dong folk paintings, aiming to discern various painting types and explore the impact of these traditional forms on contemporary Dong paintings. The similarities and differences between traditional Dong folk painting and contemporary Dong painting are obtained through the investigation and artistic practice of the Dong nationality. It mainly focuses on literature analysis, case studies, and art practice-based research. This investigation reveals that contemporary Dong paintings continue incorporating and reinterpreting symbols, architectural motifs, and dress patterns from traditional Dong folk art. This continuity in artistic expression contributes significantly to preserving and disseminating Dong culture in evolving artistic forms.

Respon Masyarakat Kalidoni Palembang terhadap Penari Wanita Pegon dalam Kesenian Kuda Lumping

This research discusses a phenomenon in the Kuda Lumping art where there are female dancers called female pegon dancers. This phenomenon can contain various responses from the surrounding community. This research is qualitative research with a phenomenological approach. The primary data used in this research was obtained directly from the field through an interview process with the head of the Rt and the administration section of the Kalidoni sub-district office. The theory used in this research is the phenomenological theory by Edmund Husserl. The results of this research show that Kalidoni District has the art of Kuda Lumping in which there is a phenomenon of female Pegon dancers. Pegon female dancers, Kuda Lumping art, have changed the rules and appearance of Kuda Lumping art, especially in Kalidoni District, and is one of the traditional arts which in its development has received various responses from the community, both positive and negative, and some factors influence people's interest and there are impacts. or the influence of female pegon dancers.

Analysis of Regional Characteristics and Ethnic Cultural Integration of Chenggong Tile-cat

Tile-cat, one of the unique roof beasts in China, is usually secured on the roof ridge of the main house, implying the traditional concept of "Warding off evil and receiving blessings". Chenggong tile-cat is a traditional folk art in Chenggong District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province. It is based on a tiger and crafted by skilled folk artists, becoming a divine beast that guards its home and ward off evil and filth. At present, the academic community has achieved fruitful results in the study of tile-cats in other regions of Yunnan, especially in Dali and Heqing. These achievements provide reference and inspiration for the research of this paper. However, there is still a lack of research on the Chenggong tile-cat, which provides ample space for this study. Based on this, this paper will conduct on-site research on the Chenggong tile-cat, analyze and explore its regional characteristics and ethnic cultural integration, and reveal its unique regional characteristics through the analysis of its geographical location, artistic style, production technology, usage, and cultural connotation. At the same time, based on historical background, explore the integration process of tile-cat art and ethnic culture, and evaluate the cultural value of tile-cat in modern society.

Cultural Sustainable Development Strategies of Chinese Traditional Furniture: Taking Ming-Style Furniture for Example

In view of the gradual decline and near-stagnant crisis of traditional furniture art from the late Qing Dynasty, the article studied the cultural sustainable strategies of Chinese traditional furniture represented by Ming-style furniture, hoping to promote the revitalization of traditional furniture and good inheritance of traditional culture in modern society. Based on the theory of “Methodology of Affairs”, the article proposes that the sustainable strategies of traditional furniture can be understood as a correlation system under the joint action of “internal factors” (shape, function, technology, etc., of furniture) and “external factors” (social environment, economic environment, humanistic environment, etc., in which furniture develops). Starting from the two aspects, the article finally analyzed the improved translation of internal factors in five parts: shape and function, structure and connection, material and process, color and furnishing, decoration and aesthetics, and studied the adaptive changes in external factors from five dimensions: politics, economy, culture, society, and users. The article hopes to help this endangered Chinese traditional furniture art develop in a sustainable direction, and also provide a reference for scholars working in the field of the inheritance and development of traditional culture.

Eksplorasi etnomatematika dalam kesenian sikambang pada masyarakat kota Sibolga

This study aims to determine the ethnomathematics values contained in Sikambang art, which is the traditional art of the people of Sibolga City, North Sumatra. This research is qualitative research using an ethnographic approach. Research data collection techniques consist of observation, interviews and documentation. The collected data will be analyzed in three stages: data reduction, data submission, and verification. Next, the data will be examined based on four criteria: trustworthiness, transferability, dependability, and certainty. The results show that mathematical concepts are inherent in the culture of the people of Sibolga city, namely Sikambang art which has geometric elements, such as angles (acute, right, obtuse), lines (straight, curved, parallel, intersecting), and flat shapes (triangles, rectangles). , square, and circle). By incorporating ethnomathematics into the school curriculum, students' mathematics learning can become more contextual and meaningful. This study also helps maintain Sikambang art as a local cultural heritage that is increasingly marginalized by contemporary developments.

Ancient Painting Inpainting Based on Multi-Layer Feature Enhancement and Frequency Perception

Image inpainting aims to restore the damaged information in images, enhancing their readability and usability. Ancient paintings, as a vital component of traditional art, convey profound cultural and artistic value, yet often suffer from various forms of damage over time. Existing ancient painting inpainting methods are insufficient in extracting deep semantic information, resulting in the loss of high-frequency detail features of the reconstructed image and inconsistency between global and local semantic information. To address these issues, this paper proposes a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based ancient painting inpainting method using multi-layer feature enhancement and frequency perception, named MFGAN. Firstly, we design a Residual Pyramid Encoder (RPE), which fully extracts the deep semantic features of ancient painting images and strengthens the processing of image details by effectively combining the deep feature extraction module and channel attention. Secondly, we propose a Frequency-Aware Mechanism (FAM) to obtain the high-frequency perceptual features by using the frequency attention module, which captures the high-frequency details and texture features of the ancient paintings by increasing the skip connections between the low-frequency and the high-frequency features, and provides more frequency perception information. Thirdly, a Dual Discriminator (DD) is designed to ensure the consistency of semantic information between global and local region images, while reducing the discontinuity and blurring differences at the boundary during image inpainting. Finally, extensive experiments on the proposed ancient painting and Huaniao datasets show that our proposed method outperforms competitive image inpainting methods and exhibits robust generalization capabilities.

The Application of 3D Printing Technology in Yuan Blue-and-White Porcelain Art

Yuan blue-and-white porcelain, as a representative of Chinese ceramic art, is highly appreciated for its unique artistic value and cultural connotations. With the advancement of technology, the application of 3D printing technology in artistic creation has become increasingly widespread. This paper explores the specific applications of 3D printing technology in Yuan blue-and-white porcelain art, including improving the production process and promoting the complexity and innovation of designs. Through 3D printing technology, artists can accurately reproduce complex design patterns, enhancing production efficiency and quality while reducing errors associated with manual crafting. Additionally, 3D printing technology provides artists with greater design freedom, breaking the limitations of traditional manual techniques and making Yuan blue-and-white porcelain art more diverse. By analyzing specific cases, this paper demonstrates the practical effects of 3D printing technology in improving creation efficiency and quality. For instance, using 3D printing technology, artists can quickly produce multiple Yuan blue-and-white models for experimentation and adjustment, saving time and costs. For complex patterns and shapes, 3D printing technology can complete them in a short time, allowing artists to focus more on creative design. Furthermore, 3D printing technology enables high-precision repetitive production, ensuring consistency in quality and appearance of each piece. In the future, as 3D printing technology continues to develop, its application in Yuan blue-and-white porcelain art will become more extensive and in-depth, bringing more innovation and development opportunities to this traditional art form.

Associations between Japanese calligraphy practice and sleep quality in community-dwelling older adults: A cross-sectional Study

BackgroundSleep disturbances, such as insomnia, are common among the elderly population and have been associated with negative health outcomes. Japanese calligraphy is a traditional art practice previously associated with various health benefits, such as stress reduction and improved cognitive function; however, its association with sleep quality has not been fully explored. MethodsThis cross-sectional study included 21,207 subjects with basic attributes, health status, depressive symptoms, artistic practices, and sleep habits. Individuals who satisfied the chronic insomnia criteria were categorized into the following subtypes: sleep onset latency (SOL) insomnia, early morning awakening (EMA) insomnia, and wake after sleep offset (WASF) insomnia. The t-test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analysis were used to determine the association between Japanese calligraphy practice and sleep quality. ResultsIn this study, 17,597 elderly Japanese individuals were included, among whom 13.7 % practiced Japanese calligraphy. Regarding sleep characteristics, 32.0 % had chronic insomnia, 13.1 % had SOL insomnia, 9.1 % had EMA insomnia, and 14.2 % had WASF insomnia. Japanese calligraphy practice was associated with lower rates of chronic insomnia (odds ratio [OR] = 0.85, 95 % confidence interval (CI) = 0.76–0.95), including SOL insomnia (OR = 0.84, 95 % CI = 0.71–0.98), and EMA insomnia (OR = 0.80, 95 % CI = 0.66–0.97) but had no significant association with WASF insomnia. ConclusionsThis study suggests that Japanese calligraphy practice is associated with lower odds of insomnia, particularly SOL and EMA insomnia. Calligraphy may be an effective nonpharmacological intervention for insomnia and poor sleep quality among elderly Japanese individuals.

Fashion and Politics, The Politics of Fashion: Józef Simmler’s Portrait of Emilia Włodkowska, Society Portrait and Haute Couture

The article proposes an analytical approach tuned to 19th-century society portraiture and tests it on Józef Simmler’s Portrait of Emilia Włodkowska (1865, National Museum in Warsaw). The pictured ball gown was likely by Worth and presented as being worn in Paris rather than in Warsaw to respect the politically-motivated Polish national mourning (1861–1866), culminating during the January Uprising (1863–1864) against Russian rule, that precluded organizing and attending balls at home. The portrait was an act of public performance—and indeed it was publicly exhibited at the artist’s posthumous exhibition in Warsaw in 1868. Its staging and costuming reflected the sitter’s particular agenda fine-tuned to multifarious current contexts: she promoted her Warsaw fashion house and herself as a respectable society lady and competent agent of French fashion in the period of political turmoil and resultant expectations concerning Polish women’s dress and conduct. The portrait showcases Simmler’s juste milieu approach and illustrates a very current shift in the fashionable female silhouette, advocated by Worth, while referencing the dress and artistic tradition of the 17th and 18th centuries and drawing inspiration from the new medium of photography.

Wild Things: Planning for children in a traditional art museum

AbstractIn 2022, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum opened the temporary exhibition Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak's Designs for Ballet and Opera. Predicting most visitors would know Sendak as the creator of children's books such as Where the Wild Things Are, the Gardner team decided to consider families with children as potential visitors. Though the Gardner regularly offers family guides and children's programming, this would be the first time the Museum would explicitly welcome children in an exhibition. The result was a unique exhibition experience that visitors of a variety of ages could enjoy together. This article describes the process the team used to develop and design the exhibition, told from the perspectives of the fine arts curator and children's museum designer who worked together to make it happen.