Learning from Communication

---Interview with Xing Dehui, Artistic Director of the 7th China International Folk Art Festival　

“The China International Folk Art Festival offers a platform for exhibiting the history of development of both oriental and Occidental cultures, thus it has a special meaning”. To Xing Dehui this is the second time he has participated in the China International Folk Art Festival, and therefore he has many insightful views with the art festival’s nature and value. During the festival our Journalist had an interview with him.

Journalist: In 1998, you participated in the 4th China International Folk Art Festival, and at this festival you become the artistic director. We would like to have your view on the art festival.

Xing Dehui: Nowadays, the well-developed economy of the Occident created huge challenges and influence to the Oriental culture on a large scale, and the Occidental view of value and its lifestyle permeates every corner of the world. This reality that could not be neglected has already attracted people’s attention. Therefore, to develop international cultural communication outside of the economy field has become one feature of the world today and been identified by people. Only by respecting the historical culture and cultural achievements mutually created by human beings and learning from each other could pursuits for world peace not become an empty talk. Speaking of this, Chinese government pays great attention to it and promotes cultural communication in multiple ways. It is under such a large international background that China Federation of Literary and Art Circles held the international folk art festival for protecting and developing every country’s unique cultural art, promoting friendship between people through communication and learning from each other. You see that when artists get together, their communication and joyous feelings are spontaneous, and real art festival should be like this.

Journalist: What kind of inspiration and thoughts do you think communicative form of this kind could bring to the artists of all countries?

Xing Dehui: This art festival continues to carry out its profound understanding of “folk art”, although a variety of self-amusing artistic forms in the world are popular among people for generations and also the important way of inheriting national cultural features of every country, however, the independent and irreplaceable feature of excellent art works that come from people and life but is higher than life reflects the living state of people in different corners of the world, records the advancement of different countries, different regions and nations, makes their wit glitter, thus excellent art creation always possess the feature of being from people. Strengthening professional art communication is presenting the nature of folk art on a deeper level so as to better promote the healthy development of human society and propel people to consider how to develop their own folk art.

Journalist: Folk artists from all over the world make performances in ancient towns of Suzhou, how does this help them understand China?

Xing Dehui: Chinese outstanding art troupes participated in the communication of the art festival and made performances on the same stage with artists from other countries, which not only gave foreign friends the impression of Chinese history and folk customs but also through performances and communication helped them see Chinese unique humanistic art. Numerous Suzhou bridges get linked and become a wide bridge of cultural communication. Suzhou specially produced Peony Pavilion---Thoughts on Dreams that represents both China and Suzhou for this China International Folk Art Festival. It is meaningful artistic practice, aiming at further promoting and developing Chinese traditional culture. It is also the meaning of holding international folk art festivals.

Journalist: What could we learn from this kind of communication?

Xing Dehui: Cultural communication is a matter of influence imperceptibly, and to learn from each other is also a serious matter. If we persist in holding the international folk art festival, it will definitely produce active repercussions and thus China makes its due contributions to world peace and development. The art troupes coming here all display their unique stuff, thus it is not just communication between countries; through this activity we could also absorb the essence of things. To draw on the experience of others is a long process. It is not just borrowing and using it immediately, and mechanical borrowing is not learning. The programs that appeared at this festival all have a distinctive character, which could give us inspirations that exist subconsciously and help us learn a lot from them.