Chinese calligraphy: time, the body and the brush
Curated by Monica Viero and Monica Dengo
In collaboration with School of Art Administration and Education of the China Academy of Art
MUVE’s well-established initiatives to promote an understanding of, and participation in, calligraphy among the general public will continue in 2026.
The central theme this year will be a reinterpretation of Chinese calligraphy as the poetic art of writing. This art form is shaped by time, yet remains rooted in the body and the use of materials belonging to both the human and natural worlds, such as paper, brushes, ink and stone.
The programme will open with a performance in the Sala dello Scrutinio at the Palazzo Ducale. This performance aims to reveal the marvellous complexity and depth of Chinese calligraphy to the public, offering an authentic physical and spiritual union between body and mind through the interplay of the calligraphic works of Lu Dadong and the choreography of Claudio Gasparotto.
The programme will continue with the now well-established two-day masterclass, Chinese Calligraphy: Time, Body and Brush, on 24 and 25 October in the Fortuny Museum galleries. Lu Dadong and Cheng Liang, leading figures in contemporary Chinese calligraphy and its experimental evolution, will lead the course. They are also lecturers at the School of Calligraphy of the China Academy of Art. During the masterclass, participants will explore the fundamental concepts underlying Chinese calligraphy through using common materials such as brushes, ink and paper. They will also engage with the traditional technique of stone frottage, integrating bodily awareness, breathing exercises, ritual experience and creative practice with natural materials.
The programme will conclude with the academic conference, Calligraphy in Contemporary China: Art, Education and Society, which will take place at the Chiesetta del Doge in the Doge’s Palace. Internationally renowned experts will discuss Chinese calligraphy, or shūfǎ, in contemporary China — a discipline uniting technique, body, breath and thought in a single gesture. The teaching of handwriting in the Chinese education system will also be discussed.
