On April 20, 2025, the art lecture themed “Ride the Tide · Strive with Pride—The New Cycle of Global Economy and Artistic Choices” was held at AADTHU. The lecture was jointly presented by QIN Chuan, Party Committee Secretary of AADTHU, PAN Qingzhong, Executive Vice President of Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University, and XU Sitao, Chief Economist of Deloitte China. This cross-disciplinary dialogue among economic, financial, and art scholars analyzed the profound impact of global economic cycle shifts on art markets with keen insights and vivid case studies. It explored the symbiotic relationship among artistic creation, talent development, and era progression, as well as how art markets adapt to new economic realities and how artistic creation responds to the call of the times against the backdrop of the global economic cycle.

Organized by AADTHU and co-hosted by the Training Center of AADTHU, Art & Science Research Center, Tsinghua University, and Tsinghua (Qingdao) Academy of Arts and Science Innovation Research (TASA), the lecture was moderated by XIE Qihong, Director of the Training Center. The event attracted nearly 300 audiences both in and out of the university to listen to the lecture, and they interacted positively and generated enthusiastic responses.

Jointly presented by QIN Chuan, PAN Qingzhong, and XU Sitao | Moderated by XIE Qihong

PAN Qingzhong, through three vivid historical cases, illustrated the close connection between economic cycles and artistic development and demonstrated how economic prosperity fertilizes the development of art. From how Jingdezhen porcelain (china) reached the world through the Silk Road and became a synonym for China; to the unprecedented economic boom of the Song Dynasty and the artistic zenith of the Along the River During the Qingming Festival demonstrated the brilliant interplay of economy and art in that era; and then to how the Medici family supported the Renaissance with their strong economic strength and promoted the leapfrog development of European art, each case revealed economic-artistic synergy. The British Museum during the heyday of the United Kingdom and the Metropolitan Museum of Art after the rise of the United States both absorbed global art resources through economic hegemony, further proving that the ownership of artworks is a microcosm of changing economic cycle. PAN pointed out that the essence of artistic choices is the externalization of economic strength. Only when the economy thrives and develops can art have more choices and development space.

XU Sitao led the audience to review the historical interactions between economic cycles and art markets, noting that every change in the economic cycle has a profound impact on art markets. He also analyzed the Sino-U.S. game, the transformation of consumption, and the future direction of art markets based on the current international situation. Despite increased global uncertainties from Trump-era tariff policies, XU highlighted China’s economic resilience and growth potential. XU provided valuable market insights and investment strategy suggestions for the audiences by dissecting art market trends during global economic recovery. He predicted more diversified and internationalized art market development under the new global economic cycle, presenting both opportunities and challenges for artists and investors.

Through vivid cases, QIN Chuan demonstrated how AI technology brings new inspiration and possibilities to artistic creation, how it advances the development of design education towards a more intelligent and personalized direction, and how it enables global sharing and dissemination of cultural resources through digital means, bringing the audience cutting-edge thoughts and practical explorations on the integration of art and technology. QIN Chuan stressed that art-technology integration not only provides new tools and means for artistic creation, but also revolutionizes art education concepts and methods. He called on art educators to keep pace with the times, continuously innovate teaching methods and approaches, strengthen interdisciplinary collaboration and exchanges, and cultivate high-quality art talents with innovative thinking and practical capabilities. He also shared the practical experience and future plans of AADTHU in the integration of art and technology, presenting to the audience the promising prospects and infinite possibilities of the integration of art and technology.

Scene of the art lecture

During the interactive session, the audiences engaged in in-depth discussions with guest speakers on topics including global economic trends, art market trends, innovations in art education, and the integration of art and technology. The three keynote speakers provided multi-dimensional insights based on their profound professional knowledge and extensive practical experience, sparking resonance and contemplation among audiences.

Q&As from the audience

The art lecture came to a successful conclusion with the guest speakers’ wonderful sharing and the audiences’ enthusiastic interactions. It not only deepened participants’ understanding of art market development trends in the new global economic cycle, but also revealed the boundless possibilities and opportunities brought by the integration of art and technology.

Group photo taken at the art lecture

 
Source | Training Center
 
Copywriter | ZHAO Xiaoshuang
 
Photo/Text Editors | LUO Xuehui and ZHANG Xueying
 
Reviewer | WANG Xiaoxin