„EYEth ART” Artist Talk

Those who live in a silent world often can't get fully involved in the society due to communication difficulties and lack of accessibility. But art doesn't have any boundaries. The deaf artists live in a world of their own called EYEth, which relates to the eye, the sign language, and the visual. The deaf community, especially the deaf artists attempt to show and advocate the creativity, break stereotypes, increase public awareness and promote inclusiveness of art for all.
 
One of these deaf artists is Jiayi Zhou who is currently holding the solo exhibition Silent Visions at the Goethe Open Space 2020. Art is Jiayi’s first language as she became deaf at an early age. Her work comes from the love she finds when creating artwork. That's the love that runs in her blood and is the center of her life. Art is her silence screaming from within as she cannot physically hear and speak.
 In this talk about deaf culture, Jiayi Zhou meets Alice Hu, a deaf visual designer, and multi talent, born in Shanghai, and nowadays living in Austria. Alice Hu is also a moderator, actor, stage performer, and a sign language interpreter for several sign languages, as well as experimenting with music, video, and live performance interpretations. She participates in many international programs promoting social inclusion and diverse artists. For her engagements in this field she gained very positive recognition and awards.
 
For this special talk, Han Bo, the curator of the exhibition, and Julie Chun, the representative of the Royal Asiatic Society in Shanghai will guide us into this world of deaf culture, and discuss together with the artists Jiayi Zhou and Alice Hu examples of their works and projects, as well as what it means to be deaf, a female, and an artist. The talk also offers the audience the opportunity to gain a deeper and better understanding about the deaf community who live in EYEth, a world where is a fertile breeding ground for rich artistic expression.
 
Join us in this journey, and discuss with our diverse guests on the panel. Our professional sign language interpreter Wenyan Tang will help us to overcome language barriers.
 
Zhou Jiayi
Zhou Jiayi was born and grew up in Shanghai, China. She graduated with honors from Shanghai Institute of Technology in 2004, receiving an Associate in Arts in Environment Art Design. In 2009, Zhou Jiayi graduated from Gallaudet University with honors, receiving a double Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and Studio Art 2D. She also won the Nippon World Deaf Leadership Scholarship and continued to study a Master’s Program in International Development. In 2012, she earned her M.A. degree with honors from the same university. 
Zhou Jiayi participated in different activities and international conferences like Salzburg Seminar “People, Peace and Planet in 2030: Shaping Inclusive and Sustainable Growth” (Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan), Leadership Conference on International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State (Washington, DC, USA) etc. Her solo exhibitions include “Our Mother Language” (2012, Jockey Club Creative Arts Center, Hong Kong) and “Silent Song” (2011, VSA Boston, USA) etc. Zhou Jiayi also participated in group exhibitions such as “China-Korea Youth Art Exchange Exhibition” (2016, Members’ Office Building, Seoul, Korea) and “A Vision that Smells of Soap” (2012, Gallaudet University, Washington DC, USA).
 
Alice Hu
Alice Hu was born and raised in Shanghai. Xiaoshu (Alice) Hu attended elementary schools for the deaf and Shanghai Fine Arts University in her hometown. Her passion for the arts eventually took her to Vienna, Austria where she graduated in 2008 with an MA from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Alice uses her international background and multiple sign languages both professionally and, in the community to raise social awareness. She is presently employed as a coordinator/talent advisor for the development of innovative integration programs and awareness training at the myAbility Social Enterprise Company, presently working in educational project support for the deaf theater project at Burgtheater Vienna. She also volunteers in social media marketing for the World Federation of the Deaf supporting accessibility services for people with disabilities at events such as “Disability Confidence Day” hosted by myAbility Business Forum, the Zero Project Conference; TEDx Vienna; as well as many others. In addition to being an important contributor to accessibility from a practical and symbolic standpoint, Alice has also greatly raised the awareness of sign language interpretation.
Alice clearly contributes to change in our world; she builds bridges, she enhances diversity, and she removes barriers for the benefit of a brighter future.

Julie Chun
Julie Chun is an American Art Historian based in Shanghai since 2011. She has been critically observing and documenting the growth of the art world in Shanghai. She serves as the Art Convener of the Royal Asiatic Society China, where she devotes her time to increasing the public’s understanding of artistic objects, past and present. She lectures frequently for various foreign associations in Shanghai, including the foreign Consulate General offices and is an adjunct professor of Art History for the Institute for Study Abroad. She is a regular contributing writer for Yishu Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art and her art reviews and criticism have been published in academic journals and art journals in China and internationally.

Han Bo
Poet, artist, novelist, playwright and travel writer.
Graduated from Fudan University in China. 
Honorary writer of the University of Iowa.
He has published Chinese poetry collection “borrowing deep heart” and “Temple of Arrival and Departure”, English poetry collection “The China Eastern Railway”, Russian poetry collection “A banquet of knots”, German poetry collection “China box” (collection), novel “A life or suite with three bedrooms, one living room and one dining room”, and seven travel literature books including “Following in the footsteps of Dionysus” and “Saints and Graffiti: Travel through heterotopia”. 
Since 2017, supported by Bosch Foundation of Germany and Berlin Literature Association, he has stayed in Germany several times to study contemporary painting.
As a dramatist, he has set up EWOOD stage drama studio and produced more than ten drama works, such as “The chair doesn't know”, “The new classic of mountains and seas”. As an artist, his works of painting, photography and installation have participated in many exhibitions in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Moscow and other places.