Points Center for Contemporary Art was established in 2017 by contemporary artist Yuan Gong and served as art director. Committed to supporting the creation and recording of global contemporary art, and promoting research into contemporary art and culture, Points’ major projects include artists’ residency, archive and database construction, exhibitions, and public education activities. We aim to stimulate multicultural communication, activate the local art ecology, and build interactive bridges for the public.
Points advocates “life within art,” fully integrating the natural and human environments of a traditional water town, while inviting global artists with contemporary creative vision to live and create locally, triggering public dialogue through contemporary art creation and injecting artistic energy into local communities.
International Residency Program
Points regards artistic creation as an important part of a vibrant, just, and healthy society. The international artist residency program is mainly conducted in three ways: through the exchange of international institutions, open recruitment, and invitation. It is aimed at all types of artists, and also curators, writers, musicians, scientists, researchers, and experts in other related disciplines and interdisciplinary fields.
During their stays, Points will hold public outreach and education events from time to time. The project will also invite other relevant researchers to get involved to generate dialogue with a wide range of perspectives.
Exhibition & Lecture
Creative achievements during an artist's residency are usually presented in an exhibition. On the opening day of the exhibition, talks are held between artists, invited curators, scholars, and the public, and we are continuously open by appointment to provide a communication platform for arts institutions, arts workers, and the public.
As a global exchange platform for contemporary art, we will occasionally invite curators, scholars, and resident artists from all over the world to share and exchange in the hopes of establishing a space for the kind of interdisciplinary dialogue that can inspire arts workers and promote experimental contemporary artworks. Lectures and salons are open to the public by appointment.
Public Education Activities
The development of public education activities is an important bridge for communication and exchange with the public. At the same time, Points is committed to integrating artistic creation as a way of life into more dimensions of society. This communication combines with ongoing residencies and exhibitions in the center to explore the intrinsic value of an arts culture — promoting it and popularizing its humanistic and social value with professional knowledge — and provides the public with an opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of art creation through innovative interactive forms. These events bridge the masses and professionals, building bonds and sparking thought and dialogue.
Archive Database Construction
Points Center for Contemporary has also established an archival database construction project. This project is an indispensable source of information that guarantees artistic creation, research, historical compilation, and cultural exchange. Based on the events and exhibitions in our and our partners’ spaces, audio and video recordings of creative processes and interviews contribute to an in-depth understanding of artists and their works. By sorting out and systematically correlating relevant data, we continually improve this artistic archive.
It aims to serve thinkers and practitioners who are engaged in research at the intersection of arts and the humanities across the world, and provide more detailed information for scholars to study and explore in-depth the development of art. In addition, through cooperation with other well-known publishing platforms, we carry out diverse cultural activities and projects, strengthening interdisciplinary innovation and spreading the spirit of culture and art.