Crossing the Equator: Reconsidering a New Cross-cultural Aesthetic Paradigm of Screen-based Immersion of Landscape (Mountains and Water)
Creators: name: Yang, Hui
Publisher: name: RMIT University
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 360604
subject: Photography, video and lens-based practice

description: Countries have diverse cultures, with some being multicultural, employing a variety of aesthetic understandings and artistic forms. Contemporary aesthetics, as a paradigm of appreciation, challenge the constraints imposed by different cultures and traditions. Australian culture is enriched by the diversity and combination of immigrant cultures and exhibits more distinct characteristics. My research aims to explore a contemporary creative approach that incorporates Chinese aesthetic characteristics into contemporary Australian perspectives of landscape.

The aim of my research is to merge understandings of common implications of experimental video practices in China and Australia, with the goal of fostering an emerging aesthetic that bridges intercultural projects. Thus, identifying a method to convey this concept is crucial. The significance of this research lies in the constantly developing relationship between China and Australia across arts-based domains. I intend to analyse innovative forms of cinematic and video art language that blend Australian and Chinese aesthetics, aiming to create original video artworks. This endeavour seeks to introduce a new aesthetic approach and paradigm within the field of visual arts.

The research questions guiding this study are:

1. How might Chinese shanshui aesthetics be demonstrated through contemporary digital technologies? 

2. How can blending shanshui aesthetic paradigms with contemporary Australian perspectives of landscape through video practices contribute to the development of novel cross-cultural aesthetics?

This project commences with an examination of experimental video art in Australia and China, introducing a new aesthetic paradigm into Australian video art. It investigates practices in this field that might be integrated to develop new approaches for making screen-based immersions in landscape. A new practice-led creation involves the combination of many elements, including visual art, sonic art, and panoramic view, and integrates with contemporary digital technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

My methodology integrates a combination of fieldwork, site visits, studio painting experiments, and digital editing, creating a video on a river theme to bond my personal experiences. I delve into these methods in more detail in the separate projects. 

Project 1: A Panorama of Blue-green Victorian Landscape. This project investigates and experiments with ways in which AR can offer exclusive insights when combined with a digital panorama. I use the software Mental Canvas to build a smartphone application through which audiences can watch the animation. The primary finding of this study is the significance of immersing oneself in Victorian landscape, revealing how deeply engaging with it transcends the limitations of time and space.

Project 2: Inner Golden Water River (Beijing) meets Yarra River (Melbourne). Through practice-led research, I apply Chinese shanshui aesthetics to express the concept of Being Water (上善若水). The supreme virtue for a human being is like the nature of water, which covers all things. This metaphor declares that people can live without pursuing fame and fortune, embodying water’s flexibility, and its capacity to harmonise with the diverse ideologies and dispositions of the world. I use AI platforms to generate digital images and videos based on my creative ideas and paintings. The secondary finding of this study is the importance of connecting with water and urbanisation across different cultures, highlighting how experiencing different scenes can enhance this connection. 
 
The conclusion explores new possibilities for cross-cultural aesthetics, highlighting the potential for innovative artistic expressions that merge diverse cultural perspectives and traditions.