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Visual Arts Exhibition goes online

Diploma Programme (DP) students in China created a virtual gallery of their artworks during the lockdown period.

Visual Arts Exhibition goes online

During the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, we have seen exhibitions all over the world go online. When schools closed in China at the beginning of the year, Nanjing International School (NIS) students adapted their DP Visual Arts Exhibition into a virtual gallery.

Visual Arts teacher at NIS, Morgan Krajczar, says: “Our students are resilient and flexible, but they were disappointed not to have an exhibition in their predetermined space. I wanted to set up the site, so that the community could enjoy and be inspired by the variety of work that the students spent time doing. Students were very quick to create a gorgeous virtual collection of images and as their teacher, I decided to really put an effort into celebrating their work.”

The artwork themes ranged from puberty, self-reflection and ideals of beauty to the importance of childhood memories, examining identity and revisiting your biological home. The site includes the students’ curatorial rationales beside the artworks.

“They handled it with grace and determination. The students had to show their flexibility and willingness to try their best under extraordinary circumstances.”

The students faced many challenges, explains Krajczar: “There was lockdown within Nanjing. Some students had to begin school elsewhere in Europe in order to keep up with their studies. Other students travelled outside of China for the Chinese New Year and could not return home. Students had unfinished pieces of artwork at school and were dealing with the stress of this unprecedented time and the uncertainty of this pandemic.”

“They handled it with grace and determination. The students had to show their flexibility and willingness to try their best under extraordinary circumstances.”

Holding the exhibition online meant that it got a wider audience. The whole community has been able to enjoy the art and to read the curatorial rationales. The story was covered in the Nanjing newspaper, The Nanjinger and the website has had 450 views to date.

Krajczar says one student wrote to her: “It was so wonderful to be able to see all of my artwork and to know that I tried my best to create a truly personal collection of my art. It was wonderful to share that with our Nanjing International community.”

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