Exhibition Introduction
From September 8 to October 8, 2025, Alt+Tab Hybrid Transpositions-Su Zhipeng Works Exhibition will be held at the Tsinghua University Art Museum. Organized by the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University (AADTHU) and the Tsinghua Olympic Arts Research Center, the exhibition presents Su’s recent works, most of which are being shown for the first time. It showcases his exploration of “restructuring artistic language in the digital context,” extending to core contemporary themes such as using art as a medium to engage with the deeper logic of digital civilization.
The exhibition title draws inspiration from the computer shortcut Alt+Tab (windows switching), symbolizing “hybrid Transpositions”, breaking boundaries between mediums and symbols to reconstruct expression where digital and physical realities intertwine, creating an immersive experience of metamorphosis.
Exhibition Information
Title: Alt+Tab Hybrid Transpositions-Su Zhipeng Works Exhibition
Dates: September 8-October 8, 2025
Venue: Gallery 4, Building B Art Museum, AADTHU
Organizers: Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University; Tsinghua Olympic Arts Research Center
Foreword
AADTHU emphasizes the dual development of faculty’s pedagogical and artistic practices, with solo exhibitions embodying this philosophy. These exhibitions foster academic exchange while invigorating teaching and creative passion.
Su Zhipeng, a dedicated educator and practitioner, brings a rich pedagogical vision shaped by his training at the China Academy of Art and Central Academy of Fine Arts, a fusion of northern and southern artistic traditions. Over five years at AADTHU, he has synergized teaching, collaborative research, academic exhibitions, and Olympic-themed artistic exchanges, forging a unique model where pedagogy and research mutually enrich one another.
As an artist, Su actively contributes to large-scale historical thematic creations, upholding art’s societal role, while his personal works reflect China’s developmental pulse with profound humanistic insight. Hybrid Transpositions crystallizes his multicultural perspective and ethos. The exhibited pieces reveal his experimentation with diverse mediums and techniques in sculptural language, explorations rooted in pedagogical reflection, exemplifying the adage “teaching benefits teachers as well as students.” Notably, his Keyboard Series captures contemporary social phenomena through sculpture, interrogating the existential and psychological dilemmas of the internet age to provoke deep reflection.
The theme “Hybrid Transpositions” encapsulates Su’s creative essence: “hybrid” signifies his integration of multifaceted identities, mediums, and discourses, while "metamorphosis" reflects his dynamic reimagining of artistic expression and pedagogy amid societal shifts. The exhibition serves as a milestone in his artistic and teaching journey, embodying AADTHU’s “dual-practice” ethos. The virtuous cycle of “teaching nourishing creation, and creation reciprocating teaching” offers a replicable model for art academia, while prompting critical dialogue on balancing tradition and innovation in the digital era.
Ultimately, genuine artistic practice is never solitary, it walks hand-in-hand with pedagogy and the zeitgeist. True art education transcends technical instruction; through their creative work, educators guide students to perceive the era, contemplate society, and cultivate artistry enriched by skill, vision, and compassion. When an educator upholds such responsibility to art, pedagogy, and society, this commitment not only extends AADTHU’s legacy but also imbues contemporary art and education with resolute, inspiring vitality.
—Ma Sai, Dean, Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University
Artist Profile
Su Zhipeng
Associate Researcher, AADTHU
Deputy Director, Tsinghua Olympic Arts Research Center
He has led or participated in major public art projects and urban planning initiatives in Xi’an, Nanchang, Zhengzhou, Hohhot, and other cities, completing hundreds of public artworks across 18 cities in 12 provinces. His honors include the National Art Fund Young Artists Grant, Liu Kaiqu Award Silver Prize, and China Spirit Sculpture Exhibition Excellence Award. His works are held by the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum, China Sports Museum, Shandong Art Museum, and other institutions. In 2024, his sculpture First Gold received the Special Gold Prize in Art at the 41st Florence Literary and Arts Awards.
