Innovators at the Forefront of Art and Business Speak at Annual CBER Forum

NYU Shanghai brought together innovators and disruptors working at the intersection of art, culture, and business last week for a forum on “Cultural and Creative Business in the New Consumption Era.” The forum, hosted by the  Center for Business Education and Research (CBER), featured six speakers who shared their experiences from their careers and made predictions for the future and changing consumer behaviors.

 

 

Aly Rose, Associate Arts Professor and Creator of the ONE show, kicked off the day with a lecture titled, “The Power of Failure.” Rose shared the triumphs and struggles she experienced conceptualizing and planning the ONE show--a choreographed performance that combines drumming, moving image, dance, and a first-time mass aerial dance finale. The show features 100 performers from more than a dozen countries, and centers on the topics of human interdependence and our collective destiny.

 

 

 

Not only does art creation require thinking outside the box, but business is also iteratively driven by innovation. Later in the day, Gong Yu, Founder and CEO of online video streaming platform iQiYi, told the audience that along with China's per capita GDP has reached about 9,780 US dollars in 2018, consumers have turned to mix and match network services and cable or satellite TV. The strong demand for streaming media indicates that China's entertainment industry is about to explode. And technological innovation, especially the development of artificial intelligence, provides an opportunity for the Chinese entertainment industry to overtake on the corner.

 

 

Moreover, Dr. Gong talked about the success of his platform, and its international reach. Gong says he learned to leverage pieces of popular content into something bigger, by transforming them into stories, TV series, feature films, and more. “The inevitable convenience of online video streaming means that we watch traditional TV programming less and less,” says Gong. “I want to use the innovation of  technology and content to change people’s lives in a better way and to bring art to life.”

 

 

Dou Dou Huang, Artistic Director of the Shanghai Song and Dance Ensemble, shared stories from his early days in New York, when he could only afford a standing room ticket at the Metropolitan Opera, to eventually choreographing the opera, “The First Emperor” with famed director Zhang Yimou and composer/conductor Tan Dun,  followed by “Les Contes d'Hoffmann” for the Met. “Back then, I remember telling my wife on the way back after watching the opera on feet for three hours’ long, ‘maybe one day I’ll be able to afford a seat at the Met,” said Dou Dou. “But she told me ‘one day, I think I’ll see you on stage there.’” So, what I have to say is that NYC is always the place to fulfill an artist’s dream.

 

 

 

Zhang Shuyan, Founder of Made in Natural, shared his story of transitioning from an intense 14-year career in branding and marketing to his current work documenting the lifestyle, crafts, and traditions of villages across China. “I was constantly overworking myself,” recalls Zhang. “At one point, I wanted to find nature again...to seek out the beautiful things that are still alive in China, instead of the inanimate things behind museum doors.” Since 2014, Zhang has traveled to more than 200 villages, visited thousands of craftsmen, and produced more than 200 documentaries. By working to bring attention to traditional crafts, Zhang also hopes to revitalize local economies, bring jobs to rural areas of China, and bring the Chinese tradition back to the present.

 

 

 

 

Zhang Lin, Founder of the Shanghai Museum of Glass, opened his talk with the statement, “creativity is my museum's weapon against time.” He shared stories about re-conceptualizing the museum as an interactive experience that keeps visitors coming back for more. Zhang said the museum has hosted a series of events to increase community engagement, like “Museum Camp Night” and “Museum Sleepovers,” has worked with brands like Uniqlo to host fashion shows, and partnered with QQ music to host live performances. “These days, people can see anything they want in the comfort of their own homes,” says Zhang. “That’s why museums can’t be one rigid thing, they need to be a way of life and provide spiritual enjoyment and creative services.”

 

 

 

Coming at the same topic from a more commercial angle, Chun Meiling, Senior Vice President of K11, China’s first “art mall,” talked about “disrupting the current cultural landscape.” She described K11 as a lifestyle operator that caters to urban youth. Chun said K11 hosts year-round art and cultural events, and blends art with consumption by selling limited edition designer products, heavily emphasizing social media coverage, and nurturing young artists.

 

 

 

Chancellor Yu Lizhong said at the opening of the forum that the day would center around the theme of “integration,” because “NYU Shanghai represents integration, as this institution works to bring China closer to the world’s culture through education and social interaction.”

 

In his closing remarks, Vice Chancellor Jeff Lehman reminded audiences that CBER was established to understand the ever-changing Chinese market. “By working local businesses and entrepreneurs, we can bring an exchange of information,” said Lehman. “Every guest speaker here today has created work that has enriched the lives of those who encounter it…. NYU Shanghai will continue to enhance learning opportunities in and out of the classroom to integrate its community with the broader community within the city.”