On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, a lecture titled “Building Hyperlinks: The Power of the Art Museum” was held at the School of Fine Arts, Nanjing Normal University. Zeng Yulan, Director of the Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, was invited as the speaker, offering an in-depth interpretation of the evolving role of art museums in the new era, with particular focus on institutional transformation, community engagement, and academic innovation.

The lecture revolved around two central questions. As the first government-established public museum in mainland China dedicated to contemporary art, and situated within the historic Duolun Road district, how should the museum define its role today? As a site of knowledge production, how can it respond to its immediate context and articulate new positions and value judgments?

Drawing on years of curatorial practice, Zeng elaborated on these issues through three key dimensions. First, the “de-wallization” of the museum. Moving beyond the constraints of physical space, she described how the museum integrates artistic projects into the surrounding historic urban fabric of Duolun Road. By addressing themes such as urban renewal and the memory of demolition, architectural fragments and historical traces are transformed into artistic language, allowing art to directly engage with urban change and collective memory. Second, the public orientation of the museum. She highlighted long-term initiatives in public space, accessibility in the arts, and engagement with aging communities, demonstrating how the museum extends its role beyond exhibition to serve broader social needs. Third, co-creation. Drawing on Duolun Road’s historical significance as a site associated with the modern woodcut movement in China, she introduced projects such as “Backbone: Lu Xun and the Tradition of New Woodcut,” which invite citizens, children, and the elderly to participate in open-ended creative processes. These initiatives continue the spirit of socially engaged art advocated by Lu Xun.

Zeng also introduced the China Contemporary Art Video Archive Project, a major initiative that has established a collection of over 6,000 video works. Each year, it organizes exhibitions, workshops, and academic programs around themes such as urban transformation and the rediscovery of time.

Addressing the students and faculty in attendance, she encouraged the audience to rethink the art museum from multiple perspectives—as artists, cultural practitioners, and general viewers. She emphasized that art is not only about creation and display, but also about engaging with society, reflecting on reality, and building connections between people.