New horizons "Beyond the ink": Chinese calligraphy transcends the boundaries of the written mark

A journey through the countless forms that Chinese calligraphy can take, exploring its remarkable capacity to transform itself, breathe, and enter into dialogue with the many dimensions of contemporary art. From 7 May to 5 July 2026, the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte at Palazzo d'Accursio, in Bologna (Piazza Maggiore, 6), plays host to the exhibition “Oltre l’inchiostro: nuovi orizzonti della calligrafia cinese contemporanea” (Beyond the ink: new horizons in contemporary Chinese calligraphy).

For the opening event — scheduled for Wednesday 6 May at 5.30 pm — Wang Dongling, the most prominent living master of modern Chinese calligraphy, will be in attendance. In a "Musicalligraphy Performance", he will transform calligraphy into a performative gesture, creating a monumental work on a scroll of rice paper measuring approximately 2 x 5 metres, using his celebrated luanshu script ("chaotic writing").

With more than 40 artists and over 55 works, it is the first exhibition of its kind in Europe. Among the leading figures are some of the most prominent names on the international scene, including Wang Dongling, Xu Bing, Gu Wenda, Luo Qi, Zhang Qiang, Wei Ligang, Feng Mengbo, Pu Lieping, Wang Nanming, Chu Chu and Shao Yan. Particular attention is also devoted to women artists — among them Li Xinmo, Echo Morgan and Wu Xixia — who offer compelling perspectives on the relationship between calligraphy, contemporary life and gender issues.

Produced in collaboration with the Settore Musei Civici of the Municipality of Bologna, the exhibition is the culminating outcome of the research project "WRITE – New Forms of Calligraphy in China: A Contemporary Culture Mirror", coordinated by the University of Bologna and funded by the European Research Council (ERC). The project was led by Adriana Iezzi, Professor at the Department of Interpreting and Translation - DIT at the University of Bologna, who curated the exhibition in collaboration with Marta R. Bisceglia, Daniele Caccin and Martina Merenda, researchers on the "WRITE" project.

The exhibition traces the evolution of calligraphy into new artistic languages capable of reflecting the cultural and social transformations of contemporary China. Divided into four thematic sections — visual arts, graffiti, decorative and applied arts, and performing arts — the exhibition presents works ranging from the abstract to the pictographic, from invented and illegible scripts to experiments carried out with entirely new materials and tools.

Also on display are a number of exceptionally valuable objects: items by major luxury brands drawing inspiration from calligraphy, including a Hermès ceramic service created in collaboration with the calligrapher Fung Ming Chip, and lithographs of labels for the celebrated wine Château Mouton Rothschild by two founding figures of modern Chinese calligraphy, Gu Gan and Xu Bing.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to experience calligraphy in three-dimensional and digital form — as a video game, and as a creation generated through augmented reality. They will also be able to listen to music inspired by calligraphy, see calligraphy rendered as garments and performative installations or photographs of graffiti in which the calligraphic gesture becomes an instrument of struggle for gender equality and freedom of expression.

During the exhibition, the "WRITE Digital Archive” — the world's first digital archive dedicated to contemporary Chinese calligraphy — will be presented to the public for the first time. A result of the "WRITE" project, the archive brings together the works studied and analysed in the course of the research — including those on display in the exhibition — and will be available for consultation in the museum rooms.

“Oltre l’inchiostro: nuovi orizzonti della calligrafia cinese contemporanea” continues the partnership established in 2023 between the Department of Interpreting and Translation - DIT at the University of Bologna and the Musei Civici di Bologna, with the exhibition "INKiostro di Voci. Luo Qi e 30 anni di calligrafismo" at the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica, also curated by Adriana Iezzi as part of the ERC "WRITE" research project.

The theme of this second instalment of the exhibition, presented at the Collezioni Comunali d'Arte, connects with a question that has long been central to research strands developed by the Musei Civici d'Arte Antica: the written word. Writing has shaped the evolution of every civilisation, in East and West alike, growing ever more decisive over the centuries in reinforcing the sense of identity that each people transmits through images. Many traces of this intertwining can be found in the museum's own collections, where works are completed by painted and engraved words. The public will be invited to look upon their deeper meaning with fresh eyes, through a dialogue with the ancient artistic and spiritual practice of Chinese calligraphy — whose expressive richness is reflected in the creations of the contemporary artists selected for this occasion.

The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue published by Bologna University Press, edited by Adriana Iezzi with Marta R. Bisceglia, Daniele Caccin and Martina Merenda, with contributions from Romano Prodi, Stefano Fanti (Vice Rector for Research at the University of Bologna) and Silvia Battistini (Director of the Musei Civici d'Arte Antica). 

A programme of satellite events is scheduled throughout the exhibition period, including performances, workshops, talks and guided tours.