Review of the Zen and Visual Art Seminar

On 13 March 2024, The Faculty of AHSS at Queen’s University Belfast, the Queen’s University Belfast Language Centre, and the Eutopia Arthouse Film Festival jointly hosted the ‘Zen and Visual Art’ seminar. For this occasion, we had the honour of inviting Zen Master Ziyun Ho from the Shaolin Temple in China, along with Guzheng musical artist Wei Deng, to present the essence of Zen from an artistic perspective. Additionally, resident priest Myogan Djinn Gallagher from the Belfast Black Mountain Zen Centre and Dr Derek Johnston from Queen’s AEL School participated in the event.

The seminar commenced with an opening speech by Dr Liang Wang from the Queen’s University Language Centre. Dr Wang discussed the university’s commitment to fostering a diverse learning environment from both educational and cultural perspectives, enriching students with a wealth of knowledge and experiences. He also highlighted recent seminars and activities related to Chinese culture hosted by the Language Centre. Meanwhile, he introduced the background of the EAFF Cultural Forum and the keynote speakers for the seminar, Ziyun and Wei.

Following this introduction, Guzheng artist Wei captivated the audience with an opening musical performance titled ‘Zen Rhythm’ (云水禅心). This ancient Buddhist musical piece, through the artist’s exquisite skill, perfectly conveyed a serene contemplation of self-sufficiency in all things. Through ‘Zen Rhythm’, Deng successfully combined the essence of Zen with the charm of the Guzheng, offering a unique and profound cultural experience to everyone present.

As the musical performance concluded, Zen Master Ziyun presented a performance art piece titled ‘Breaking Free from Attachment’（去粘解缚）. With his eyes blindfolded by a red cloth and his body entirely wrapped in white tissue, he invited the audience to write or draw whatever they wished on him, leaving red characters such as ‘love’, ‘family’, ‘career’, ‘salary’, ‘human’. Ziyun then gradually sat down, entered a meditative state, and eventually freed himself from the tissue, symbolically breaking free from various attachments in life to demonstrate the essence of life’s simplicity and purity.

Ziyun further emphasized the importance of Zen for inner peace and self-awareness. He explained how, in bustling modern life, the practice and philosophy of Zen offer a pathway to finding tranquillity and strength from within. He shared his profound experience of Zen meditation at Shaolin Temple, describing it as a deep journey of self-exploration and internal dialogue.

Moreover, Ziyun shared how Zen practice helped him find balance in daily life, teaching people how to achieve a harmonious unity of mind and body through meditation, breath control, and physical activity, such as Kung Fu. This practice helps maintain calmness and focus amidst life’s pressures and challenges.

Discussing the connection between Zen and martial arts films, Ziyun noted that many such films are deeply influenced by Zen philosophy. He elaborated on how the film Shaolin Temple not only showcases spectacular martial arts scenes but more importantly, conveys Zen’s connoations on transcending the self and inner peace. The film’s scenes and dialogues, through narrative and aesthetic techniques, ingeniously integrate Zen thought, allowing audiences to feel its profound philosophy while being visually entertained.

After the seminar, Ziyun exchanged gifts with Dr Wang from the Language Centre and Yaping from the AHSS faculty, signifying mutual respect and gratitude for the deep appreciation of knowledge exchange and cultural understanding.