"Up in the Air, Remains to be Seen." Graduation Exhibition Forward:

There is an ancient saying that truly provokes thought: "One does not know the difficulty until one has experienced it." If something is genuinely challenging, it may seem impossible to overcome; however, once we manage to conquer it, we realize that it may not have been as insurmountable as it appeared. In Han Yu's poem "On Encouraging Learning," the words resonate deeply: "In fear of inadequate reading and the lack of clarity in reasoning, we worry. We fear both the illusion of having learned enough and the temptation to cease studying. Yet, even when knowledge is gained, we fear its insufficiency for practical application." Every word within it is precious and self-evident.

This graduation exhibition serves as a farewell showcase for our class in the Bachelor of Art in Visual Arts program at Macau Polytechnic University. The theme, "Up in the air, remains to be seen," carries profound layers of meaning and emotions that encapsulate the aspirations and pursuits of art students. In the original text of the first hexagram, Qian, also known as the Heaven hexagram, in the "Book of Changes (I Ching)," it states: "Leap from the abyss, no blame." This implies a dual state where a dragon momentarily soars to the heavens or lingers in the depths of the abyss, akin to the thought experiment of "Schrödinger's Cat." It reflects the dual struggles faced by students: the confusion and anticipation towards the future.

The theme represents the transitional phase of graduating students as they enter the art world, where they have the choice to either boldly forge ahead and establish themselves or patiently prepare themselves while awaiting opportunities. It reflects the aspirations for the future and the complexities of reality experienced by art students. The Qian hexagram, the first hexagram in the "Book of Changes," signifies that graduation does not mark the end of artistic pursuits but rather the beginning of a new chapter in their creative journey. Furthermore, as described in the "Book of Changes," the line text of the lower trigram of the Qian hexagram states, "The flying dragon in the sky" (Qian hexagram, line five), which further symbolizes the aspirations and promises of graduating students for the future.

The renowned sinologist Qian Mu once said, "It is difficult to advance from level ground, and it is even more difficult to reach the summit when it is in sight." Despite the tumultuous and challenging year of creation, we have ultimately "accomplished the task." As the Analects states, "To be able to be comprehensive but not perfect is beautiful." While the audience appreciates the exhibition, we hope you can discern the students' passion for artistic creation and determination to forge ahead against the current. This exhibition is the result of our collective efforts, following the previous "GYBE" class exhibition. Though our skills may not have reached maturity, it remains a heartfelt endeavour of aspiring artists. We hope for your understanding and constructive criticism.

As we bid farewell, I once again borrow the words of Qian Mu, who delivered a speech at the graduation ceremony of the first batch of art majors at New Asia College: "People often say that someone becomes an artist because they have outstanding artworks, or a writer because they have great literary works. However, in reality, it is because they have cultivated their literary and artistic qualities that they are able to produce excellent literary and artistic works. In other words, one must possess the character before achieving such accomplishments and expressions." Let us encourage and inspire each other, together with the audience and Macau Polytechnic University.