Draft:Joseph Cui
{{AfC submission|t||ts=20250403160424|u=Krys669|ns=118|demo=}}
{{Short description|French-Chinese art critic (born 1976)}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Orphan|date=January 2025}}
{{Undisclosed paid|date=April 2025}}
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{{Infobox
| title = Joseph Cui
| image = File:Portrait joseph.jpg
| caption = Photographer: Hao Wang
| header1 = Nationality: French
| header2 = Language: Chinese, English, French
}}
Joseph Cui (born 1976) is a French-Chinese curator, art critic, and founder of Espace Temps, an art space, and Les Voies de l’Art (The Pathways of Art), an association dedicated to intercultural artistic studies. He also writes under the pen name Shushan (述山).
Early life
Joseph Cui (Chinese name: 崔保仲) was born in 1976 in Hebei, China, into a Catholic family with a long tradition in Chinese medicine. Raised in an environment influenced by both Christianity and Taoist philosophy, he left home during middle school and was ordained as a priest in the underground Catholic Church in China at the age of 22.
In 2002, he was sent by the Chinese Catholic Church to study at the Collège des Bernardins in Paris. Over the years, he served as a priest in various Catholic churches in both China and France. However, a lecture on ethical philosophy and human behavior led him to deeply reflect on his decision to become a priest. After nearly three years of inner struggle, he applied for secularization in 2008, which was formally granted by the Vatican in 2012.{{Cite web |date=2023-04-14 |title=安琪巴黎「自由谈」沙龙纪要与述评：自由在哪里 艺术就在哪里 |url=https://www.rfi.fr/cn/%E7%A7%91%E6%8A%80%E4%B8%8E%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96/20230414-%E5%B7%B4%E9%BB%8E-%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E8%B0%88-%E6%B2%99%E9%BE%99%E7%BA%AA%E8%A6%81%E4%B8%8E%E8%BF%B0%E8%AF%84-%E8%87%AA%E7%94%B1%E5%9C%A8%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C-%E8%89%BA%E6%9C%AF%E5%B0%B1%E5%9C%A8%E5%93%AA%E9%87%8C |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=RFI - 法国国际广播电台 |language=zh-Hans}}
During this period, Cui worked while studying in Paris. He first enrolled at the Institut de Management et Communication Interculturels (ISIT), where he trained as a trilingual interpreter (Chinese, English, and French). He then pursued a master’s degree in comparative literature at The Sorbonne Nouvelle University, followed by doctoral research focusing on intercultural themes in the literary works of François Cheng.
Greatly influenced by Cheng’s writings, Cui wrote to François Cheng, a member of the Académie Française, in the third year of his PhD studies. Their correspondence soon led to a close mentorship and friendship. From 2012 to 2019, Cui met with Cheng almost weekly in Cheng’s study, discussing art, poetry, philosophy, and religion. Since 2020, due to Cheng’s advanced age, Cui has been assisting him with daily life and publishing matters.{{Cite book |url=https://www.librairie-aufildesmots.com/livre/9782379460159-francois-cheng-ecriture-poetique-et-quete-de-sens-ardua-francois-cheng/ |title=Francois Cheng ; écriture poétique et quête de sens - Ardua, François Cheng - Passiflore - Grand format - Au fil des mots Blagnac |language=fr}}
In 2024, Cui founded the Les Voies de l’Art (The Pathways of Art) association,{{Cite web |title=LA CHINE |url=https://m.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_29019909 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.chinatoday.com.cn}} dedicated to archiving and researching François Cheng’s literary works, curating exhibitions, and exploring intercultural phenomena in art.
Career
In 2012, at the invitation of Chinese artists based in France, Cui became involved in the art world, beginning his career as an independent curator and art critic. In 2013, he co-founded the VIA Contemporary Art Association (VIA, Latin for path){{Cite web |title=LA CHINE |url=http://www.chinatoday.com.cn/french/Personnalite/article/2014-12/29/content_661406.htm |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.chinatoday.com.cn}}{{Cite web |date=2017-07-31 |title=CUI BAOZHONG – CURATOR |url=https://aca-project.fr/portfolio/interview-cui-baozhong/ |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=asian contemporary art |language=fr-FR}} alongside curators, artists, and cultural mediators in Paris. The association aims to support emerging artists through exhibitions and residency programs, fostering humanistic values and aesthetic exploration.{{Cite web |title=Joseph CUI {{!}} Cnap |url=https://www.cnap.fr/joseph-cui |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=www.cnap.fr}}
In 2014, Cui directed a documentary{{Cite web |title=VIA Paris |url=https://www.youtube.com/@viaparis8137 |access-date=2025-01-30 |website=YouTube |language=en}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p9AzXdvw7s |title=Interview de VIA Paris - Horyou Village @ Cannes Festival 2015 |date=2015-05-15 |last=Horyou |access-date=2025-01-30 |via=YouTube}} featuring nine artists, using visual storytelling to explore their works, personal journeys, and philosophical reflections on life and creativity.
In September 2023, he established Espace Temps, an art institution in Paris dedicated to curating scholarly contemporary art exhibitions and events, promoting multicultural exchange and dialogue.
Exhibition
Bibliography
Cheng, François. Une longue route pour m'unir au chant français. October 2022, p. 245, Remerciements.
References
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{{Draft categories|
Category:Chinese emigrants to France
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{{Drafts moved from mainspace|date=April 2025}}