Congratulations on the Opening of the Asia Art Museum and Its Inaugural Exhibition
On the occasion of the launch of independent customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), the Asia Art Museum opens in Haikou and presents its inaugural exhibition, Moments of Closure: Convergence and Reshaping — A Contemporary Art Exhibition Celebrating the Launch of Independent Customs Operations of the Hainan FTP. I hereby extend my sincere congratulations.
The commencement of independent customs operations in Hainan marks China’s entry into a new phase of institutional opening-up in practice, signaling Hainan’s move toward a higher level of openness through a clearer and more stable regulatory framework. At this historic juncture, the Asia Art Museum engages the theme of “closure” through contemporary art, underscoring the practical significance of cross-civilizational dialogue: as the world system undergoes accelerating fragmentation, art offers a non-confrontational and sustainable mode of dialogue for bridging differences.
This exhibition brings together artists from diverse national and cultural backgrounds, employing a wide range of media to articulate artistic responses to reality, locality, and the future. The presentation goes beyond displaying cultural similarities and differences; through creation and dialogue, it opens spaces for mutual understanding. Grounded in equality and respect, this cross-cultural practice enables the “moment of closure” to transcend geographical and institutional boundaries, becoming a public moment in which different civilizations observe and respond to one another.
At a time when geopolitical rivalry is intensifying and global cognitive fragmentation is deepening, relations among civilizations are often reduced to value oppositions and narrative conflicts. The significance of the Asia Art Museum’s opening lies precisely in offering an alternative response to such structural tensions—dispelling misperceptions through exchange, and expanding the boundaries of understanding through aesthetic experience. Through curatorial narratives, theoretical research, and public education initiatives, the museum has the potential to become a stable and open platform for global dialogue, enabling different civilizations to gradually build trust and understanding through sustained interaction.
It is hoped that, grounded in Asian experience while engaging global issues, the Asia Art Museum will, through long-term practice, promote cognitive connectivity and mutual learning among civilizations so that Hainan may serve not only as an important window of institutional opening-up, but also as a key cultural node for cross-civilizational dialogue.
Bi Yantao
Professor, School of International Communication and Arts, Hainan University
Editor-in-Chief, Communication Without Borders (CWB)
Senior Research Fellow, Charhar Institute
December 18, 2025
