Exploring Metaphysical Reflections and Future Poetics in the Folds of Our Times - 陈正达

CHEN ZHENGDA Design Studio
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杭州西湖区转塘中国美术学院
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悬铃之声
陈正达著
The Sound of Sycamore
By Prof. Chen Zhengda
江苏凤凰美术出版社
ISBN 978-7-5741-2815-6

视觉治愈
陈正达著
Visual Treatment
By Prof. Chen Zhengda
中国美术学院出版社
ISBN 978-7-5503-2476-3

多维设计与策划
陈正达王弋著
Multidimensional Design & Strategy
By Prof. Chen Zhengda & Wang yi
中国美术学院出版社
ISBN 978-7-5503-2837-2

设计再出发——设计学科国际发展通报
陈正达张春燕徐捷编著
The Design Turn —— A Report on the International
Design Disciplinary Development
By Prof. Chen Zhengda & Zhang Chunyan & Xu Jie
中国美术学院出版社
ISBN 978-7-5503-2340-7

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Exploring Metaphysical Reflections and Future Poetics in the Folds of Our Times

10/2025

Preface to the 12th China International Poster Biennial (CIPB 2025)

Exploring Metaphysical Reflections and Future Poetics in the Folds of Our Times

Prof. Chen Zhengda
October 8, 2025, On the Banks of the Qiantang River

When the torrent of digital technology surges forward like a breached dam, rushing in with overwhelming fragments of information; when artificial intelligence, with its enigmatic logic, weaves a labyrinth of intertwined reality and illusion; when cultural integration and ecological crisis converge as dual imperatives that question the essence of human existence—we find ourselves standing at a civilizational juncture of violent upheaval and profound transformation. The acceleration of technology has not brought about a parallel leap of the spirit. Instead, beneath its dazzling facade, increasingly complex folds are revealed: the fluidity of identity, the dissolution of meaning, the retreat of nature, the dulling of perception. It is in this very context that the 12th China International Poster Biennial, with “Philosophical Thinking on Design in the Folds of Our Times” as its guiding axis, seeks to construct a profound dialogue across geographies, civilizations, and media—navigating the tension between globalization and locality, technological rationality and humanistic values.

This year’s Biennial received 2,017 submissions from 846 designers across 30 countries and regions, reflecting a rich diversity of cultures and vibrant creative momentum. After a rigorous multi-round evaluation by the international jury, 175 works were selected to form the core vision of the exhibition. These works are not only visual creations but the crystallization of thought. Using images as language and form as vessel, they penetrate the glittering yet superficial reality and delve into the profound interior of design: they serve as rational responses to existential predicaments and sensuous inscriptions of the future; they represent both the deconstruction and reconstruction of symbolic systems, as well as in-depth explorations of the symbiotic relationship between technology and humanity.

The Folds of Our Times: Ontological Dilemmas of Design and Anxieties of Cultural Identity
We live in an age that resembles a fabric repeatedly folded and unfolded, where each crease conceals the potential for rupture, conflict, and rebirth. Globalization erodes cultural boundaries, digital technology reshapes modes of perception, and ecological crises challenge the very foundation of existence—these structural transformations bring fundamental questions once again to the fore: Who am I? Where do we come from? Where are we going? These become philosophical propositions that design cannot escape.

The fluidity of cultural identity has rendered the relationship between tradition and modernity, locality and globalization, increasingly complex and ambiguous. Designers are no longer content with the superficial borrowing of symbols or the collage of styles. Instead, they attempt to seek dialogue within difference and to stitch memories at the points of rupture. Among the selected cultural works, many reveal designers’ visual explorations of cultural awakening and spiritual reconstruction. Some works evoke empathy for anxious communities by capturing suffocating moments of an era of involution; others employ new material languages to re-interpret Shakespeare’s classics for contemporary audiences. These practices demonstrate that cultural identity is no longer a static belonging, but a dynamic construction—a narrative process of continual self-renewal within the “folds.”

At the same time, the shadow of digital alienation is subtly spreading. We switch constantly between the virtual and the real, gradually losing our capacity for critical thinking within algorithm-driven information cocoons. When the visual becomes reduced to a tool of traffic, when design degenerates into an ornament of consumerism, human subjectivity risks being devoured by technological systems. Yet in this era of excessive visual spectacle and dazzling complexity, many designers still uphold a pursuit of pure design, cherishing absolute simplicity. Amid narratives overloaded with elements, they preserve a longing for negative space and silence. These works remind us that design should not be a vassal of technology, but rather a medium to resist alienation and to restore the human capacity for perception and reflection.

Meanwhile, the ecological crisis pushes humanity to a crossroads of both ethics and aesthetics. Nature is no longer an inexhaustible reservoir of resources, but a community of life in urgent need of empathy and repair. In this Biennial, a limited number of selected works in the public welfare and environmental categories intervene in reality with a strong ecological consciousness, making abstract crises tangible and visceral. Some employ surrealist methods, portraying penguins shrouded in black crude oil as if bound by the shackles of human sin, crying out against the cruel reality of ocean pollution. Others, with penetrating thought, explore the intricate, mutually restrictive relationships among ES (Energy Saving), ECON (Economy), and ENV (Environment), invoking the paradox of the Pendo’s Triangle to pierce the fog of reality. These creations are not only warnings about environmental issues but also redefinitions of “design ethics”: design is no longer solely for human service, but also for planetary responsibility—a bridge for rebuilding a poetic bond between humanity and nature.

Design Language: The Semiotics of Deconstruction and Reconstruction in the Generation of Meaning
In an age where meaning grows increasingly blurred, design language itself has become an object of questioning and reconstruction. Designers are no longer satisfied with established visual grammars; instead, they actively break, distort, and reassemble them, allowing form itself to become a vessel of thought.

Color here is endowed with new philosophical significance. It is no longer merely decoration or an expression of emotion, but rather a sedimented layer of cultural memory. One designer, through graffiti and the free combination of color-letter symbols, interpreted the idea that no two splendid flowers in the world are ever exactly the same, and that each should be allowed to grow freely and without restraint—thus conveying pluralistic concepts about childhood and growth. This philosophical use of color elevates visual experience into a reflection on perception itself.

The deconstruction of graphics has become a laboratory for the generation of meaning. One designer transformed elements of traditional culture into a patchwork aesthetic that is disassemblable, deformable, and misaligned, allowing graphics to “breathe” and immerse themselves in cultural memory. Another, working within the residual imagery of memory, expressed the sensibility of the millennial generation, evoking a nostalgic dreamscape. This “surgical deconstruction” of graphic symbols is not aimed at producing chaos, but at opening new spaces of understanding at the site of rupture—when the fixed meanings of familiar symbols dissolve, the viewer enters into an active, participatory state of interpretation.

Equally noteworthy is the extensive application of dynamic and interactive technologies, which has enabled posters to evolve from “static images” into “temporal events” and “participatory arenas.” This Biennial features a significant number of motion posters that, through the sequencing of frames and rhythms, narrate processes rather than outcomes, cyclically revealing the visual codes of a new era. This mode of “co-constructing meaning” transforms design from a one-way transmission into a multi-subjective philosophical practice, responding to the post-human theoretical proposition of “co-creating meaning.”

Design Education: Cultivating Ecological Thinking and the Ontology of Education for Future Designers
The future of design is rooted in the soil of education. As design is endowed with unprecedented philosophical andethical weight, the traditional model of “skills transmission” has become unsustainable. Encouragingly, a new generation of designers is demonstrating a clear ecological consciousness and systematic thinking. Design is no longer seen as merely an “after-the-fact embellishment,” but as a discipline that embeds sustainable ethical considerations from the very inception of conception. “Future designers must not only know how to use software, but also know how to ask questions—about technology, about nature, about humanity itself.” This shift in educational philosophy is precisely a response to the ontology of design: design is not an isolated profession, but a way for humanity to understand, intervene in, and reshape the world.

The ultimate goal of education is the “becoming of the human.” Design education should not only cultivate “those who can draw,” but also “those who can think” and “those who take responsibility.” Design is not merely a means of livelihood, but also a pathway to self-realization—a way for individuals to establish their place in the world. Through design, one expresses care for society, an understanding of life, and an imagination for the future. In this way, design can truly return to its essence: a poetics of existence.

Philosophy and Creative Thinking: The Eternal Questioning Behind Design and the Existential Poetics of Being
When we strip away the ornate outer shell of form, we discover that the core of design has always been a profound response to human existence. It is neither a purely aesthetic game nor a cold technique of problem-solving, but rather a manifestation of “reason with warmth” and a kind of “tangible philosophy.”

Design is a “poetics of problem-solving.” It takes rationality as its backbone and sensibility as its soul. In one poster themed on peace, the designer chose a blue background to create a calm, rational atmosphere. The composition is dominated by two striking visual symbols of dialogue: a comma in the upper left evokes the beginning of communication, while a red handgun in the lower right symbolizes violence and conflict. Through this sharp visual contrast, the poster calls on people to abandon force and use dialogue as a bridge to build a harmonious and peaceful future. This kind of “poetic logic” allows design to transcend functionalism, becoming a bridge that connects reason and emotion.

The ultimate meaning of design lies in “connection.” It connects the past with the future, allowing traditional crafts to be reborn in a digital context. It connects the individual with the collective, transforming personal resonance into the starting point for public discourse. It connects humanity with nature, making the ecological crisis shift from an abstract concept to a tangible, embodied experience. In these connections, design transcends its instrumental role, becoming a gentle force for building civilizational consensus and driving social progress.

The 2025 China International Poster Biennial is not only a visual feast but also a journey of thought. From existential reflections in the folds of our times to the generation of meaning through symbolic deconstruction, from the reconstruction of subjectivity under technological empowerment to the cultivation of the future in the soil of education, each work is a heartfelt response by designers to the world.
Here, design is no longer an isolated aesthetic expression, but a philosophical practice concerning human survival and the continuation of civilization. It is no longer a fleeting visual trend but a poetic existence carrying eternal questioning. It reminds us that true design is never solely about being “beautiful,” but about being “thoughtful,” “emotional,” and “responsible.”
May this Biennial mark a new beginning. In the exploration of design, let us collectively seek answers to the challenges of our times and craft the poetic verses of design for the future—enabling design to become the light that illuminates the folds of our age and the language of gentle dialogue between humanity and the world.

第十二届中国国际海报双年展（CIPB2025）前言

在时代褶皱中探寻设计的形上之思与未来诗学

陈正达
2025年10月8日钱塘江畔

当数字技术的洪流如决堤之水，裹挟着海量信息碎片汹涌而至；当人工智能以神秘莫测的逻辑，编织出虚实交织的视觉迷宫；当文化交融与生态危机的双重命题，叩问着人类存在的本质——我们正站在一个剧烈震荡、深刻重构的文明节点上。技术的加速度并未带来精神的同步跃迁，反而在光鲜表象之下，暴露出愈发复杂的褶皱：身份的流动、意义的消解、自然的退隐、感知的钝化。正是在这样的语境中，第十二届中国国际海报双年展，以“时代褶皱中的设计哲思”为精神坐标，在全球化与在地性、技术理性与人文价值的张力之间，搭建起一场跨越地域、文明与媒介的深度对话。

本届双年展共收到来自全球30个国家与地区的846位设计师投送的2017件作品，送展作品呈现出丰富的文化多样性与蓬勃的创作活力。经过国际评审团严谨、多轮的评审，最终175件作品脱颖而出，构成此次展览的核心图景。这些作品不仅是视觉的创造，更是思想的结晶——它们以图像为语言，以形式为载体，穿透浮华喧嚣的表层现实，潜入设计的幽邃内核：既是对存在困境的理性回应，也是对未来图景的感性书写；既是符号系统的解构与重组，也是技术与人性之间共生关系的深度探索。

时代褶皱：设计回应的存在论困境与文化身份焦虑

我们所处的时代，恰似一幅被反复折叠又展开的织物，每一道褶皱都藏匿着断裂、冲突与重生的可能。全球化冲刷着文化边界，数字技术重塑着认知方式，生态危机挑战着生存根基——这些结构性的变动，使“我是谁”“我们从何处来”“将往何处去”等根本性问题，再次成为设计无法回避的哲学命题。
文化身份的流动性，使传统与现代、本土与全球的关系变得复杂而暧昧。设计师不再满足于符号的简单挪用或风格的表面拼贴，而是尝试在差异中寻找对话，在断裂处缝合记忆。在入选的文化类作品中，呈现出不少设计师对文化唤醒、精神重建的视觉探索。有的作品以内卷时代的窒息瞬间，唤醒对焦虑群体的共情；有的运用新材料语言抒情，让莎翁的经典名剧获得了当代诠释。这些实践表明，文化认同不再是静态的归属，而是一种动态的建构，一种在“褶皱”中不断自我更新的叙事过程。
与此同时，数字异化的阴影正悄然蔓延。我们在虚拟与现实之间频繁切换，在算法推荐的信息茧房中逐渐丧失批判性思考的能力。当视觉被简化为流量的工具，当设计沦为消费主义的装饰，人的主体性便面临被技术系统吞噬的风险。在如今这个图像过度炫技、纷繁复杂的时代，仍有不少设计师秉持着对纯粹设计的追求，崇尚绝对的简洁。他们在元素过载的设计叙事中，保持着对“留白”与“静默”的渴望，这些作品提醒我们：设计不应是技术的附庸，而应成为抵抗异化、重建人之为人的感知与思考能力的媒介。
生态危机则将人类推向伦理与美学的双重十字路口。自然不再是取之不尽的资源库，而是亟需共情与修复的生命共同体。本届展览中，为数不多入选的公益环保类作品，以强烈的生态意识介入现实，让抽象的危机变得可感可触。有的作品运用超现实手法，呈现被黑色原油包裹的企鹅如同披上了人类罪恶的枷锁，仿佛在声嘶力竭地哭诉着海洋污染的残酷现实；有的作品以深邃的思维，探讨ES（节能）、ECON（经济）、ENV（环境）三者之间的错综复杂、相互制约的互为关系，运用彭多斯三角的悖论穿透现实的迷雾。这些创作不仅是对环境问题的警示，更是对“设计伦理”的重新定义——设计不再仅仅是“为人类服务”，而是“为地球负责”，是人类与自然重新建立诗意联结的桥梁。

设计语言：解构与重构的符号哲学与意义生成

在意义日益模糊的时代，设计语言本身也成为被质疑与重构的对象。设计师不再满足于既有的视觉语法，而是主动打破、扭曲、重组，让形式本身成为思想的载体。
色彩在此被赋予新的哲学意涵。它不再仅仅是装饰或情绪的表达，而是文化记忆的沉积层。一位设计师通过色彩文字符号的涂鸦与自由的组合，诠释了世间并没有两朵完全相同的绚丽花朵，应该允许它们无忧无虑地肆意生长，进而传递了有关儿童成长的多元理念。这种色彩的哲学化运用，使视觉体验升华为一种对感知本身的反思。
图形的解构则成为意义生成的实验室。一位设计师将经典的传统文化，演变成可拆解、变形、错位的拼布美学，让图形带着呼吸沉浸在传统文化中；另一位设计师在记忆残存的图像世界中表达千禧一代，生发出一种怀旧的感性梦境。这种对图形符号语言的“解构手术”，并非为了制造混乱，而是为了在断裂处打开新的理解空间——当熟悉符号的确定意义被消解，观者将进入主动解读的参与状态。
更值得注意的是，动态与交互技术的广泛应用，使海报从“静态图像”进化为“时间性事件”与“参与式场域”。本届双年展出现大量动态海报作品，它们通过帧与节奏的编排，讲述过程而非结果，循环往复地呈现新时代的视觉密码。这种“共构意义”的模式，使设计从单向传达转变为多主体的哲学实践，回应了后人类语境下“意义共造”的理论命题。

设计教育：培养未来设计师的生态思维与教育存在论

设计的未来，根植于教育的土壤。当设计被赋予前所未有的哲学与伦理重量，传统的“技能传授”模式已难以为继。令人欣喜的是，新一代设计师展现出鲜明的生态意识与系统思维。设计不再被视为“事后修饰”，而是从构思之初便内嵌可持续的伦理考量。“未来的设计师，不仅要会用软件，更要会提问——关于技术、关于自然、关于人本身。”这种教育理念的转变，正是对“设计存在论”的回应：设计不是孤立的职业，而是人类理解世界、介入世界、重塑世界的方式。
教育的终极目标，是“人的生成”。设计教育不应仅培养“能画图的人”，更要培养“会思考的人”“有责任感的人”。设计不仅是谋生手段，更是自我实现的途径，是人在世界中确立位置的方式。通过设计表达对社会的关怀、对生命的理解、对未来的想象，如此，设计才能真正回归其本质：一种存在的诗学。

哲理与创思：设计背后的永恒追问与存在主义诗学

当我们剥离形式的华丽外衣，会发现设计的内核始终是对人类存在的深刻回应。它既不是纯粹的美学游戏，也不是冰冷的问题解决术，而是一种“有温度的理性”，一种“可触摸的哲学”。
设计是“解决问题的诗学”。它以理性为骨，以感性为魂。一件关于和平主题的海报，设计师以蓝色为背景，营造出冷静的理性氛围，画面被二个极具视觉冲击力的强烈符号——“对话”气泡所占据，左上角的逗号如同对话的开端，暗示交流的起始，右下角的红色手枪象征暴力与冲突。海报通过强烈的视觉对比，呼吁人们摒弃武力，以对话为桥梁，构建和谐、和平的未来。这种“诗性逻辑”，使设计超越功能主义，成为连接理性与情感的桥梁。
设计的终极意义，在于“连接”。它连接过去与未来，让传统工艺在数字语境中重生；它连接个体与集体，让个人的情感共鸣成为公共议题的起点；它连接人类与自然，让生态危机从抽象概念变为可感可触的体验。正是在这种连接中，设计超越了工具性，成为构建文明共识、推动社会进步的温柔力量。

2025中国国际海报双年展，既是一场视觉的盛宴，更是一次思想的远行。从时代褶皱中的存在之思，到符号解构中的意义生成；从技术赋能下的主体重构，到教育土壤里的未来培育，每一件作品都是设计师对世界的深情回应。
在这里，设计不再是孤立的美学表达，而是关乎人类生存、文明延续的哲学实践；不再是短暂的视觉潮流，而是承载永恒追问的诗性存在。它提醒我们：真正的设计，从来不只是“好看”，而是“有思”“有情”“有责”。
愿我们以此次双年展为起点，在设计的探索中，共同寻找应对时代挑战的答案，书写属于未来的设计诗篇——让设计成为照亮时代褶皱的光，成为人类与世界温柔对话的语言。