Rooted in the profound heritage of Hubei Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA), the School of Experimental Art upholds an educational philosophy of “inclusiveness, openness, and interaction.” Committed to aesthetic education and moral cultivation, the School integrates Chinese and Western approaches while respecting tradition and pursuing innovation, building a strong legacy for the development of experimental art. As a vital birthplace of contemporary art in China, Hubei has been an influential avant-garde force in the field of experimental art since the ’85 New Wave and the Pop Art period of the 1990s. In 2002, experimental art was officially incorporated into HIFA’s undergraduate curriculum, initiating a localized path for experimental art education.
The School consists of two teaching departments: the Department of Intermedia Art and the Department of Experimental Painting. It also offers master’s programs in Intermedia Art Studies and Experimental Art Studies. Notable disciplinary platforms include the Digital Twin R&D Center of the Key Laboratory of Industrial Big Data Analysis and Integrated Applications (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), and the Intermedia Art, Culture and Industry Development Research Center (a key research base for humanities and social sciences in Hubei Province).
The School currently offers 1 National First-Class Undergraduate Course, 4 Provincial First-Class Undergraduate Courses, 1 Provincial Teaching Team, over 20 provincial-level teaching and research projects, and 3 Quality Online Open Courses. Through a “learning-by-competition, teaching-by-competition” approach, students and faculty have achieved notable results: more than 70 innovation and entrepreneurship projects/awards (including over 20 at or above the provincial level), and over 200 awards in national discipline competitions since the School’s establishment. The School also houses an Image Art Laboratory, a Post-production Imaging Laboratory, a Community Art Education Laboratory, as well as several graduate workstations and internship bases.
The School has 32 faculty members, including 26 full-time teachers and 6 administrative staff members. Among the full-time teachers, 73.3% are under the age of 45, 86.7% hold a master’s degree or higher (including 5 with a Ph.D.), 53.3% have senior professional titles, and 33.3% have studied abroad. 50% of the teachers graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, China Academy of Art, or renowned overseas art institutions, while the rest are outstanding graduates trained at HIFA. Several faculty members hold academic positions in the national art and imaging industries, exerting considerable social influence.
