Academic Journal of Art and Design

ISSN: 3080-9924 (Print) ISSN: 3080-9932 (Online) DOI: 10.54097/ Publisher: Darcy & Roy Press

Academic Journal of Art and Design (AJAD) is a peer-reviewed, English-language open-access journal published by Darcy & Roy Press. It provides an international forum for rigorous scholarship that bridges theory and practice across art, design, visual culture, and creative industries.

Scope: The journal welcomes original research in visual arts, graphic and industrial design, architecture and spatial design, digital media and interaction design, art history and theory, design education, creative practice, and interdisciplinary studies at the intersection of art, technology, and society.

Indexing & Abstracting: Web of Science - Research Commons, Crossref, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scilit, Semantic Scholar, Mendeley, etc.

Latest Articles

The Logic of Micro-Narrative: A Study of Individual Life Experience in Chinese Contemporary Figurative Painting

Yiru Yang

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 36-40, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/5f7y1421 September 29, 2026

Abstract.This paper takes Chinese contemporary figurative painting after the 1990s as its research object and discusses the logic of “micro-narrative” and its relationship with individual life experience. It first defines micro-narrative, experience, and individual experience, and explains the philosophical foundation of micro-narrative through subject philosophy and Walter Benjamin’s theory of fragmentation. Second, it reviews the historical context from “Scar Art,” “Rural Realism,” and the “1985 New Wave Art” to “New Generation Art” and “post-70s painting,” arguing that the narrative mode of Chinese … Read more →

Cross-cultural Interpretation of Visual Symbols and Aesthetic Translation in K-pop MV from the Perspective of Multimodal AI

Chenyuan Zhang

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 31-35, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/z1pdjc09 September 29, 2026

Abstract.The continuous evolution of digital intelligent technologies has profoundly transformed the creative logic and production models of film and television imagery, driving the entire visual culture industry toward digital transformation. As a core vehicle for South Korea's cultural export, K-pop music videos leverage a mature industrial production system and a youth-oriented visual style to amass vast audiences in overseas markets such as Europe, America, and Southeast Asia, thus possessing inherent advantages in cross-cultural communication. Drawing on multimodal discourse analysis and … Read more →

Theoretical Reflections on AI-Mediated Jazz Improvisation

Ruixiang Zhu

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 19-22, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/k2qxqs63 September 28, 2026

Abstract.The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology within music has changed the improvisational performing style and aesthetic underpinning of jazz. Based on the philosophy of technology and the aesthetics of music, this article identifies three levels on which AI intervention has restructured the basic configuration of jazz improvisation: the improvisation subject has expanded from the performer to a human-machine consortium, the creative activity has shifted from the individual's internal expression to distributed generation in the interaction, and the focus of aesthetic attention has … Read more →

Reflections on the Path of Landscape Heritage Reuse and Urban Ecological Restoration under the Resilience Concept

Bohan Li

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 10-13, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/ppbcw937 September 28, 2026

Abstract.How to guide landscape heritage reuse and urban ecological restoration with the concept of resilience: A study. Instead of providing new empirical data, it collects existing research on socioecological resilience, historic urban landscapes, green infrastructure and circular regeneration to propose a conceptual system for heritage-led ecological restoration. First, resilience thinking and its application to cities as complex social-ecological-technical systems are introduced; then, how international instruments such as the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape and culture-based … Read more →

Glocalization Practice from the Perspective of Curatorial Capital: Reflections on Public Pedagogy with Margin as Method

Qianzi Zheng

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 23-26, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/5qem9z56 September 28, 2026

Abstract.Curatorial work in exhibitions is no longer a neutral organisation of exhibitions but a type of cultural production driven by the logic of capital. This paper introduces the idea of "curatorial capital" and studies how symbolic capital, social capital and economic capital are combined in the public education of art museums. The three selected cases for comparison are the "Spatial Productivity" project of Suzhou Contemporary Art Museum (over 40 free public activities as supporting programming). A comparative analysis of the 2025 international solo exhibitions and concurrent public education … Read more →

From Viewing to Experience: Exhibition Design for Social Aesthetic Education

Xinyi Chen

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 14-18, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/b5mka317 September 28, 2026

Abstract.This study argues that the aims of social aesthetic education require a shift in exhibition design from knowledge transmission to aesthetic cultivation. This study addresses two questions: why does the aim of social aesthetic education require a fundamental change in exhibition design? What are the actual paths for this reorientation? Dewey proposed the concept of "experience" in his analysis, and based on this idea, this paper advocates moving away from a "viewing-centered" model of exhibition design to an "experience-centered" one. This is not a change in style but in concept; it seeks to … Read more →

Design Dilemmas and Development Directions of Inclusive Modularity in Multi-species Wearable Interaction Scenarios

Yijia Feng

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 6-9, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/0spm0m58 September 28, 2026

Abstract.The study explores design difficulties and research directions of inclusive modularity in multi-species wearable interaction scenarios. The research contends that multi-species interaction requires designers to simultaneously consider physiological variation, interspecies ethics, located activity, maintenance, and communicative context, rather than treating wearables as standardised items for a single category of user. Using inclusive design, animal-computer interaction, disability-oriented wearable research, and more-than-human design conversations as a springboard, the essay considers why … Read more →

Aesthetic Turn and Media Reflection of AI-driven Experimental Films in the Generative Context

Yuan Gao

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 27-30, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/c8s60y23 September 28, 2026

Abstract.In 2025, the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival established the AI Film Season for the first time and received 2,852 works from 56 countries and regions around the world; the 3rd Runway AI Film Festival also selected 10 films from about 6,000 submitted short films. Together, these two events show that AI-generated images have been included in the film festival's screening list and are now a trend that demands attention from creators. This paper examines AI experimental films and studies changes in their creative paradigm, subject form, and reception mode. The study shows that … Read more →

A Comparative Study of Landscape Design for Urban Waterfront Parks in Beijing and Minsk from an Ecological Perspective

Youpeng Li

Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1-5, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/zgffx345 September 28, 2026

Abstract.Urban waterfront parks are situated at the intersection of water bodies, land, and urban built environments, offering multifaceted value in improving the urban ecological environment, organizing public activities, and shaping the local landscape. Waterfront spaces formed under different natural conditions and urban development contexts exhibit distinct differences in ecological design concepts and their modes of expression. Taking ecological principles as the starting point, this paper selects the Winter Olympics Park along the Yongding River in Beijing and Victory Park along the Svisloch … Read more →

The Generation and Cultural Expression of Media Cultural Symbols in the Field of Mass Communication

Haofu Yang

Vol. 1, No. 3, pp. 33-35, 2026 DOI: 10.54097/phsjs129 August 24, 2026

Abstract.At present, mass media are the first platforms that society uses to create, spread and communicate its thoughts and ideas. This paper will explore the reasons for the creation and spread of media cultural symbols in contemporary times. Based on semiotics and cultural studies, this paper investigates how media platforms express deep-seated values of society through easy-to-understand visual and textual signs. Examine how the logic of media and the political economy of symbols shape things, and show that these symbols are not produced in a vacuum. Research will also be conducted on how media … Read more →