On October 21, 2025, in the golden autumn of Rome, Italy, an artistic storm from the East was ignited. The Liu Youju painting Art exhibition with the theme of "Bounded and Unbounded" was grandly opened at the Galleria Nazionale d 'arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome. As one of the key projects of cultural exchange between China and Italy, this exhibition has not only attracted much attention for its visual shock, but also drawn extensive attention from the Italian art and academic circles with its ideological dimension that transcends the boundaries of philosophy and painting.

（The press conference for the exhibition was held in the multi-functional hall on the morning of the 21st）

On the morning of the 21st, the press conference for the exhibition was held in the multi-functional hall of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome. The head of the press office of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome presided over the meeting, and representatives from many mainstream Italian media outlets and national television stations were all present. Renata Cristina Mazantini, the director of the art museum, pointed out in her speech: "Liu Youju's works, with their astonishing philosophical depth and independent formal language, have redefined the boundaries of contemporary painting." His "illusionism" is not only a visual experiment, but also a profound inquiry into reality and existence. Professor Mario Bianchi, a professor of art history at the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome, commented in his speech: "In today's world where the global art system is gradually converging, Liu Youju's works, with their distinct Eastern spirit and philosophical reflection, have injected a new cognitive possibility into Western art." When answering media questions, Liu Youju said, "Bounded and unbounded are not in opposition but rather dual dimensions of life and thought." Art is not merely about expression; it is also an exploration of cognitive structures. Painting is my way to reach the "third thinking", which transcends the competition of form and returns to the core of human existence.

（The opening ceremony of Liu Youju's art exhibition was held in the multi-functional hall on the afternoon of the 21st）

At 6:30 p.m. on the same day, the opening ceremony of the exhibition was grandly held in the same hall. Director of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome(Renata Cristina Mazzantini), professor of Ancient Art History and Museology at the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome(Marco Nocca),president of the Academy of La Quique (Marco Brandizzi), president of the Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia (Tiziana D'Acchille),journalist and curator, chairperson of Acontemporaryart (Anna Balzani), art historian (Andrea Guastella). More than a hundred guests, including many art theorists and heads of cultural institutions, attended. Deng Ruihui, the director of the Preparatory Committee of Liu Youju Art Museum, and Anna, the curator, delivered welcoming speeches on behalf of the organizers.

In a solemn and enthusiastic atmosphere, Italian art figures highly praised Liu Youju's contributions to the field of cultural exchanges between China and Italy. The director said in his speech, "Liu Youju's artistic spirit is deeply rooted in Eastern philosophy while also being open to the global context." With the concept of "third thinking", he has once again made art a bridge for communication between culture, time and soul.

Curator Anna added, "Bounded and Unbounded is a highly contemporary theme." It not only reflects the cognitive dilemmas of the digital age but also responds to humanity's unease and inquiries in the spiritual dimension. Liu Youju, through the interweaving of illusion and reality, enables viewers to reflect on themselves between the "boundary" and the "boundless" - this is precisely the most precious power of contemporary art.

（The opening ceremony of Liu Youju's art exhibition was held in the multi-functional hall on the afternoon of the 21st）

This exhibition showcases a total of 39 representative works created by Liu Youju in recent years, covering oil paintings, mixed media and traditional Chinese ink wash painting. The entire exhibition space is composed of two parts: "Boundary" and "Boundless". The first half presents the interweaving of the concrete and the abstract, while the second half constructs an "illusory order" through light and shadow, lines, and the interplay of reality and illusion.

"Illusionism" is the core artistic concept proposed by Liu Youju in recent years. It is different from the traditional "illusion art" aimed at visual illusions, but rather a philosophical approach that juxtaposes the reality of existence with the fiction of cognition. As the curatorial script states: "Liu Youju's 'illusion' is not concealment but revelation; It's not about evading reality, but about penetrating it. "Illusion" is the other side of existence, a reflection of consciousness on existence.

Parallel to "illusionism" is the concept of "third thinking" he proposed in the fields of art and philosophy. This idea advocates transcending the traditional thinking structure of binary opposition and univariate assimilation, and reconstructing the cognitive approach of art in multi-dimensional relationships, dynamic generation and reflection.

In the exhibited works, this idea is fully visualized:

In "Thorn thicket", space is repeatedly cut and reorganized, and the order of reality is torn apart, allowing viewers to seek meaning in the cracks.

In "Alternating light and shadow", light and color are extremely diluted, and the objects seem to be reborn in the process of dissipation.

（Liu Youju's work seminar "Dialogue" was held at the Galleria Nazionale d 'arte Moderna e Contemporanea on the morning of 22nd）

On the morning of 22nd, as an important academic activity of the exhibition, "Liu Youju's Personal Works Seminar" was held at Galleria Nazionale d 'arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome. Professor of Ancient Art History and Museology at the Academy of Fine Arts of Rome(Marco Nocca),president of the Academy of La Quique (Marco Brandizzi), president of the Academy of Fine Arts of Perugia (Tiziana D'Acchille),journalist and curator, chairperson of Acontemporaryart (Anna Balzani) and art historian (Andrea Guastella) attended the seminar.

Marco Noca pointed out at the meeting: "Liu Youju's works use painting as a language, but they transcend painting." The "Third Thinking" is not an embellishment of theory, but rather a way to redefine "seeing" and "being seen". He transformed art from a sensory object into a field of thought generation.

Curator Anna Barzani said at the workshop: "Liu Youju's creation is both a personal artistic practice and a bridge of cultural resonance between China and Italy. His works blend the profound contemplation of Eastern philosophy with the deconstructive spirit of Western modern art, representing a profound and sincere dialogue between the two civilizations in the contemporary context.

The atmosphere of the seminar was warm, and several Italian critics said that Liu Youju provided a new way of thinking for contemporary art -- he let art return to the origin of philosophy, let vision become a thinking event again.

（Liu Youju's work seminar "Dialogue" was held at the Galleria Nazionale d 'arte Moderna e Contemporanea on the morning of 22nd）

"Bounded and Unbounded" is not merely an art exhibition, but also a practice of thought. It makes people rethink: Where are the boundaries of art? How can the dialogue of civilizations transcend the surface form and delve into the depth of cognition?

Liu Youju, with the contemplative thinking of Eastern philosophy and the self-reflection of modern art, transforms "seeing" into "awareness" and "bounded" into "boundless". His paintings carve out a path leading to the soul between the real and the illusory, and at the intersection of philosophy and art, they present the power of the "third thinking" - a realm of free thinking that is neither confined by form nor content with concept.

As the director of the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome said in his speech: "Liu Youju's art is not merely painting; it is a reshaping of a cognitive structure." He made us realize that a true artist is not a dreamer but a awakener.

This exhibition will run until November 17, 2025. Between the bounded and the unbounded, the illusion of art and the truth of thought are slowly unfolding - Rome is witnessing a light of thought from the East.

Nominated by the Academic committee, the museum has made a decision to collect some of Liu Youju's works from this exhibition. This is also the first time that the Galleria Nazionale d 'arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome has made a decision to collect works by a Chinese painter. The ceremony for the collection of the works will be held after the exhibition.