MOCA Singapore Presents 3001 KM: Eight Years Between Us, in Partnership with PureView Art Foundation
- Written by Telegraph Magazine
A rare exhibition tracing an eight-year cross-cultural art journey between rural Yunnan and Singapore, showing how long-term youth art education can transform confidence, community and connection.
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 18 December 2025 - MOCA Singapore presents 3001 KM: Eight Years Between Us, in partnership with PureView Art Foundation, one of the region’s few long-term cross-cultural youth art practices.The exhibition brings together drawings, letters, photographs and archival materials documenting an eight-year journey between rural Yunnan and Singapore, showing how sustained art education can transform confidence, community and connection.
The title references the straight-line distance between Dagaji Village in Yunnan, China, and Singapore. It also reflects the time, trust and relationships nurtured through PureView’s long-term engagement with children in rural and underserved communities.
“PureView does not aim to change every child’s destiny. Instead, we hope to open a small but real window at a moment in their growth so they know that someone in the world sees them, listens to them and believes in them,” said Dr. Jie Li-Elbrächter, Founder and Curator of PureView Art Foundation.
Long-term engagement across five rural regions
The project began in 2018 when PureView volunteers first arrived in Dagaji Village, a rural community where children shyly offered their earliest drawings. This moment shaped the initiative’s commitment to long-term engagement rather than short-term projects.
Over eight years, PureView’s team worked with approximately 15 to 20 children each year through a one-to-one exchange model with youth volunteers. To date, the initiative has involved around 400 youth and adult volunteers across five rural regions, adapting formats including online exchanges during the pandemic to maintain continuity.
The exhibition features hundreds of artworks and archival materials, including artworks created by participating children.
It also documents visible change within Dagaji Village, where water systems have been installed, new shops have opened and children from the earliest years of the project have reached new milestones, including university enrollment. Younger siblings now continue their journey with the project, taking up the brush in the same classrooms where their older siblings once began.
A timely exhibition for Singapore
This exhibition arrives at a moment when Singapore is placing greater focus on youth development, community arts and cross-cultural understanding. As regional inequalities widen and post-pandemic recovery continues, initiatives like PureView highlight the role of long-term arts engagement in building empathy, resilience and connection across diverse communities.
A social practice shaped by continuity, not funding cycles
While often compared to art NGOs, PureView operates as a long-term cultural and educational practice rooted in field research and repeat return visits. PureView is grounded in Dr. Jie Li-Elbrächter’s long-term research in art anthropology and rural development. The work prioritises children’s agency, ethical observation and relationships built over many years rather than seasonal programming.
PureView was co-initiated by Dr. Jie Li, an art anthropologist specialising in rural development, together with three children from the project, Letian, Luan and Luna. The children have grown alongside the initiative and now take on significant roles, helping shape the project’s direction and ensuring that the stories of participating communities remain their own.
Opening programme and community collaboration
The exhibition opening featured guided tours led by youth volunteers in both Chinese and English, reflecting the project’s practice of “children drawing children”. A Peking Opera presentation introduced by volunteers in earlier field visits was also part of the programme, demonstrating how cultural traditions travel and evolve through education.
ANTA Group supported the initiative by providing apparel for volunteers and children over two consecutive years. Through repeated workshops and field visits, the apparel brand supported a sense of equality and belonging for children.
This support fosters a shared identity and stable experience during workshops and field activities. ANTA’s involvement reflects its belief that physical education and aesthetic education work together to strengthen confidence, resilience and self-expression.
Introducing the International Youth Art Biennale
At the opening, PureView announced the launch of the International Youth Art Biennale in 2026. The biennale will begin with participation from China, Southeast Asia and selected international partners, focusing on children and youth aged 8 to 18.
The biennale will emphasise long-term engagement, care and continuity rather than competition. Schools and youth groups will be able to join through open calls, curated partnerships and online collaborative programmes designed for accessibility to underserved communities.
Scaling impact while maintaining depth
From 2026 onward, PureView will adopt a dual-track model that continues in-depth field visits while offering expanded online courses. This model is expected to reach approximately 3000 to 5000 rural children each year while preserving the ethics and depth of the project’s long-term practice.
The exhibition is a quiet reminder that when time, care and creativity travel together, even the smallest gestures can illuminate an entire community.
Exhibition and programme details
3001 KM: Eight Years Between Us
Location: MOCA Singapore
14 December 2025 to 11 January 2026
Daily 10:00 to 18:30
Admission ticketed
Venue: 39 Keppel Road, #01-01, Singapore 089065
Extended Programme: Art as Care | Panel Discussion
Location: XMuseum
12 January to 31 January 2026
Daily 11:00 to 20:00
Free admission
Includes a panel discussion on arts support for vulnerable communities
Venue: Kitchener Complex Level 3, French Road 200809
For more information, visit www.pureviewartfoundation.org
Hashtag: #MOCASingapore #PureViewArtFoundation #YouthArt #3001KM #ArtExhibition #ArtAsCare
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About PureView Art Foundation
PureView Art Foundation is a long-term cultural and educational initiative focused on youth art practice, rural development and cross-cultural exchange across Asia. Founded by art anthropologist Dr. Jie Li-Elbrächter together with three children who grew up with the project, PureView operates as a sustained social practice rather than a traditional NGO.
Its work centres on continuity, ethical observation and repeated return visits to rural communities, allowing children to retain ownership of their stories while building confidence through artistic expression. Over the past eight years, PureView has worked with hundreds of volunteers and children across multiple regions, combining field research, community engagement and arts-based education to support both individual growth and broader social connection.
