Brunch Sharing: Art Empowering, 24.10, Chengdu

As autumn settles over Chengdu, a conversation on art, business, and urban culture is about to begin. The Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC) is glad to invite you to the Art Empowering Chengdu — How Business and Design Nourish Urban Culture, to be held on October 24, 2026, at Tonino Lamborghini Hotel Chengdu.

This event centers on one core proposition: a city's cultural ecology is nourished not only by museums and public galleries, but also by commercial forces and private aesthetics. Two keynote speakers will share their perspectives — Dr. Sophia Grace Kidd will explore how business nurtures urban cultural ecology, offering reflections on corporate engagement with the arts; Ms. Lingna Liu will present first-hand case studies on bringing Italian aesthetic tradition into Chengdu's private residential projects, extending the discussion to the urban level — how private living spaces and personal aesthetic consumption collectively shape a city's overall aesthetic atmosphere and drive local design and art markets.

We warmly invite you and your friends to join us for an inspiring morning featuring keynote presentations, cross-cultural dialogue, and networking over brunch. Connect with local and international business professionals, exchange insights on art-driven urban development, and forge new connections in a refined, relaxed atmosphere.

AGENDA

10:30‑11:00 Registration

11:00‑11:05 Welcome Speech

11:05‑11:25 Keynote Sharing 1

How Business Nurtures Urban Cultural Ecology — Reflections on Corporate Engagement with the Arts

• Dr. Sophia Grace Kidd

11:25‑11:45 Keynote Sharing

Bringing Italian Design and Aesthetics to Chengdu — Integrating into Local Life and Nourishing Urban Culture

• Ms. Lingna Liu

11:45-13:00 Open Discussion, Brunch Service & Networking

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Sophia Grace Kidd - Founder and CEO of Yan Er Lu Arts International and an Associate Professor at Sichuan International Studies University

Dr. Sophia Grace Kidd is the founder and CEO of Yan Er Lu Arts International and an Associate Professor at Sichuan International Studies University. Over a twenty-five-year international career, she has spent fifteen years immersed in China’s contemporary art world, working across cultures as a curator, scholar, writer, translator, publisher, and advocate for international cultural understanding.

Through Yan Er Lu, she helps artists, writers, institutions, and creative enterprises communicate across cultural boundaries through language services, international branding and promotion, exhibition services, and publishing consulting. She also leads Igneus Press and Sophia Grace Gallery in Washington State.

Dr. Kidd holds an MA and PhD in Classical Chinese Literature from Sichuan University. She is the author of Culture Paves the New Silk Roads and the forthcoming China’s Art of Political Economy. Her Chengdu Cultural Immersion draws upon her scholarship, curatorial expertise, and longstanding relationships to provide meaningful access to the city’s artistic, literary, and creative communities.

Lingna Liu - Entrepreneur and business owner

Lingna Liu is an entrepreneur and business owner with over 13 years of experience in high-end soft furnishing and home design. She studied in Palermo, Italy, and later attended the SBE program at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Living and studying in Italy gave her deep exposure to local art, architecture, craftsmanship, and daily life, shaping her eye for aesthetics, materials, proportion, and quality of living. Stanford broadened her business perspective, helping her connect aesthetic pursuit with business practice. She has made Chengdu the operational hub linking Italian design resources with western China, and her business has been rooted in China-Italy exchanges from the start.

Since returning to Chengdu, she has brought Italian design into the city’s most representative high-end residential and villa projects. These homes are not only private residences but also windows for Chengdu’s high-net-worth clients to experience contemporary Italian design and manufacturing. On one hand, she has introduced mature home brands, artisan resources, and design thinking from Venice, Milan, and northeastern Italy to Chengdu, giving the southwestern market access to Italian lifestyle aesthetics without traveling abroad. On the other hand, she has brought Chengdu homeowners’ aesthetic preferences, living habits, and spatial needs back to Italy, helping European brands better understand western China. Over time, she has become a quiet yet solid link between Chengdu and Italy—connecting two distant cities at the level of lifestyle through completed homes and imported pieces.

To her, soft furnishing is not merely a combination of furniture, lighting, textiles, and artwork; it expresses a space’s character, a way of living, and an individual’s inner world. The value of aesthetics lies not only in appreciation but also in creation and transmission. She hopes to use business as a vehicle to integrate Italian aesthetic traditions and contemporary living concepts into local practice in Chengdu and western China, seeking balance between classic and modern, art and utility, aesthetic ideals and real-world needs.

TICKETS

Tickets' price:

• CCIC Members: 200 RMB/pax
• Non‑Members: 260 RMB/pax
  

Ticket Policy

• This is a pre‑paid event. Please complete registration and payment online in advance, no‑shows will be charged the full price.
• Tickets are non‑refundable.
• Fapiao will be issued after the event.
  

For inquiries regarding events, please feel free to contact us via email: infochengdu@cameraitacina.com​