Professor Takes the Stage to Celebrate Healing Power of Music

"The Green Haven" Art Salon was recently held in Shanghai, exploring how science and art can work together to promote mental well-being.

Hosted by the Shanghai Science & Technology Development Foundation and the Shanghai Science Popularization Foundation, the salon was centered on the theme "Art Therapy and Emotional Expression."

It featured keynote remarks by Professor Martien A. Cohen Stuart, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, as well as an in-depth interdisciplinary discussion on how art can facilitate emotional expression and how public spaces can serve as platforms for mental health education and awareness.

A professor specializing in materials science, Cohen Stuart also took to the stage with his bassoon, joining Chinese children and musician Zhang Dapeng for a rendition of "Jasmine Flower," one of China's best-known folk songs. He also shared his wish that music would fill people's lives and hearts.

The salon brought together host He Yuting, filmmaker Chen Miao, psychological expert Xin Ya, and musician Zhang for a cross-disciplinary conversation on the role of art in emotional expression and the potential of public cultural spaces to promote mental health awareness.

Meanwhile, children were also invited to submit their paintings for an art exhibition. Selected works will be displayed at the entrance passage of the upcoming 2026 Lujiazui Coffee Festival, giving young artists an opportunity to have their voices and creativity seen, understood and appreciated by a wider audience.