Translating philosophy into art: Taoism, Zen, and Phenomenology from classical thought to contemporary practice

This article looks at the transition of philosophical concepts to artistic practice. From a cross-cultural, transhistorical perspective, it systematically explores the practical applications of traditional Chinese philosophy (Taoism and Zen Buddhism) and Western philosophy (phenomenology) in artistic creation—examining how Taoist “interdependence of nihility and existence” and Qi, along with Zen “void,” shaped Chinese literati painting’s aesthetic core (negative space) and were innovatively translated in contemporary installation art via ready-made objects and bodily perception, as well as how phenomenological perceptual intuition underpinned Impressionism’s fleeting light and shadow and contemporary installation’s spatial intervention. Using qualitative research, literature analysis, and case studies, it breaks away from traditional frameworks by delving into three innovative dimensions: the evolution of creative spaces, the division of temporal expression, and the transformation of philosophical intervention methods. The research demonstrates that philosophical concepts are not statically put into art. Instead, they become the generative essence of artistic practice through a dynamic exchange with creative situations, medium characteristics, and the spirit of the present era. Ultimately, be it the introspective merging of philosophy and soul in Chinese literati painting or the interactive joining of philosophy, senses, and society in Impressionism and installation art, their essence is humanity's eternal quest for the essence of existence by means of art.