About
Founded in 2017 by a diverse group of McGill University students and young professionals, Cheng Huai is a non-profit organization based in Montréal, Canada.
By developing a dynamic platform that connects students, artists, and broader creative communities, our focus is on embracing and supporting emerging interdisciplinary practices that respond to the shifting landscape of contemporary art and its evolving aesthetics. We respond to these aesthetics with ongoing dedication to the philosophical root of "Cheng Huai" — wholeness between subject and object.
We strive to build an interdisciplinary collective at McGill, Montréal and beyond. Through projects, happenings, and more, we bridge theory and practice, creating a lab for experimentation that fosters innovation, collaboration, and transformative experiences in the artistic landscape.
Mandate
By Students, For Students
A platform created by students, for students — offering opportunities to engage with the art world and gain hands-on experience through initiatives that challenge, explore, and deepen the understanding of contemporary art.
A Laboratory for Ideas
A creative laboratory — an open space for experimentation, dialogue, and bold ideas in the arts. We move beyond the familiar and the conventional, embracing curiosity and critical perspectives to explore new artistic frontiers.
Fostering Interdisciplinary Connections
We promote collaboration across disciplines, encouraging dialogue between diverse fields and backgrounds — cultivating a holistic understanding of art that bridges gaps and sparks innovation at McGill, Montréal, and beyond.
Leaving a Lasting Footprint
Through our website, we document and archive each of our initiatives, much like a living museum — preserving contributions for future students and audiences, and forging a legacy that aims to inspire the next generation.
Name Meaning
The name "Cheng Huai" (澄怀) is drawn from the texts of tenth-century Chinese aestheticist and philosopher Zong Bing. It professes a metaphysical disposition wherein the subject and object become a whole in aesthetic appreciation, and the self soars in its transcendence of physical experiences.
Carrying the spiritual message of "Cheng Huai" with ourselves, we hope to embark on an elevated journey wherein we, through intimate contact with art and the spaces which create it, might also ascend into an aesthetic appreciation which unifies, transcends, and renders whole.
Team
Alexandre Dellinger
Nathaniel Vegh
Noam Boussard
Bilar Mokhtari
Imogen Chambers
Philippe Pierre
Joliz Dela Peña
Founders
Advisory Board
Alumni — 2017 to today
Adeline (Jiawen) Li — 2020 Founding Team
Agathe Nolla — 2022 French Translator
Albertine Hua — 2022–23 Graphic Designer
Annabella Lawlor — 2025 Events & Editor
Béatrice Langevin — 2020 Founding Team
Caroline Saito — 2020–21 VP & Communication
Fiona Vail — 2022–23 President
Jinwen Wu — 2023 VP Communication
Jora Cohen — 2021–22 Copy Editor
Katherine Du — 2024 Head of Marketing
Kennedy Randall — 2021–22 Copy Editor
Kenza Tahri — 2022 VP External
Mahalia Diantree — 2022–23 Event Planner
Margrethe Nielsen — 2023 VP Events
Rosa Webster — 2022–23 Copy Editor
Sidonie Gaulin — 2022 Copy Editor
Sophie Becquet — 2024 Head of Marketing
Thiora Meegammana — 2022 VP & Editorial
Xingmeng Jing — 2022–23 Co-VP & Editorial
Yuhan Xiao — 2020 Founding Team
Zaynab Ghaïs-Mortada — 2022–23 Copy Editor
Zhuofan Chen — 2022 VP & Communication