Venice Biennale Unveils 'Atlas: Harmony in Diversity' at Expo Museum
"Atlas: Harmony in Diversity – The 60th Venice Biennale China National Pavilion Exhibition (Shanghai)" has opened at the Shanghai World Expo Museum, featuring eight groups of contemporary artworks, including images, installations, sculptures and Chinese ink paintings.
Hosted by the World Expo Museum and Zhejiang University, the exhibition that runs through May 31 follows previous shows in southwest China's Chongqing and the southern Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, in a domestic tour.
Curated by Wang Xiaosong, a professor at Zhejiang University, and independent curator Jiang Jun, the exhibition centers on the theme "Atlas: Harmony in Diversity," presenting multi-dimensional expressions of contemporary Chinese art through the lens of convergence, exchange and integration.
It conveys core Chinese cultural values of inclusiveness, harmony and mutual appreciation among diverse civilizations.
The exhibition is divided into two sections: "Atlas" and "Translate." The Atlas section features image archives from the "Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings" project, a 20-year initiative that has compiled images of 12,405 sets of ancient Chinese painting treasures.
Roughly a quarter of these works, or more than 3,000 sets, are currently preserved in countries and regions outside China.
The "Translate" section showcases new works by seven prominent contemporary Chinese artists, including Che Jianquan and Jiao Xingtao. Their creations draw inspiration from the ancient painting archives, reinterpreting traditional Chinese artistic elements such as landscape and flower-and-bird painting in a modern context, bridging traditional Chinese literati culture and contemporary art.
Drawing inspiration from German art historian Aby Warburg's Mnemosyne Atlas, the exhibition connects ancient painting archives and contemporary artworks through image documentation, creating a dialogue between Chinese and global art, as well as between past and present artistic expressions.
If you go:
Date: Through May 31 (closed on Mondays), 9am-5pm
Admission: Free
Venue: Shanghai World Expo Museum 上海世博会博物馆
Address: 818 Mengzi Road, Huangpu District 黄浦区蒙自路818号
