Tales of the Two Islands: Exhibitions in Venice and Shanghai cross time and space

The M515 Art Center on Shanghai’s Chongming Island is hosting a unique artistic feast — “Tales of the Two Islands: Weaving Through Time and Space. This exhibition, held simultaneously in Venice, Italy, is a spectacular dialogue between art and history, and nature and technology, resonating across both locations.

Two Islands in Sync, Art Beyond Boundaries

The Venice venue is Palazzo Bragadin Carabba, with the exhibition running from April 20 to December 6, 2024.

The Shanghai exhibition at the M515 Art Center opened on August 16 and will run through November 16. The dual-city exhibition not only crosses geographical spaces but also represents a deep cultural exchange and integration between East and West.

Transcending Time and Space, Bridging Cultures

“Tales of the Two Islands: Weaving Through Time and Space” is academically guided by Lu Rongzhi, founder of the Metaverse Art Exhibition, and curated by Zhao Siliang, an art historian from the University of Cambridge. The exhibition uses Italian explorer Marco Polo as a guide to lead the audience from Venice, the "City of a Thousand Islands," across time and space to China’s third-largest island — Chongming Island. The artworks include sculptures, installations, new media, AI-generated content, ink paintings, oil paintings, and prints, showcasing a perfect combination of art with history, technology, and nature.

This exhibition has garnered support and participation from many officials and scholars: the Italian Ambassador to China, Massimo Ambrosetti; Central Academy of Fine Arts Professor Xu Bing; Taipei Shih Chien University Professor Lu Rongzhi; Central Academy of Fine Arts Professor Fei Jun; and Phoenix Center curator Xiao Ge, among others. Their involvement provides strong academic support and authoritative endorsement for the exhibition.

Art and Technology, Interpreting the Future

“Tales of the Two Islands: Weaving Through Time and Space” is not just an art exhibition; it is an exploration and display of the fusion of art and technology. Through modern technological means, the exhibition presents a world where reality and virtuality intertwine, allowing visitors to freely wander and explore the boundless beauty of history, nature, technology, and art. This exhibition not only allows the audience to experience the charms of art but also inspires them to think about the relationship between art and technology, history, and the future.

Highlight Works, Uniquely Captivating

This exhibition brings together masterpieces from several well-known Chinese and international artists, each work meticulously crafted to provide the audience with a new visual and emotional experience.

• "Marco Polo" AI Immersive Film: Co-created by Zhao Bozuo, a professor at the University of Barcelona and co-founder and director of GuruLab; and the artist Xue Lei, this film uses modern technology and virtual reality to recreate Marco Polo's journey, exploring the grand history of human civilization. Through dynamic images and AI-generated music, viewers can view the timeline of human history and experience the powerful fusion of technology and art.
• "Life Garden" Data-Generated Image: Created by Fei Jun, a leading figure in contemporary new media art in China. "Life Garden" is based on real-life data and integrates the Chinese concept of the Five Elements with generative art, creating a virtual world. The dynamic relationships among the Five Elements generate unique life forms, offering a strong visual impact and a beautiful experience.
• "Regeneration — Carp" Sculpture: A creation by renowned artist Gao Xiaowu, this colorful carp flies proudly towards the clouds. The work uses exaggerated and metaphorical techniques to express the metamorphosis and fantasy of nature, awakening people's dreams and yearnings for original nature.
• "Nest Building" Installation: Created by Yang Liang and his team, artists collaborating with HEYAN'ER GALLERY, specifically for this exhibition. The installation uses "Chongming Cloth" for material recycling, creating unique flying birds. The fabric works and closed mesh structures in the exhibition symbolize the marks of time and the cycles of nature.
• "NO.0008 Data Archive: Explorations into the Infinite" Installation + 3D CG Video: This work by artist Xie Siyuan explores the perspective of the "ultimate observer" through a combination of natural history and digital aesthetics, showcasing stories of all recognizable material forms in the universe and their related different branches of space-time.
• "∞" Ink Installation: A new work by artist Li Hao, simulating a time-space slice of the process of the alternation between new and old universes. The installation uses suspended rice paper to represent the singularity of the "Big Bang," symbolizing the expansion and contraction of the universe into the past and future dimensions.
• "Islands of Time and Space" Oil Painting: Created by artist Zhu Dan using metallic pigments, this work explores themes of history and nature through industrial materials. The reflective nature of the metallic pigments invites viewers to immerse themselves in a meditative exploration of isolated times and spaces, contemplating their interaction within the cosmic framework.
• "Voice of the Earth" Video: In this piece, artist Zhang Chong "plants" ice crystal-like flowers on plant fossils, combining them with the "Voice of Earth" track carried by Voyager 2, intertwining the beauty of nature, the universe, life, and the countless cycles of space-time.

1: "Marco Polo" AI Immersive Film

2: "Life Garden" Data-Generated Image

3: "Regeneration — Carp" Sculpture:

4: "Nest Building" Installation

5: NO.0008 Data Archive: Explorations into the Infinite" Installation + 3D CG Video

6: "∞" Ink Installation

7: "Islands of Time and Space" Oil Painting:

8: "Voice of the Earth" Video

Chinese Art and International Cultural Exchange

“Tales of the Two Islands: Weaving Through Time and Space” is not just an opportunity to showcase Chinese art but also a grand event for international cultural and artistic exchange. By inviting internationally renowned artists to participate in the exhibition, the exhibition organizer hopes to create an open platform to promote dialogue and cooperation between Chinese and foreign artists.

The exhibition particularly emphasizes the integration of Chinese traditional art with modern art. For example, Li Hao’s "∞" ink installation combines Chinese traditional ink art with modern installation art, reflecting the inheritance and innovation of Chinese art. Fei Jun’s "Life Garden" data-generated image work combines the Chinese concept of the Five Elements with digital art, showcasing the application of Chinese culture in modern technology.

Moreover, the exhibition facilitates in-depth exchanges between Chinese and foreign artists through various forms of cross-cultural exchange activities, such as artist talks and international art forums. These not only help enhance the international influence of Chinese art but also provide Chinese artists with opportunities to learn about and engage with cutting-edge international art.

Rural Revitalization, Empowering with Art

In recent years, Chongming Island, as China's third-largest island and a world-class ecological destination, has been actively promoting ecological conservation and sustainable development. The establishment of the Chongming Dongtan National Nature Reserve for Birds highlights the region's significant role in carbon neutrality and environmental protection. Additionally, the government has introduced various cultural projects, enriching the lives of local residents while fostering exchanges and cooperation between Chongming and the world, contributing to rural revitalization.

Through this exhibition, Chongming aims not only to showcase the fascinating integration of art and technology to the audience but also to seize the opportunity to promote rural revitalization, empowering local economic and cultural development.

The exhibition has chosen Chongming Island as its venue, where the natural landscapes and rich historical and cultural resources provide an ideal backdrop. By harnessing the unique power of art and technology, Chongming hopes to attract more attention. During the exhibition, a series of art workshops, lectures, and community activities will be organized, inviting local residents and visitors to participate, bringing art into rural life, and promoting cultural exchange and integration. The exhibition will also inject new vitality into the local cultural industry, driving the prosperity of tourism and related industries.

Through these efforts, Chongming hopes to take a solid step forward in the journey of rural revitalization, empowering local economic and cultural development, and showcasing the potential and charm of rural areas. Art and technology are not just symbols of urban areas; they should also become important driving forces for rural development. Chongming believes that through the exhibition, the island will usher in a new era of artistic prosperity, becoming a model for the integration of art and rural revitalization.

This summer, come to Chongming Island and enjoy an artistic feast that transcends time and space, and feel the hope and change that art brings to rural areas, as well as the charm of cultural and artistic exchanges between China and the world.