On September 21, 2024, the grand opening of the second Illuminate the World: Qiandao Lake International Biennale of Light Art and the Qiandao Lake Tunnel Art Museum took place at Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang Province, China. Co-hosted by the China Academy of Art (CAA) and Qiandao Lake in Chun’an County, this event celebrates the second edition of China’s pioneering aquatic biennial, which uses light as its primary artistic medium.

The exhibition theme, “How Is Light?”, explores light’s evolving role through technological advancements, the foundations of civilization, and the endless possibilities for future innovation. The artwork featured in the exhibition emphasizes the intersection of technology, interaction, and ecosystems, encouraging visitors to reconsider the nature of light in both its familiar and unexplored forms.

An Innovative Cultural Event

The second edition of the Qiandao Lake International Biennale of Light Art included a rigorous selection process, combining open submissions and special invitations. More than 200 entries from eight countries were submitted, with the final artworks curated by an expert panel. These selected works will be exhibited on Yueguang Island at Qiandao Lake in two distinct phases, alongside notable pieces from the inaugural biennale. The exhibition aims to enrich Qiandao Lake’s growing artistic ecosystem and supports the region’s economy by promoting art and cultural tourism.

Notably, this year’s biennale invited cross-disciplinary creators, including iconic rock musician Cui Jian, who brings a fresh perspective and experimental flair to the event. With its unique focus on the art of light, public art installations, and aquatic settings, this event exemplifies a forward-thinking approach to cultural tourism.

Opening of the Qiandao Lake Tunnel Art Museum

On the same day, the Qiandao Lake Tunnel Art Museum was inaugurated, marking the debut of China’s first tunnel-based art gallery. The museum is a collection of nearly 100 tunnels, with Qiandao Lake Tunnel Art Museum NO. 001, located in Xialanwu Tunnel, stretching over 209 meters. Designed by CAA’s School of Painting, this open, “unwalled art museum” aims to merge contemporary spatial aesthetics with international art. The museum serves as both a tourist attraction and a public art space, offering locals and visitors an immersive cultural experience, including jogging trails and interactive exhibitions.

The museum’s opening exhibition, themed “Echo”, explores the interconnectedness of Qiandao Lake’s natural beauty, cultural heritage, and ecological significance. The artwork mirrors the lake’s past and present, symbolizing a dialogue between humanity and nature. The unique tunnel setting enhances the experience, with its curvature amplifying the resonance of voices and the continuity of echoes through time. Visitors are invited to feel as though they are standing at the heart of Qiandao Lake, immersed in the vibrant pulse of its artistic legacy.

Promoting Art, Tourism, and Sustainability

Qiandao Lake is a focal point for China’s cultural tourism sector, and CAA is instrumental in fostering China’s contemporary art scene. Their ongoing collaboration has successfully blended social aesthetic education with public spaces and nature, creating a distinctive identity for Qiandao Lake that embraces local features and Chinese cultural values. The biennial plays a key role in promoting tourism to the region, with its focus on sustainable, ecological development through art.

Exploring the Theme: “How Is Light?”

The second biennale moves beyond traditional concepts of light, such as natural and artificial light, to delve into modern interpretations, including digital light. The exhibition highlights the technical foundations and evolving forms of light, exploring its impact on everyday life, technology, and industry. From the Fourier transform to digital design, from LED screens to image processing, light has a profound influence on how we engage with visual culture.

On the scientific front, the study of light has evolved significantly over time. While British physicist James Clerk Maxwell discovered that electromagnetic radiation forms a continuous spectrum, Albert Einstein’s early 20th-century theories proposed that light could behave like particles, which was confirmed through experiments by Arthur H. Compton. These discoveries laid the groundwork for understanding how light possesses both wave-like and particle-like properties.

Culturally, light has long been linked to the development of civilization. Plato’s allegory of the cave reflects the philosophical significance of light in ancient Greece, while in ancient China, light played a role in the creation of cosmological theories, such as those outlined in the Book of Documents. The theme “How Is Light?” invites artists to expand their understanding of light beyond current boundaries, sparking new ideas in technology, interaction, and ecosystems.

Exploring the Qiandao Lake Tunnel Art Museum’s Opening Exhibition: “Echo”

Qiandao Lake has always been celebrated as a harmonious convergence of nature and culture. At the Echo exhibition, the tunnel setting enhances the concept of spatial echoes, with its curvature amplifying the sense of enclosure while symbolizing the continuity of history, memory, and nature. Visitors standing inside the tunnel are enveloped by the sounds and images that represent the pulse of Qiandao Lake, creating an immersive dialogue between the natural world and artistic expression.

Ongoing Festivals and Exhibitions at CAA

The China Academy of Art’s School of Sculpture and Public Art continues to spearhead various festivals and exhibitions. Notable events include the Wuzhen Theatre Festival: Public Space Art Exhibition Project, the Aranya Theater Festival: Migratory Birds 300, CAA Armory•Wuzhen, the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art, and the Frontier Fiber Art Exhibition. Each event forms part of an expansive network dedicated to artistic research, creation, and innovation.

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