The sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus has put the world into stagnation. The art circle is among the worst-hit sectors as museums and art galleries remained closed in an effort to contain the spread of the highly contagious virus - but art has never stopped.

After an four-month closure, Times Art Museum in Beijing launched a special exhibition reflecting on the charm and power of art in the time of pandemic. Paintings, sculptures, multimedia interactive games and videos of sharply different styles from 57 artists are on display at the exhibit in the name of "Revive in Art".

"We stayed at home during this special time and a lot of things stopped. We've already missed the spring. We don't want to miss the summer. Hope every visitor can feel energy, happiness and power through this exhibition. That's why we made it," Li Xiangying, a museum member responsible for exhibition planning, told CGTN.

The exhibition runs till July 5. Like in other public venues, visitors are required to wear masks and have their temperature checked before entering.

Live your life in color

Street art is perhaps the most colorful and energetic form of art. Paintings by seven renowned Chinese street artists are displayed at the long hall of the gallery starting from the entrance. The huge fresco is about the adventure of an anthropomorphic nozzle. The artists created the paintings by improvisation right at the gallery. 

Visitors are invited to "track the trace" of the nozzle. A special area pasted with wanted circulars for the nozzle was set for visitors who could then interact with the piece.

The whole exhibition is riot with colors and the color of green appears most frequently. As the exhibition introduction reads "green represents vitality", plenty of artists hope to bring energy and hope to every visitor through their works.

Never stop imagining

"Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution," that's how physicist Albert Einstein viewed imagination.

Artists from the "iPOINT Pixel Community" extended their imagination to the future via pixel art. It's a form of digital art created by software the edits images on a pixel level. In their vast work, which covers several walls and also floor space, the artists create a virtual futuristic community featuring with all kinds of modern devices and unique individuals.

Freelance illustrator Liu Zenglin challenged the traditional Chinese Zodiac, which is based on a 12-year cycle with each year related to an animal sign. In Liu's imagination there should be 15 zodiac animals, not a dozen. "I added three more animals – elephant, cat and frog. Why? Well, I like them and I'm sure they were not chosen just because they came late at the selection meeting," Liu explained her logic behind the paintings.

As a fan of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Liu combines this sport's style with his daily life moments, such as dining with friends or surfing in the sea. "My paintings look very simple. I'd like to convey a life attitude of positiveness, optimism and persistence," Liu said.

Stay young at heart

A childlike mindset spurs creativity. In a kid's mind, everything can be playful – and can be turned into art. For the artist named "chimney", a mat for his cat is the origin of inspiration. There are lots of lotus leaves on the mat and the leaves have one thing in common – a breach is left on every single piece. He painted two black dots on a white background and a red heart-shaped tongue on the leaf – creating a unique frog.

A lot of images from classic animation were brought to life in various ways. Artist Spenser Little used metal wires to remake images like Mickey Mouse and Pink Panther. All his works were made with one continuous piece of wire. For Laurence Vallières, recycled materials are the best tool to convey her artistic concept. A "Goofy" (an image from Disney cartoon) made from a recycled paper box attracted plenty of visitors.

Thank you, doctors!

There's a special section paying tribute to medical workers fighting COVID-19. A total of 45 posters are on display to show how the country's medics and the whole of society are united  against the virus. They are open to the public for the first time.

There are also videos recording the tearful and joyful moments of medical workers at the front-line. Visitors can learn about their stories on the TV screen at the hall. Medics who went to Hubei Province – the former epicenter of the pandemic – can visit the exhibition for free.

"Without the sacrifice of the medical workers, we would definitely have no chance to stand here enjoying this exhibition," one visitor told CGTN.

(Cover image by Liu Shaozhen)