Dragon-themed artworks on show in Shanghai for Chinese New Year

Chinese dragon, deeply rooted in Chinese civilization as cultural icons, has left an indelible mark on history, literature, art, folklore, and everyday life. To welcome the Year of the Dragon, a show titled "10,000 Dragons Art Exhibition" is now underway at the Xiao Hui Wang Art Museum in Shanghai.

Featuring Chinese dragons from past and present-day culture, the exhibition aims to delve into the origins of Chinese dragon culture, while embracing the contemporary trends in artistic creation. "Traditional culture, contemporary art, fashion elements, and the latest technology are our four key elements. The combination of these elements is the most important feature of this exhibition," said artist Xiao Hui Wang, who is also the founder of the museum.

The organizers have expressed an ambition to redefine the conventional animal zodiac exhibition with "10,000 Dragons Art Exhibition," incorporating innovative forms of displays and encouraging creators to embrace technology to improve content creation.

Augmented Reality (AR) is used to bring the dragons to life, with a mesmerizing display of five lifelike 3D dragons in iconic Shanghai locations symbolizing the auspicious meaning of the Year of the Dragon.

At the same time, ancient bricks crafted with the images of dragons dating back over 1,600 years ago to the Eastern Jin Dynasty are also on display. The bricks are from the collection of the Mingzhitang Bricks Museum in Shanghai. This marks the first time these bricks have left the museum and entered a contemporary art gallery, where they will be transformed into a large-scale, immersive and interactive art installation.

"This is a dragon made of eleven ancient bricks, with its tail composed of five bricks. Apart from this one, we can see nearly 400 brick dragons displayed on the wall, all of which are exhibited in our Mingzhitang Bricks Museum, and each one is different," said Zhu Mingqi, director of Mingzhitang Bricks Museum.

And with the help of AR technology, the dragon comes to life on your mobile phone with a simple scan. Visitors can also explore traditional culture through rubbings, an ancient Chinese printing technique. This experience gives people the chance to learn about the cultural significance of these ancient bricks.

The show also highlights the collaboration between tradition and modernity through the works of ceramist Li Jianshen. He has brought a set of nine dragons to the show, marking the first time his masterpieces have been exhibited in Shanghai. "The Chinese dragon is the only animal in the Chinese zodiac that doesn't exist in real life. Our culture created it. This gives us plenty of room for our imagination. I have given the concept of the zodiac Dragon a human state. In fact, I am still focusing on the presentation of people in our times," said Li.

AIGC, or Artificial Intelligence Generated Content, plays a crucial role in the "10,000 Dragons Art Exhibition." AIGC technology allows for the creation of diverse dragon artworks through artificial intelligence, providing a platform for young artists and AI creators to contribute their unique interpretations of dragon culture.

Over 10,000 AIGC dragon artworks have been collected from various artists for the show since January 1, with a curated selection of 1,000 pieces being showcased first. Each week, the organizers will update the show with new submissions. The public is still invited to submit new dragon artwork. The show will run until April 20, 2024.