'212 Movement' sci-art exhibition by Zhao Chuang & Yang Yang opens in Beijing

The "212 Movement": A Scientific Art Exhibition by Zhao Chuang & Yang Yang opened on Saturday at the Art Bridge Gallery in Beijing's 798 Art Zone.

Serving as the first art project of the "212 Movement World Exploration Initiative", the exhibition is jointly presented by 212 Off-Road, together with PNSO, an organization devoted to the research and creation of scientific art.

According to academic director Li Qing, a representative author of "New Popular Literature and Art" (a wave of amateur creativity where ordinary people turn their lived experiences into art such as poetry, prose, or performance to find their voice and audience on digital platforms), as well as a documentary filmmaker, this exhibition breaks through the traditional art exhibition model and, for the first time, systematically presents how a scientific art institution "works".

Taking the 16-year practice of the “PNSO Scientific Art Projects Plan: Stories on Earth (2010–2070)” as its main thread, the exhibition comprehensively presents artist Zhao Chuang and writer Yang Yang’s creative process and full scope of work through diverse forms including paintings, literature, sculptures and videos.

The exhibition space is structured into three themed sections: Life, Universe and Humanity. The Life section focuses on paleontological scientific art restorations and science fairy tale narratives, covering the evolutionary history from the Triassic to the Cretaceous periods. The Universe section showcases wonders of the solar system and prints of the twelve zodiac constellations, expanding the horizons of cosmic imagination. The Humanity section depicts the finer details of human productivity and explores human civilization, featuring busts of historical thinkers, as well as cultural landscapes of Beijing, which vividly illustrates the deep-seated connections between nature and humanity.

In his opening remarks, Lu Yunran, curator of the exhibition and general manager of 212 Off-Road Vehicle Co Ltd, noted that the curatorial philosophy is built upon the core theme: "Movement creates the world. The world embraces all things. All things rest in your heart". He added that the ultimate vision of the exhibition is to "Discover wonder. Exhibit creation".