“The Art of Life: Multimedia Exhibition of Mawangdui Han Culture” Made Its Debut in London
On June 15, The Art of Life: Multimedia Exhibition of Mawangdui Han Culture (hereafter referred to as The Art of Life) was unveiled at Outernet London, the world’s largest LED dome-screen venue. The exhibition was jointly created by Hunan Museum, the Digital Library of China, and Professor Eugene Wang’s team from the Harvard FAS CAMLab, with technical support provided by Perfect World (Beijing) Software Technology Development Co., Ltd. Presented in a multimedia theater, the exhibition transcends temporal and spatial boundaries, showcasing in London the charm of Hunan culture from two millennia ago.
Credit: Perfect World Digital Art
Inspired by artifacts unearthed from the Mawangdui tombs, the exhibition revolves around three themes – “Time and Space,” “Yin and Yang,” and “Life.” It offers a profound interpretation of the Han dynasty’s cosmology and philosophy of life, rooted in the concept of harmony between humanity and nature. With a large 8K ultra-high-definition LED dome screen and other cutting-edge multimedia tools, the exhibition presents the artistic, historical, and philosophical ideas of the Han dynasty vividly and engagingly, creating a cultural feast for visitors.
Credit: Perfect World Digital Art
The Art of Life made its debut at Hunan Museum from June 8, 2024, to May 18, 2025, attracting over 630,000 visitors and receiving worldwide acclaim. Developed by the Museum over three years, the exhibition drew on the latest academic research, innovative approaches in digital art, and advances in multimedia technologies. With the help of international cross-disciplinary collaboration and artistic creation, it integrated cutting-edge technologies and cultural narratives, and thus breathed new vitality into Chinese cultural heritage. As one of the most heavily invested digital exhibitions in China’s museum sector, it exemplifies Hunan’s implementation of the central government’s directives on cultural-technology integration. It has established a new paradigm for digital exhibitions of cultural heritages in China, contributing to the international reach of Mawangdui culture and advancing the development of new quality productive forces.
Credit: Perfect World Digital Art
The exhibition’s debut in London underscores the in-depth cooperation between China and the UK in the fields of culture and technology. The Perfect World said, “We expect to break the barriers of time and space in cultural communication through digital technology, enabling Chinese history and culture, together with advanced technologies, to ‘go global’ and explore new possibilities of cultural expression with creators worldwide.” Dr. Gao Bingren, a representative of the UK Young Artists Association, noted that the exhibition demonstrates the recreation of Chinese culture in the digital age, where technology is not only a tool for communication but also a catalyst for cultural innovation.
