"Architecture of Nature"—Zhu Pei's Solo Exhibition Opens at United Art Museum in Wuhan
2023.06.26
On June 29, 2023, the solo exhibition "Architecture of Nature" by Zhu Pei, an internationally renowned architect and the dean of the School of Architecture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, will open at the United Art Museum in Wuhan. This is Mr. Zhu Pei's first solo exhibition in China and the first architect's solo exhibition held at the United Art Museum. The exhibition is curated by Mr. Wang Mingxian, a scholar of Architecture and Art History at Chinese National Academy of Arts, the visiting Professor at School of Architecture, Central Academy of Fine Arts, and academically hosted by Mr. Lu Hong, the executive director of the United Art Museum.
As a representative figure in contemporary experimental architecture in China, "experimentalism" and "cultural perspective" have always been the directions that Zhu Pei has focused on in his creative exploration, and they are also the sources of architectural vitality that he firmly believes in. Over the past decade or so of practice and reflection, traditional Chinese natural philosophy has greatly inspired Zhu Pei. His understanding of natural Shanshui and human cultural construction has deepened and refined continuously, leading to the maturation of the "Architecture of Nature" ideology. On one hand, it is a poetic expression of a construction culture, and on the other hand, it is a response rooted in traditional Eastern natural philosophy to the immense challenges of "global climate change" and "cultural fragmentation" that humanity faces today.
The exhibition features five representative works of "Architecture of Nature" by Zhu Pei in recent years, including the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, Majiayao Ruins Museum and Observatory, OCT Art Center, Zijing International Conference Camp, and the Yangliping Performing Arts Center. These projects are situated in diverse natural environments and each carries a unique and profound cultural history. Despite their distinct locations, they are united by their distinctive structures, materials, architectural forms, and spatial configurations. With a spirit of "celebration" and "humility," they are embedded in the earth, collectively embodying the infinite richness and creative potential of the "Architecture of Nature" theory and expressing the pursuit of "poetic dwelling" between heaven and earth.
The exhibition show cases the creative process of these architectural works through various means such as rich architectural models, extensive creative sketches, documentary films, literature, and publications. It offers viewers not only a fresh spatial and aesthetic experience but also stimulates contemplation on the coexistence of humans, nature, and culture, and how they intertwine and endure.
On the opening day of the exhibition, an "Architecture of Nature " forum will be held, bringing together renowned scholars, architects, critics, and artists. They jointly explore the theory and practice of "Architecture of Nature" from a contemporary perspective within the cultural scope and further deliberate on the significance of "Architecture of Nature" for contemporary architectural creation in China.
"Architecture of Nature " forum will be held at 9:30 a.m. on June 29th in the OVU Media Center Auditorium. The forum will be live-streamed through "Position" video number, and the public can scan the QR code to watch it online.
"Architecture of Nature"—Zhu Pei's Solo Exhibition Opens at United Art Museum in Wuhan
2023.06.26
On June 29, 2023, the solo exhibition "Architecture of Nature" by Zhu Pei, an internationally renowned architect and the dean of the School of Architecture at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, will open at the United Art Museum in Wuhan. This is Mr. Zhu Pei's first solo exhibition in China and the first architect's solo exhibition held at the United Art Museum. The exhibition is curated by Mr. Wang Mingxian, a scholar of Architecture and Art History at Chinese National Academy of Arts, the visiting Professor at School of Architecture, Central Academy of Fine Arts, and academically hosted by Mr. Lu Hong, the executive director of the United Art Museum.
As a representative figure in contemporary experimental architecture in China, "experimentalism" and "cultural perspective" have always been the directions that Zhu Pei has focused on in his creative exploration, and they are also the sources of architectural vitality that he firmly believes in. Over the past decade or so of practice and reflection, traditional Chinese natural philosophy has greatly inspired Zhu Pei. His understanding of natural Shanshui and human cultural construction has deepened and refined continuously, leading to the maturation of the "Architecture of Nature" ideology. On one hand, it is a poetic expression of a construction culture, and on the other hand, it is a response rooted in traditional Eastern natural philosophy to the immense challenges of "global climate change" and "cultural fragmentation" that humanity faces today.
The exhibition features five representative works of "Architecture of Nature" by Zhu Pei in recent years, including the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, Majiayao Ruins Museum and Observatory, OCT Art Center, Zijing International Conference Camp, and the Yangliping Performing Arts Center. These projects are situated in diverse natural environments and each carries a unique and profound cultural history. Despite their distinct locations, they are united by their distinctive structures, materials, architectural forms, and spatial configurations. With a spirit of "celebration" and "humility," they are embedded in the earth, collectively embodying the infinite richness and creative potential of the "Architecture of Nature" theory and expressing the pursuit of "poetic dwelling" between heaven and earth.
The exhibition show cases the creative process of these architectural works through various means such as rich architectural models, extensive creative sketches, documentary films, literature, and publications. It offers viewers not only a fresh spatial and aesthetic experience but also stimulates contemplation on the coexistence of humans, nature, and culture, and how they intertwine and endure.
On the opening day of the exhibition, an "Architecture of Nature " forum will be held, bringing together renowned scholars, architects, critics, and artists. They jointly explore the theory and practice of "Architecture of Nature" from a contemporary perspective within the cultural scope and further deliberate on the significance of "Architecture of Nature" for contemporary architectural creation in China.
"Architecture of Nature " forum will be held at 9:30 a.m. on June 29th in the OVU Media Center Auditorium. The forum will be live-streamed through "Position" video number, and the public can scan the QR code to watch it online.