According to an announcement from the Xie Zilong Photography Museum (XPM), it is celebrating its eighth anniversary with a series of high-profile art projects spanning multiple sectors. The program features three contemporary art exhibitions, three major photography showcases highlighting regional characteristics, and the inaugural Art Book Fair. These diverse artistic offerings are designed to foster public engagement in line with the museum's ideology of "creating waves rather than following trends."
The Xie Zilong Photography Museum was officially inaugurated on September 16, 2017. Founded and funded by photographer Xie Zilong, the museum was designed under the direction of Professor Wei Chunyu from Hunan University. Over the past eight years, the museum has established itself as a "visual art center and urban living room" through dedicated development. It has created renowned cultural brands including the "Yanghu Public Art Season," becoming a significant calling card of Changsha's cultural and tourism industry.
In this eighth-anniversary series event, the contemporary art exhibition will take the lead. The "Post-Anthropocene" Sound Art Exhibition is to open on October 1, followed by two special performances on October 2 and 3. Artist Anti-General will utilize fragmented rhythms, exaggerated soundscapes, and immersive spatial narratives to simulate the fluidity of identity and the alienation of perception in a post-human context. Meanwhile, Zeng Chen will make use of installation art to reflect on the "concealment of divinity" in human cognition during the algorithmic age, inviting audiences to confront the processes of civilizational transition.
"Heishan or Black Mountain Rainforest", Chen Mutian, felt, fabric, buttons, plastic tubes, fringe, old clothes, 380 × 720 cm, 2025
In November, the museum will simultaneously present exhibitions by two young female artists. One is titled "Chen Mutian: The Pavilion of Self-Lowering", curated by Zhang Yingying. It features the artist's use of manual three-dimensional cutting techniques to weave and stitch fabrics of no practical value into poetic artworks, thereby producing installations that are both imaginative and rich in whimsical poetry.
"Yuan Keru: A Solo Exhibition," presented in collaboration with SPURS GALLERY, focuses on the painterly qualities and spatial rhythms of the image. Through multi-channel immersive video installations, the artist explores the interplay of time and space to evoke public awareness of individual experience and collective memory.
Photography exhibitions highlighting themes of the era and regional characteristics are equally anticipated. The "Blossoming" New Era National Photography Classic Works Tour (Hunan Stop) will feature a curated selection of works from the signature programs of the China Photographers Association. Through diverse artistic approaches, it will showcase the nation's achievements across economic, political, and cultural sectors, as well as the vibrant spirit of its people.
The "Unforgettable Decade, Paying Tribute to the New District Pioneers" Photography Exhibition, staged in conjunction with the third Yanghu Public Art Season, adopts a "human narrative + artistic empowerment" approach, showcasing the endeavors of the pioneers and refining the experience of urban spaces.
The "Impression of Dong'an" Photography Exhibition focuses on Dong'an's red or revolutionary heritage, green ecology, and ancient culture, presenting a new cultural-tourism landscape where natural scenery blends with historical and humanistic elements.
The BIGGER Art Book Fair
In addition, in October, XPM will jointly host the "First BIGGER Changsha Art Book Fair" with Sendpoints Guided by the principle that "ideas matter more," the fair has previously attracted over 100 domestic and international publishers, more than 1,000 exhibiting brands, and over 100,000 visitors in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The book fair, making its debut in Changsha, will establish a platform for creators to exchange ideas and inspire public enthusiasm for exploring art books.
The World Dances By the Window: Oamul's Solo Exhibition
Currently, XPM is hosting several high-quality exhibitions: "The World Dances By the Window: Oamul's Solo Exhibition" presents over 230 cross-media works, including the commissioned public art installation "Dance"; "Fairy Dreams" constructs an immersive universe of Eastern philosophy and fairy-tale fantasy based on artist Vvcici Zhang's original IP "Fairy Dreams"; "Between Nakhi and Tibet in China: Joseph Rock's Ethnographic Photography" systematically explores Eastern mysteries from a Western perspective through the museum's collection of original negatives; "My Village" showcases authentic scenes of rural revitalization in Hunan; while "All Means Are Sacred" explores dialogues between humanity and the environment, as well as memory, through an artistic lens.
According to reports, the Xie Zilong Photography Museum is open from 10:00 to 18:00, Tuesday through Sunday (last entry at 17:30), and operates normally on statutory holidays. In the future, the museum will continue to integrate outstanding artistic resources from both domestic and international sources. Through high-standard exhibitions, academic research, and public programs, it aims to provide the public with in-depth cultural experiences while contributing to the dissemination of image art and the development of urban culture.