Exhibition coils around cultural heritage and AI works

An exhibition at Shanghai Library East celebrates the Year of the Snake with 270 artworks, from pieces using handicrafts recognized as intangible cultural heritage to cartoons, posters and sculptures created with digital technology.

The exhibition runs until March 2 and explores snake-themed myths, legends, history and modern interpretations. Co-hosted by the Shanghai Library, the Shanghai Artists' Association and the Shanghai Animation and Cartoon Association, this marks the third consecutive year of Chinese zodiac-themed exhibitions at the library.

As one of 12 animals in the traditional Chinese zodiac, the snake is widely represented in Chinese culture, symbolizing intelligence, rejuvenation and agility. The exhibition features various works, including paintings, cartoons, illustrations, engravings and digital art created by art students and established artists like Dai Dunbang and Zheng Xinyao, as well as artists who have many social media followers.

"People have stereotypes about the snake being a horrible, coldblooded animal. It can be difficult to portray it as a creature loved by many," says Zhang Wei, secretary general of the Shanghai Animation and Cartoon Association.

In ancient Chinese mythology, Fuxi and Nyuwa, believed to be the creators of Chinese people, are often portrayed as snakes with human heads. "In Chinese culture, as some believe, the snake does not usually represent evil but is a sacred creature with mystical powers. In other cultures, we can see more diverse representations of the snake as emblems of renewal, healing and protection."

The snake, with its rich connotations and simple, flexible form, is also a versatile image for artistic creations, as the organizers received around 6,000 submissions from home and abroad within a month.

"We found that many of them are intangible cultural heritage handicrafts," says Li Ying, in charge of publicity for the Shanghai Library. Among the 270 selected exhibits are artworks made from paper-cutting, cloth, batik, lacquer and more.

"For example, Shanghai paper-cutting is listed as an intangible cultural heritage of China," she says. While paper-cutting has a long history and can be found across the country, the distinctive Shanghai style began appearing in the early 20th century. It is recognized for its various subjects and for introducing new expressions found in paintings and drawings.

Meanwhile, organizers found the number of artworks involving digital technology has increased each year. The exhibition adopted the design for the fifth-floor space from students of the Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts, where 176 digitally processed paintings and posters are arranged in the shape of a slithering snake.

Organizers also found traces of artificial intelligence in some of the submitted artworks. "We found AI-generated images and some that were optimized with the help of AI," Zhang tells China Daily. "There were also paintings that were hand-painted with ideas borrowed from AI. You can see the involvement of AI because human brains work differently with the aesthetics, composition and how the details are processed."

Li says: "AI has become an indispensable tool in art and popular culture today, so we must consider a special section for artworks involving AI next year." Artists will have to submit their source materials for their works to avoid any foul play or copyright infringement, she explains.