A cutting-edge exhibition held in London on Friday offered a visionary glimpse into a future where technology, culture, and innovation converge to solve global challenges through showcasing the digital creativity of young artists from China and the UK.
Organized by China's Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the UK-China Youth Digital Creation Exhibition themed “The Future to See Future” featured over 30 works exploring themes of future design and innovation across diverse fields, including environmental protection, art, education, music, and the impact of artificial intelligence.
The creators, all under 30, represented a vibrant mix of individuals and digital creative agencies, demonstrating the immense potential of the next generation.
"The future, I think it's going to be really digital. It's going to become a sort of blend of physical and digital worlds. And we need to understand how to merge them together in a way that we are comfortable with," said Pierre Engelhard, a digital artist.
Yuqian Sun, a PhD candidate at the Royal College of Art, echoed Engelhard’s sentiments.
"I am always very excited about the future, the fusion of art and technology, and I am especially excited about [the fact that] with the technology, we have a new way to interpret our different cultures," said Sun.
According to the exhibition curator Pearl Wang, the exhibition presents three characteristics. First, the development of artificial intelligence generation technology will reshape digital creativity. Second, young people are increasingly paying attention to the deep integration of technology with culture and emotion. Third, individual creators and institutions have increased investment in early research and future transformation.
These trends, according to Wang, hold significant implications for digital creative education in both China and the UK.
"They did a lot of research about the social problem first and then when they define the problem, they can use all their learning to solve that problem. So, this is a kind of approach and concept of education, right?" she said.
The exhibition will be open to the public from September 14 to 17 at The Royal Mint Court, providing a unique opportunity for visitors to experience virtual, immersive, and interactive displays, which demonstrate the limitless possibilities of future design in the digital age.
Prof. William Dutton from Oxford University praised the engaging nature of the exhibits, expressing optimism about the future they represent.
"They have really creative people involved in this. It's going to work and it's going to work out very well, so I guess we have a very positive feeling about the future of what we'll see in the exhibits to come and currently," he said.
"My work in AI is training two AI agents to learn from pre-modern women to create their own language when they observe in the environment," said Yuqian Sun.
"What I am trying do is to show how to attract new generations to know the traditional culture in China," said Jiayi Lin, a digital artist.
UK-China youth digital creation exhibition showcases futuristic designs
