China-Serbia digital art exhibition explores time, space, heritage

The exhibition explores the artistic use of light and print, incorporating holography, AI-generated art, virtual reality experiences and interactive installations.

BELGRADE, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A collection of digital artworks created through China-Serbia collaboration went on display Sunday at the China Cultural Center in Belgrade, highlighting ongoing cultural and academic exchanges between the two countries.

Held under the theme "Light of Crossing: Time, Space and Heritage in Art and Tech," the exhibition attracted nearly 50 visitors on its opening day.

Featuring more than 70 works, the exhibition explores the artistic use of light and print, incorporating holography, AI-generated art, virtual reality experiences and interactive installations. The works span a wide range of themes, including literature, film, painting, calligraphy, architecture and ecology.

Many of the exhibits were jointly created by the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication (BIGC) and several Serbian universities, reflecting the expanding academic and artistic cooperation between China and Serbia in the field of digital art.

One representative work, an architectural piece titled "Cyber Steed," was introduced to visitors by Wang Shuo, one of the exhibition planners and an associate professor at BIGC. 

Co-created by BIGC and the University of Belgrade, the work presents a digital reinterpretation of the horse, a traditional cultural symbol in China. Wang said the piece aims to revitalize the symbol ahead of the upcoming Year of the Horse while illustrating mutual learning and exchange between Chinese and Serbian creators.

Another work that drew sustained attention is "Within Reach," a collaborative piece by BIGC and Heriot-Watt University. Using holographic imaging, the installation constructs floating luminous forms centered on the human hand, encouraging reflection on concepts of reality, distance and interaction in virtual environments.

After touring the exhibition, Zoran Levic, director of the Serbian Museum of Science and Technology in Belgrade, told Xinhua that the works offer Serbian audiences an alternative way to engage with contemporary Chinese culture.

"Technology here functions as a creative language rather than simply a display tool," Levic said, noting that such approaches remain relatively uncommon in Serbia.

Wang told Xinhua that the project applies modern technological approaches to cultural expression and contributes to ongoing exchanges between Chinese and Serbian academic and artistic communities. ■