Artist reinterprets Chinese art exhibition in Vienna

Chinese contemporary artist reinterpreted the artifacts and spatial structure of the permanent Chinese exhibition hall in the Weltmuseum Wien in Austria with Chinese "Qi" philosophy during the guided tour last Friday.

Collaborating with the museum and the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Chinese contemporary artist and art researcher Zhu Hui combined physical performance, painting, and live commentary, providing over 30 visitors from diverse cultural backgrounds—including professionals in art and humanities—with an exhibition experience entirely distinct from traditional Western ethnographic displays.

Draped in a 10-meter-long transparent scroll she had personally created and painted, Zhu served as a "mobile vessel of memory" while guiding visitors. Through walking, pausing, and viewing, she helped them weave a vibrant network of the present moment involving the artifacts, the exhibition space, and the guide.

Employing contemporary Chinese "Qi" philosophy as a methodological framework, Zhu systematically elucidated the relationships among key exhibits in the permanent galleries—including ivory carvings of the Four Heavenly Kings, a compass, an imperial robe with cloud-patterned embroidery, and Chinese character imagery—further extending to the holistic Chinese understanding of space, time, and order, as well as the historical and cultural evolution of traditional Chinese "Qi" philosophy.