75 years of design celebrated at Hangzhou museum

The Cloisonné Peace Dove Plate, designed in 1952 and regarded as the first national gift from New China, is shown at the Design for New China: The History of Design in the Early Years of the People's Republic of China exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Monday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A new exhibition opened on Monday at China Design Museum, China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, ahead of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls on Oct 1.

The exhibition, titled Design for New China: The History of Design in the Early Years of the People's Republic of China, presents the diversity and experimental nature of early design and aims to convey the vitality and experience of China's modernization process, according to the organizers.

A chess game made in the early years of the People's Republic of China is shown at the Design for New China: The History of Design in the Early Years of the People's Republic of China exhibition in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Monday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The exhibition will run until Nov 15.

"In an era of both hope and challenges, the design industry in China started steadily amid continuous exploration and gradually gave birth to a unique design concept with Chinese characteristics," said Han Xu, vice-president of the China Academy of Art, at the opening ceremony.

Gathering precious collections from some 40 institutions across China, the exhibition features more than 500 artifacts and historical documents, ranging from architecture, industrial design and handicraft to fashion and visual design, among other fields.

"This exhibition is a great review of the early design history, and it is also a high tribute to the source of its design, which has provided invaluable inspiration for today's innovative design," said Han.

It showcases plenty of "firsts" in design in the early years of the People's Republic of China, including the first national gift, the first generation of national porcelain known as "Jianguo Porcelain" and the first foreign trade exhibition.

History plays an essential role in the healthy and vigorous development of a nation, said Hang Jian, deputy director of the Academic Committee of the China Academy of Art, in his speech.

"Therefore, the history of design is not only a record of designers' creations but also the most fundamental embodiment of a nation's value-creation as well as its profound wisdom of life," Hang said.

"Visitors will get a glimpse of how, through extensive social participation, the designers of that era jointly shaped the nation's image, including the symbols and the spaces of the national image," added Han.

Apart from in-depth professional analyses of diverse design cases from multiple dimensions and the organization and execution of the design process, visitors will also be able to learn the history of international exchanges in design during the early years of China.

"They will be treated with some of the best immersive and interactive experiences, and children will get to enjoy fun design workshops and rich educational courses," said the organizers.