Located in the center of the 72-hectare complex in the Forbidden City, which dates back to the fifteenth century, the Palace Museum houses one of the world’s largest collections of ancient Chinese artifacts, calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain. Working closely with the museum’s curators, we designed an exhibition that builds on our experience designing for contemporary art and artists, bringing together artworks spanning from antiquity to contemporary art within the historic structure. Titled “Mirroring the Heart of Heaven and Earth: Ideals and Images in the Chinese Study,” the exhibition showcased work from prominent contemporary artists including Liu Dan, Xu Bing, Xu Lei, Bai Ming, and Young Ho Chang.

The exhibition encourages a dialogue between historical artifacts objects and contemporary artworks. One example is a plaque inscribed with the words “Chamber of the Five Classics,” written by the Qianlong Emperor. Normally displayed in the eastern annex of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, once the imperial study, it is now prominently displayed at the exhibition’s entrance. The inscription references the Five Classics, some of the oldest surviving Chinese texts that form the foundational works of Confucianism.