DCAM Event｜“Grand Aesthetic Education of the Silk Road” Celebrates International Museum Day, Drawing Thousands to the Inaugural Exhibition
On May 18, 2025, the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum (DCAM) successfully launched the “Beauty in Diversity, Beauty for All—2025 International Museum Day: Grand Aesthetic Education of the Silk Road” series in Changyang Valley, Yangpu District, Shanghai. Aligning with the International Museum Day theme of “Museums in a Rapidly Changing Society”, DCAM collaborated with the Yangpu District Library, Yangpu Cultural Arts Center, Yangpu Youth Palace, Bi Mo Gong Fang, and Applied Materials (China) Co., Ltd., to pioneer innovative approaches to traditional cultural preservation and education.
Exhibition Highlights
As a new cultural space participating in International Museum Day for the first time, DCAM offered free timed-entry access to its inaugural exhibition, “Imagery of Dunhuang”, inviting the public to revisit its groundbreaking showcase. Through immersive storytelling and artistic reinterpretation, the exhibition traced the historical lineage and contemporary relevance of Dunhuang art, attracting over a thousand visitors on opening day.
Director Du Chenyan personally guided attendees through the interplay of artifacts and installations, unfolding the exhibition’s four thematic chapters: “History · Nature · Reinterpretation · Mental Imagery”.
The exhibition featured rare artifacts such as the Palm-Leaf Manuscripts, Northern Liang Stone Pagoda, and Tang Dynasty Molded Bricks with Painted Caravan Scenes, interwoven with contemporary digital and spatial installations to present Dunhuang’s multidimensional narrative—spanning literature, art, geography, and technology.
Inspired by the Mogao Caves’ murals and spatial design, the exhibition crafted a multisensory journey where scents, ambient sounds, light, and rhythm evoked visceral and emotional resonance. Here, the weight of knowledge dissolved, allowing visitors to engage with Dunhuang through instinctive, liberated immersion.
The exhibition draws inspiration from the murals and spatial structure of the Mogao Grottoes to construct a perceptible spatial path in the exhibition hall - the smell, wind, light and shadow, and rhythm progress layer by layer, evoking the audience's physical and emotional resonance. Here, the weight of knowledge is quietly put down, and people can get close to "Dunhuang" in a more instinctive and free way and immerse themselves in it.
“Imagery of Dunhuang” is not merely an exhibition but a departure point. DCAM aims to transcend geographical and temporal boundaries, nurturing Dunhuang’s cultural spirit to inspire contemporary creativity and global connections.
As the exhibition approaches its conclusion at the end of May, public enthusiasm remains undimmed. A new exhibition is quietly underway and will debut in late July—stay tuned!
Technology-Empowered Aesthetic Education: Co-Creating a New Silk Road Vision
As part of the “Grand Aesthetic Education of the Silk Road” series, the “Journey Along the Silk Road: Essence Classroom” public reading program bridges Dunhuang culture and STEAM Education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics). Supported by Applied Materials, the initiative encourages youth to explore Silk Road heritage sites like the Dunhuang Grottoes through scientific inquiry and interdisciplinary perspectives, fostering appreciation for tradition and modern pedagogy.
Yao Gongda, President of Applied Materials China, stated: “We are honored to partner with DCAM on the ‘Grand Aesthetic Education of the Silk Road.’ Leveraging the museum’s expertise and resources, this collaboration will unite stakeholders in promoting Silk Road technological and cultural exchange, enhancing Dunhuang’s legacy and innovation.”
Starting this year, DCAM’s Public Education Center has fully integrated into the “Social Grand Aesthetic Education Classroom” initiative. The “Essence Classroom” now offers lectures, workshops, and research camps for all ages, building an open cultural learning platform. Through accessible, everyday engagement, the public is invited to explore, understand, and perpetuate Dunhuang’s legacy.
Moving forward, DCAM will continue merging cultural heritage with contemporary expression, advancing the “Grand Aesthetic Education of the Silk Road” to craft “perceptible, knowable, and contemplative” cultural experiences. By doing so, the millennia-old Dunhuang will radiate modern vitality and step onto the global stage.