Scenography for the WonderLab exhibition in the National Museum Beijing, China

Drawn on a bright red backdrop, the scenography of this new exhibition takes us into the heart of an enthralling dialogue between cultures. An unprecedented spatial discovery of the skills and artistry of these French and Chinese master artisans. We walk amongst the spatial geometry of the Forbidden City, traces of which can be found in the architectural sketch of the exhibition. The memory of the heart of the Chinese capital beats in the depths of the National Museum of China. Here, the exhibition spaces follow each other in a controlled tempo, foreshadowed by a perspective of porticos. We discover more than twenty intimate rooms, in graduating hues of red. From bright red to Bordeaux red, each space tells the story of the works exhibited there. Earth, nature, sky, sea, works in bronze, metal, tortoiseshell, leather, are burrowed in the wall partitions, where white sculpted notches welcome each creation. In their rimless cases, a vase, icons, a feather dragon appear as though they are suspended in a heavenly space. They come to us from another realm, thanks to the ancestral Chinese culture. The design of this scenography constantly celebrates a profound and obsessive relationship to materials. Each creation finds its individuality in a bespoke frame. By a play on light and shadows, our time here stands still, light transforms into materials and our conscience becomes a gateway to our dreamworld. Unavoidably, with this work on space, we enter into the workshop of the imaginary.

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Photos © Guanchen Yu NMC