Collective memory
The Chinese pavilion at The London Design Biennale 2018 was awarded the Honorable Mention award by the event’s organizing committee as the event kicked off on Tuesday in London.
Taking “Emotional States” as its theme, the biennale this year seeks to reflect on the relationship between design and feelings. A wide range of architecture, technology, fashion and industrial designs from 40 countries and regions are on display as part of a dynamic series of interconnected exhibitions.
Titled “The Memory Project of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge,” the Chinese pavilion explores the emotional significance of the iconic Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge and how it became part of the Chinese people’s collective memory.
Sumantro Ghose, managing director of the London Design Biennale, told the Global Times that the bridge is considered a cultural and design icon in China. He added that he found the pavilion fascinating because “we’re situated here in the middle of London, right next to the River Thames and right next to the famous Waterloo Bridge, which itself is an icon.”
“The Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is the first mega bridge designed and built by the Chinese people with materials from China. After 60 years, it still plays a very important role in the daily transportation of Nanjing,” Xiang Xiaowei, minister counselor for culture at the Chinese Embassy in London, said at the opening ceremony.
Xiang pointed out that for many decades the bridge was seen on posters, calendars and even on Chinese currency “because it was not only an architectural miracle in 1960s China, but also a symbol of the courage and determination of the Chinese people.”
Completed in 1968, the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge is more than 4.5 kilometers in length. The doubledeck road-rail bridge quickly became a national symbol of technological achievement.
Since 2014, LanD Studio has collaborated with historians and local artists on the Memory Project of the Nanjing Yangtze Bridge, amassing an archive of artifacts, memories and audio and visual records, a selection of which is on display at the exhibition.
The London Design Biennale 2018 is scheduled to come to an end on September 23.
Building on the enormous success of the inaugural event in 2016, the Biennale is a highlight of the global cultural calendar.