Venue: Halls 10/11/12 on the third floor and the Glass Corridor on the first floor, Guangdong Museum of Art (Ersha Island)

Venue of Opening Ceremony: 1F, Guangdong Museum of Art (Ersha Island)

Organizer: Guangdong Museum of Art

Co-organiser: Damei Art Training Center

Chief Director: Wang Shaoqiang

Academic Support: Pi Daojian, Fan Lin, Liu Qingyuan

Exhibition Director: Shi Fangfang

Curator: Zhang Fen

Specially Invited Artist: Guo Tutu, Gong Xi, Hu Yinping, Huang Yuanyuan, Li Binyuan, Ma Nan, Ou Jing, Song Dong, Xiao Sili, and Yin Xiuzhen (listed in alphabetical order by surname)

 

Introduction

 

“The Kingdom of Thousand Languages”, first launched in 2017 as the flagship biennial of Guangdong Museum of Art’s “Childhood” series, made a landmark impact with its contemporary vision and conceptual depth — reminiscent of the “Little Guangzhou Triennial” — sparking nationwide discourse in children’s aesthetic education sphere across China. This year, the third edition returns with a focus on reflecting contemporary childhood and its role in shaping the self — a timely platform for exploring self-observation and awareness. The linguistic installation “I & ME,” serving as the theme of this edition, can be interpreted as a metaphor for the relationship between "active creation" and "passive shaping" in childhood identity construction.

 

The exhibition convenes contemporary artists, urban/rural art educators, and child artists to work collectively to reveal how “I” becomes “Me”. Each of these countless，richly individual “I’s” carries its own reason for existence, encouraging diverse versions of “Me” to strive for greater understanding and mutual reconciliation. Included in the show are independent works by contemporary artists responding to the curatorial theme, alongside imaginative collaborations between urban/rural art educators and child artists. By connecting “childhood” with family, society, and nature, these works ultimately shape one’s self-definition.

 

The exhibition is divided into three sections, featuring a total of 29 groups of works:

 

·Childhood Through the Eyes of Adults — Looking to the Past: Who Was I (Works by Adults)

 

·Childhood Through the Eyes of Children — Embracing the Present: I Am Me (Works by Children)

 

·Adulthood Through the Eyes of Children — Envisioning the Future: Who Will I Be  (Collaborative Works by Adults and Children)

 

Diverse art forms — sculpture, video, installation, ink painting, animation, audio, and picture books — are showcased to craft a highly interactive and immersive experience for visitors. During the exhibition, a rich program of public education and academic activities will also complement the show, enhancing its educational and cultural resonance.