Recently, a large public exhibition titled "Dunhuang Aesthetics and Its Connection to the World" featuring digital art representations of Dunhuang murals has opened to the public at the Shenzhen Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning.
The exhibition has for the first time digitally replicated the Mogao Caves at a 1:1 scale, relocating them from the distant Mingsha Mountains in Dunhuang to Shenzhen. This allows a true representation of the artistic essence of Dunhuang. The exhibition will continue until November 22nd and offers free guided tours for the public.
It is reported that the exhibition features four digitally replicated caves at a 1:1 scale, five classic Buddhist statues, over 40 high-definition Dunhuang murals, and eight precious ancient scrolls. This collection allows visitors in Shenzhen to unlock an "immersive cave experience."
Notably, the exhibition includes digitally replicated caves at a 1:1 scale that feature the Cave 285 of the Western Wei Period, known as the "Pantheon of Diverse Elements," and the Yuan Dynasty Cave 3, which depicts the intricately detailed Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara. These caves are not open to the public in Dunhuang.
This exhibition is themed around Dunhuang culture and utilizes XR (extended reality) technology to seamlessly blend ancient cultural heritage with modern digital technology. Among its highlights are the "Meet Dunhuang: Digital Immersive Exhibition" and the "Dunhuang: Desert Maze VR Experience," which stand out as two major features of the event.
The former creates an immersive space using an ultra-large projection area, employing digital lighting and shadow technology to recreate the magnificence and intricacy of Dunhuang murals. The latter utilizes high-precision spatial positioning, multi-user interaction, and real-time rendering technology, combined with the powerful graphics processing capabilities of high-performance backpacks, to offer viewers an XR experience that blends realism with a sense of participation.
"I have always been very interested in Dunhuang art, but I never had the chance to visit. I was very much looking forward to this exhibition, so I made sure to come on the first day! Dunhuang art is different from the religious art we usually see. It has rich colors, and the exhibition restored many of its details. It allows those of us who have never been to Dunhuang to experience its charm," said a visitor after exploring the caves.
Source | Lingnan on the Cloud
