Patterns rich in meaning

Amid the rapid development of technology in China, more and more exhibitions are innovating to combine modern digital designs with traditional Chinese culture.

“The Ways in Patterns: An Immersive Digital Exhibition from the Palace Museum” has recently been opened in the Hong Kong Palace Museum, showcasing traditional patterns from the Forbidden City through cutting-edge digital technology.

Since ancient times, Chinese people have embellished everyday life with a rich diversity of symbolic patterns that reflect a love and respect for nature and the living.

Drawing inspiration from the intricate designs that decorate the architecture, ceramics, and textiles of the Palace Museum, the exhibition creatively reinterprets the wondrous patterns into innovative displays of light and shadow, revealing the enduring legacy of Chinese aesthetic sensibilities and cultural values.

Although the exhibition has been shown in the mainland before, HKPM has enriched its content, presenting patterns from the museum's own collections.

The exhibition has seven immersive sections, featuring embroidery and brocade, an intricate caisson ceiling design, and dynamic floor patterns. Among them, Patterns and Fashion, Ceiling Decorations, and Reinventing Traditional Patterns are specially designed to be displayed in Hong Kong.

Entering the Patterns and Fashion section, a gauze curtain with embroidery and brocade patterns shows a dreamy and dazzling scene, bringing visitors into a world of beauty and majesty.

Certain elements are lifted from the patterns of a theatrical robe made for a senior female role of the Qing dynasty, featuring pine trees and cranes. The pine tree symbolizes enduring vitality, while the crane represents the sacred bird in ancient China. This combination conveys an auspicious message of longevity and well-being.

As a hallmark of ancient Chinese architecture, the caisson ceiling shown in Ceiling Decorations graces the centers of significant buildings with ornate elegance.

The section displays the resplendent caissons of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Pavilion of One Thousand Autumns, and the Pavilion over a Pond. With a golden dragon hovering in the ceiling, it adds a touch of royalty to the “starry sky.”

From fallen leaves to drifting snow, visitors can experience the ever-changing seasons in The Palace Museum through the Window, which bears witness to the past, present, and future through the shadows of the Forbidden City's walls and windows.

The exquisite window grilles are adorned with propitious designs such as “three intersections and six arches” and “step-by-step brocade,” representing ancient people's good expectations for the future. Visitors can also take a picture with the famous ginger cat "Long Legs" from the Forbidden City, whose likeness is projected on the window.

The last section, Reinventing Traditional Patterns, is an interactive exhibition area where visitors have the chance to create their own individual motifs of animated fish and birds. Using the “brush” as a tool and “light” as inspiration, visitors can tap into their imagination to breathe new life into traditional designs.

The exhibition runs from May 14 to October 13 in Gallery 7 at the HKPM.

Helen Zhong