On May 8, the China pavilion exhibition at the 61st Venice International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, officially opened at the Venetian Arsenal and the Garden of the Virgins in Venice, Italy. Organized by the China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG), the exhibition will run through November 22, 2026.

Under the theme of "Dream Stream", the China pavilion is structured around a three-part narrative – "E-seed, Highlight, Symbiosis" – that explores the contemporary dialogue between tradition and innovation, as well as the integration of art and technology. The exhibition features ten works (or sets of works), including "Homage to Dream Pool Essays", "Liangzhu Highlight", "Free and Easy Wandering", "Micro-nano Landscape", "Black Myth: Wukong", and "Symbiosis". Together, they showcase the creative transformation and innovative development of China's outstanding traditional culture, alongside the latest achievements in the deep convergence of culture and technology.

Drawing on the aesthetic and epistemological traditions of the Chinese handscroll, the exhibition invites viewers to appreciate the whole through its parts and to experience creativity within flow and movement. It transforms the observational approach of Dream Pool Essays into an immersive, perceptual visual system and cognitive schema, using China's literary and artistic heritage to tell contemporary Chinese stories, and presenting Eastern wisdom and the spirit of Chinese art.

Meanwhile, in memory of the late curator Koyo Kouoh, the Venice Biennale organizing committee has decided to continue the 2026 edition under her originally conceived overarching theme, "In Minor Keys". According to the committee, the term, borrowed from music, refers both to the structure of a song and the emotions it carries, opening up multiple layers of metaphor. Both artists and audiences, the committee notes, can become creators and interpreters of this "In Minor Keys", generating new artistic inspiration through participation and practice. The Biennale also hopes to offer visitors a respite from busy, exhausting daily life – a chance to slow down, listen to the cadence of the minor key, and truly feel the power of art.