Forms of Memory

Tradition, Embodiment and Cultural Memory in Contemporary Art

Group Exhibition | Venice, Italy | 4–20 July 2026

Presented during Venice Biennale 2026

Forms of Memory is a group exhibition presented in Venice during the 2026 Venice Biennale, bringing together traditional Chinese porcelain practices and contemporary visual art. Through an exploration of material, form, identity, and cultural memory, the exhibition examines how artistic traditions and personal narratives intersect across different mediums and generations.

At the heart of the exhibition lies a dialogue between historical craftsmanship and contemporary artistic expression. Chinese blue-and-white porcelain, with its intricate patterns and enduring visual language, serves as a reflection of cultural continuity and collective memory. Alongside these traditional practices, contemporary artworks introduce alternative perspectives on the body, emotional experience, and the evolving nature of identity.

Participating artist Qintong Yu presents her visual practice, which explores the relationships between the human body, memory, and inherited cultural experiences. Her work investigates female subjectivity, emotional resilience, and the shifting boundaries between private identity and public perception.

Her artwork Veil of Becoming (2025) reflects the complexities of self-definition through overlapping silhouettes, intertwined bodily forms, and layered compositions. The interplay of muted greens, charcoal tones, and contrasting accents evokes the tension between vulnerability and self-awareness, transforming internal psychological experiences into a visual narrative.

By placing contemporary figurative works in conversation with traditional porcelain, Forms of Memory invites viewers to reconsider the relationship between cultural inheritance and individual expression. Rather than treating tradition as a fixed historical reference, the exhibition approaches it as a living language, continuously reinterpreted through artistic practice.

Ultimately, Forms of Memory reflects on how art preserves traces of the past while creating new possibilities for understanding identity, belonging, and transformation in the present.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition: Forms of Memory

Subtitle: Tradition, Embodiment and Cultural Memory in Contemporary Art

Dates: 4–20 July 2026

Location: 2498 Calle Del Bastion, Venice, Italy

Context: Special exhibition presented during Venice Biennale 2026

Participating Artists: Liao Meiqin, Zhang Bang, Huang Dingxun, Wu Peng, Luo Lin, Xu Gaofeng, Zhen Mengjie, Wang Jiacheng, Qintong Yu