An installation view of Silk Road: Artists' Rendezvous — Poetic Echoes of Civilization. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Silk Road: Artists' Rendezvous — Poetic Echoes of Civilization, an exhibition featuring more than 40 works by 25 artists from 14 countries, opened on Sunday at the Liangzhu 5000+ Art Creation Park in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The group mixes established international artists with young overseas postgraduate students studying in China. The veterans — award-winning painters, sculptors, and new-media creators — hail from Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Australia, and Kazakhstan. The younger participants, from Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Russia, and India, are currently working toward fine arts degrees at the China Academy of Art.

Participating artists pose for a group photo at the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City in Hangzhou on Oct 10, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The show is the result of a shared journey. From Oct 9 to 13, the artists visited three UNESCO World Heritage sites: the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City, the Zhejiang section of the Grand Canal, and West Lake. They also watched Wu Opera in Yiwu, experienced local craftsmanship, and walked through the vast Yiwu International Trade City. After the field trips, they spent three intensive days creating work on-site at the China Academy of Art.

Centered on the theme "Picturesque Zhejiang", the exhibition unfolds in three parts. A Realm of Mountains and Waters gathers pieces inspired by the province's landscapes and heritage sites. Along the Way focuses on everyday life and public spaces where the traditional and the modern sit side by side. Where Cultures Converge brings together works in which the artists weave their Zhejiang experiences into their own cultural backgrounds, personal stories, and imaginations.

Artists sketch during their field-study tour in Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Organizers see the exhibition as both a portrait of Zhejiang and a conversation about how outsiders come to understand China. Italian artist Donato Piccolo put it vividly at the opening ceremony: "In Zhejiang, the ancient is not a relic, but a living force projected toward the future."

The visit to Liangzhu, he said, left him with a strong sense of connection. "Born in Rome, a city that thrives on a constant dialogue between the ages, I found in these lands the same sense of belonging to time," Piccolo said.

Bringing artists from so many different places together, he added, "is not a random choice, but an act of courage — the conscious desire to build bridges that connect not only our works, but also our cultures, our essences."

Australian artist David van Nunen works on his paintings during his residency at the China Academy of Art in October. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

West Lake, unsurprisingly, became a favorite subject.

Kazakhstani artist Kumar Omarkhan's The Beauty on the Surface of the Lake celebrates the lake's quiet beauty and the easy harmony between people and nature. Nepali artist Sramik Dangol's West Lake Landscape foregrounds lotus leaves and their reflections, a composition he links to the idea of cause and effect. Malaysian artist Chua Xinyi, who has lived in Hangzhou for years, offers a wide panoramic view in From the Leifeng Pagoda. For her, the lake is familiar ground, full of personal memories.

Other artists turned their attention to things most people walk past without noticing.

New Zealand artist Neal Palmer works on his painting during his residency at the China Academy of Art in October. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

New Zealand artist Neal Palmer created Moments Along the Way, a series of rubbings taken from manhole covers, tree bark, and bricks. A well-known botanical artist, he also painted a careful study of osmanthus — the fragrant flower that many associate with Hangzhou — and called it Light Between Days. "What I often do is look for small things in the environment and bring a focus back to them," he said. "Osmanthus is probably one of them."

Osmanthus also appears in the work of Kazakhstani artist Gulmaral Tattibay. Her abstract diptych White Birchand Osmanthus places the textures of birch bark and osmanthus side by side. "This diptych forges connections between Kazakh and Chinese cultures," she explained.

Kazakhstani artist Gulmaral Tattibay poses for a photo with her diptych at the exhibition on Oct 18, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"For me, bark acts as a natural vessel for memory, embodying deep bonds between people, their homelands, history, and traditions," Tattibay said. "These two contrasting textures embody the unique character of each culture; side by side, they spark a conversation about nature, time, and cultural heritage."

The Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly hosted the event with Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, Radio, Television, and Tourism.

Running until Oct 31, the exhibition is one of the main accompanying events of the fourth Liangzhu Forum, which takes place in Hangzhou from Oct 18 to 20, and serves as a platform for dialogue across civilizations and academic exchange.

The Silk Road: Artists' Rendezvous program began in 2009 with the support from China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It has so far welcomed hundreds of artists from nearly 100 countries to China for field research, residencies, and cultural exchange.

Swiss artist Christina Benz paints during her residency at the China Academy of Art in October. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The photo shows Spanish artist Mariano Cobo at work during his residency at the China Academy of Art in October. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The exhibition's opening buzzes with energy in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Oct 18, 2026. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]