2023 Zigong Dinosaur Art Week, China: Seek a New Path for the Fusion and Development of Dinosaur Science and Art

On 23 December 2023, the Opening Ceremony of the 2023 Zigong Dinosaur Art Week, China was held. The art week aims to promote the coordinated development of science and art and seek a new path for the fusion and development of dinosaur science and art. Participants included experts in the field such as Xu Xing, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) of CAS, and a professor at Yunnan University. Wu Wei, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zigong Municipal Committee and Deputy Mayor of Zigong City, also attended the Opening Ceremony.

Start of the Opening Ceremony

This year's art week was guided by the Palaeontological Society of China, Artistic League of Higher Educational Institute of Chengdu and Chongqing Twin Economic Zone, Publicity Department of the CPC Zigong Municipal Committee, and Sichuan University of Science & Engineering; sponsored by the Science Popularisation Working Committee of the Palaeontological Society of China, Sichuan Association of Natural Science Museums, Sichuan Digital Media Art Association, and Zigong Municipal Culture, Radio, TV, and Tourism Bureau; organised by the Zigong Dinosaur Museum, School of Fine Arts of Sichuan University of Science & Engineering, Administrator Centre of Zigong UNESCO Global Geopark, Zigong Artists Association, and Chongzhou Tianyan Museum; co-organised by the Film-Video-Animation School of Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chengdu Academy of Fine Arts of the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Multi-media Visual Communication Design Laboratory of Art and Science of the School of Art and Design of Yunnan University, Dinosaur Cultural Tourism Industry Alliance, and Zigong Educational Science Research Institute.

Scene of the Opening Ceremony

At the Opening Ceremony, awards of the 2nd "Dinosaur Kingdom in My Eyes" Children's Theme Painting Competition and the 2nd "One Glance, One Hundred Million Years" Art and Design Competition were presented; Zigong Dinosaur Museum signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Chengdu Academy of Fine Arts of the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, School of Fine Arts of Sichuan University of Science & Engineering and the Foreign Languages School of Sichuan University of Science & Engineering.

Awarding ceremony for the award-winning works

Sign the strategic cooperation agreements

On the day, a high-end forum with the theme of "Dinosaur Science and Art" conducted in-depth discussions on topics such as how to bring dinosaurs to life scientifically; a lecture titled "Why Dinosaurs Dominated the World? —A Discussion on Biology, Environment and Opportunity Factors" was given by an expert; the General Council of the Dinosaur Cultural Tourism Industry Alliance discussed the future development of dinosaur-themed culture and tourism. After the Opening Ceremony, guests went to the Zigong Dinosaur Museum and visited the award-winning works exhibition and the Dinosaur Exploration Building.

A high-end forum

A high-end forum

General Council of the Dinosaur Cultural Tourism Industry Alliance

Visit the award-winning works exhibition

Since August, the sponsors and organisers have carried out a series of preliminary activities around this year's art week such as dinosaur experts visiting campuses, dinosaur science popularisation classes, dinosaur-themed painting and tour, and dinosaur cultural creative exhibitions, covering science popularisation, cultural creative exhibitions, art competitions, etc. Moreover, a series of sub-activities will also be carried out, such as the Excellent Works Exhibition of the 2nd "Dinosaur Kingdom in My Eyes" Children's Theme Painting Competition, the Award-winning Works Exhibition of the 2nd "One Glance, One Hundred Million Years" Art and Design Competition, the 2nd Zigong Dinosaur Sculpture Invitational Exhibition and immersive experience.

This year's art week blazes a new trail for dinosaur science popularisation creation from an interdisciplinary perspective and marks a new start for dinosaur replication, science popularisation and display, artistic appreciation, and academic exchanges, and creates a new experience characterised by the interaction and integration between paleontological science popularisation and art.

During the event, Zhou Yun, Deputy Mayor of the People's Government of Zigong, attended the meeting activity.