Exhibition Site
Today, as the energy revolution and cultural innovation intersect, science exhibitions are confronted with multiple challenges, such as the obscurity of professional knowledge and the fragmentation of disciplinary boundaries. These factors have rendered the mission of science exhibitions far beyond the traditional display of achievements and dissemination of knowledge; instead, they have become platforms for dialogue between science and art and hubs for popular science education accessible to all.
On September 14, 2025, the large-scale popular science exhibition "Energy and Civilization – Science & Art Fusion Future" jointly launched by the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Energy Research Institute of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, and the People's Government of Hefei Municipality grandly opened at CAFA Art Museum. As a national popular science education base, this exhibition also serves as the 2025 National Popular Science Month event of CAFA Art Museum.
As China's first museum-level science and art exhibition themed on "controllable nuclear fusion", this exhibition brings together top scientists in the field of nuclear fusion and leading figures in the art world. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the exhibition integrates scientific achievements with contemporary artistic expression methods. Its display approach not only achieves mutual inspiration between science and art, but also enables audiences to intuitively perceive the infinite potential of energy through immersive experiences, stimulating people's imagination and reflection on the future energy era.
Exhibition Site
The guests attending the opening ceremony are as follows: Lü Pinjing, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Wu Qiang, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee and Secretary of the Disciplinary Inspection Commission; Pan Chenghui, Assistant President; Hu Haomin, Executive Vice President of the Energy Research Institute of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center; Yan Xiaohong, Deputy Director of the China International Nuclear Fusion Energy Program Execution Center of the Ministry of Science and Technology; Zhou Jianqiang, Vice Chairman of the China Society for Science and Technology Journalism; Wang Xiaoming, Honorary Chairman of the Yangtze River Delta Science Popularization Venue Alliance, Standing Deputy Director of the Learning, Culture and History Committee of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and Executive Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Science Popularization Education Development Foundation; Tong Zhihua, Deputy Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology; Wang Yudong, Chairman of Beijing International Design Week Co., Ltd.; He Dan, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology Education and former Director of the Beijing Science and Technology Center; He Xiaowei, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Design and Art of Beijing Institute of Technology; Zhang Kai, Founder of GRT Jiajia Capital; Zhang Xiaomin, Chairman and General Manager of Beijing Ziwei Yutong Technology Co., Ltd.; Wu Zheng, Founder of the Science and Art Joint Laboratory of the Energy Research Institute of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center and Chief Planner of the exhibition; Zhang Zhaohong, Chief Curator of this exhibition and Teacher of the Sculpture Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. In addition, there are representatives from a number of science and technology-related institutions and enterprises that care about and support this exhibition, relevant persons in charge of the hosting, undertaking and co-organizing units, as well as persons in charge from various departments and administrative offices of the Central Academy of Fine Arts. Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum, served as the host of the opening ceremony.
嘉宾合影
Speech by Lü Pinjing, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts
Lü Pinjing, Vice President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, stated that energy is the cornerstone of the survival and development of human civilization. From the passing down of fire to nuclear fusion, every energy revolution has profoundly reshaped the relationship between human society and the natural world. Art, as a core way for humans to perceive and express, has always interacted with and illuminated scientific exploration and technological innovation. With the theme of "Energy and Civilization", this exhibition directly addresses this proposition of the times. Through the in-depth integration of art and technology, it inspires people to engage in creative thinking about the future forms of energy, paths of civilization, and ecological responsibilities. In recent years, the Central Academy of Fine Arts has continuously made disciplinary arrangements and invested resources in the field of tech art, enabling art to empower technological innovation and guiding industrial transformation with aesthetics, thus making art an important driving force for social innovation and the shaping of future civilizational forms. The Academy has always firmly believed that the integration of art and technology is a crucial direction for contemporary cultural innovation and the expansion of humanistic spirit. This exhibition is a vivid practice of this concept: it transforms invisible energy into perceptible visual experiences, and achieves unity between the rational thinking of science and the perceptual creation of art through their resonance at the same frequency.
Speech by Hu Haomin, Executive Vice President of the Energy Research Institute of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center
Hu Haomin, Executive Vice President of the Energy Research Institute of Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, noted that the Institute was jointly initiated by the People's Government of Anhui Province and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). With the positioning of "Three Bases and One Repository", it is committed to building a "national team" in the field of future energy technologies such as controllable nuclear fusion, so as to make due contributions to the energy technology revolution. When referring to the concept of "two wings of scientific and technological innovation and popular science" proposed at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, he mentioned that scientists and artists had jointly established a Science and Art Joint Laboratory and successfully organized and hosted two Science and Art Weeks. Coinciding with the first National Popular Science Month, this exhibition has seen the Science and Art Joint Laboratory transform abstract scientific concepts into tangible and perceptible experiences. It has infused an artistic cultural expression into the "major national asset" that is the controllable nuclear fusion device, and provided a new paradigm for telling China's scientific stories. He expressed the hope that through this form of expression featuring in-depth integration of science and art, more ideological inspiration could be brought to everyone, the innovative potential of scientific researchers could be further stimulated, and more and greater strength could be accumulated for lighting up the first lamp of fusion energy in China in the future.
Speech by Zhang Zhaohong, Representative of the Curatorial Team and Teacher of the Sculpture Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts
Finally, Zhang Zhaohong, representative of the curatorial team and teacher of the Sculpture Department of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, shared the story of interdisciplinary collaboration behind the exhibition's preparation: "It took us nearly a year from the initial preparation stage to the final launch of the exhibition. The scientist team brought Tokamak device drawings and fusion principle models, and communicated repeatedly with artists on 'how to turn formulas into visual images'. The exhibition theme consists of two parts: the first is 'Possessing the Ability to Create a Sun', which takes controllable nuclear fusion as its scientific foundation, clarifies that it can fundamentally change the course of human civilization, and endows the exhibition with depth; the second is 'What Will Our Lives Be Like When Controllable Nuclear Fusion Is Realized and Electricity Costs Drop to One Fen?', which corresponds to popular science and science fiction, and provides the exhibition with breadth. In addition, the only digital content in the exhibition focuses on 100 scientific fantasies – these are sci-fi works created with the integration of AI technology and the participation of many children. This exhibition aims to arouse infinite imagination about the future in every audience through the presentation method that integrates science and art."
Jin Jun, Director of CAFA Art Museum，act as the host of the opening ceremony
On-Site Visit
02 2025.09.14-10.12
Three Dimensions Combined with Scientific Installations:
Making Science Perceivable and Comprehensible
The exhibition focuses on the evolution of energy technologies and the advancement of civilization, particularly the breakthrough progress in controllable nuclear fusion technology. By constructing a knowledge framework from three dimensions—history, science, and art—it comprehensively demonstrates the integration of nuclear fusion scientific principles and artistic expression. With a number of installation works as the core carriers, the exhibition breaks down the disciplinary boundaries between science and art, transforms abstract nuclear fusion principles into perceivable sensory experiences, and guides audiences to deeply reflect on the relationship between humanity and energy.
Installation "Lightning": A "Light and Shadow Manifesto" in Dialogue with Ultimate Energy ▏
装置《闪电》延续了 19 世纪末尼古拉・特斯拉线圈的设计理念，既是对科学先驱伟大发明的致敬，也串联起能源探索的历史、现在与未来。作品通过剧烈的声响与明暗交织的光影碰撞，不仅直观呈现核聚变反应所需的超高温环境，更以视觉化、听觉化的语言隐喻自然界的深层动力 —— 如同核聚变在宇宙中的能量形态，让观众在震撼的感官体验中，与 “人类终极能源梦想” 展开哲学层面的对话。
The installation "Lightning" carries forward the design concept of Nikola Tesla's coils from the late 19th century. It is not only a tribute to the great invention of this scientific pioneer, but also connects the past, present, and future of energy exploration. Through the collision of intense sounds and alternating light and shadow, the work not only intuitively presents the ultra-high temperature environment required for nuclear fusion reactions, but also uses visualized and auditory language to metaphorize the deep-seated power of nature—much like the energy form of nuclear fusion in the universe. This allows the audience to engage in a philosophical dialogue with the "human dream of ultimate energy" amid a stunning sensory experience.
Device Discharge Performance Schedule
Daily (on opening days): 17:00-17:05, 17:30-17:35
Every Friday and Saturday: 19:00-19:05, 19:30-19:35
*The performance will be suspended in case of rainy weather or other special weather conditions.
*During the device performance, there will be strong light and loud sound. Please take safety precautions. Elderly people, children, pregnant women, and those with pacemakers are requested to watch under the guidance of staff. Do not enter the sunken plaza.
▏Installation "Sea": The "Energy Future" in 50 Tons of Seawater
Installation "Sea" uses 50 tons of artificial seawater to vividly present a future vision of converting seawater into energy. It highlights the enormous potential of controllable nuclear fusion and demonstrates its value as an ideal ultimate energy source.
Installation "Artificial Sun": "Energy Replication" in Optical Fibers|
"Artificial Sun" uses optical fiber equipment to channel outdoor sunlight into the art museum, then through concentrated light projection, creates a 5-meter-diameter "artificial sun". This not only reproduces the energy form of sunlight, but also echoes the seawater scene in the exhibition hall, helping the audience intuitively understand the enormous potential of nuclear fusion energy. These interactive installations break the traditional exhibition format of popular science, build a scientific and artistic space that is "visible, audible, and perceptible", and enable the audience to shift from "passive reception" to "active exploration".
03 2025.09.14-10.12
The exhibition also features a special display of several nuclear fusion scientific cultural relics, showcasing the precision and mysteries of the physical world. From China's earliest Tokamak device KT-5 to the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), these physical objects and models record the key historical milestones of China's nuclear fusion research. Since the 1960s, China has launched research on magnetic confinement fusion, with the Tokamak becoming the main research path.
These cultural relics not only showcase China's important achievements in the field of nuclear fusion, but also demonstrate how nuclear fusion research has driven the development of global energy science and technology. Through these precious cultural relics, the exhibition presents China's leading position in the research field of controllable nuclear fusion and highlights the profound significance of nuclear fusion research.
04 2025.09.14-10.12
To help audiences better understand nuclear fusion, the exhibition has also specially designed a number of interactive sessions. For example, through the "Nuclear Fusion Principle Checkpoint Game", audiences can personally operate virtual particle collisions and generate fusion reaction data in real time; meanwhile, the "Seawater Energy Conversion" device helps audiences understand the physical conversion process from seawater to nuclear energy by simulating seawater flow. These interactive sessions not only enhance the ppeal and engagement of science,but also allow audiences to better grasp the basic principles of nuclear fusion through personal experience.
Among them, Fusion Droplets · Decoding Civilization (Seawater Card) is a participatory popular science activity: every participant is a transmitter of civilization's energy. Through the process of extracting seawater → activating the content of documents → piecing together the "Energy Civilization Code Wall", children can personally experience the technological miracle of "from a single drop of seawater to infinite energy".
05 2025.09.14-10.12
Thematic Forum: Energy and Civilization
——Science & Art · Fusing the Future
On the opening day of the exhibition, a thematic forum titled "Energy and Civilization — Science & Art · Fusing the Future" was held simultaneously. The forum invited experts from multiple fields including energy, art, science popularization, and science fiction to conduct in-depth discussions on interdisciplinary topics.
•Roundtable 1: Energy · Electricity · Sci-Fi: The Leading Power in the Narrative of Future Civilization
• Roundtable 2: Science · Public Education · Communication: The New Wave of Popular Science Education in China
• Roundtable 3: Science · Art · Resonance: When Humanity Possesses the Ability to Create Stars
06 2025.09.14-10.12
Scan the QR code to register. Seats are limited
Audience members may enter the campus with a registration record
CAFA faculty, staff and students do not need to register
This exhibition has been included in the series of events for the 2025 National Science Popularization Month. It is planned to tour across the country in cities such as Beijing, Hefei, and Shenzhen, promoting the cross-regional dissemination of the concept of energy science and art. In addition, the exhibition will further advance popular science formats including "Science and Art Workshops in Schools" and "Themed Online Classes", expand interactions with young people, and enable cutting-edge scientific and technological knowledge (such as nuclear fusion) to reach the public in a more vivid way.
The exhibition will run until October 12, 2025. Visitors from all walks of life are welcome to attend and witness the dazzling sparks generated by the collision of science and art!
Energy and Civilization – Science & Art · Fusion Future
Exhibition Duration: September 14, 2025 – October 12, 2025
Exhibition Team:
Academic Advisors: Lin Mao, Li Jiangang
Invited Directors: Qiu Zhijie, Hu Haomin
Chief Coordinator: Pan Chenghui
Administrative Coordinators: Wu Yajuan, Wang Shu
Chief Curators: Wu Zheng, Kong Defeng
Exhibition Directors: Jin Jun, Han Wenchao
Exhibition Planners: Gao Gao, Hai Jun
Curatorial Team: Zhang Zhaohong, Shen Xingyi, Su Lei, Shen Cong, Chen Yu, Qu Chengming, He Qiuyan
Executive Curators: Cai Miaomiao, Liu Xiangqi, Zhou You, Hu Yiwei, Wu Yingqi, Zhu Zixiu, Wu Zhendong, Hu Manlu
Exhibition Coordinators: Wang Jing, Liu Xiyan
Visual Design: Gong Yi, Wang Gengyu
Video Design: Liu Jian, He Chenxuan
Installation Design: Li Peng, Ding Haobin, Xu Guangxin, Meng Xiangzhong, Chen Zhang, Wei Zi'an, Wang Chaoqun, Xu Hongyun, Xiang Nianwen, Lü Zengwei, Li Chunhua, Chen Zhiwei, Wang Shulai, Liu Zhongbao, Xue Feng
Promotion Design: Ding Guanmeng, Zhang Luming
Performance Design: Hou Baihui, Li Xueying, Kong Xiangyu, Yang Shuting, Ye Xiang
Literature Compilation: Wang Jiahu, Jia Xianjing, Ma Jiayi, Ma Chuxin, Zhao Yuhan
Design Coordinator: Ji Yujie
Exhibition Management: Su Shicun, Jing Peng, Lü Zhifa
Media Promotion: He Yisha, Wu Jing, He Yifei, Du Yinzhu, Ding Yi
Public Education: Xiao Baozhen, Geng Jinghua, Wang Jun, Yao Yiqun, Liang Wen, Xi Huawei
Development & Promotion: Sun Wei, Yi Yi, Jin Jianru, Kou Lei, Liu Xingling
Finance & Administration: Yang Liu, Men Jing
Administrative Support: Jiang Siyu, Yue Junyao, Zhang Qian, Guo Xu, Chen Xiaohua
Organizers
Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center
People’s Government of Hefei Municipality
Undertakers
Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA Art Museum)
Joint Laboratory of Science and Art, Institute of Energy, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center
Big Sun (Hefei) Culture & Technology Co., Ltd.
Co-organizers
Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
School of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
Science Popularization China
Department of Sculpture, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
School of Experimental Art and Technology-based Art, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
School of Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
School of Urban Design, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
Office of Scientific Research, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
Institute of Technology-based Art, Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)
School of Design and Art, Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT)
School of Future Design, Beijing Normal University (BNU)
Professional Committee of Science Popularization and Cultural Industry, China Society for Science and Technology Journalism
Key Laboratory of Industrial Manufacturing Art Innovation Design, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology
Supporting Organizations
Beijing International Design Week
Epson Lighting Research Institute
Shenzhen Seegle Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.
Beijing Yuanlichen Superconducting Technology Co., Ltd.
Jimu Laboratory
Tianyu ARTECH
Anhui Benlun Technology Co., Ltd.
Beijing Hegucoguang Technology Co., Ltd.
Chief Editor / He Yisha
Associate Editors / Du Yinzhu, Ding Guanmeng
On-site Photographs / He Yifei, Xu Yun
