Seminar rethinks curatorial innovation

A seminar titled "Curating the Future: Contemporary Missions and Curatorial Innovation" was held in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, on Oct. 17, gathering leading museum curators and scholars to discuss how museums can transform collection resources into quality exhibitions and drive curatorial capacity building across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Participants weighed in on topics ranging from exhibition narratives, regional identity, academic research, to public engagement, using their experiences curating exhibitions as case studies.

Wang Nannan, director of the Exhibition Department of the Gansu Provincial Museum, spoke about an exhibition of bricks from the Wei and Jin dynasties (220-420), and revealed how the museum built an emotional bond with visitors by focusing on how the exhibits related to people's everyday lives.

Chen Qinghai, curator at the Zhongshan Museum, introduced the "Early History of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" exhibition, which traces the region's shared historical and cultural roots through such methods as corroboration of finds and the cross-regional comparison of artifacts.

The seminar concluded with a round-table panel chaired by Chen Shaofeng, chairman of the Guangdong Museum Association. Featuring professor Wei Jun from Fudan University alongside museum directors from Foshan, Hangzhou, and Wuhan, the panel tackled emerging opportunities and systemic challenges in curatorial mechanisms. The experts agreed that future museum development relies on bridging academic depth with public demand.

The event provided a platform for the Greater Bay Area in fostering inter-museum collaboration and exchange.