While the metaverse (虚拟空间) may seem virtual to many people, it has provided Italian artist Elisa Laraia with a real-life trip to China, where she demonstrated the charm of technology through several works of art from her native land.
The three-day 11th China Popularized Science Products Exposition, in the city of Wuhu, concluded on Monday. With an exhibition area of 36,000-square-metres, it offered audiences a fresh look at science and technology through its panoramic (全景) virtual exhibition hall and highly interactive exhibits.
Multiple leading sci-tech achievements and cutting-edge products were introduced and displayed. For Elisa, the exhibition provided a rare opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the metaverse concept and China's development in this field.
Back home in Italy, Elisa is a professor at the School of Sculpture at the Naples Academy of Fine Arts, and director of Laboratorio Permanent e di Arte Pubblica (LAP) — a permanent public art workshop. Over a period of years, she has become increasingly attracted by her Chinese students, taking more interest in Chinese art and culture. One of her Chinese students has been serving as LAP's Chinese liaison (联络人) and invited her to attend the exhibition in Wuhu, bringing along some art works from Italy.
Elisa grasped the opportunity to see China for the first time, and brought a series of works by seven artists from the Naples Academy of Fine Arts to be shown at the event. The seven artworks integrate cutting-edge concepts, such as the metaverse and artificial intelligence, with realistic topics such as environmental pollution and social resources. During her trip to Wuhu, Elisa also delivered a speech on the theme of the metaverse and art education. "I found that many works focus very much on improving the experience of the exhibitors, allowing them to integrate into the works of art," said Elisa. "The various technological exhibits in the exhibition hall also allow people to en vision the future."
She added that exploring the impact of technology and art on society is a topic she continues to pay attention to, and this experience has provided more inspiration for her future teaching activities.
