Qiu Zhijie: Map of the History of Science and Technology
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
For the Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park, the artist designed a Map of the History of Science and Technology. In this project, Qiu interweaves scientific and technical advancements in Asia and the West from ancient to contemporary times. The map calls out the discovery of bronze and iron, the invention of the wheel, the abacus and mathematical and scientific theorems, the plow, celadon ware, Roman cement, paper making, feats of engineering across the globe, as well as the bicycle, photography, acupuncture, the flush toilet, and more. The map traces the interconnectedness of ideas that have shaped the course of history across the globe. Born in 1969 in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, China, Qiu Zhijie is a leading figure in conceptual art and new media. Trained in traditional calligraphy, he is celebrated for imaginary maps in which he turns milestone developments in philosophy, sociology, art, culture, and science into topographic equivalents of a memory palace. Initially creating works small in scale, he gradually adapted the format to large-scale wall installations. Graduating from the Department of Printmaking at the Zhejiang Academy of Arts (now China Academy of Art), Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, in 1992, Qiu was instrumental in developing the school’s Department of Intermedia Arts. Since 2024, Qiu has served as the President of the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts. He is also Professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing; and Professor of the China Academy of Art, Hangzhou.
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