Qiu Zhijie: Map of the History of Science and Technology
Thursday, June 11, 2026, All Day; additional 29 dates below.
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.
Upcoming Dates
All Day
- Thu, Jun 11, 2026
- Fri, Jun 12, 2026
- Sat, Jun 13, 2026
- Sun, Jun 14, 2026
- Mon, Jun 15, 2026
- Tue, Jun 16, 2026
- Wed, Jun 17, 2026
- Thu, Jun 18, 2026
- Fri, Jun 19, 2026
- Sat, Jun 20, 2026
- Sun, Jun 21, 2026
- Mon, Jun 22, 2026
- Tue, Jun 23, 2026
- Wed, Jun 24, 2026
- Thu, Jun 25, 2026
- Fri, Jun 26, 2026
- Sat, Jun 27, 2026
- Sun, Jun 28, 2026
- Mon, Jun 29, 2026
- Tue, Jun 30, 2026
- Wed, Jul 1, 2026
- Thu, Jul 2, 2026
- Fri, Jul 3, 2026
- Sat, Jul 4, 2026
- Sun, Jul 5, 2026
- Mon, Jul 6, 2026
- Tue, Jul 7, 2026
- Wed, Jul 8, 2026
- Thu, Jul 9, 2026
- Fri, Jul 10, 2026
- …and 336 more
Hours
SAM Downtown- Free on the First Thursday of Each Month!
Thursday: 10am-5pm
Asian Art Museum- Free on the Last Friday of Each Month!
Friday: 10am-5pm
Olympic Sculpture Park- Free Always!
Open daily
Opens 30 minutes prior to sunrise
Closes 30 minutes after sunset