A Day With Emperor Qianlong​

The project “A Day with Emperor Qianlong” was commissioned by Suzhou Museum to Figment Mews Studio. The project uses a speculative method through the design of architecture to re-imagine what if Emperor Qianlong re-visits Suzhou in 2022, and to create a grand new southern journey for Qianlong in the contemporary contexts.

The scroll drawing is divided into three chapters, and each draws from different perspectives and timelines. In the contemporary context, instead of taking the boat, the modernized high-speed train will be translated into a Horse-Speed Train from Qianlong’s perspective, upon his arrival, he witnessed his fans waiting at the platform just like how the citizens welcomed him in the original painting. Later in the next chapter, he appears on the busy streets of Suzhou, where, Qianlong dressed up as various characters, such as a delivery guy, a street rapper, a circus performer etc.

This montage of re-imagination of different characters is a surrogate of escapism for Qianlong as an emperor into a fantasized modern reality.   Behind the witty characters, the surreal scenes constructed by different architectural tectonics are the core content of the exhibition. The team extracted the old and new landmarks of Suzhou, integrated traditional objects, local culture and contemporary lifestyle, and constructed a modern, whimsical and imaginative contrast between dream and reality.