Qiu Zhijie: Map of the History of Science and Technology
Wednesday, July 1, 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
- 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
- Sat, Jul 11, 2026
- Sun, Jul 12, 2026
- Mon, Jul 13, 2026
- Tue, Jul 14, 2026
- Wed, Jul 15, 2026
- Thu, Jul 16, 2026
- Fri, Jul 17, 2026
- Sat, Jul 18, 2026
- Sun, Jul 19, 2026
- Mon, Jul 20, 2026
- Tue, Jul 21, 2026
- Wed, Jul 22, 2026
- Thu, Jul 23, 2026
- Fri, Jul 24, 2026
- Sat, Jul 25, 2026
- Sun, Jul 26, 2026
- Mon, Jul 27, 2026
- Tue, Jul 28, 2026
- Wed, Jul 29, 2026
- Thu, Jul 30, 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