On February 26, 2026, the 1st "Hofburg Light of the Future" Art Festival was grandly opened at the Hofburg in Vienna, Austria. This art festival coincides with the important historical milestone of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Austria. Artists, representatives of cultural institutions, and guests from China, Austria, and around the world gathered at the 600-year-old Habsburg Palace to witness an international cultural extravaganza that blends auditory art and visual exhibitions. In the world's music capital, a contemporary symphony of cross-cultural dialogue, sustainable development, and mutual learning among civilizations was played.

The festival is themed around the "horse"—a cross-cultural symbol representing power, connection, and symbiosis.

Christian Meidlinger, First Speaker of the Vienna State Parliament, Ladislav Kamenický, Minister of Finance of the Slovak Republic (participating in the exhibition as an artist), Ruiqing Zhou, President of the Women's Federation at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna, representatives from other United Nations organizations, Prof. Renxia Chen and Consul  Yan Gao from the Chinese Embassy in Austria, representatives from the Austrian and Vienna governments, as well as more than 1200 people from the education, culture, and media sectors and representatives from the festival's partner organizations attended the event. Besides, More than 3000 people also participated in the online live stream, bringing the total number of people who witnessed this important moment to more than 5000, both online and offline.

The festival's director, Ms. Wang Jing, presided over the opening ceremony, which was set off by a choral performance by children from Mehrstufenklasse1 and 2 from the Vienna European Primary School in Austria.

Nordic Contemporary Art Centre (Xiamen, China) was invited to participate in and be responsible for the planning of the visual arts section, the organization of Chinese artists, and the construction of the exhibition structure. Baroque painting master Prof. Michael Fuchs and Ms. Lan Lan, director of the NAC and an international curator, delivered speeches, both emphasizing the importance of two-way artistic exchange.

The festival emphasizes promoting cultural resource sharing and strengthening social responsibility and cross-cultural trust by combining the art market with philanthropic ideals. Some of the exhibited works will be auctioned off for charity, with proceeds donated to several partner organizations, including UN Women, Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, and the World Wildlife Fund.

As the core events of this year's festival, the visual arts exhibition and the celebratory concert were presented on the same day, bringing Vienna an artistic feast that blends tradition and the future, and the fusion of Eastern and Western cultures.

The visual arts section, themed "Horse - Transcendence, Symbiosis, Connection," features 110 artists from both China and Austria, representing 55 artists invited from China and 55 artists invited from Austria. The works encompass a variety of forms, including oil painting, Chinese ink painting, sculpture, installation art, photography, new media video, and digital generative art, juxtaposing historical spaces with contemporary media.

Curator Lan Lan introduces the exhibited artworks to Christian Meidlinger, the First Speaker of the Vienna State Parliament and representative of the Mayor of Vienna.

This is not just an opening ceremony, but an international cultural action that can be seen, participated in, and extended into urban public spaces.

Chinese artists participarted in 2026 Hofburg art festival:

International artists participarted in 2026 Hofburg art festival: