The 11th From Lausanne to Beijing International Fiber Art Biennale opened online (https://lbfiberart.ad.tsinghua.edu.cn) on Jan 16. The exhibition is jointly hosted by the Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University and the China National Arts and Crafts Society.

Over 300 works of fiber art by artists from five continents are featured in this Biennale. They will be available for online viewing to audiences across the globe through Feb 16.

With the pandemic spreading, no time in recent years has ever been as full of instability as the present. Lin Lecheng, head curator of the exhibition, said of this year's Biennale: "Fortune rewarded artists' passion, providing an opportunity to hold this exhibition in this challenging year and once again proving art's indomitable vitality."

The Biennale pursues the intrinsic nature of fiber while also exploring a new format: The virtual exhibition. The virtual exhibition hall revolutionized the relationship between fiber and space, making it possible to experience art from anywhere in the world. By the "2.5D" virtual venue, audiences were provided with all-new perspectives and experiences.

Over 1,000 submissions by artists from 56 countries were sent to the organizing committee. One Gold Award, four Silver Awards, 11 Bronze Awards, and 79 Excellence Awards were presented in recognition of fiber artists who created outstanding works in this pandemic-stricken time.

This year's Biennale widely features works that speak of artists' social responsibility in a time of disease. For the theme Symbiosis and Coexistence, artists reflected on how to transform crisis into action. Korean-American artist Mi-Kyoung Lee's Gold Award-winning artwork, Symbiosis, explores the consistency and complexity of nature imagery.