An International Art Award Co-Hosted by Authoritative Institutions from the Lancang-Mekong Countries
Award Overview
As one of the key cooperative mechanisms in China’s peripheral diplomacy, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, focusing on political security, economic sustainability, and socio-cultural elements, was jointly initiated by China and the Mekong countries, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Under the financial support from the Special Fund for Lancang-Mekong Cooperation established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Art & Design Award has been held regularly since 2020 and has already established itself as a well-known and influential international art and design competition in the Lancang-Mekong area. The call for entries for the fifth edition of the competition is currently underway.
In the 2022 contest, I saw an impressive array of Lancang-Mekong themed posters and bamboo weaving entries, clearly illustrating the penchant for such works among the countries within the Lancang-Mekong basin. The participation of Cambodian entries was particularly heartwarming for me. The selection process for the subsequent round was executed with unwavering objectivity and fairness, and I harbor no reservations about the assessment outcomes.
Excellent Entries
2024: Green Power, Lancang-Mekong's New Day
In 2024, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Art & Design Award zeroes in on the aspect of energy cooperation, adopting “Green Power, Lancang-Mekong’s New Day” as its compelling theme. Designers are given the chance to tap into various aspects of Lancang-Mekong energy collaboration to create imaginative and expressive masterworks. Through the use of artistic techniques and methods, they can depict a range of themes, including Lancang-Mekong’s energy security collaboration, cooperative development of energy infrastructure projects, renewable energy, advancement of the power grid, photovoltaic industry, energy storage, electric vehicles and components, and investment in green development. With an intent to elevate the technological substance of the contest, this year special emphasis has been put on an AI poster design competition unit, in addition to the traditional poster design segment. This serves to vividly spotlight the tremendous strides Lancang-Mekong collaboration has made in the field of energy cooperation while fostering cross-cultural exchange and unity among diverse civilizations.