May 18 marks the arrival of International Museum Day 2026. This year's global theme, designated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM), is "Museums Uniting a Divided World."In an era of mutual learning among civilizations and flourishing diversity, museums, with their unique humanistic power, serve as vital public spaces for bridging divides, embracing differences, and forging consensus.

　　Answering this call of the times, the World Expo Museum, in partnership with the News Press of Shanghai United Media Group, has jointly launched "Art Links the World — 2026 International Museum Day Co-Creation Project." Using the museum as a setting, art as a language, and young people as the protagonists, this initiative builds a bridge of civilization that belongs to youth, creativity, and the future. On May 18, the project's culminating exhibition, Cabinet of Real, officially opened in the North Hall of the World Expo Museum, responding to our times and connecting the world through youthful creativity brimming with sincerity and imagination.

　　01. From "Cabinet of Curiosities" to "Cabinet of Real": A Youthful Co-Creation of Civilization

　　The "Cabinet of Curiosities" is regarded as the precursor to the modern museum. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Age of Discovery connected the world as never before, as people gathered exotic artifacts, natural specimens, and works of art from distant lands into a single room, constructing a world of imagination and wonder. It represented inclusiveness, exploration, and respect for differences.

　　This event reimagines this concept as the "Cabinet of Real".Young people are encouraged to open their hearts, confront their feelings, and create boldly — transforming their observations, reflections, confusions, warmth, and aspirations from growing up into works of art. When countless sincere creations converge, they form a museum of the soul for today's youth — housing not antiques, but youth; displaying not old objects, but true hearts.

　　02. Over 600 Works Co-Created by 102 Schools: A Youthful Resonance Across Regions and Borders

　　Since its launch in April, the event has sparked an enthusiastic response among young art lovers. Ultimately, over 600 creative works were received from students at 102 schools, covering cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yantai, Jiaxing, and Hong Kong, as well as from Chinese youths studying in the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, Switzerland, and other countries.

　　Through the most unadorned lens, young people confronted the defining questions of our era —"difference, understanding, tolerance, and the future"— completing a gentle dialogue across regions and cultures through art. After rigorous selection by a professional jury, 193 outstanding two-dimensional and three-dimensional works were chosen for exhibition, encompassing diverse art forms such as painting, collage, printmaking, oil painting, sculpture, installation, and 3D printing.

　　The works are organized around four themes:

　　? The Power of Support

　　? Everyday Differences

　　? Guardian of My Wish

　　? One Object for the Future

　　03. From Visitors to Creators: An Innovative Practice in Museum Public Education

　　Leveraging the synergistic strengths of "cultural institution + mainstream media," this event deeply integrates youth artistic creation with urban public culture, generating broad social impact characterized by extensive reach, high participation, and strong communication. It has not only drawn wide engagement from schools, teachers, students, and families but, through a comprehensive media dissemination network, has brought youth aesthetic education practice into the public eye, standing out as a highly representative and exemplary public education initiative during this year's International Museum Day.

　　Liu Wentao, Director of the World Expo Museum, remarked that museums are not only guardians of cultural relics and recorders of history but also fertile ground for cultivating youth aesthetic education and creativity. This event, which transforms young people from "viewers" into "hosts" and from "observers" into "creators," represents a significant exploration by the museum in evolving from one-way knowledge transmission toward public cultural co-creation, as well as a vivid practice of urban comprehensive aesthetic education.

　　Qin Chuan, President of the News Press, noted that media and museums share a common mission: to safeguard truth, connect hearts, and disseminate civilization. In recent years, the "New Mass Literature and Art" movement has championed bringing creative expression to the public and to youth. This project, precisely, harnesses the media platform to empower youth artistic creation, allowing the voices of the young to enter the public space and transforming youthful creativity into a bond for civilizational dialogue.

　　04. Art as a Bridge: Making Youth the Brightest Light of Civilization

　　The most moving quality of art is never technique, but sincerity. The most precious aspect of the world is never sameness, but diversity. The most promising thing about the future is never maturity, but growth.

　　This exhibition will remain open to the public, free of charge, until early June. Selected outstanding works will later participate in a charity sale, with all proceeds directed toward children's charitable projects.

　　Exhibition Information

　　Organizers:

　　World Expo Museum, News Press of Shanghai United Media Group

　　Exhibition Title:

　　Cabinet of Real

　　Art Links the World — Showcase of the 2026 International Museum Day Co-Creation Project

　　Exhibition Dates:

　　May 18 – Early June, 2026

　　Venue:

　　North Hall Public Space, World Expo Museum