Zhang Yang

    Nicolezyyy@163.com

    THE 12th Shenzhen Creative December kicked off yesterday with 308 creative activities to be held this month.

    Inaugurated in 2005, the monthlong cultural event is aimed at boosting the city’s soft power by hosting interactive cultural activities across the city in December every year.

    The opening ceremony of Creative December was held last night featuring light shows and robot dances, along with a creative bazaar displaying a variety of innovative products for visitors, such as VR devices, drones and 3-D printers.

    Initiated by the city government, Creative December is co-organized by Shenzhen Press Group, Shenzhen Media Group, Shenzhen Publication and Distribution Group and Shenzhen Creative and Cultural Center.

    Event organizers said 308 cultural activities, such as art festivals, exhibitions and design competitions, are scheduled for the month, and most of them are family-friendly activities.

    Comic Park, a comics and anime convention, will be held Saturday at Shenzhen Bay Sports Center in Nanshan District. A range of activities such as animation design lectures, contests, exhibitions and creative bazaars are scheduled for comics and animation fans.

    China Top E-sport Competition will kick off at Nanshan District Cultural and Sports Center on Dec. 16. Over 20 teams of e-sport players from home and abroad will be invited to the three-day competition, presenting a cyber gaming showdown for the global audience.

    The 3rd Shenzhen Independent Animation Biennale, a cross-regional art event showcasing videos and talks, already opened in OCT-LOFT on Friday. By gathering projects from internationally renowned artists, the free-entry biennale has compiled a global collection of digital images and seeks to address the time-based experience of spatial presentation.

    A multimedia display of Claude Monet’s work and the environment he lived in is being held at OCT Harbor until Jan. 3. The exhibition features screens displaying paintings and photos, offering visitors a multi-sensory and interactive way to enjoy art.

    With holographic projections, the images create a thrilling display that fills the walls, ceilings and even the floor — enveloping attendees in the vibrant colors and vivid details that constitute Monet’s unique style. One goal of the show is to help interpret the thoughts, feelings and mental state of Monet and how impressionism was expressed in his works.

    (More on Pages 8, 15)