Form Without Form: Exhibition in Louis Vuitton exhibition space in Shanghai
Form Without Form《大象無形》: A Contemporary Dialogue between Ink, Form and the Invisibles.
From Venice to Shanghai: Arte Laguna Prize Artists Build New Connections Across China
As Arte Laguna Prize continues to expand its international presence and foster cultural exchange across continents, a group of artists connected through the Prize will come together in Shanghai this June as part of FORM WITHOUT FORM《大象無形》. Demonstrating the continuing impact of the connections it fosters across cultures and continents.
From 13 June to 5 July 2026, FORM WITHOUT FORM《大象無形》will be presented at K6 Space, HKRI Taikoo Hui, Shanghai. Centred on the work of Chinese-Canadian physician, theologian and artist Professor Joseph Tham, the exhibition places his practice in conversation with selected international contemporary artists, creating a dialogue around transformation, perception, memory and the invisible forces that shape human experience.
Taking inspiration from Laozi’s concept of 大象無形, often translated as “the greatest form is without shape”, the exhibition examines the relationship between visible form and invisible experience through painting, calligraphy, poetry, sculpture, installation and mixed media.
Curated by Carlo Maria Rossi, an Italian curator and cultural entrepreneur based in Shanghai, FORM WITHOUT FORM expands this dialogue through the inclusion of invited artists whose works explore the relationship between form and formlessness. As founder and director of NONAME STUDIO, Rossi develops artist residency programs, exhibitions and international cultural initiatives that promote artistic research, cultural exchange and collaboration between China and the international contemporary art community.
Around Joseph Tham’s central body of work, the exhibition brings together numerous artists, most presented by Arte Laguna Prize, such as: Karma M. Barnes (New Zealand), Mario Valdés (Spain), Vittorio Mandelli (Italy), Kuo-Hsiang Kuo (Taiwan), Gosia Wojas (Poland) and Dongli Ma (China).
Shaped by a life journey spanning Hong Kong, Canada, Africa and Rome, Tham’s multidisciplinary practice draws on painting, calligraphy, poetry and seal engraving to explore questions of identity, meaning and human experience through the lens of Chinese artistic and philosophical traditions.
Extending Arte Laguna Prize’s commitment to international exchange and contemporary artistic research, FORM WITHOUT FORM brings together artists from the Prize’s global network alongside invited contributors, creating a dialogue between diverse artistic practices, cultures and perspectives.
Arte Laguna Prize, organized by the Italian National Foundation for Modern and Contemporary Art (MoCA), is an international contest established to promote and support contemporary art through exhibitions, professional opportunities and cultural exchange.
In October 2025, Arte Laguna Prize presented its 20th Anniversary Exhibition in Shanghai at EKA Tianwu, marking the Prize’s first exhibition in Asia since its founding in Venice in 2006. Bringing together artists, curators and audiences from around the world, the exhibition created new opportunities for dialogue between Chinese and international contemporary art communities.
The exhibition represented an important meeting point between Venice and Shanghai, combining international contemporary practice with local cultural engagement. The relationships and opportunities that emerged through that exhibition continue to develop, creating ongoing pathways for artists and cultural exchange between Europe, China and the wider Asia-Pacific region. FORM WITHOUT FORM is one example of these ongoing international connections.
Among the participating artists is New Zealand artist Karma Barnes, who also serves as Arte Laguna Prize Ambassador for Shanghai 2026. Barnes first connected with Arte Laguna Prize through the finalist exhibition in Venice before participating in the Arte Laguna Prize 20th Anniversary Exhibition in Shanghai.
Since participating in Arte Laguna Prize exhibitions in Venice and Shanghai, further opportunities have emerged in China, including an invitation to participate in the 10th Beijing International Art Biennale. Barnes’ experience illustrates how relationships developed through Arte Laguna Prize can continue to generate new opportunities for artists across international contexts.
Jointly presented by Triune Harmony, NONAME STUDIO and 768 Gallery, in partnership with HKRI Taikoo Hui, FORM WITHOUT FORM also includes guided tours, talks, calligraphy demonstrations, workshops and an international artists’ roundtable moderated by Carlo Maria Rossi.
Bringing together artists from China, New Zealand, Spain, Italy, Taiwan, Poland and France, the exhibition creates a contemporary dialogue around Laozi’s proposition that the greatest form exists beyond fixed appearance, inviting audiences to consider the relationships between form and formlessness, tradition and contemporary practice, and the visible and invisible forces that shape human experience.