36 days spanning 19 cities across 4 provinces and autonomous regions, 2,100 kilometers of cycling routes, and a variety of ingenious and creative designs... On the afternoon of April 23rd, the “One Exhibition” of the graduation practice works of the Visual Communication Design major of Wuhan Textile University Birmingham College of Fashion and Creativity was opened. At the exhibition, a special graduation work by Miao Kun, a student majoring in Visual Communication Design from the Birmingham College of Fashion and Creativity of the university, attracted many people to stop and marvel at his cycling map installation - he turned 2,100 kilometers of his cycling journey into a book, documenting his own story of youth.
A thousand-mile ride captures the myriad aspects of human life
June 2024. Miao Kun once cycled 1,625 kilometers from Wuhan to go home for the summer vacation. That experience made him the top trending topic on social media for two consecutive weeks, and he was called “the way youth should look”by netizens. This time, he even drew a brilliant conclusion to his college life with a 2,100-kilometer bike ride.
On the day of the exhibition, in the center of the exhibition hall, Miao Kun's bicycle, which witnessed his 2,100-kilometer cycling journey, was placed there. This vehicle accompanied him as the carrier of his graduation project, which was completed in 36 days, spanning 19 cities across four provinces and autonomous regions including Hubei, Hunan, Guangxi and Hainan from February 8th to March 15th. After finishing his cycling trip, he transformed his 2,100-kilometer cycling journey into an outstanding exhibition work of artistic expression, which attracted many teachers and students to stop and watch.
At the scene, a reporter from Jingmu News saw that the specially installed cycling platform on the bicycle rack was like a "time recorder". When the audience got on the bicycle, the cycling trajectory and video logs of Miao Kun along the way were displayed one by one, making people feel as if they were there, immersing themselves in that passionate journey of youth. Behind the bicycle, a complete cycling route map stands out conspicuously. Every stop he has visited has been carefully marked in red by Miao Kun, along with photos of the local customs and traditions as well as his travel insights.
The idea for this graduation bike ride was not achieved overnight. At the end of 2024, under the guidance of his supervisor Timm Sonnenschein, Miao Kun began to prepare for this special graduation project. The plan that combines cycling with images is completely different from the conventional visual design topics. Its difficulty and safety issues made even the cycling enthusiasts, the instructors, hesitate for a while. But after many in-depth communications, the mentor finally approved of this bold idea. He admitted, “Because Miao Kun actually has very rich cycling experience, we have communicated many times. For example, at the beginning, Miao Kun was preparing for this project to cycle to Xizang, but after communication, considering the actual season and weather issues, he rejected this plan. The current plan has been chosen.”
In fact, Miao Kun also made thorough preparations for this cycling trip. “After all, I'm going out with a project, so I'll be well-prepared. For instance, the preparations in the early stage include a lot of research: planning the entire route, including which specific points we'll pass through along the way, and what kind of people we might encounter at these points, whether they are Han or from ethnic minorities.”Two months of thorough preparation made this long-distance cycling trip go smoothly. However, unexpected situations still occurred during the journey. “When passing through some places, such as remote villages, people actually didn't quite understand why I would act in such a way. So, I had to be well-prepared in advance on how to deal with such unexpected situations, communicate with others, and gain their trust. Then I'll get the materials I need to shoot.”
During the cycling process, Miao Kun also reports his itinerary to his mentor every day to ensure his own safety. Curator and thesis supervisor of Miao Kun, Liu Yi, revealed, “My Timm supervisor and I were extremely touched and proud of him. When he was doing his graduation defense, we were flipping through the photography book he made below. What we were looking at was not only the pictures he took, but also the life insights he wrote down beside it during this process, as well as his interpretations of the photos he took.” Many of these elements have gone beyond the scope of a traditional photography book. I believe this is also a highly meaningful spiritual projection for his growth.
With a cycling and photography journey of 2,100 kilometers, Miao Kun captured the various aspects of human life along the way with his camera, deeply experiencing the cultural charm of different regions. During this journey, he not only recorded the world but also reshaped himself within it, becoming more independent and strong, thus drawing a unique conclusion to his four-year college life. When asked about his plans after graduation, Miao Kun replied that he intended to devote himself to the Western Program after graduation, continue to explore the unknown, experience diverse cultures, and pursue his dreams with enthusiasm.
A visual feast, showcasing creative imagination
Around the exhibition hall, other exhibits full of ingenious ideas are equally eye-catching. President Li Wanjun introduced, “This exhibition is not only a visual feast but also an answer sheet of The Times. From environmental protection, cultural integration to AI co-creation, they analyze the propositions of The Times with critical thinking and respond to real-world challenges with creative solutions. Here, design is no longer a static form but the spark of the collision between thinking and practice. The students boldly explore new technologies, new materials and new concepts, integrating forward-looking and experimental elements into every piece of work. They reconstruct cultural memories with virtual reality, interpret environmental protection concepts with sustainable materials, and convey social metaphors through dynamic images - these attempts not only demonstrate the diverse possibilities of design but also confirm that ‘innovation is the eternal soul of design.’”
The 《Compendium of Materia Medica》 Chinese herbal medicine picture album is ingeniously designed. It endows the Chinese herbal medicines from 《Compendium of Materia Medica》 with character images. Through a combination of hand-drawn and handcrafted methods, it allows Chinese herbal medicines such as dried tangerine peel, cloves, and jasmine to “tell” their own stories and effects. Opening the album, it seems as if one can engage in a “cross-dimensional dialogue”with these personified Chinese herbal medicines.
The cultural relic variety show 《The People Have Not yet Slept》 is ingeniously designed. It interprets cultural relics from the perspective of ancient people, presents the stories behind them, and combines rich variety show props and peripheral products to interpret the creative idea of “enjoying the same moon through the ages.”
The design of the poetry picture book “Sent to the World” takes the correspondence between Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi as the clue, visualizing the imagery in the poems, or expressing the poetic meaning visually, or presenting the scenes when the poets were creating, vividly depicting the deep friendship between the ancients.
The design of “Nanning Zoo” includes zoo maps, tour guide desks, animal protection publicity posters and other contents, highlighting the concept of ecological protection.
Curator Liu Yi stated, “The students have captured the pulse of society with their acute insight and analyzed the contemporary issues with critical thinking. They have proposed creative solutions to hot topics such as environmental protection, cultural integration, and gender equality.” These works are not only profound reflections on social issues, but also a perfect combination of design thinking and practical ability. Driven by the spirit of innovation, criticism and exploration, the students boldly tried new technologies, new materials and new concepts, creating a series of works that are both forward-looking and experimental. From cycling images to traditional culture and public welfare issues, this exhibition is not only a display of teaching achievements, but also a powerful declaration of young students' dialogue with the world through creativity.
