An exhibition exploring the creative energy in modern China opens Saturday at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) in the British capital.

The V&A's spring exhibition, dubbed China Design Now, is the first in Britain to showcase the recent explosion of new design in China and the first attempt to understand the impact of rapid economic development on architecture and design in China's major cities.

The exhibition displays the work of Chinese and international designers, focusing on architecture, fashion and graphic design as well as film, photography, product and furniture design, youth culture and digital media.

Around 100 designers are featured, with Chinese accounting for more than 95 percent of the total.

Mark Jones, director of the V&A, said, "The tremendous pace of change (in China) has inspired a whole new generation of designers and architects who are shaping fashion, product and urban design in China's big cities."

"We need to understand what is happening in China and the aim of this exhibition is to help people to get a snapshot of the development of design in today's China," he said.

The exhibition focuses on three rapidly expanding cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Each city is a starting point for the exploration of different design fields – graphic design and visual culture in Shenzhen, where China's contemporary graphic design movement started, fashion and lifestyle in Shanghai, and architecture and city layout in Beijing.

It has been curated by Zhang Hongxing and Lauren Parker of the V&A after four years of research involving close collaboration with institutions and individuals in China.

"Design in China's cities has changed beyond all recognition in the last two decades. This is a moment when you can start talking about things being designed in China, not just made in China," said Zhang Hongxing.

"The designers included in China Design Now are pioneers for future generations who will bring Chinese design to an international audience," he said.

Parker said the exhibition has captured "an extraordinary moment in Chinese design frenzy in China right now".

The exhibition will last until July 13 and is part of China Design Now, a six-month celebration of Chinese history and culture across Britain.

(Xinhua News Agency March 17, 2008)