In October 2024, Memor Museum hosted the New York debut of “Sanxingdui Encounter: A Global Tour of 12K Micro-viewing of National Treasures”, an exhibition centered on Sanxingdui—one of China’s most significant Bronze Age archaeological sites. Located in a historic landmark building within the Metropolitan Museum Historic District on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Memor Museum is recognized for its innovative integration of art, technology, and Asian culture. As the director of the exhibition’s technical and visual team, Shanshan Zhang leveraged her film and visual arts background to play an irreplaceable role throughout the exhibition.
Shanshan Zhang is an internationally acclaimed filmmaker and multimedia artist, known for her award-winning films “Paradise Program” and “The Foam,” featured at major film festivals and in leading media. In 2024, she was appointed principal technical expert and visual art director for the “Sanxingdui Encounter” exhibition at Memor Museum. Combining her cinematic vision and advanced technical expertise with cutting-edge multimedia, Zhang led nearly a year of planning, international collaboration, and onsite integration for the exhibition’s 12K theater, VR experience, and interactive AI guide. Drawing on her vision and expertise, the exhibition set a new standard for the interplay of art and technology, achieving new heights in artistic innovation and professional excellence. The resulting immersive experience, shaped by the convergence of creative insight and technical mastery, earned acclaim from audiences and experts in the United States and internationally.
The centerpiece of the exhibition was an immersive 12K ultra-high-definition multi-surface projection theater. As director of the visual system, Zhang oversaw the full development and implementation of a ten-projector 4K system, delivering advanced spatial image blending and 3D mapping. She traveled to China for onsite research and worked closely with the content team to ensure accurate reproduction of artifact details, while implementing localization strategies tailored to the local context.
By introducing 12K ultra-high-definition visuals in a multi-surface museum setting for the first time in the United States, the exhibition enabled naked-eye 3D effects and allowed visitors to explore the micro-details of Sanxingdui artifacts up close—a pioneering achievement that set a new benchmark for digital museum exhibitions.
Zhang also led the development of another key exhibition space, creating a high-resolution 3D animation on an L-shaped screen to bring the ancient Sanxingdui city and its construction process to life. Guided by Zhang’s vision, the team broke traditional boundaries between visual content and exhibition space, delivering an innovative viewing experience. She further contributed to the VR experience and the interactive AI guide “Dui Bao” by refining technical and artistic elements to enhance narrative flow and user engagement.
In addition to her creative and technical roles, Zhang produced a series of promotional short films for the exhibition, offering multiple perspectives on its spatial design and central themes. These films were shown throughout the museum, providing visitors with clear context and an accessible introduction to the experience, lowering barriers to engagement for a diverse audience. She also produced a commissioned film for the opening ceremony, introducing the museum’s history and highlighting the exhibition’s artistic and technological achievements—a work that received widespread acclaim. Through these multimedia projects, Zhang demonstrated a distinctive ability to translate complex narratives for global audiences through visual storytelling.
After stops in Paris, Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Doha, “Sanxingdui Encounter” concluded its global tour with its U.S. debut in New York. The exhibition received widespread acclaim from major outlets, including China Daily and Xinhua, and was further highlighted by technology‑focused platforms such as The VR Collective and MarketersMEDIA. The New York exhibition drew large audiences and received praise from experts in art, technology, and archaeology. Its success advanced Sino-American cultural exchange and set a new standard for global digital exhibition innovation.
Zhang leveraged her expertise in film and visual arts to bridge technology and art, coordinating complex systems and elevating the interactive experience. Her creativity, technical mastery, and talent for integrating Eastern and Western cultural perspectives underscore her irreplaceable status in international visual arts and digital exhibition design.
