Hervé Tullet's 'Scribble Playground' opens at Dongguan Art Center

The Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center was officially designated as the Dongguan Art Center on Aug. 22, with French artist and children's literature author Hervé Tullet's "Scribble Playground" exhibition making its Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) debut at the center on the same day.

The move marks a major step forward for the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center, which has evolved from a cultural venue serving the Songshan Lake area into a city-level comprehensive arts center.

The Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Centerhas been officially designated as the Dongguan Art Center. Photos courtesy of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center

Drawing on OCT Group's established expertise in cultural venue management and operation, the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center has presented a series of acclaimed productions from China and abroad since its opening this March, giving local audiences access to high-quality performances close to home and beginning to establish itself as a new cultural and tourism landmark in the GBA.

The new designation represents a significant step toward strengthening Dongguan's network of high-level cultural venues and advancing the city's ambition to become a culturally vibrant city. The Dongguan Art Center will serve as a city-level cultural hub combining performing arts, exhibitions, arts education, and cultural exchange. By bringing together artistic resources from across the city and connecting Dongguan more closely with the GBA's creative community, it is expected to play a larger role in the city's cultural development.

Guests pose for a photo at the unveiling ceremony of the Dongguan Art Center. 

At the center's unveiling ceremony, Ning Kang, secretary of the Party Leadership Group and head of the Dongguan Municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports, expressed hope that the facility would benchmark itself against leading city-level cultural venues, regularly present high-quality performances and exhibitions and offer arts education programs to benefit residents, while creating a distinctive new cultural landmark for the GBA.

Hong Longdi, general manager and deputy Party secretary of Shenzhen OCT Cultural Development Co., Ltd., said the unveiling marks a new starting point for deeper cooperation between OCT Group and Dongguan. OCT Group will continue to fulfill its responsibilities as a central State-owned enterprise and operate the center to high standards, bringing quality performances, exhibitions, and accessible arts education to local residents while contributing to Dongguan's cultural development and the GBA's emergence as a major cultural hub.

A poster for the “Scribble Playground”exhibition.

The ceremony also marked the opening of "Scribble Playground," an exhibition by French artist and children's literature author Hervé Tullet. Known for acclaimed works such as "Press Here" and "Mix It Up," Tullet has reimagined the possibilities of interactive picture books and received numerous international children's book awards.

The “Scribble Playground”exhibition features iconic elements from Hervé Tullet’s books. 

Centered on interactive experiences and collective creation, the exhibition transforms elements from Tullet's books — including dots, lines, flowers, monsters, and blops — into immersive installations. With opportunities to participate, explore, and create, it invites visitors of all ages to step into Tullet's playground and embark on an art-filled journey of imagination and creativity.

A poster for the dance drama “Five Stars Rising in the East.”

The day's program extended beyond the exhibition. The award-winning dance drama "Five Stars Rising in the East" was also staged at the center. Inspired by a Han Dynasty brocade armguard unearthed at the Niya archaeological site in Hotan, Xinjiang, the production explores the theme of people of different ethnic groups living closely together, like the seeds of a pomegranate. Since its premiere in 2021, the production has earned both critical acclaim and strong box-office results, with an excerpt featured on the CCTV Spring Festival Gala.