Art plays a pivotal role in cultural exchange and understanding. It serves as a universal language that transcends linguistic barriers and geographical boundaries. It provides a window into the soul of a culture, offering unique insights into its history, values, struggles, and aspirations. From traditional art forms like painting, sculpture, and music to contemporary forms like digital art and multimedia installations, art is a powerful tool that can express the depth and diversity of human experience.

MarcoPolo700 Foundation will organize annual digital art competitions for students among the participating cities. These competitions can foster creativity, promote cultural exchange, and inspire understanding and appreciation among diverse groups.

The goal is to promote understanding and appreciation of different cultures through various digital art forms. It also aims at fostering student creativity and providing an international platform for showcasing their digital art skills. The finalists nominated by the different participating cities will enter the final judging process held in year that year’s host city. This is an excellent opportunity for students, teachers, and judges from different cities to meet and share their aspirations.

Digital art can be expressed in many different forms and formats.

The following three formats have been chosen for the MarcoPolo700 Digital Art Competition in 2026:

FORMATS

1. Animation – 2D or 3D aminated videos;
2. Interactive games – standalone or online games that can be played using mobile apps or on the web browsers;
3. AI-generated content can be videos or still pictures generated by AI tools based on the prompts provided by the creators.

Other forms and formats of digital art expression can be adopted and added to this list by the Executive Committee of the MarcoPolo700 Digital Art Competition to reflect the prevailing needs of the time.

The themes chosen for the MarcoPolo700 Digital Art Competitions are:

01.

Our People and Our Land – The land we live on often plays a significant role in shaping our cultural identity, language, art, folklore, environmental stewardship responsibilities, and spiritual beliefs. Sharing artwork under this theme will significantly improve our understanding of the different cultures and gain appreciation for them.

02.

Propriety in the 21st Century – Propriety is traditionally defined as conforming to established standards of behavior or morals of a given culture. In the 21st century, the concept of propriety has evolved significantly, reflecting the societal and cultural shifts brought about by globalization, digitalization, and the advent of the information age. Propriety is not limited to the interactions between people; it has extended to cover how companies, organizations, and even nations should behave in their interactions with others.

03.

Our Shared Future – As we move towards an increasingly digital future, technology will continue to shape the humanities. New technology offers new tools and mediums for exploration and expression within the humanities and raises further questions and challenges that our young people need to equip themselves to address.

OTHER

Other themes can be adopted and added to this list by the Executive Committee of the MarcoPolo700 Digital Art Competition to reflect the prevailing needs of the time.

A Global Showcase of Creativity Across Age Groups. Explore the three age categories and how participants can submit entries, witness the rules set by the Standard Assurance Sub-Committee, and learn how cities can apply to host the prestigious Final Judging event. Join the celebration of digital artistry with students from primary to post-secondary levels.”

Applying

A virtual gallery will be set up to showcase all the submitted artworks. This can be an interactive online experience where visitors can view the art and learn about the cultural stories behind them. Announce the winners in a live online event, allowing them to talk about their artwork and what inspired them. We also have shop malls and other public venues that have expressed strong interest in displaying this digital artwork in their facilities and recognizing these competition winners.

Co-Chair Digital Arts Competition: Dr. CK Wong

Second Co-Chair Digital Arts Competition: Dr Helen Chan

Project Management: Vacant