Chinese cat food specialist Gaoyea recently teamed up with the West Lake Art Ten Scenes Art Museum in Hangzhou, Zhejiang for a special exhibition. Titled “Mao Cheng: The Journey of a Cat”, the exhibition explores both “oriental cat culture” and art, and is part of the first-ever “West Lake International Cat Month”. The exhibition will be open from 27 September to 27 October at the museum on the bank of West Lake.
The “Mao Cheng” in the exhibition name is the title of a book by official and writer Wang Chutong (1730 – 1821). It is one of the first monographs on cats in China, documenting historical records of cats from past classics. The exhibition features an original edition from the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912). At the same time, the exhibition also hosts an eclectic collection of art pieces inspired by or depicting cats, from paintings and sculptures to a large-scale installation called “The Journey of a Cat”, which also serves as the centrepiece of the entire exhibition. From the urban wilderness that strays struggle through, including weapons of potential abusers, to the modern conveniences of cat toilets and towers pets enjoy, the piece shows the danger stray cats face and raises awareness of the plights of these animals.
There are also interactive touchpoints at the exhibition. By taking the guidebook and completing the “check-in” tasks on Xiaohongshu (RED), visitors will receive complimentary fish-shaped bookmarks and a “deed” for their cats which is a “colour me in” cat picture to make it a deed between you and your feline companion. There is also a wall of cat profiles for adoption, as well as an opportunity for netizens to share their cat pics online and tag the exhibition.
Gaoyea is known for its high-quality cat food that is on par with international brands. It has also been focusing on ESG campaigns such as the fundraising campaign for charity last year that asked people to donate in order to “light up a building” for “garden cats” (田园猫, non-breed cats, usually feral or semi-feral). This time, Gaoyea kept its campaign innovative by combining the latest museum boom and interest in installation art to also urge people to care for stray cats.
