Chongqing - Through a child's perspective, time transforms into a kitten's eternal companionship, Van Gogh's many paintings before they were recognized, or the quiet loss of a tooth in old age. These playful concepts are explored in the exhibition Time: To Be, To Mean.

Designed by children from St. Lakeshore Kindergarten as part of their philosophical education program, it will run at Ecool in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area until June 4.

The exhibition starts with tangible creative expressions that showcase children’s sensory explorations of time via sight, sound, and touch. Texts, canvases, ceramics, cassette tapes, and other art forms crystallize their responses to the existential query of "What is time?"

Children's imaginative thoughts about time are turned into calendar cards. (Photo/Guo Shuyu)

Following the artistic embodiment of time, three dynamic chapters - Time Flies, Sense Time, and Time Bank - unlock infinite possibilities with time in children’s minds.

In the Sense Time chapter, the Forever Tree materializes children’s imagination of eternity. Colorful handwritten cards hang on the tree and bear messages like "Forever means always being with Mom" and "Forever is love hidden in the heart."

"Eternity represents our most beautiful hopes for relationships and emotions. Forever Tree waves children’s associations of eternity into art installations and conveys their tender feelings in the interplay of light and shadow," explained Hu Jingwen, curator of the exhibition.

Colorful handwritten cards hang on the tree and bear messages. (Photo/St. Lakeshore Kindergarten)

Time Bank draws inspiration from To Sell Time, an Italian picture book by Giulio Levi. After reading it, the children proposed trading unwanted time for desired moments. Hu said, "The trading process reflects how children reconstruct time. Enabling some moments while rejecting others reveals their thoughts on meaningful living."

Time Bank allows children to write down moments they wish to exchange, shredding unwanted ones and purchasing desired ones. With their parents' consent, they can redeem purchased moments.

At Time Bank, a child puts his unwanted time into a shredder. (Photo/St. Lakeshore Kindergarten)

"One child wanted to sell wartime to prevent suffering, while another sought to purchase some playtime due to over-scheduling. The choices reflect their inner world, and some of those choices are surprising,” Hu shared.

Time: To Be, To Mean is the second exhibition presented by the Children and Philosophy program, which integrates universal and urgent philosophical topics into disciplinary engagement. In this initiative, teachers guide children through philosophical inquiry and assist them in channeling their perspectives into various art forms.

Qiao Zheng, principal of the kindergarten, explained that the program was initiated in 2023, when a child’s grief over family loss sparked discussions about life and death on the campus.

"This year’s exhibition shows how children perceive time as something concrete, subjective, and emotional. Through the program, we hope to nurture and maintain their curiosity, empathy, and critical thinking. These are essential qualities to combat emotional detachment during growth, especially in the AI era with widespread anxiety,” Qiao emphasized.