Curated by Madrid Design Festival 2025, the exhibition La línea sueña (The Line Dreams) brings together almost 40 Spanish designers to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union.

Took place from 26 September to 25 October at the Genesis Art Gallery in Beijing, the exhibition presented about 70 works and installations that travel from lighting and installations to architecture and landscape projects. The choice of venue is especially significant: the Genesis Art Gallery, designed by acclaimed architect Tadao Andō along the banks of the Liangma River spans some 9.330 m² over seven floors and is characterised by the interplay of concrete geometry, natural light and spatial clarity - a setting that harmonises with the exhibition’s core theme of light as matter and meaning. 



Curated by visual artist Javier Riera, La línea sueña unfolded in five thematic sections: “In Praise of Shadows”; “Light, Form and Matter”; “Light in the Landscape”; “Sustainable Light”; and an audiovisual programme, inviting visitors into a reflective journey of how light, nature, perception and creativity intertwine. 

Furthermore, organised in collaboration with Beijing Design Week, Beijing Contemporary Art Foundation (BCAF), Genesis Beijing and Madrid Design Festival, and co-produced by Cui Qiao and Wang Yudong, the exhibition was as the first major collective presentation of Spanish design in China, emphasising how light can transform into matter, emotion and a universal language. It reflected the breadth of Spanish design: from tradition to innovation, craft to technology, minimalism to experimentation. 

For professionals in design, architecture and interior environments, this exhibition offered a rare opportunity: to witness how Spanish design is projecting itself in the global arena, to engage in cross-cultural dialogue, and to gain inspiration from creators who push the boundaries between craft, material innovation and conceptual thinking. From Spanish luminaries such as Miguel Milá to emerging talents like Mayice and Álvaro Catalán de Ocón, the roster included product design, lighting, installation art and architectural interventions, offering visitors a panorama of contemporary Spanish creativity in full dialogue with Chinese audiences. 



In an era when design must not only be beautiful but socially and environmentally responsible, this showcase also underscored how light becomes a medium for sustainability, circular design and material experimentation: elements increasingly vital for buyers, specifiers and design professionals worldwide.

Organised by  Beijing Design Week, Madrid Design Festival