An aerial view of the Suzhou MoCA in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　After three years of preparation, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art (Suzhou MoCA) officially opened to the public on Aug 30, adding a new cultural landmark to the historic city of Suzhou.

　　Located on the right bank of Jinji Lake and designed by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the museum also launched its four-month inaugural art season, themed "Suzhou in Beautiful MoCAment", which will run through Dec 31.

　　The art season is divided into two phases. The first phase features four exhibitions: "Picasso and the World of His Influence", "Gèn: A Journey Through Art's Transcendence", "Codes & Canopies: Art Beyond the Algorithmic Age", and "BIG: MATERIALISM".

Artworks on display at Suzhou MoCA in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　Wang Wei, mayor of Suzhou, congratulated the museum on its opening and said he hoped it would serve as an open and innovative platform for cultural exchange and dialogue.

　　Bjarke Ingels, founder and partner of BIG, said Suzhou brings together the old and the new. Drawing inspiration from the city's classical gardens, his design seeks to reinterpret their architectural language in a contemporary setting, creating what he described as a "garden within a garden" with pavilions and terraces arranged in a picturesque composition.

　　One of the highlights of the inaugural season is "Picasso and the World of His Influence",which takes Pablo Picasso'sVollard Suite, one of the most influential print series in modern art history, as its starting point.