Gucci launched the second installment of its digital collaboration project, "#GucciGram Tian," on March 9th.

This project follows on from the digital collaboration "#GucciGram," in which online illustrators and image makers from around the world created artwork using two patterns, "GG Blooms" and "GG Kaleido." This second installment is based on a new pattern, "Tian," and is a similar project. The base pattern is inspired by 10th-century Chinese bird-and-flower paintings, depicting paradisiacal scenes. Hummingbirds and butterflies are depicted with delicate, calligraphic lines against a backdrop of flowers and trees.

By placing slip-ons featuring the "Tian" pattern against a desolate urban landscape, artist Cao Fei contrasts the centuries-old tradition of bird-and-flower paintings with modern, industrialized China. Indonesian artist Fajar P. Domingo cut out a section of the original "Tian" print and collaged it with a black-and-white photograph of a woman against the vast expanse of nature, expressing the way the "Tian" pattern, liberated by women, threatens to engulf nature. Japanese photographer Joeto Hazaka captured the cascading floral pattern covering the skyscrapers of Tokyo, exploring the fate of "Tian" as it spreads throughout society. The project features Asian artists, the roots of the Tian pattern. The Tian design evokes nostalgia and a return to Western Orientalism and 18th-century Chinoiserie. These artworks are featured on a microsite (gucci.com/guccigram-tian), which also features reviews by various contributors, including an introduction by Brooklyn-based technology and culture writer Kyle Chayka. It is also featured on Gucci's social media, official website, and each artist's Instagram.