The Year of the Fire Horse marks the celebrations of Chinese New Year at the Centro per l’arte contemporanea Luigi Pecci, which, in collaboration with the Museo del Tessuto and Festival Seta, presents a joint programme running throughout the entire weekend, from Friday to Sunday, featuring editorial talks and a focus on contemporary Chinese cinema.
A three-day programme offering multiple perspectives on a theme of particular relevance to the city of Prato: China, explored through dialogue, critical analysis and moving images, in order to collectively reflect on the present.
Editorial talks
Museo del Tessuto | Friday 20 February 2026, 9:00 pm
Pino Arlacchi
La Cina spiegata all’Occidente (Fazi Editore, 2025)
In conversation with journalist Patrizia Scotto di Santolo
An internationally renowned sociologist and expert on China, Pino Arlacchi analyses the so-called “Chinese miracle” through three key factors: non-expansionism, meritocracy as a form of governance, and a distinctive socialist political-economic model. Drawing on extensive documentation and direct experience, the book offers an in-depth portrait of a millennia-old civilisation marked by resilience and continuity.
Centro Pecci | Saturday 21 February 2026, 9:00 pm
Alessandro Aresu
La Cina ha vinto (Feltrinelli, 2025)
With Michelangelo Cocco
Moderated by Matteo Burioni (Festival Seta)
In his latest book, Alessandro Aresu reinterprets the Chinese challenge not as an ideological clash between democracy and authoritarianism, but as a systemic conflict between different models of power. Technology emerges as a key political driver, while China is presented as a central laboratory of the 21st century. A talk that offers tools to understand global power shifts and the future of the West.
Focus on contemporary Chinese cinema
The programme continues at Centro Pecci Cinema, in collaboration with the cultural association Orientiamoci in Cina, with a focus on contemporary Chinese cinema through two films that reflect the complementary popular and auteur-driven strands of Chinese film production.
- Centro Pecci | Saturday 21 February 2026, 4:00 pm (original version with Italian subtitles)
Ne Zha 2 – The Rise of the Fire Warrior
Directed by Yu Yang (China, 2025, 144’)
A major box-office phenomenon in China, this animated film blends mythology and entertainment, confirming its impact on contemporary Chinese popular culture.
- Centro Pecci | Saturday 21 February 2026, 6:45 pm (original version with Italian subtitles)
Caught by the Tides
Directed by Jia Zhangke
(China, 2024, 111’)
Set between 2001 and 2022, Jia Zhangke’s latest film intertwines economic transformation, technological progress and intimate relationships, offering a poetic and incisive portrait of contemporary China.
Special openings
Sunday 22 February 2026, on the occasion of Chinese New Year, the Centro Pecci will be open from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, with all current exhibitions on view. On the same day, the Museo del Tessuto will also have a special opening from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm, with all current exhibitions on view.