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The First China & Europe International Arts Biennale of Prague 2017
Prague International Exhibition Grounds
Výstaviště Praha Holešovice 6.9. - 10. 9. 2017
“The Belt and Road” initiative (B&R) is China’s new aim of international communication in the 21st century. Citing the historic symbol of ancient Silk Road, China is actively developing economic cooperation and cultural exchanges with countries engaged. The year 2017 marks the Czech Year on Belt and Road, and “The First China & Europe International Arts Biennale, Prague 2017” sponsored by China Europe Culture & Arts Exchange Association (CECAEA) would merge Eastern and Western cultures once again under the Belt and Road framework.
Jointly sponsored by CECAEA and its Beijing Branch, and jointly organized by the Organizing Committee of China & Europe International Arts Biennale and Beijing Hainazhidian Culture & Arts Exchange Co., Ltd., the China & Europe International Arts Biennale in Prague is held for the first time in 2017 from September 4th to 10th in Prague International Exhibition Grounds.
Aim and Theme
Aim: Focus on the Daily Existence and Development of Arts in different Geographical Areas around the World
The First China & Europe International Arts Biennale, Prague 2017, aims at promoting the understanding of Chinese arts in the daily sense as well as demonstrating artists’ daily lives and their artistic explorations in different and “daily” trans-cultural environments. In 21 century the new year of culture has started. Reconsidering daily life and geo-relational effect on artistic existence & development, we have entered an era of cultural fusion with more diversified and more culturally immerging experience, which will become the major trend. The First China & Europe International Arts Biennale, Prague 2017, is the practice of “Geographical & Daily Existence” with multiple meanings.
Theme: Geo-relation & Daily
“Geo-relation” and “Daily” are the basic cultural perspectives exhibited by the Biennale. With the trend of globalization, the universally existing geo-relation has presented its new influence on art value, which focuses on daily status of arts within different geographical civilizations as well as multiple realities and possibilities of daily modernity. With the perspectives of “geo-relation” and “daily”, the first Biennale will invite Chinese and European artists who are well-known for their unique exploring methods and influence. Meanwhile, the Biennale raises a new curating concept of “daily arts history” and a new form of modern arts research and exhibition.
Different exhibiting sections
Different exhibiting sections designed for the Biennale includes “Geo-relational and Cultural Memories”, “Daily Arts” and “History of Village Arts”.
Part I: Geo-relation and Cultural Memories
Curator: Dr. Huang Mei (Germany)
Artists from China, Czech, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany who create their mixed-media works will be invited attending Part I exhibition. All their works exhibited share a common feature, namely “geo-relation and cultural memories”. The curator will raise the questions on how significant the geo-relational effect is, such as the influence of birth and growing-up place on their artistic creation and what “cultural memory” the effect holds, then the curator will invite senior commentators from five countries participating the discussion. This section will hopefully promote multiple dialogues and interactions between artists, artist and commentator, artist and visitor, and present an unprecedented unique exhibition to the world as well.
What is behind the mixed-media works created by mordent artists? We will profoundly explore the connotation and meaning of these multiple materials, present the aesthetic of their works, and build the bridge for cultural communications especially through understanding different cultural backgrounds reflected by different mixed media.
Antoni Tapies is the pioneer of mixed-media art. Through appreciating his works, the biennale will pay tribute to him, which will also offer us a historical symbol for our discussion. Excellent artists can apply mixed media to their works in a bold manner to make breakthrough. They on one hand keep the art traditions, and on the other hand breakthrough the traditional principles of the aesthetics, touching the hearts of others. If artists, art commentators and visitors could understand the spirit presented in the materials of art works, they would together achieve the goal of mixed media application in arts.
Part II: Daily Art
Curator: Prof. Li Haiwang
“Daily Art” is originally initiated from the aspect of Chinese modern art. Combined with western art concept, this part will rethink the development of Chinese modern art. The production and development of western art are always closely connected with the daily lives of western people. Therefore, we should rethink the advantages and disadvantages of following western art concept during our own modern art development, and rethink why we did not construct a modern art standard, which makes our modern art separated from daily life and hard to be understood and accepted by public. The concept of “Daily Arts” is proposed to drag our modern art to daily life, and make it a popular and acceptable art form willing to be appreciated and engaged by public, and consequently establish a Chinese modern art standard based on our actual daily life. “Daily Art” is an ordinary and public-oriented art, and also a praise from artist to ordinary lives.
Part II will exhibit the diverse and multiple artistic explorations and practices conducted by Chinese and European artists. Young and middle-aged influential artists from China and Europe will be invited to the exhibition. The biennale seeks to present the dialogue with diverse topics between Chinese and European artists. Art works exhibited in the event will include oil painting, modern ink wash painting, woodcut, sculpture, installation art, photography, video art and folk art selected as intangible cultural heritage and so on, which reflects art practice, exploration and thought influenced by geographical environment in different countries and regions. With the theme of “Geo-relation & Daily” expressed by the works in this part, the Biennale will exhibit not only the works of Chinese and European artists, but also the photos and written references related to artistic creations，as well as the stories demonstrated by artists about their daily life. The reflection and expression of trans-cultural and geographical vision provide an opportunity of face-to-face communication to visitors and artists. By demonstrating the daily artistic practice and thought affected by the connections between artists and their geographic environments, the Biennale will be branded for its profound expression in more culturally diversified art and geographical life.
Part II also presents inheritors of intangible cultural heritages, craftsmen and modern artistic creations related to the categories, materials and themes of intangible cultural heritages. Cultures, traditions and intangible cultural heritages of different countries and regions provide inspiration for the national art creation, and this part of “Daily Arts” will reflect the real state of daily life and art practice of inheritors and craftsmen. Faced with “modernity”, the traditional culture inheritance is also exposed to challenge and uncertainty. Modern artists in China also begin to look back at local intangible cultural traditions. Creative inspiration and cultural innovation derived from intangible cultural heritage will be a new trend for both folk inheritors and artists. The traditional arts listed in intangible cultural heritages, the modern art derived from cultural heritages and the practice of rural children’s art inheritance will present “Daily China” in the most vivid manner.
Part III: “History of Village Arts”
Curator: Prof. Qiao Xiaoguang
Villages are the most universal settlements for ethnic group. With the growing influence of globalization, villages art has become the cultural symbol which is on the edge of extinction in China. Village is a dynamic carrier of Chinese culture, and these living cultural traditions in multi-ethnic Chinese villages are live “gene pool” of cultural diversity. Knowing China from its villages is the basic perspective and ethic value for research of “history of daily arts”. The fact that village art comes to the biennale is in line with the value that art return to daily life. The Biennale should exhibit not only classic and elite arts, but also arts in daily life. Due to the differences caused by geo-relational effect among civilizations, we will find more topics close to the nature of arts through dialogues between Chinese and European villages, and between village and European arts.
For the part of “History of Village Arts”, Ding Village in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, is planed to be chosen as an representative of Chinese village art. Ding Village is an ancient Chinese village which is famous for its well-preserved dwelling complex built in Ming and Qing dynasty, and also for the relic of “Ding Village men” of Palaeolithic Age discovered by archaeologists. The discovery of “Ding Village men” has profound historical significance. Today, Ding Village still keeps the living culture of village community, representing the culture of North Chinese village and becoming a famous tourism site. Combining with history, oral culture and other cultural ecologies, the biennale will introduce the value of dwelling architecture and local customs of ancient Ding Village, as well as different folk arts mainly existed in Ding Village, including Nuo opera and drum carriers which will be performed in the opening show, as well as Ding Village Homespun, Pingyang Hemp Paper, Pingyang New Year Paintings, paper-cut of traditional Chinese opera, dough modeling and other handicraft works.
“Art History of Ding Village” is a subject for China-Europe dialogue, and European artists and art historians participating in the Biennale will be invited to visit Ding Village. This event is not only for dialogue and interaction, but also for the discussion focusing on Ding Village as a specific case for research on “History of Daily Arts”. Meanwhile, a village of Czech will also be invited to attend the Biennale and communicate with Ding Village, presenting its life and folk arts in daily life. Through visiting Czech village in the Biennale, Chinese artists and visitors will find more interesting topics. As an ubiquitous heritage dating from agrarian age, villages today are still telling rich and different stories of humanity. We put forward the creative “History of Village Arts” in the hope that arts can go back to daily life and the emotions of ordinary people.
Organization chart
Sponsors: China Europe Culture & Arts Exchange Association (CECAEA)
CECAEA Beijing Branch
Organizers: Organizing Committee of China & Europe International Arts Biennale, Prague
Beijing Hainazhidian Culture & Arts Exchange Co., Ltd.
Advisory Organizations：Czech national folklore Association
Department of intangible cultural heritage of the MCPRC
Cooperation Organizations：Xiangfen County People's Government of Shanxi
Linfen intangible cultural heritage protection center of Shanxi
Support Organizations：Embassy of the people's Republic of China in the Czech Republic
Embassy of the Czech Republic in Beijing
Prague International Exhibition Grounds
Linfen City People's Government of Shanxi
Bureau of Culture of Linfen Municipality
Shanxi Province Artists Association Oil Painting Society
Shanxi Youth Oil Painting Research Association
Beijing Jinggangzhongyuan Culture & Arts Exchange Co., Ltd.
CECAEA Guangdong Branch CECAEA Tianjin Branch
CECAEA Shandong Branch CECAEA Qinghai Branch
Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts Shanxi Normal University
Shanxi Agricultural University Taiyuan Normal University
Liaoning Communication University Zhongshan city forest st studio
Tianjin City Group Art Salon Tao Xingzhi Art Institute
Media Support：China-Europe Culture＆Arts News Prague Chinese Times
Artron Artintern 99ys CCTV Sina
Organization Committee
Counselors: Liu Yunchong Jia Fangzhou
Ebner-Meerapfel【GER】 Mongelli Alfio【ITA】
Honorary Chairman: Li Xiangxu【CZE】
Chairman: Li Haiwang
Vice-Chairman: Li Shifei Song Haizeng Cheng Tao
Lin Jianfeng Zhang Hong Hang Xinben Wang Jun
Academic Chair: Qiao Xiaoguang
Curatorial Team: Dr.Huang Mei【GER】 Li Haiwang Qiao Xiaoguang
Curatorial Assistant: Yang yang Chen Xiaoqian
Academic Committee
Director: Qiao Xiaoguang
Committeeman: Li Xiangming Li Haiwang Dr.Huang Mei【GER】
Pavel Humpolec【CZE】 Urich Ptak【GER】
Tan Tian Xie Lifang Cao Yunjian Wang Qiuju
Secretary-General: Yang yang
Deputy Secretary-General: Li Zhengyuan Yu yu Chen Xiaoqian
General coordinator: Wang Jun
Legal Adviser: Hu Changhua
Production: Intercharm Production【CZE】
