Mr. Liu Wenxi is a famous contemporary figure painter in China, who has taken root in the yellow land of northern Shaanxi all his life, gone deep into the people and deep into life, and practiced the direction of "literature and art serving the people and serving socialism". In order to fully present Mr. Liu Wenxi's creative process, creative concept and contribution to the times, the National Museum of China spent two years planning and designing, and launched the "Art for the People - Liu Wenxi Art Exhibition" to the audience on October 1, 2021, which was unanimously praised by experts and scholars and all sectors of society, attracting many groups and individuals to visit.
Liu Wenxi, "People in the Ditch", 169×133cm, 1982
People's painter, who has taken root in the loess all his life to create for the people
Born in Shengzhou, Zhejiang, Liu Wenxi graduated from the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (now the China Academy of Art) in 1958 and was assigned to teach at the Xi'an Academy of Fine Arts. With his unique life experience and vivid artistic language, he has left a deep mark on the contemporary Chinese painting world, and has forged a deep love relationship with the Loess Plateau and the people of northern Shaanxi. As one of the most outstanding representatives of the art circles in practicing the party's literary and artistic line, "people's painter" Liu Wenxi has always adhered to the people-centered creative orientation, understood that the people need literature and art, literature and art need the people, and literature and art love the people, created all kinds of vivid images of flesh and blood, and depicted the true feelings of the people.
From his graduation internship in 1957 to Yan'an, in more than 60 years of artistic creation, he has traveled all over the ditches and valleys of northern Shaanxi, comprehended the spirit of great men in visiting revolutionary sites and studying the works of leaders, observed the image characteristics, spiritual temperament and mark of the times of working people in the common life with peasant friends, and created a number of classic works such as "Chairman Mao and the Shepherds", "Four Generations of Grandchildren", "People in the Ditch", and "Mountain Girl" that reflect the historical themes of the revolution in northern Shaanxi and the customs and customs of northern Shaanxi. The people of the Yellow Land have given him inexhaustible materials and inspiration for his artistic creation with colorful real life, and he has used paintings full of the spirit of the times to give back to the people the colorful art world and the affectionate images of the times. From the creation of New Year paintings with the mark of the times, such as "Pulling Family Customs" and "Enjoying Together", to the masterpieces of remembering leaders such as "With the Motherland" and "With the People", Liu Wenxi uses affectionate brush and ink to express nostalgia for the times, and dedicates excellent works of art to the people and to the times.
Liu Wenxi's "Master of the Yellow Land" series of long volumes of "Loess Doll"
After that, Liu Wenxi turned the materials of the "Loess People" he had accumulated for many years into a long scroll, and successively created 13 long scrolls such as "Loess Doll" and "Old Farmer in Northern Shaanxi", using the continuous long volume of "The Master of the Yellow Land" to outline the era of the people of northern Shaanxi striding towards a well-off society in an all-round way under the leadership of the party, and it was also his masterpiece of 60 years of taking root in the yellow land and adhering to the people-centered creative orientation, and it was also his affectionate feedback to the people of the yellow land who gave him artistic nourishment.
The National Museum, carefully planned for private exhibitions
In order to enable the people to obtain aesthetic enjoyment, draw spiritual strength and strengthen cultural self-confidence from classic works. The National Museum of China decided to hold the "Art for the People - Liu Wenxi Art Exhibition", which is not only a gift for the centenary of the party, but also a celebration of the birthday of the motherland, and at the same time fully displayed the great feelings of the people's artists for the audience during the long holiday. The exhibition carefully selects Mr. Liu Wenxi's representative works and precious image documents from various periods, and divides it into three units: "Leader With Sincere Feelings", "Pen and Ink Danqing for the People" and "In-depth Life for Creation", which are systematically displayed, exhibiting more than 200 pieces of Liu Wenxi's fine art works and manuscripts, documents and photos, and reviewing Mr. Liu Wenxi's mission and original intention as a "people's artist" in a comprehensive, rich and systematic context.
The content and form of the exhibition are closely integrated, the content is clear, the form is simple, so that the audience can calmly watch the exhibition, let the works speak, and let the works infect the audience. The exhibition uses cave dwellings shaped like northern Shaanxi as a passage connecting the units, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the strong northern Shaanxi style, which not only enriches the display space, but also plays a role in diverting visitors. The exhibition hall selects red and yellow as the main colors, integrates the natural features and humanistic characteristics of the Loess Plateau, and expresses the enthusiasm of art for the people. The exhibition hall area is large, in order to facilitate the audience to rest in the exhibition arranged a lot of seats, the exhibition hall lighting to do the maximum possible glare-free treatment, so that the exhibits just seem to be presented in natural light, improve the comfort of the exhibition.
The planning of this exhibition lasted for two years, and it took nearly a year to collect, sort out and demonstrate the materials of the authors and exhibits. The exhibition displays Mr. Liu Wenxi's creative articles, reviews of others, photos, material objects and works, both creation and life. While appreciating the works, the audience can fully understand the creative process of the classic works and the author's thoughts and feelings, enhance their understanding and understanding of Mr. Liu Wenxi, and experience his deep feelings for the yellow land, the revolutionary leader, and the people of northern Shaanxi.
The whole process of dissemination, online and offline publicity in unison
While the exhibition is open to the audience, the National Museum closely focuses on Liu Wenxi as a people's painter, close to reality, close to life, close to the masses, and devotes his life to the creative spirit of organizing the media and the self-media of the National Expo to carry out publicity and reporting work, reflecting the original intention and measures of the National Expo for the people to run the museum and the exhibition for the people.
On the day of the opening ceremony of the exhibition on October 10, 30 media such as central media and industry media were invited to watch the exhibition, and Liu Wenxi's relatives and friends who participated in the opening ceremony and the curatorial team of Guobo fully introduced the spiritual connotation of Liu Wenxi's works to the media. People's Daily, Xinhua News Agency, Central Radio and Television Corporation and other central media immediately released the exhibition information, China Culture Daily, China Tourism News, China Art News and other industry media based on the exhibition content for in-depth interpretation, Beijing Daily, Southern Metropolis Daily, Shaanxi Daily and other local media also actively participated in the report, in a short period of time set off the climax of the exhibition's dissemination.
At the end of October, Guobo sorted out the exhibition materials, condensed the theme of dissemination, strengthened the transmission of the spirit of the exhibition, organized the second round of media reports, and reported from different aspects through sending letters to the Central Radio and Television General Station, CCTV's "Midnight News", "Culture Ten", "China Literature and Art Report" and other columns; through the invitations to various newspapers and periodicals, a number of interview articles and signed articles of the deputy curators and curators of the National Museum, as well as Mr. Liu Wenxi's family and students, were published to explain Liu Wenxi's artistic career and spiritual world in depth.
The National Museum's media matrix has made a full-process, holographic, full-staff and full-effect dissemination of the exhibition. The exhibition news was released in advance, the official website opened a special page for the exhibition in Chinese and English, and the official micro through the display of Liu Wenxi's key works, the introduction of Liu Wenxi's creative background, and the live broadcast of the exhibition, etc., to meet the needs of the audience to watch the exhibition online, so that the audience who could not come to the museum could also feel Liu Wenxi's creative feelings and the exhibition expectations of the National Museum. Both the number of image and text views and live video views exceeded 3 million.
The response was enthusiastic, and the enthusiasm for visiting from all walks of life continued to rise
Since its opening, the exhibition has attracted widespread attention from the society with its distinct thematic content and the artistry, vividness and authenticity of the works, as well as the appeal of the exhibition site, attracting many groups and individuals to visit. About 1,700 people from more than 40 units, including the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Departments and Bureaus of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Central Chinese Orchestra, the China Institute of Arts and Science and Technology, the National Art Museum of China, and the Mei Lanfang Memorial Hall, organized a collective visit to the museum. Although due to epidemic prevention requirements, the number of daily admission to the National Museum is strictly limited, according to statistics, the number of individual appointment visitors to the exhibition has reached 65,000, including ordinary audiences who feel the changes of the times through the exhibition, students who understand the art of painting through painting, and "Friends of Liu Wenxi" who came to Beijing from Shaanxi to view the exhibition.
In the process of appreciating the works, everyone has a further understanding of the connotation and extension of artistic creation, and they have left comments: "The painter's experience and the painting itself convey a strong enthusiasm and sincerity, so these paintings are very powerful." "He is the predecessor of my struggle, a predecessor of the people-centered struggle of literary and art workers." "Born in the green mountains, the soul returns to the loess." Art for the people, the latter model! "Last week, I saw a special exhibition of Liu Wenxi's works, and the paintings were full of feelings and sincerity, full of appreciation and admiration for the sons and daughters of China!" "This is the artist of the people, devoting himself wholeheartedly to this life, without pretense, until the end of his life... Hats off to Master Liu! "Don't forget the original heart, don't forget the people." This is the source of creation, but also the height of creation. "Teacher Liu Wenxi has been obsessed with one thing in his life, going deep into the people's lives, and using a paintbrush to interpret the socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era and the spiritual outlook of the people in northwest China!" Teacher Liu Wenxi not only paints characters, but also draws the characteristics of the times and the soul of the characters! After watching it for three hours, I still don't know what to do! ”
At the end of October, in response to the long-term enthusiasm of the audience, the withdrawal date was extended from October 31 to December 1, then to December 19, and then to January 5, 2022.
Come to the National Expo to see China, more wonderful exhibitions, welcome to visit the National Museum!
【Exhibition Information】
Exhibition poster (design | Guo Jiarui)
Exhibition: Art for the People - Liu Wenxi Art Exhibition
Venue: National Museum North 1, North 2, North 3 Exhibition Hall
Session: October 1, 2021 – January 5, 2022 at 16:00
【Curatorial Team】
Curator: Wei Na
Curatorial Assistant: Yinglu Yang
Content design: Zhang Zhimin, Meng Ziwei, Shi Jin
Form design: Sun Xiang, Guo Jiarui, Meng Dan, Liu Xingqi
Exhibition assistance: Liu Guoqing, Wu Chunjing
Multimedia Editing and Production: Deng Shuai
News Dissemination: Zhang Ying
Budget Finance: Yang Jianhua
Security: Cindy
Logistics support: Zou Zuwang
Equipment management: Li Xin