▲ Curling (Stone Edition) Zhu Xihua, China
Skiers who ski freely on the snow and ice, speed skaters whose knives leave traces of sliding on the ice, curlers in the race, gymnasts holding the Olympic flame... In the "Focus - 2022 Winter Olympic Games Theme International Printmaking Exchange Exhibition" opened on January 18, the Olympic-themed works of 53 artists from 42 countries were unveiled at the Beijing Academy of Painting. In order to enhance the understanding and attention of people from all over the world to the Beijing Winter Olympics and ice and snow projects, this exhibition invites artists who are more active in the contemporary international printmaking industry to take the Beijing Winter Olympics as the theme and carefully create works that not only have the artistic value of printmaking but also reflect the Olympic spirit.
Zhao Jiachun, deputy director of the China Printmaking Museum, introduced that the exhibition is one of the series of activities of the international printmaking project "Focus - International Printmaking Exchange Project with themes of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games" jointly sponsored by the China Academy of Art and the Guanlan Printmaking Base. The project consists of five parts - the Guanlan Printmaking Base invites artists from all over the world to create prints with the theme of the "Beijing Winter Olympics"; the exhibitions are held at the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts, the China Printmaking Museum, and the Qingdao Art Museum; and the later Olympic-themed printmaking exchange activities. The exhibition held at the Beijing Academy of Fine Arts was also included in the "Meet in Beijing" Olympic Cultural Festival and the 22nd "Meet in Beijing" International Art Festival.
In the context of the normalization of the prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, in order to overcome the problem of cross-border transportation of art works, the organizers have expanded a new model of international printmaking art exchanges - artists from all countries have completed the main creation of works in their own countries, and through digital cloud video communication technology, they have communicated online with the technicians of The Guanlan Printmaking Base and remotely cooperated in printing printmaking works. Zhao Jiachun recalled: "Although in the process of printing prints, we encountered various problems such as language barriers, different time zones, different creative ideas and creative concepts, cultural differences in various countries, and the illness of artists affected by the epidemic, they were eventually overcome one by one. ”
It is understood that since the preparation and establishment of the project working group in February 2021, the 2022 Winter Olympic Games theme international printmaking exchange project has carried out 10 months of communication and exchanges with printmaking artists around the world. Lin Shimei, a member of the project team, is mainly responsible for communication with artists, "During the process of the project, many artists unfortunately contracted the new crown virus, resulting in the stagnation of the project. But after recovering, the artists insisted on completing their creations, and we were very touched by their enthusiastic participation and support for the exhibition. Lin Shimei said.
Talking about the works exhibited in this exhibition, Kang Jianfei, professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and rotating chairman of the Joint Conference of International Printmaking Institutions, said: "Due to the epidemic, many art exchange activities have been blocked, especially international projects, and our original plan for this printmaking project was to invite artists to stay and create works at the same time. In the case of unable to make the trip, we used network contact, sketch discussion, remote guidance, and finally the technicians of the printmaking base assisted the artist to complete the final production of the printmaking, which was also the first online large-scale printmaking cooperation project in history. The prints in this project, in my opinion, go far beyond the concept of two-dimensional visual art, and the prints here actually record the process of a series of cultural exchanges around sportsmanship. Through such projects, artists from dozens of countries have expressed their blessings and wishes to China. We also re-appreciate the meaning of art, where art evokes the love and beauty hidden in the heart, and also promotes the exchange between Chinese art and the world. Kang Jianfei said.
The development of creative activities and the holding of exhibitions not only strengthened the in-depth exchanges between artists from all over the world on the platform of Chinese printmaking creation and display, but also enhanced the understanding and attention of the people of all countries to the Beijing Winter Olympics and its ice and snow competition projects. Young British artist Ray Merkerson has worked and lived in China as a teacher and artist from 2017 to 2019, and has also participated in an 8-week printmaking workshop at the Guanlan Printmaking Base in Shenzhen, China. Her silkscreen print "Skater Under the Moon" uses rich tones to portray a warm and bright picture of free skating under the moon. According to Ray Merkerson, the fifth in his dragonfly diary printmaking series, the work is inspired by his fond memories in China. "Winter in China, snow-capped mountains, in the backdrop of rice paddies and the Great Wall, an elegant skater immersed in the rhythm of nature, everything is so beautiful." She said.
In addition, Bosnian artist Teda Jasarevich's work "Winter Dream" integrates traditional Chinese ink painting and the logo of the Beijing Winter Olympics, using lithography creation techniques, so that the overall picture has both the abstract style of the West and the charm of oriental ink painting, as thin as the texture of cicada wings, implying the meaning of pupae into butterfly; German artist Hendrick Fowl's work "Olympic Sky" from the perspective of the sky, embedded in the logo of the olympic five rings, using copper plate and photo plate making technology, The sculptures erected on the city and roof of the city where he lives highlight the author's yearning and beautiful expectations for the Olympic spirit of people under the same sky.
Australian artist Damon Kowalski's "Olympic Reflections – Shougang", Bangladeshi artist Kanzu Zaman's "Olympic Participation", Chilean artist Isabelle Khaoyas's "Yanqing", Nepalese artist Kabi Raj Rama's "Tranquility and Peace", Thai artist Kitty Zanian Wwai's "Keep Moving Forward", etc., with the theme of the venues of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and Beijing's classic ancient buildings, show the praise of the Olympic spirit with exquisite artistic language and rich imagination. and good wishes for the complete success of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
As one of the most popular media in visual art, printmaking has become a painting that artists from all over the world can participate in on an equal footing and international exchanges, and plays an irreplaceable role in the exchange and integration of international culture because of its plurality, inclusiveness, convenience of dissemination, and international production and display activities. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will focus the world on Beijing, China, and the Winter Olympics theme printmaking exhibition brings together the enthusiasm and talent of printmaking artists from all over the world, whose art carries their unique cultural concepts, printmaking skills, and praise for the "beauty of the Winter Olympics" in Beijing, expressing the vision of mankind for a better tomorrow under the guidance of the Olympic spirit and the spirit of internationalism, and conveying the confidence and strength to overcome difficulties. "The concentrated display of these works also allows the world to share the excitement of the Beijing Winter Olympics through the creative printmaking art, share the Olympic spirit of fair competition, mutual understanding, unity and fraternity, let different civilizations and different races seek common ground while reserving differences, write magnificent poems of peaceful development side by side, work together to the future, and paint a beautiful picture of common progress." Zhao Jiachun said.
January 26, 2022 China Culture Daily
The first edition featured a special report
"42 Chinese Printmaking Artists Focus on the Beauty of the Beijing Winter Olympics"
Editor-in-charge: Chen Xiaoyue