The Paper has learned that the 9th China Beijing International Art Biennale in 2022 recently opened at the National Art Museum of China, exhibiting 707 works by 573 artists from 117 countries and regions, focusing on the theme of "Light of Life", using paintings, sculptures, installations, videos and other forms of artistic expression to express artists' feelings about the fight against the epidemic and the Olympic Games. In addition to the theme exhibition, the 9th Beijing Biennale also has 5 special exhibitions, of which the "Giorgio Morandi Printmaking Special Exhibition" exhibits Morandi's original prints.
Exhibition site
The Biennale is co-sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the China Artists Association. The theme of the exhibition is "The Light of Life", covering the Olympic spirit and the anti-epidemic spirit. Wang Yong, a senior planner of the Beijing Biennale, a researcher at the China Academy of Arts and the editor-in-chief of China Calligraphers and Painters Magazine, introduced that historical events, sports projects, venue buildings, urban landscapes, and flag signs related to the Olympic Games are all reflected in the artists' creations. "Beijing is currently the only 'double Olympic city' in the world that has hosted both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games, and many excellent works have emerged to show the style of Beijing's capital, Olympic love and the construction of Winter Olympic venues. At the same time, the artists did not ignore Zhangjiakou, as a co-host city of the Winter Olympics, and the style of Zhangjiakou City was also brilliantly presented in the exhibited works. ”
Ding Ning, a senior planner of the Beijing Biennale and a professor at Peking University, believes that in the face of the global epidemic, the visual expression of artists can more arouse resonance, and the value of art for the comfort, healing, exploration and encouragement of people's hearts has been brought into play.
It is understood that at the end of August 2021, a total of 5352 artists from 124 countries and regions, including China, submitted nearly 6,000 articles, of which 4,162 were Chinese mainland. After preliminary evaluation and re-evaluation, 707 exhibited works from 117 countries and regions were selected, including 487 foreign (including special exhibition) works and 220 Works from China (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). Among them, there are both realistic portrayals of realistic shapes and surrealist imaginations. For example, French female artist Andrea's acrylic painting "Towards the Light" links the anti-epidemic image with the Olympic image, showing that mankind has experienced the dark period of the new crown pneumonia epidemic and gradually moved towards a bright and beautiful future of life. Chinese artists Wang Xuexian, Li Hongjun and Zhang Yong each performed three large-scale theme creations, namely the oil painting "Sports Power" with the theme of "Sports Power" as the theme of "Sports Power" and the Chinese painting "Light of Life" with the theme of "Winter Olympics" and "Together to the Future - Welcome to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics", which show the vivid scenes of various ice and snow arenas and various ice and snow sports.
"Sports Power, Dream Stirring"
The Light of Life
"Together to the Future - Welcome to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics"
In addition to the theme exhibitions, the 9th Beijing Biennale also has five special exhibitions: "Selected Special Exhibitions on Sports Themes of Previous Beijing Biennales", "Special Exhibition of George Morandi Prints", "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Twelve European Countries", "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art of Tony Kragg", and "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art of International Women Artists".
Means the average [German] Tony Craig
Sculpture: Bronze 1.2×0.51×0.54m 2014
The "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Twelve European Countries" takes "the European spirit derived from cultural diversity" as the starting point, and interprets the identity of the European spirit through the works of artists from 12 European countries.
The famous 20th-century Italian artist Giorgio Morandi is now well known in China, but most viewers only know that the Italian artist is famous for his paintings with high gray tones, but may overlook that prints are also important works of Giorgio Morandi. All the works on display in this "Giorgio Morandi Prints Special Exhibition" are original prints he personally produced, rather than widely circulated reproductions.
Still Life: Oil Lamp (right), Giorgio Morandi, Italy
Copperplate engraving 0.34×0.25m 1928
With the theme of "Sniffing the Roses - The Art of Life", the International Women Artists Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art showcases representative works created by influential contemporary international female artists, including Chen Xi, Shen Ling, Xiang Jing, Yan Ping, Yu Hong, and international artists such as Canadian Jessidan Aili, German Annette Sauermann, Switzerland Reiko Chimura, and Ross Wylie of the United Kingdom. The special exhibition takes the artistic practice of female artists as the research object, and with this as the core, pays attention to the interactive relationship between the creation of female artists and society and culture.
"The special exhibition is full of masterpieces, including a very absurd and profound video work by Eugenio Ampdia, a prominent representative of Spanish artists, entitled "Briceño Concert"." Ding Ning introduced. The painting was taken on 22 June 2020, at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic in Barcelona was easing, when many other parts of the world were still in the midst of a severe pandemic of ups and downs. The space for filming was selected at barcelona's famous Teatro del Liceu. However, the seats that can accommodate 2,292 listeners are all covered with potted plants this time. When artists, who had not had the opportunity to give a concert to the public for a long time, played Puccini's 1890 elegy string quartet of Chrysanthemums, the melancholy and sad melody made the plant audience "moved" and "applauded".
Briceño Concert, Spain Eugenio Ampoule Video 8:56:2020
"In this way, the artist not only reminds people of the grim facts of 'social distancing', 'lockdown' and 'staying at home', but also implies that we should think about our harmonious relationship with nature and how art can make its due contribution to the changes in social life." Ding Ning said.
Founded in 2002, the Beijing International Art Biennale (hereinafter referred to as the Beijing Biennale) has been successfully held for seven sessions so far, with more than 4,000 artists from more than 100 countries participating in the exhibition. With the theme of "Light of Life", this year's Beijing International Art Biennale in China explores how to deal with the relationship between nature and man, technology and man in postmodern civilization. It is not that science and technology should control nature and surpass human beings, but that through science and technology, people and nature can live in better harmony. Many of the selected Chinese works aesthetically express the value proposition of human beings in the process of contemporary urbanization, and the urban and rural, consumption and ecology, science and technology and nature presented in these works are no longer a separate opposition, but a kind of coordination.
Some of the works on display
"Never Separate" Lin Jiyu in Taiwan
Oil on canvas 1.82×1.32m 2021
"Heroic Beauty" Wu Lusheng, Macao Special Administrative Region, China
"Stage Series No. 16-2022 Movement" Zhang Minjie
Prints on Paper 3×1.3m 2021
"Light of Life" King Champion
Chinese painting 5.85 × 2.5m 2021
Skater, Miguel Coli Culreses, Spain
Oil on canvas 1.2×1.2 m 2020
Hardship and Hope, Rutheri, Indonesia
Composite material 1.77×1.44m 2020
Light of Hope IV Ecuador George Perucachi
Propylene on canvas 1.2×1.3m 2020
The Light of Life, Iraq, Saman Abbekker Saeed
Oil on canvas 1.2×1.25m 2021
The Struggle of Light and Darkness, Mona Ayada, Kuwait
Propylene on canvas 1×1m 2021
Towards the Light [Chantal Andrea Barthélemy, France.]
Acrylic on canvas 1.54×1.05 m 2021
Angels Turn Decay here into magic Bangladesh Nargis Poly Acrylic on canvas 1.55 × 2.23m 2021
"The Women of Chinese Memory Volleyball Team on the World Stage" Chen Xi
Oil on canvas 1.5×1.5m, 2007
The exhibition runs until February 15.
(This article is a synthesis of relevant reports and information from the official website of the National Art Museum of China, China Art News and the official website of the Beijing International Art Biennale in China)