At 10:00 on September 25, 2017, the 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, which takes “Silk Road and World Civilizations” as the theme, had a grand opening at the National Art Museum of China. A total of 601 works of 567 artists from 102 countries of five continents are on show. They comprise 411 works from foreign countries (including the special exhibitions) and 190 works from China, covering contemporary paintings, sculptures, installations, images and other multimedia works. In addition to the themed exhibition, there are six special exhibitions, including “Contemporary Art in Georgia”, “Contemporary Art in Greece”, “Contemporary Art in Indonesia” and “Contemporary Art in Mongolia”, as well as the “Art Tour from Tintoretto to Liranga” and “Special Exhibition of Donated Works from Previous Beijing Biennales”. It is the first time for more than 100 countries to participate in the Beijing International Biennale, and the first time for an exhibition to accept more than 100 countries in the world so far, among them are Central Africa, Fiji, Guinea, Honduras, Maldives, Palestine, Panama, the Republic of Seychelles, Tanzania, and Yemen initially exhibiting in the biennale.

Li Yi, Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Zuo Zhongyi, Member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and Vice Chairman, as well as other leaders such as Lin Jun, Zhang Jianxing, Zhao Shaohua; Xu Li, Guo Wu, Zhang Yanbin and other leaders from China Artists Association, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Promotion Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department, Arts Division of the Ministry of Culture, Bureau of Culture of Beijing; Wu Weishan and other representatives of the art circles; people from the embassies of Indonesia, Syria, Colombia, Pakistan, Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Poland, South Korea, Russia and other countries in China; about 200 foreign artists who arrived in China to participate in the exhibition, as well as some Chinese artists attended the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was hosted by Xu Li, Party Secretary and Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

When Beijing International Art Biennale, China was established in 2003, it took paintings and sculptures as the main exhibiting objects. Seen from the exhibits of the biennial, including both the themed exhibition and special exhibitions such as “Art Tour from Tintoretto to Liranga”, “Special Exhibition of Donated Works in Previous Beijing Biennales”, and “Contemporary Art in Georgia”, we can find that it continues to inherit and continue this feature.

The Beijing International Biennale adhered to giving priority to paintings and sculptures, and collected more than 10,000 submissions from 120 countries, so that the Biennial became larger and larger, and increasingly lively. It does not only reflect Beijing International Art Biennale as attractive, but also reflects the excellent expression of paintings and sculptures. Moreover, it is the modern positioning of the traditional art that allows for the “Beijing International Art Biennale” to contribute to the diversified development of the world’s contemporary fine arts. A leader of the Organizing Committee of the 7th Beijing International Art Biennial China said that, in order to expand Chinese art’s influence in the world, it was necessary to adhere to continuously holding the Beijing International Art Biennale, because it was a key point in applying the right of discourse in the international art circles.

Throughout this exhibition, the majority of the exhibited works depict the traces of the ancient Silk Road’s civilization, the custom and symbolic images of each country. Each country’s participating works are created with an extensive diversity of themes, the diversity of form and way to wonderfully respond to the theme of “Silk Road and World Civilizations”. The works from Yemen, Syria and Iraq which are along the ancient Silk Road, either perform the ruins of cities after the war, or performs the conversion of the time and space, which are full of memories and visions of peace and development, which are moving. In the diversified expression, the domestic and foreign works of the biennale show the two characteristics of the coexistence of realism & romance, convergence & seeking difference in coexistence. In the previous Biennales, the works of foreign artists were mostly romantic, while the works of Chinese artists were highly realistic. The foreign works of the year absorb Chinese elements, while Chinese works absorb foreign elements, tending to converge. At the same time, foreign works also showcase the regional characteristics, adhering on divergent tendencies. The excellent contemporary paintings and sculptural works created around the theme of the exhibition are collectively presented, from the perspective of visual art to present the space and time of “Silk Road” and “World Civilizations”, to explore the context of the integration of civilizations, to showcase the outcome of civilization, continuing to create a new chapter of the integration of world civilizations.

In order to satisfy the growing demand of the “Works Collections of the Biennale”, it has specially launched an international publication by a British publishing house affiliated with the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press, and the official publication of the international edition further enhances the internationalism. It will also hold an international symposium, invited members of the curatorial committee, theorists, domestic and foreign participating artists, international curators, heads of international art institutions to have an academic discussion on the issues of “Analysis of the Domestic and Foreign Participating Works of the 7th Beijing International Art Biennale”, “Relationship between Current International Art Creation and the Spirit of the Silk Road”, “Creation of Thematic Works”, “Planning and Implementation of Large-Scale International Art Activities”, in the theme of the exhibition of the “Silk Road and World Civilizations”. There are more than 100 foreign curators, heads of professional institutions and artists who submitted a paper to the organizer, and a section will be selected for a free speech or an improvised speech. The exhibition remains on view till October 15.

Text and photo by Yang Zhonghui, translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO

About the Exhibition

Title: The 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2017

Duration: September 24 – October 15, 2017

Sponsors: China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Beijing Municipal People’s Government, China Artists Association

Venues: Hall 1-9, 13-17, 19-21