On November 9, 2017, “The Meeting of Dniepe: A Show and Interaction between Contemporary Art from China and Ukraine”, which was jointly hosted by the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, the Beijing Municipal Federation of Trade Unions and the China Power Media Group, opened at the Art Museum of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. It features a total of more than 70 pieces (sets) by 23 Ukrainian artists and over 100 works by 24 Chinese artists, and it is also a high-level large-scale artistic exchange between China and Ukraine over the years, in the context of “The Belt and Road” strategy, it has formed an effective dialogue and interaction with contemporary art in China & Ukraine, by means of art people were able to make friends.

Both China and Ukraine have a long history in both artistic and cultural traditions and are involved in frequent cultural exchange activities. This exhibition is one of the major activities of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine, and it is greatly concerned with the two governments and the cultural fields. Fomehko Svetlana, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, Mr. Oleg Dyomin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the People’s Republic of China, Fan Di’an, President of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Vice Chairman of China Artists Association, Gu Ping’an, Party Secretary and Chairman of China Power Media Group, Остап. Ковальчук, Vice President of Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Wan Daihong, Deputy Director of the State-owned Cultural Assets Supervision and Administration Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Sergei Nikolayevich Nerektin, Deputy Director of the Film Bureau in Ukraine, Zelinskaya Malina Sergeevna, Director of Bilateral Cooperation Division at the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture in Ukraine, Luo Shiping, Executive Director of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Co-Innovation Center for Art Creation and Research on the Silk Road, Deputy Directors Wang Yingsheng, Yue Jieqiong, and Zhang Peng, Ma Lu, Dean of the School of Plastic Arts of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Chen Ping, Dean of the School of Chinese Painting, Wang Chuan, Director of Development & Planning Division, as well as teachers from the Central Academy of Fine Arts such as Zhang Lujiang, Tang Hui, Li Yang, Qiu Ting, Li Xiaolin, Ye Nan, Sun Tao, Shi Yu, Liu Shangying, attended the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Wang Shaojun, Deputy Party Secretary of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, presided over the opening ceremony.

It reveals the context and practical significance of the exhibition. “Dniepe” as the river of life in Ukraine, which gave birth to an unique Ukrainian culture. President Fan Di’an mentioned that Chinese artists were impressed by the profound history of the humanities during the sketching period in Ukraine, while Ukrainian artists came to China to participate in the exhibition, so it was a veritable “Meeting of Dniepe”, which was not only an important symbol of the friendship between China and Ukraine, but also a new advance in artistic exchanges between the two countries. Fomehko Svetlana Valerevna, First Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, Mr. Oleg Dyomin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the People’s Republic of China, and Остап. Ковальчук, Vice President of Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, each delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

In April of this year, the Central Academy of Fine Arts curated and organized the art exhibition of “The New Atmosphere of the Silk Road”, which has become an important project that celebrates the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Ukraine, and it was praised by the Ukrainian audiences. At the same time, the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture signed an agreement of mutual friendship and cooperation. In this context, the Central Academy of Fine Arts organized a team to sketch in Ukraine in August 2017, and Ukraine also invited artists from three places: Lviv, the Carpathian Mountains, and Kiev, to join in. During the sketching period, the artists from both countries exchanged ideas and increased their understanding of art, in addition to creating a large number of works of art which show the beautiful scenery, the honest folk customs and historical & cultural accumulations of Ukraine and these works constitute the overall appearance of this exhibition on show at the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

From this perspective, the “Meeting of Dniepe” is not only an exhibition of the exchange of contemporary art between China and Ukraine, but also a mutual discussion on the art of China and Ukraine in the new era. Seen from an historical perspective, the artistic development of China is similar to that of the Ukraine. Ukraine was an important part of the former Soviet Union, and the Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture was one of the best academies of fine arts in the former Soviet Union, which was a typical representative of the art and education from the Soviet Union. Chinese academies’ art education was also explored and constructed under the guidance and influence of the Soviet model, and it still plays an important influence now. Therefore, contemporary art in both China and Ukraine can be said to have originated from the same style, while the two countries jointly face global, diverse and open contemporary contexts of creation in different cultural environments, with different changes in the art creation from both countries, which are the research topics currently faced by the two centurial schools of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. This exhibition only presents a visual aspect of the topic. Therefore, the Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture signed an agreement of mutual friendship and cooperation when series of activities were held, which will surely promote the artistic exchange & interaction between China and Ukraine.

This exhibition and activities are the art projects initiated by the Central Academy of Fine Arts Co-Innovation Center for Art Creation and Research on the Silk Road, which was established in 2015, in response to the national “Belt and Road” initiatives, which carry a variety of artistic exchanges with the countries along the Silk Road, and the ongoing project of “Meeting at the Silk Road Series of Exhibition”  which invites a national educational art institution or an art institution from a different country each year to jointly carry out an exchange between artists from both countries, by jointly sketching and co-operating to hold an exhibition. “The Meeting of Dniepe” belongs to the series of exhibitions and it remains on view till November 30.

Text and photo by Zhang Wenzhi/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO

Duration: November 10 - November 30, 2017

Venue: Qin Dian, East Side Hall and Right Side Hall of Xiang Dian at the Art Museum of Imperial Ancestral Temple

Hosts: The Central Academy of Fine Arts, Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, the Beijing Municipal Federation of Trade Unions, The China Power Media Group

Organizers: The Central Academy of Fine Arts Co-Innovation Center for Art Creation and Research on Silk Road, The Art Museum of Imperial Ancestral Temple

Supporters: Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Ukraine, Embassy of Ukraine in China, State-owned Cultural Assets Supervision and Administration Office of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, Silk Road City Alliance

Participating Artists

Chinese Artists: (24)

Fan Di’an, Wang Shaojun, Luo Shiping, Ma Lu, Chen Ping, Wang Yingsheng, Lv Pinchang, Zhang Lujiang, Tang Hui, Wang Chuan, Li Yang, Qiu Ting, Li Xiaolin, Ye Nan, Ma Xiaoteng, Sun Tao, Zhou Simin, Liu Shangying, Li Ronglin, Shi Yu, Pei Yongmei, Kang Lei, Chen Ye, Yang Cheng

Ukrainian Artists: (23)

Андрій Чебикін, Віктор Сидоренко, Остап. Ковальчук, Василь Перевальськпий, Володимир.Одрехівський, Василя. Пилип'юка, Володимир Стасенко, Вадим. Одайник, Софі Караффа-Корбут, Богдан Бойчук, Костянтин Чернявський, Одайник Оксана, Микола Титов, Миколай Кочубей, Роман ЯЦІВ, Василь Перегінець, Іван Пилипенко, Олександр. Цугорка, Соловей Олесь, Володимир. Сандюк, Петро Прокопів, Світлана Хміль, Сунь Ке