Promotional material for the exhibition Photo: Courtesy of the French Embassy in China

China-France show focuses on environment    

A China-France art exhibition that seeks to interpret the importance of environmental protection through porcelain wares was recently launched in Beijing.

The exhibition takes China's traditional "24 Solar Terms" and the French anthropological concept of "negative ecology" as a framework. 

The exhibition showcases 24 porcelain wares that symbolize all the Solar Terms, which are an important part of the Chinese calendar. Each porcelain ware is a one-of-kind piece.

Wang Xiyan, the show's curator, said that the glaze and shape of a porcelain ware is easily influenced by the type of kiln used and the temperature while firing. Both the Solar Terms and porcelain techniques are simplified models constructed by human beings to understand nature, he added.

The event is supported by the French Embassy in China and organizations such as China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation.

As an event that contributes to the 2023 Franco-Chinese Month of the Environment, the art show encourages visitors to pay more attention to environmental issues and to embrace an eco-friendly lifestyle. 

Minister Counsellor for Culture, Education and Scientific Affairs of the French Embassy in China Nicolas Pillerel said at the event that the Month of the Environment has been combining art and science to enhance people's understanding of ecological issues ever since 2014.

"Just like the subjects of humanities and social sciences, art, whether contemporary or traditional, is a special way to raise awareness," Pillerel said.  

Exhibition explores art from 1900 to 2000

The Guardian Art Center in Beijing recently launched an art exhibition featuring contemporary artworks created by notable masters such as Zhao Wuji. The show features a total of 16 artworks created by both Chinese and Western art creators from 1900 to 2000. The exhibition includes Chinese modern art such as the works of Wu Dayu alongside Western works by masters like Neo-Expressionist A.R. Penck and German artist Daniel Richter. 

Visitors are able to see works created by Liu Wei and Damien Hirst, the pioneer of the UK's Young British Artists movement. The exhibition is dedicated to showing China-West connections in art.