Photo: Courtesy of the curator Xiao Ge

 French artist Bernar Venet stunned visitors in Paris with his monumental sculpture ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics this past summer. Standing 18 meters (60 feet) tall and weighing approximately 40 tons, the Corten steel sculpture, titled Convergence: 54.5° Arc x 14 (2024), is the only monumental work created on the occasion of the 2024 Olympics. Featuring 14 vertical arcs, it is intended to represent the Olympic Flame.

Now a special tailored sculpture similar to it, Convergence: 52.5° Arc x 14 is coming to Beijing's Phoenix Centre as part of an exhibition to review the artist's more than 60-year career and to celebrate tthe 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations in 2024. 

Photo: Courtesy of the curator Xiao Ge

The Bernar Venet: Beyond Concept and Matter exhibition is the largest exhibition of Venet's work in the world to date. 

It features 180 works of various artistic expressions, acting as not only a tribute to his extraordinary career but also a symbolic reflection of the ongoing cultural dialogue between the two nations.   

A part of the celebration of the Sino-French Cultural Tourism Year and the Festival Croisements, the exhibition is "highlighting the vital role of art in fostering conversations that transcend borders and ideologies," Xiao Ge, one of the two curators, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Photo: Courtesy of the curator Xiao Ge

 In the eyes of Xiao and Jonas Stampe, the other curator, Venet's work, rooted in both material and concepts, acts as a bridge between cultures and offers new ways of thinking about shared histories and future collaborations.

The fact that this exhibition is being held in Beijing, a city at the crossroads of profound traditional culture and modern innovation, further amplifies the significance of this cultural exchange, added Xiao. 

The 83-year-old artist created the work to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic relations. 

Through its intersecting arcs, the work symbolizes the convergence of cultures and ideas, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between East and West with a form that evokes aesthetic harmony and the potential of collaboration. The arcs, reaching toward one another but never fully merging, suggest the coexistence of different perspectives, histories and identities. 

Photo: Courtesy of the curator Xiao Ge

 It symbolizes the friendship between France and China and commemorates the vitality of China-France cultural and sports cooperation, said French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary at the exhibition's opening ceremony. 

Venet is an artist who continuously challenges boundaries, not just in form but in how we perceive the role of art in a world shaped by science, mathematics, and philosophy. 

His work moves fluidly between painting, sculpture, performance, and more, yet what remains constant is his interrogation of material and concepts. 

In his Early Paintings we witness an initial exploration of youthful purity. His Reliefs Carton and Tubes further pushes these boundaries, transforming ordinary materials and asking us to reconsider their inherent value. 

Stampe told the Global Times that what makes Venet's work especially relevant today is its ability to speak to both the present and future. In a world increasingly defined by technological acceleration and environmental fragility, "his art asks us to pause, reflect on the material conditions of existence, question the systems that shape our reality, and imagine new possibilities. 

Photo: Courtesy of the curator Xiao Ge

His works do not provide answers; instead, they provoke thought, opening up space for reflection and dialogue."

It is an important exhibition, not only as a major artistic contribution but also as a powerful statement in the context of cultural diplomacy. "Amid global uncertainty, art offers a means of connection, a way to foster understanding across borders," he said.