Conceived on the occasion of the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Italy and the People’s Republic of China, the exhibition at the MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, curated by Xu Lian and Franco Wang, hosts the recent works of 55 artists of different generations, all from the National Academy of Painting of China.
The Academy, based in Beijing, is the main institution of the People's Republic of China for artistic research and creation based on the millenary tradition of Chinese painting and calligraphy; it brings together artists who study the masterpieces of the past to learn consolidated techniques and enrich this precious heritage with their own style and personality, always expanding themes, contents and languages.
The exhibition itinerary is divided into works of art of different manufacture, all made with traditional tools and materials of Chinese painting such as rice paper, opaque watercolors, ink and Chinese brushes and range from painting to calligraphy and printing; the works are often accompanied by calligraphic inscriptions or traditional seals of the authors. The recurring subjects, taken from the world of nature - mountains, landscapes, bamboo, the plum tree, the orchid or the chrysanthemum - are reflections of an interior world, metaphors of a spiritual journey, which highlight this idea of continuity of contemporary artists with the tradition of the millenary past of this country. Landscape painting in fact, considered the most famous form of Chinese painting, more than a simple representation of reality, appears to be a symbolic transposition of the artist's interior dimension. In fact, whether it is a real or imaginary landscape, traces of human presence always emerge, such as a refuge on a mountain, rain hitting a village or smoke rising from houses in the fields.
Furthermore, some of the works are the result of the encounter between traditional Chinese and Western techniques and testify to the interest with which Chinese artists look at Rome and its history. The exhibition therefore represents a tribute to contemporary Chinese painting and is the sign, at the same time, of the encounter between different cultures that now, as in the past, are open to comparison and exchange. In fact, thanks to this exhibition, the artists of the National Academy of Chinese Painting are confronted with Western artistic influences without renouncing their own identity, keeping alive, at the same time, the link between tradition and innovation.
The exhibition is promoted by the Department of Culture of Rome Capital and Azienda Speciale Palaexpo, organized by Azienda Speciale Palaexpo, in collaboration with the cultural office of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Italy, the National Academy of Painting of China and CHINA-EU ART FONDAZIONE, created with the support of the National Foundation of Chinese Art.
Photo credits: press release
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