Contemporary art exhibition envisions future of hope
- By Jay Birbeck and Wu Jin
0 Comment(s)
Print
E-mail China.org.cn, September 28, 2020
The Beijing Contemporary Art Expo opened to the public on Sept. 26 at the 798 Art Center, inside Beijing's 798 Art District. Dozens of galleries and cultural institutions are presenting works under this year's theme, "Art Expo for Tomorrow," with the expo set to run until Sept. 30.
Wang Yanling, founder and chairman of 798 Art Zone, addressed the opening ceremony, saying, "the arts are invaluable because of their power to improve human nature and most importantly, create happiness."
"Despite [China's] rapid growth in economic gains, we still lag far behind in our capacity to appreciate the value of art," Wang added.
Tian Chuyao, 11, is one of the expo's youngest contributors. Captivated by the ethereal designs of traditional Chinese craftsmanship, such as the country's world-renowned blue and white porcelain, Tian embarked on a campaign to preserve the beauty of China's cultural heritage through his paintings.
His efforts paid off last year when the Children's Alliance of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) organized an art exhibition in Qianmen, Beijing, displaying his works and receiving more than 100,000 visits.
Today, the mission continues with Tian and his contemporaries presenting 20 paintings at the Beijing Contemporary Art Expo 2020. Their paintings, which focus on the 600th anniversary of the Palace Museum, are currently being showcased at the entrance of the 798 Art Center's exhibition hall.
"I hope that the artistic works from older periods can be inherited with the efforts taken by me and my friends with our brushes and pens," Tian told China.org.cn on Friday.
"If nobody does this type of work, our unique cultural heritage will be on the brink of extinction," he said.
As the theme "Art Expo for Tomorrow" suggests, this year's expo also features the work of artists with an eye on the future. For example, the exhibition also features a platform that allows showcased works to be bought using blockchain.
Using blockchain to buy and sell art better protects and benefits both artists and art buyers thanks to blockchain's irreversible nature and preventive measures against fraud.
According to Li Meng, the founder and CEO of IMS, blockchain helps to promote the value of art in all respects.
Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)