To boost cultural exchange, fantastic works from Italy exhibited in Beijing

People visit an exhibition titled "Monet, Van Gogh and the masters of modernism -- Masterpieces from the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma" in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2023. [Xinhua]

BEIJING -- "Monet, Van Gogh and the masters of modernism — Masterpieces from the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma" was open to the public on July 16 in a venu of the Meet You Museum in Beijing, with 47 authentic works from 36 masters of modernism displayed.

The works of the exhibition span from the 1860s to the 1970s, and serve as a bridge for cultural exchange and mutual learning, allowing viewers to explore the century-long development path of Western art.

Standing in front of Van Gogh's canvas painting "L'Arlésienne (Portrait of Mme Ginoux)," Wang Chunyuan, the doctor from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, was deeply touched by the "vigorous vitality" contained in the seemingly calm picture.

The figure in the picture is Van Gogh's former landlord. Van Gogh took her as a prototype to create his last group of six works before he died. Currently on display is one of the works drawing on Gauguin's pastel painting, which Van Gogh mentioned multiple times in his letters.

With beautiful water lilies spreading out across the lake and their forms blending into the misty reflection, the entire picture creates a hazy and poetic atmosphere. French painter Monet's "Pink Water Lilies" undoubtedly became the most popular work at the exhibition site.

As one of the most important representatives of Impressionism, Claude Monet left more than 2,000 oil paintings in his life. The "Water Lilies" series is one of Monet's most representative paintings, showcasing perfectly the beauty of light, shadow, and color in the water. The "Pink Water Lilies" is an early work in the series, where Monet focused on a small scene of the pond.

What impressed Stefano Silvani, director of the Asian exhibition business of Mondo Mostre in Italy, was the hydropaint on canvas with cut work "Spatial Concept, Waiting." The work of art reminds Stefano Silvani of Chinese calligraphy.

Lucio Fontana drew a very simple line on the painting with a knife, while Chinese calligraphy also uses very simple strokes to display strong power, he said.

Stefano Silvani believes that many of the works exhibited can provide a glimpse into the century-long development history of Western art.

"The artist performs only one part of the creative process. The onlooker completes it, and it is the onlooker who has the last word." The saying from Marcel Duchamp quoted in the exhibition tells the mission of exhibitors.

Not only do we need artists to create, but we also need to present the works created by artists to more audiences, said Stefano Silvani, who hoped that the audience could enjoy this exhibition.

At the exhibition site, modernist artists broke through the limitations of media and actively tried various types of painting, sculpture, and photography, among others, presenting diverse styles.

Duchamp's work "Porte chapeau" attracted many viewers' gaze. The ordinary hat stand used in daily life is hung in the air, casting a shadow like an octopus in the light. Duchamp attempted to bring art to the level of ordinary life and to raise the discussion of "what is art" from a cognitive perspective.

"People may go abroad to appreciate arts and cultures around the world, but the most convenient way is to introduce overseas works to the domestic communities. However, some collections and works cannot be moved, so it is not easy for an important artwork to be exhibited in another city or country. We should cherish this opportunity," said Wang Chunchen, professor of the Central Academy of Fine Arts and curator of the Meet You Museum.

The Meet You Museum brand has set up six venues in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Nanjing, and Hangzhou since 2021. It has also established cooperation with hundreds of domestic and overseas cultural institutions, including several well-known Italian museums and art galleries.

The exhibition is expected to close on Oct.22 of this year. 

A woman visits an exhibition titled "Monet, Van Gogh and the masters of modernism -- Masterpieces from the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Roma" in Beijing, capital of China, July 15, 2023. [Xinhua]