Diplomatic envoy gather at the Imperial Ancestral Temple – Chinese craftworks achieve fame along the Silk Road

   Embracing a refreshing season of spring and bright sunshine, the Silk Road Cities Alliance organized more than 60 diplomats from over 30 countries to visit the art exhibition, “Masterly Crafted in China”, another master event of the “Echo of Civilization” Series Exhibition, on March 15, 2017 at the Imperial Ancestral Temple in the Working People’s Cultural Palace. This exhibition was co-organized by the Silk Road Artistic Research and Collaboration and Innovation Center of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Imperial Ancestral Temple Art Museum.

   Jin Fei, Vice-President of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, said in his welcome speech that the “Masterly Crafted in China” art exhibition was a dialogue between Chinese craftsmen and nature, a communication of craftsmen and artists and at the same time a combination of the ancient and the contemporary. He expressed his thanks to Prof. Fan Di’an, President of Central Academy of Fine Arts, for planning such a rich and exquisite art exhibition. At the same time, he introduced the Silk Road Cities Alliance and its aim of promoting cultural exchange and cooperation between cities along the “One Belt, One Road” and building a bridge between people. He then added that the Alliance will continue organizing further related  “bringing in and going global” cultural activities. Helen Han, Executive General Secretary of the Silk Road Cities Alliance, presided over the opening ceremony of the event.

   Prof. Fan Di’an, famous curator, President of China Central Academy of Fine Arts and Honorary Curator of the Imperial Ancestral Temple Art Museum, gave a general introduction of the theme and the original intention of the exhibition in his welcome speech. China Central Academy of Fine Arts and the Imperial Ancestral Temple Art Museum were proud to co-host this exhibition. The collection of objects and vessels masterly crafted in China reflects both the beauty of rare historical relics and traditional craftworks recreated by contemporary artists, with ancient and modern art adding beauty and radiance to each other, a witness of achieving innovation without weeding out traditions, a prosperous nation built on time-cherished cultural roots”, he said. He also indicated that the spirit of craftsmanship, formed and highlighted from ancient times in China, has made an important contribution to Chinese culture and the development of the world civilization. “From the mastermind governing a country to creating arts at a craftsman heart, the “craft” means not only the carrier of cultural ideal and aesthetic pursuit, but also the embodiment of exquisite techniques and manufacturing standards.”

   The venue itself – previously a temple for royal ancestors and currently renamed the Working People’s Cultural Palace – is of the highest craftsmanship and its every brick bespeaks the spirit of the working people. The ancient relics and contemporary artworks are displayed alternately, which shows the master craftworks being inherited constantly in the long history of China. The diplomatic envoys marvelled at the artistic beauty, the crafted beauty as well as the labouring beauty of Chinese culture and enjoyed the excellent cultural heritages and contemporary artworks of China. At the end the diplomats expressed their appreciation and thanks to the Silk Road Cities Alliance for inviting them to such an exquisite exhibition.

   Ambassadors from Ukraine, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovakia, Latvia, Chile, Bulgaria, Luxemburg, Columbia, Benin, Cameroon, Afghanistan and various other countries visited the exhibition. Nearly 60 diplomats from the United States, Russia, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Mongolia, Singapore, Mexico, Indonesia, Romania, Egypt, Uruguay, Macedonia, Zimbabwe, Guyana, Sri Lanka, Moldova, Trinidad and Tobago, the EU delegation and others participated in this event.

   Under the guidance of Yue Jieqiong, Director of the Silk Road Artistic Research and Collaboration and Innovation Center of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Xu Jia, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department, the diplomats successively visited four exhibition sections named “obtaining knowledge by investigation of things”, “unknown quality”, “skills approaching to the arts of nature” and “showing one's own ingenuity” i.e. Chinese idioms. The exhibition works contain metal craft, stone carving, jade carving, textile, printing and dyeing, papermaking, ceramics, wood, bamboo, lacquer art, paper-cut, clay sculpture, shadow and other kinds of arts from all over the country, including both rare historical treasures and creative contemporary craftworks.

   CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, Liberation Daily, Wen Wei Po, China Youth Daily, China Radio International, Nationality Pictorial, Beijing TV, China Educational Channels, Beijing Daily and other media reported this event and interviewed the guests.

   This exhibition is the second high-quality cultural event organized by the “Silk Road Ark” after the previous one “Entering the creative world of Mr. Wu Weishan”, which was successfully held on December 11, 2016 and which received full support from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, the Imperial Ancestral Temple Art Museum and all the international envoys.

   Written by Xu Yue (Silk Road Cities Alliance)