On the occasion of the “Giornata del Contemporaneo” (“Contemporary Art Day”), a major event that promotes contemporary art – curated by the Association of Italian Contemporary Art Museums and set up with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – the Italian Embassy, the Consulates General and the Italian Cultural Institutes in China managed to organise, despite the persistence of rigid COVID-19 containment measures, high-level events aimed at bringing the Chinese public closer to the world of contemporary art and raising awareness about environmental and sustainability issues, key themes of this year’s edition.
In Beijing, the seminar-exhibition “Art and Environmental Sustainability – Matter and Ecology” was organised together with Italian artists Filippo Cardella, Jacopo Della Ragione, Luigi Giacobbe and with Liu Ruowang, one of China’s foremost contemporary artists. In Shanghai, the exhibition “Design for Fun”, which brings together 200 of the most iconic objects of Italian industrial design from the past 70 years and whose installation was curated by renowned designer Aldo Cibic, kicked off at the Museum of Art Pudong, while an open talk with artist Stefano Galli will be held in Zhujiajiao, the famous water town in the outskirts of Shanghai that dates back to the Ming era, which is also a UNESCO site. In Hong Kong, the exhibition Optical Perspectives has been organised, with works by artist Marcello Morandini on display at Fine Art Asia. In Chongqing it is possible to enjoy a virtual tour of the exhibition “Emilio Isgrò. Leaving a mark”, set up at the local Academy of Fine Arts. The Consulate in Canton also organised a virtual tour of artist Robert Bosisio’s first personal exhibition in China, “Painted Stillness”, showcased at the prestigious W.Onespace at the Sea World Culture Arts Center in Shenzhen.
Delivering his opening speech during the event hosted at the Italian Embassy in Beijing, Ambassador Luca Ferrari pointed out that “the diplomatic network in China has responded with a number of activities aimed at enhancing Italian ingenuity and creative style in contemporary art. Through such initiatives, Italy further confirms its role as a cultural diplomacy superpower, in a special context such as the Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism 2022”.
