To commemorate the 700th anniversary death and his journeys in ancient China, the China Academy of Art is oftheVenice Biennale and its Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts.
In the 13th century, during China’s Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the young Polo embarked on his life-defining adventure to the Orient. His recorded experiences opened up a window for the West to know China, which to some degree changed the world.
The Venetian merchant and traveler also left behind a detailed chronicle of his experiences in Hangzhou during that dynasty. His description of Hangzhou as “the finest and most splendid city in the world” reportedly deepened Westerners’ yearning for the Orient.
From the Yuan Dynasty on, Polo has been remembered by both China and Italy. This month, when Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Beijing, both leaders cited the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo’s journey to China as a hallmark of historical links between the two civilizations.
2024 also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy. In August, the CAA signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Venice Biennale, and this exhibition is the first collaborative project following the memo.
“Both China and Italy are ancient civilizations with rich cultures and enduring historical traditions, and they have made fundamental contributions to the evolution of human civilization,” said Jin Yibin, Party secretary of the CAA, at the opening ceremony.
Polo’s China stories perfectly illustrate what Hangzhou has been diligently promoting for contemporary arts: mutual learning and understanding.
The exhibition features works by Chinese artists who bring fresh perspectives to the language of visual art. It highlights a generation that has forged an innovative path, deeply rooted in 1,000 years of tradition.
For instance, Gao Shiqiang’s project “Shanshui Movement” is a long-term visual project initiated by the CAA. It is to revitalize the Chinese shanshui (mountains and waters) painting genre and the worldview behind it in modern times.
In traditional art, shanshui is not only a unique aesthetic and perceptual study, but also a form of ideas that transcends apocalyptic and messianic conceptions. It represents a hope that aimed at reintegrating a fragmented worldview.
Xu Jiang’s sculpture “Is Symbiosis Possible” features 800 sunflowers and lotuses made by glass fiber-reinforced plastic, indicating a harmonious mutualism between sunflowers grown from the earth and lotuses grown from water.
Xu took half a year to create this large sculpture, which is now placed at the entry of the exhibition to welcome visitors. The 69-year-old artist has been obsessed with sunflowers and believes the golden flowers that are cultivated for their edible seeds are the perfect symbol for China.
Since 2005, Xu has created a great number of works centered around sunflowers. In recent years, the CAA had displayed his oil paintings, watercolor paintings and sculptures all featuring sunflowers.
Outside the gallery of the CAA, the stage “Amphibious” designed by Istanbul-based artist Cevdet Erek welcomes visitors into a space of different scenarios along the route of the Venice Biennale.
His artistic practice is based on the themes of sound, architecture, rhythm, measured time, dance music and sitespecificity. Combining video, sound and images, Erek often attempts to alter the viewer’s perception and experience of a given environment. The artist conflates these seemingly objective systems with other apparently more subjective ones, such as the timeline of events or the changing rhythm in musical improvisations.
“China and Italy are two ancient civilizations with a consensus that the history of civilizations hasn’t perished in the past. On the contrary, the energy of civilizational history still exists today,continuously contributing to the contemporary era,” CAA’s Jin said.
“Both countries, enriched by their historical memories and potential, learn from each other and provide artistic contexts, showcasing their unique narratives in the arts.”
