Prague, Sept 5 (CTK) – Czech artists and institutions differ on the Chinese-European Biennial, a big exhibition Chinese organisers have prepared in Prague, which is to focus on traditional painting and present the works of European artists, including Czechs, along with Chinese authors.
The exhibition will open at the Exhibition Area on September 6. It will run through September 10.
Some Czech artists have declined to participate in the exhibition, as has the Prague-seated National Gallery.
“The exhibition has been prepared by Chinese artists from cultural institutions. They called on contemporary artists from China and Europe, including the Czechs, to take part in it. The works on display reflect the outlined themes for the Art Biennial to focus on,” said Monika Adi Vodakova, head of the Intercharm Production that has staged the exhibition.
Pavel Humpolec, who was born to Czech parents in Beijing in 1956 and is one of the 13 Czech painters represented at the biennial, said Chinese art made noteworthy progress in recent years.
He said the Prague exhibition will offer 350 Chinese and 50 European works of art.
“Some Czechs were selected as authors, but they excused themselves because they were afraid that the Chinese-Czech Chamber of Cooperation stands behind the project. This is not the case, as far as I know. Nevertheless, Czech politicians and people from the Chinese embassy have been invited to the ceremonial opening,” Humpolec said.
The exhibition was initiated by the Chinese-European group for cultural and artistic exchange.
According to Humpolec, Chinese living in the Czech Republic were also among the initiators.
NG director Jiri Fajt told CTK that the biennial is an act of political propaganda. He pointed at the human rights violation in China that has been criticised by the international community.
Humpolec, for his part, said the human rights question has been defined in accordance with the position of the Euro-American civilisation. It is disputable and only few countries have clean conscience in this respect, Humpolec said.
