Forword

  General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech Work Together to Build a Community of Shared Future for Mankind at a high-level conference of “Jointly Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind Through Consultation” at the Palace of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on January 18, 2017. President Xi has mentioned the concept of a community of shared future for mankind via speeches and signed articles at various domestic and international events for over a year. The concept calls on countries from across the world to jointly deal with non-traditional security factors, such as terrorism, refugee crisis and climate change. It calls for the building of a new international relationship that centers on win-win cooperation and the partnership featuring political mutual trust and economic growth. Meanwhile, such concept harbors the visions for strengthening the exchanges between countries and nations and promoting the building of a community of shared future for mankind, a community that is characterized by cultural tolerance.

  As the only national art museum of plastic arts in China, the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) proactively puts the essence of President Xi’s keynote speech into practice by elaborately curating this exhibition of international fine arts collections. NAMOC houses more than 110,000 pieces of ancient and modern fine arts globally. Among them, there are approximately 3,500 international fine arts works, covering oil painting, printmaking, sculpture and photography. Originated from 61 countries in the world, these works of art are chiefly donated by artists and collectors at home and abroad since the 1990s – in 1996, Professor Peter Ludwig, famous German entrepreneur, social activist and collector, and his wife Professor Irene Ludwig donated 89 pieces of 117 art works created by 82 European and American artists; in 2005, Mr. Liu Xun donated 108 Russian oil paintings, Mr. Li Songshan and his wife Madam Han Rong donated 158 pieces of wood carvings created by Makonde people from Tanzania, and Mr. Wang Qi donated 127 pieces of international printmaking; in 2006, Mr. Wu Biduan donated 149 pieces of printmaking from former Soviet Union; in 2007, Mr. Li Pingfan donated 137 pieces of Japanese Ukiyo-e paintings and 218 pieces of modern Japanese printmaking; in 2014, Timeless Gallery donated 100 original international photography works, Mr. Huang Jianhua donated two sculptures created by Salvador Dali, Spanish master artist; in 2016, Academie des Beaux-Arts donated thirteen French oil paintings. Laying a solid foundation of NAMOC international fine arts collection, these donations foster a preliminary list of western arts in the early 20th century, including works by world-renowned masters, such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Kaethe Kollwitz, Katsushika Hokusai, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Edward Weston, A. A. Milnikov, David Hockney, Anselm Kiefer, Markus Lupertz and Gerhard Richter.

  Today, we have selected more than 200 pieces created since the 19th century. They are composed of six sections: international art works donated by the Ludwig couple, international oil paintings, international printmaking; international sculptures; international photography works; and other categories like watercolor painting, sketch and lacquer painting. The Exhibition of International Art Collection strives to render a comprehensive presentation of NAMOC international fine arts collection from diverse angles. “Appreciate the culture or values of others as do to one's own, and the world will become a harmonious whole”. What international art works express are the emotions, wisdom and thoughts shared by mankind. It is believed that these outstanding works will present us the glory and mightiness of humanity that transcends spatial and temporal boundary in the art world.

  National Art Museum of China

  June 2018

文档来源: 中国美术馆