A Special Project by La Biennale di Venezia’s Historical Archive to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo (1324 – 2024).Receivedthe special support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai and the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai.
Saturday 9 Novemberis the opening date of the first stageThe Perfect Path. Hangzhou, Marco Polo’s “city of heaven”, realized with the support of the China Academy of Art and curated by Luigia Lonardelli.
The Perfect Path. Hangzhou, Marco Polo’s “city of heaven”
TodayLa Biennale di Veneziaand theChina Academy of Art (CAA)inauguratedThe Perfect Path. Hangzhou, Marco Polo’s “city of heaven”, a group exhibition of contemporary art curated byLuigia Lonardelli, at theArt Museum of China Academy of Art at Hangzhou(Zhejiang, People's Republic of China), open from10 November 2024 to 10 January 2025.
The exhibition represents thefirst stageof theSpecial Project by La Biennale di Venezia’s Historical ArchivetitledThe Wind Makes the Sky. La Biennale di Venezia on the Traces of Marco Polo,which retraces Marco Polo’s travels on the 700th anniversary of his death (1324 – 2024), realized with the special support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai and the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai.
This exhibition isthe sign of the first collaboration arising from the three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)recently signed byLa Biennale di Venezia and the China Academy of Art (CAA), with the intent toactivate a series of exchange programmes and to promote a cultural and artistic dialogue between Italy and China.
Thesecond stageof the project will open inDecember 2024 in Veniceat La Biennale Headquarter, and thethird stagein the fall of2025 in Istanbul.
The Perfect Pathis a group exhibition of contemporary art that brings together a group of18 Chinese artists, based on experimentation that has found fertile ground in the China Academy of Art (CAA).
OnSunday 10 November, the exhibition will be visited by thePresident of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella.
Press conference
During the press conference held this morning, moderated byYu Xuhong, Director of the Art Museum of China Academy of Art, featured speakers includedJin Yibin, Party secretary of the China Academy of Art,Tiziana D’Angelo, General Consul of Italy in Shanghai,Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, President of La Biennale di Venezia,Francesco D’Arelli, Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Shanghai,Debora Rossi, Head of La Biennale’s Historical Archive,Xu Jiang, President of the Academic Committee of the China Academy of Art, andLuigia Lonardelli, Curator of the exhibition.
Statements by Luigia Lonardelli
“The Perfect Path,the title of the exhibition, is one of the ways to describe the concept of dao - stated theCurator Luigi Lonardelli- the path that each of us is called upon to discover and pursue. Around this principle, the exhibition gathers a group of18 Chinese artistswho have distinguished themselves for their unconventional approach to artistic genres,with an outlook mindful of tradition which at the same time fully embraces the latest technological developments. There is also a selection ofcreations by the students of the School of Animation and Games and the School of Film Art, that stand out for their particularly innovative approach. The exhibition displays andenhancesthe works of artists operating within the Chinese artistic system, which continues to reveal itself as one of the most significant areas of renewal in the languages of visual art, with the aim of portraying a generation that has envisioned and traced an original and innovative path rooted in a millenary tradition. The exhibition seeks to presenta panorama of the versatility within the individual careers of the artists who have developed many different techniques and working methods, with particular attention to the installation-based and digital nature of the most recent experimentations.”
“The celebration of the anniversary of Marco Polo’s death – saidthe Curator- isan opportunity to retrace the steps of a journeythat not only led to the conception of a refined treatise on trade universally recognized for its extraordinary nature, but also representsthe path towards the unknown of a young manwho travelled through the familiar lands of the Middle East, through the Central Asian deserts,coming into contact with a new world and becoming fully part of it, without erasing the differences but acquiring a mutual language of respect and understanding. Today, over seven centuries later, the language of art still embodies that same instinct, both mad and sublime at the same time, to chase the thrill of the thirst for knowledge by turning the gaze eastward.”
Amfibio by Cevdet Erek
This was also the occasion to present the stage designed by artistCevdet Erekfrom Istanbul, Amfibio,a modular and adaptable space of encounter and performance, conceived to host performances, readings and thematic focusesand to be permeable, in its realisation and audio system, to the architectural traditions and rhythms of the places through which it will travel.This gathering space will follow the subsequent stages of the projectThe Wind Makes the Skyas a shelter that can offer a place for respite and sharing.
“Many are the influences to be found in the design byCevdet Erek– explainedthe Curator– ranging from the temporary architectures to the merchandise display systems to the aquatic structures; Amfibio preserves its dual nature in its very title, while the root of 'amfi' refers to the idea of being around.”
The graphic design and brand's design
Thegraphic identity and the brand’s design of this Special Projectare byHeadline, Rovereto (Italy). The design is structured through geometrically tridimensional elements that, in their final configuration, form the symbol of the Dao. This visual choice isn’t merely aesthetic, but deeply conceptual: the geometric shapes symbolise the articulated and complex nature of the journey, evoking the idea of forward movement and progress.
La Biennale di Venezia
La Biennale di Veneziawas established in 1895 and is acknowledged today as one of the most prestigious cultural institutions. La Biennale di Venezia stands at the forefront of research and promotion of new contemporary art trends and organizes events in all its specific Departments: Art (1895), Architecture (1980), Cinema (1932), Theatre (1934), Dance (1999), Music (1930) – alongside exhibitions, performing arts,research and training activities. The history of La Biennale di Venezia is documented in the Library at the Central Pavilion in the Giardini and in the Historical Archive in its offices in Marghera,pending its move to the new headquarters at the Arsenale.
China Academy of Art
TheChina Academy of Art(CAA) is a university at the cutting-edge of the art world, which aims to enhance Chinese art in sectors such as design, theatre, cinema, television, and architecture.
