From the Renault A-type vehicle in 1899 to the recent Citroen concept car; from the painted entry of the Paris subway in 1900 to a Concorde and Ariana rocket; all these items, marking important firsts in French history, will be exhibited at a design art show at China National Museum in Beijing starting Oct. 10.

At a press conference held here Monday, Alain Lombard, commissioner general of the France Culture Year, said the exhibition -- the largest foreign one ever held in China -- will be an important part of the forthcoming French Culture Year. More than 220 works will be displayed in an state-of-art way by Chinese and French artists, in a 3,600-square-meter area.

According to Lombard, the items were carefully selected from the Pompidou National Art Center, a museum specializing in 19th century works of art and a museum specializing in 1930s works of art. The Chinese audience, through these items, will see the evolution of the transportation tools of the French people over the past century, and the delicacy of industrial products, including furniture, containera, electric facilities, perfume, bags, clocks, costumes and visual art.

French President Jacques Chirac praised the show, saying that it infuses new content into many dialogues between "beauty" and "practicality." He hopes the exhibition will resonate with the Chinese people.

"We also hope it can give Chinese people a vivid picture of French culture featuring romantic, creative and human-oriented innovations," said Lombard.

He stressed the show can be called a "century mirror" of the French culture, which reflects French cultural traditions and evolution, and explores the relationships between design and humans and between design and life, outlining the unique cultural character of the French

The two-day "Sino-French Design Summit Forum 2004," at which famous designers from China and France will conduct speeches and symposia, will be held simultaneously with the show.

The exhibition, to close in Beijing on November 19, will move to Nanjing, Shenzhen and other large Chinese cities.
 
(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2004)