The First Beijing International Art Biennial, China 2003, will be held here from Sept. 10 to Oct. 20, and 270 artists from more than 40 countries will showcase their works, the organizing committee said Monday.

The art biennial, jointly sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the People's Government of Beijing Municipality and Chinese Artists Association, will focus on the cutting edge of world cultural development.

Jin Shangyi, chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, believed that the Beijing art biennial would be different from other art biennials as it features paintings and sculptures and works of contemporary outstanding and mature artists in the mainstream.

Through careful discussions, the organization committee chose more than 400 pieces of paintings and sculpture, 150 from Chinese artists and 290 from foreign artists, Jin said.

Special exhibitions would be presented simultaneously, such as the Special Exhibition of Qi Baishi, a late master of Chinese painting, and of Takayama Tatsuo, a Japanese artist, as well as the Special Fine Art Exhibition of Korea and the Century Celebration Exhibition of the France Autumn Salon.

Chinese and foreign artists will reveal the different lifestyles and experiences of people in different countries through the forms of painting and sculpture, said an official with the organizing committee.
 
(People's Daily August 19, 2003)