The 2015 Nanjing International Art Festival opens today, which will run through Sept 26 at the Nanjing International Exhibition Center. With the theme of A Beautiful New World, the exhibition has three themed exhibitions, an art expo and forums on art topics. The curatorial team has selected nearly 1,000 pieces of art among more than 20,000 artworks from all around the world. Besides, contemporary masterpieces from Tate Gallery and Pompidou Center will also be on show during the art festival. Swedish film director Roy Arne Lennart Andersson will bring his film A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence to the festival which has won the Golden Lion Award during the 71st Venice film festival.

The Nanjing International Art Festival is the largest international art exhibition sponsored by Chinese private institutions. It dedicates to inject new vitality to the Chinese art community, help Chinese culture and art open wider to and blend in with the outside world. Ultimately, to expand the influence and boost the status of artworks created by Chinese artists in the international art arena. The organisers aim to build the event into a Chinese “Venice Biennale” thus discovering potential talents, injecting vigor for the art world and cultivating well-known artists with global recognition. 

Phil Akashi has been selected by the curatorial team led by Zhu Tong (Chief Curator), Yu Ke, Xia Kejun and Eleonora Battiston and he eventually received the Excellence Award for his work untitled #1 of his Legend of the Dragon project. Akashi's artwork is presented in the Global Collection Exhibition with the theme: Diversified Colors - Leading Trends. The collection of these artworks aims to pursue freedom and equality in the spirit of the arts, and thus to provide a fair arena for both Chinese and international artists to display their talents. This exhibition is about the portrayal of emotions that artists feel towards current society, their contemplation on and utilisation of culture, their versatile methods of expression, and also to encourage experimentation and creativity.

EXHIBITION THEME: A BEAUTIFUL NEW WORLD
Currently, with imbalanced resources and deteriorating environment, human civilisation and technical development have encountered major problems. These problems are widespread, covering geopolitical conflicts, wars, racial violence, multi-cultural differences, ideological conflicts, economic discrepancy, terrorist attacks, and financial crisis to name but a few. Amidst this world of contradictions, Chinese art is facing its own: contradictions between traditional and contemporary arts, East and West, society and individuals. In this era of rapid globalisation, the art community is also confronted with problems such as social issues, resources and environment; how to solve these problems is the central topic.

CURATING TEAM
Producer: Yan Lugen
Chief Curator: Zhu Tong
Curators: Yu Ke, Xia Kejun, Eleonora Battiston (Italy)
Art Consultant: Uli Sigg (Switzerland), Paul Huxley (UK)
 
DURATION AND VENUE
Duration: September 16-26, 2015
Opening Ceremony: 15:00 September 16, 2015 (Invited guests and VIP customers only)
Public Open Day: September 17-26 (accessible to all)
Address: Nanjing International Exhibition Center (No.88 Long Pan Road, Xuan Wu District, Nanjing)

Untitled #1, Legend of the Dragon series, Phil Akashi - Excellence Award Winner 

Phil Akashi and  curator Xia  Kejun - Nanjing International Art Festival 2015

Hu Youben, Cheng  Puyun, Phil Akashi, Zhang  Dawo - Nanjing International Art Festival 2015

Cheng  Puyun  and Phil Akashi - Nanjing International Art Festival 2015 

Nanjing International Exhibition Center 2015