On Mar 2, 2022, White - Contemporary Italian Ceramic Art Exhibition, as a special exhibition of Spirit of Porcelain - China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale 2021(CJICB), held in Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue, Jingdezhen, China. The exhibition is one of the activities of the Year of Culture and Tourism of China and Italy. Hu Xuemei, deputy secretary of Municipal Party Committee and mayor of Jingdezhen, Zheng Hao, vice leader of the Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, Lucia Pasqualini, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, Li Liangzhi, secretary of the Party Committee of Jingdezhen Ceramic University(JCU) and Huang Xiaohua, vice general manager of China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Massimo Isola, mayor of Faenza, Italy, president of the Italian Ceramic Cities Association and chairman of European Ceramic Road and Matteo Zauli, curator of exhibition and director of Museum Carlo Zauli, attended the ceremony and delivered speeches at online meeting room in Italian branch. Gao Xiaoyun, vice mayor of Jingdezhen, LV Pinchang, deputy secretary of the Party Committee and vice president of JCU and LV Jinquan, member of the Party Committee and vice president of JCU attended the ceremony. Zhang Xiuzhong, president of Zhong Art International S.r.l. and executive curator attended the activity in Italian. Liu Zili, deputy director of the Management Committee of Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experiment Zone, hosted the ceremony.
Hu Xuemei, Deputy Secretary of Municipal Party Committee and Mayor of Jingdezhen
Hu Xuemei said she was very glad to meet everyone here in Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue and the parallel online meeting room in Italian branch to witness the opening of White - Contemporary Italian Ceramic Art Exhibition. Jingdezhen is the only city in the world where the ceramic industry has supported the development for a thousand years, and is the main origin city and important source of goods on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Jingdezhen ceramics is an important cultural symbol for the world to understand China and China to go globe and an important bridge to promote the exchange of world civilizations. Italy and China are both ancient civilizations and Faenza is the most crucial birthplace of Italian ceramics and is known as the Porcelain Capital of the Western Countries. The two cities meet and merge with each other by the porcelain. She is believed that on the road of mutual learning and interaction, the friendship between the two cities will be more integrated, more exciting and deeper because of porcelain, and will usher in a broader space for development. The artworks on display which represent the painstaking effort made by Italian artists not only show the exquisite level of ceramic craftsmanship, but also reflects the cultural and applied value of contemporary Italian ceramics fused with art, which enjoy a high artistic value. It is hoped that through this exhibition, increasing number of Chinese people would learn about the history and development of Italian ceramics and appreciate the unique charms of Western ceramics. It’s hoped that the two cities would hold hands in hands to make the world a prosperity ceramic culture and a bright future for the communication and integration of world civilizations.
Massimo Isola, Mayor of Faenza, Italy, President of Italian Association of the City of Ceramics and Chairman of European Route of Ceramics
Massimo Isola stated it’s meaningful to display Italian ceramic artworks in Jingdezhen cause the exhibition brings a lively and active dialogue between Jingdezhen and Faenza, which contains the great efforts made by Italian ceramic artists. The exhibition shows the history and application of ceramics in Italy, reflecting the interconnection of artists who use ceramics as a kind of materials, providing an opportunity for mutual communication, exchange of needed things and growth together. This is a journey of communication about ceramics. Ceramics are transported to different parts of the world, which not only brings beauty and wisdom, but also stirs the heartstrings of civilization. It promotes economic development and makes ceramics a symbol in the depths of people’s soul. He believes that the exhibition will show that, on cultural prospective, ceramics is still a mystery to be discovered and explored because of the richness connotation of the geography and history behind it. At the same time, it will certainly be a wonderful opportunity to learn about porcelain, Jingdezhen and China.
Zheng Hao, Vice Leader of Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Zheng Hao mentioned that Jingdezhen enjoys the reputation of Porcelain Capital for Millennium. For more than a thousand years, there have been constantly fired ceramics in Jingdezhen with continuous producing and creating, and have been contributed to the development of world ceramic civilization. Taking the exhibition as an opportunity and the ceramics as the carrier, Jingdezhen and Faenza, the two cities started a lively dialogue. It not only provides a platform for ceramic art exchanges and mutual learning between the two countries, and also creates a positive model for promoting the all-round development of Sino-Italian cultural relations. We hope Jingdezhen would make good use of the opportunity of Biennale as a platform for cultural heritage and innovation and international exchange, and provide more opportunities for mutual enlightenment and win-win cooperation for the related cultural institutions, artists and other people in the industry from both countries.
Li Liangzhi, Secretary of Party Committee of Jingdezhen Ceramic University
Li Liangzhi pointed out 2022 marks the 52nd anniversary of the construction of diplomatic relationship between Italy and China. In order to further promote culture exchange and cooperation between the two countries, JCU together with the Municipal People's Government of Jingdezhen, China Arts and Entertainment Group and the International Academy of Ceramics organizes the White - Contemporary Italian Ceramic Art exhibition. JCU as the only multi-disciplinary university in the world devotes to promoting Chinese ceramic culture, carrying the duty of cultural exchange between Chinese and Western countries and playing a crucial role in this field. JCU have held many foreign exchange activities and art exhibitions in ceramic field. The success organization of Spirit of Porcelain - China Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale 2021 and Whiteness — Contemporary Italian Ceramic Art Exhibition will help to construct the Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experiment Zone and leave a unforgettable memory for the ceramic cultural exchange between China and the West.
Huang Xiaohua, Vice General Manager of China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd.
Huang Xiaohua said that as a world renowned ceramic city and an important city on the Maritime Silk Road, Jingdezhen is an outstanding symbol representing Chinese civilization. Ancient Faenza ceramics which produced hundreds years ago have a clear Chinese style. It is an important mark of cultural and artistic exchange between Italy and China. The two cities are famous for ceramics, bonded by ceramics and developed by ceramics. The organizing of this exhibition is really important to practice the exchange and mutual appreciation of different civilizations. China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. will continue to play the major role in culture exchange, providing well-service to artists of home and overseas and prompting mutual understand and support between two countries. In the future, we will continue to serve Chinese and foreign artists by promoting exchanges and mutual appreciation across borders, time and civilization, and making friends and art contacts with artists from all over the world. Let’s hold hands together to build a beautiful community for mankind.
Lucia Pasqualini, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou
Lucia Pasqualini delivered that Jingdezhen is known as the porcelain capital of the world. She is always longing for visiting here. The exhibition is one of the activities of the Sino-Italian Year of Culture and Tourism and witnessed the tight connection and mutual respect between the two outstanding ceramic producing center. It’s also a testimony to the deep friendship between the two cities since the signing of the Friendship City Agreement since 2013. Over the centuries, ceramics have undergone numerous changes, but it always reminds at the center position of the trade in the Mediterranean area and along the Silk Road and in a sense providing an insight point to know the changes of society. Ceramics played an important role in people's daily trade, both as a necessity and as a piece of furniture and decorative art. The ceramic museums in Jingdezhen and Faenza are important sites for our understanding of human history and must be preserved and valued. She hopes the exhibition will be success and the two cities will achieve more exchanges and cooperation contract after the epidemic.
Matteo Zauli, Curator, Director of Carlo Zauli Museum
Matteo Zauli said that he was very proud to have curated the exhibition. His father is a sculptor, so he has been influenced by Chinese ceramics since he was a child, especially Jingdezhen ceramics. His father often told him that the art of ceramics came from China and Chinese ceramics had a profound influence on Italian ceramics and even the worldwide range of ceramics. White is not only the color of Chinese pottery clay, but the color has always been appreciated and fascinated by Italian artists. For this reason, he chose white as the theme of this exhibition. In this way, he could reveal the two worlds of Italian art ceramics, which are the world of sculptors and designers and the world of artists. He sincerely hopes the ceramic projects between two countries and two cities will be more success in the future.
Liu Zili, Deputy Director of the Management Committee of Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Experiment Zone, Hosting the Ceremony
It is reported that the exhibition is jointly sponsored by Jingdezhen Municipal People’s Government, JCU, Municipal Government of Faenza City, China Arts and Entertainment Group Ltd. and International Academy of Ceramics, organized by China International Exhibition Agency, Jingdezhen Taoxichuan Ceramic Art Avenue, Department of International Cooperation and Communication of JCU, School of Ceramic Art of JCU, Carlo Zauli Museum, Zhong Art International S.r.l. and Jingdezhen International Communication Center of Ceramic Culture, and supported by Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China, Embassy of Italy in Beijing, Italian Association of the City of Ceramics and European Route of Ceramics. The exhibition invites 32 artists from Italy and total 54 works, presenting a narrative approach to the use of ceramics in contemporary Italian art, demonstrating the artists' understanding of ceramic materials and the reflection and practice of ceramics on the diversity of human civilization.
