Art that spans the seas

"For all those who will have the opportunity to admire the works of these artists, they will have a broader and more global view of the world, from a pure and unconditional perspective like that of a child," Lorenzo Chinnici says.

Architect and painter Zheng Rengang, based in Shanghai, is one of the artists to have his work included in the project's China launch. He attended the launching ceremony.

Born into a family of traditional Chinese painters, he learned the craft at a young age and went on to specialize in Western oil painting. His works merge the characteristics of both art forms, using the colors of oil paintings to depict traditional Chinese aesthetics.

"Maybe we didn't know one another before, but this project has allowed us the opportunity to gather together and communicate with other artists," Zheng says.

"Art is universal. Even though we speak different languages, our works can establish a connection among diverse cultures. Regardless of differences in our appearances, we have similar perceptions of beauty."

Carmelo Arcoraci, Meri's councilor for culture, and Francesco Chinnici traveled from Italy to attend the opening ceremony. The event was also joined by Francesco D'Arelli, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai, government representatives from Huangshan, as well as artists from around China.

According to a memorandum signed by Tunxi and Meri, the two areas plan to engage closely in practical cooperation and share opportunities in high-quality development. They will collaborate in the fields of tourism development, heritage preservation and cultural exchange.

In line with Tunxi's aspiration to establish itself as an international hub and boost cultural exchanges, the district is currently constructing a space specifically to showcase the project's artworks.

A portion of the artworks were recently showcased at the Countryside Art Carnival held in Tunxi's Yiqi town. The exhibition will also embark on a tour, visiting other districts and counties of Huangshan.

The project is also expanding its presence to other parts of Italy, including the city of Condro. For this edition, 11 artworks selected from around the world are due to be scaled up and displayed on large ceramic panels by July.

"It almost feels like this project has a life of its own. At first we only planned to carry out the project in Meri, but to my surprise, other cities in Italy expressed their interest in participating," Wang says.

While these cities are working to employ diverse methods to showcase the artworks, the project remains unaltered in bringing together artists from all over the world. And now, the introduction of the project in Huangshan marks the first time that the project has been brought to the international level.

"In the future, we hope to find more compatible Chinese cities, foster friendly relationships between them and Italian cities, as well as pass on the torch of this nonprofit initiative, the core concept of which is that'by art we are connected'," she adds.

Contact the writer at chengyuezhu@chinadaily.com.cn