HK collector displays Italian art in Beijing

Roberto Barni's installation Passion is on show.

"I used to think that Chinese contemporary art is amazing when I started collecting it. But when I went to Italy, the art there made a deep impression on me. The art there is deeply integrated with daily life," says Wong.

Gianni Dessi, whose sculptures were displayed in the 2014 show, and are also on show in the current exhibition, represents the '80s art.

His sculpture, Three For You, comprising human heads in bright colors, is very popular. A larger version of the piece, much taller than a person of average height, is displayed outside Wong's mall.

Dessi says the three heads represent his portraits. The colors, red, black and yellow, show his way of expressing his feelings about the world.

"It's a coincidence that there is a red head and another one with a ping pong ball. The elements of red color and ping pong ball are kind of Chinese style," says Dessi, who has visited China to display his works earlier.

Before his first visit to China in 2013, Dessi was interested in Chinese characters. For him, a Chinese character offers many image possibilities.

Among the artists whose works are on show is Marina Paris. A representative of emerging Italian art from the 2000s, Paris is showing her work here for the first time.