Regulations of the 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2017
Beijing International Art Biennale (Beijing Biennale for short) was initiated in 2003, with the ratification of the State Council and funded financially. It is jointly sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Government of Beijing Municipality and the China Artists Association, and it is an international academic exhibition with its unique mode which was ratified by the Central Government. We have so far held the Beijing Biennale successively for 6 times in 2003, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015. The participating countries have reached from 45 to 96, the participating artists have totaled more than 3600 and the visitors have been more than 1 million during the past 10 years. As a platform for international cultural exchanges, Beijing Biennale adopts the cooperative mode of the Chinese Curatorial Committee and the international curators. We adhere to the idea of making efforts to build a specific international platform, and the Beijing Biennale is praised as the biggest art biennale with its exhibits mainly consisting of paintings and sculptures. Through the conception of promoting the global harmony by the contemporary artistic exhibition and respecting the variety of the international culture and advice of equal conversation between the orient and occident culture, Beijing Biennale has obtained the approbation and the support from more and more artists across the world.
- The Designation of the Exhibition
The 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2017 (The 7th Beijing Biennale for short)
- Duration, Venue and Sum of Exhibits
Duration: September 24th to October 15th, 2017 (to be determined)
Venue: National Art Museum of China, Beijing
Sum of Exhibits: 600 or so
Some selected foreign works are planned to exhibit in Shenzhen
III. The Theme of the 7th Beijing Biennale
Theme: The Silk Road and World’s Civilizations
Interpretation of the theme:
Interpretation: In 1877, German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen named for the first time the ancient traffic route connecting China and the West the “Silk Road”. Originally, the Silk Road referred to the land route opened up together by Chinese Han Dynasty emissary Zhang Qian et al. and the peoples of countries along it, but later this included the “Maritime Silk Road.” The Silk Road is not only an economic and trade route, but also a way of cultural exchanges. Desert caravans carried away silk, ceramics, paper from the Central Plains in the Han and Tang Dynasties, and brought Buddhism, pipa and spices from the Western region. The stories of Chinese monks Xuanzang’s westbound pilgrimage and Jianzhen’s eastbound voyage, as well as the legend of Italian traveler Marco Polo, add a romantic color to the Silk Road. China, India, Iran, Arab, Greek and Roman civilizations were entwined on the ancient Silk Road, updating and enriching the world civilizations. The Silk Road was the bond linking world civilizations, the main road between East and West cultures; as a witness of mutual learning of the world’s civilizations, it has become a symbol of East-West cultural exchanges. The exchanges and mutual learning of world civilizations, equal dialogue and complementary advantages of eastern and western cultures and the common human dream of world peace and development constitute the ever new spirit of the Silk Road. Now many ancient cities along the Silk Road have been reduced to rubble, but the Silk Road spirit is timeless. The theme of 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, 2017– The “Silk Road and World’s Civilizations” is aimed to promote the Silk Road spirit, mutual learning of world civilizations, the exchange and integration of contemporary East-West cultures, and the realization of common human dream of world peaceful development. Artists are not limited to countries along the Silk Road, but we will include artists around the world, because the spirit of the Silk Road has shared spiritual values of mankind; it has attracted the attention of contemporary artists around the world. Subject matter of the exhibits is not limited to depicting the ancient Silk Road sites, not just nostalgia, but rather we focus on the Silk Road spirit — show the spirit of mutual learning of the world civilizations, in particular the spirit of contemporary East-West cultural integration. Once, the Renaissance in Europe had benefited from the East-West cultural exchanges on the Silk Road; today, the world civilizations converge in the new Silk Road in the 21st century, and we will meet the early arrival of a great new era of contemporary Eastern and Western Renaissance.
- Requirements for Participating Artists and Works
Works for the Beijing Biennale are expected to come from all over the world and influential artists and their representative works will be selected from various participating countries. The works to be exhibited would be mainly composed of paintings and sculptures. However, a certain amount of video and installation works are also acceptable.
- Participating artists of the Beijing Biennale, domestic and international, consist of specially invited ones and free ones. The Curatorial Committee is to make the decision on the list of the invited artists, and freely participating works are welcomed from all over the world.
- As a rule, participating works should be completed in the last 5 years and should be of high aesthetic taste and artistic quality. If the works are at certain agencies or collected by other people, the artists are obligated to contact these agents and collectors. If the failure of contact results that the works could not participate in the Biennale, the artists will lose his selection qualification. The author should not change the works without authorization; otherwise the Curatorial Committee would refuse the substitutes.
- The minimum size of drawing work should not be smaller than 1.2×1.2m (including frame) in principle, or larger than 3.0×3.0m (including frame). The minimum size of a sculpture is 0.5 m³ (the summation of the size of lengthwise, the transverse and the height should not be smaller than 1.5m), and the maximum size is 2 m³ (the summation of size of the lengthwise, the transverse and the height should not be bigger than 6m); the weight of a single work should not be over 150 kg, with all parts jointed firmly, and the whole item should be stable, non-fading and non-deforming. Regarding to how to present the artworks, it needs to be under the requirements of the Museum. If you have any special request, please contact the Organizing Committee before July, 2017.
- The Organizing Committee has the right to refuse to exhibit works which are not in accordance with the forms submitted by artists or which are oversized, overweighed, noisy, mildewed, smelly, easy to leak liquid, difficult to transport and arrange for exhibition or dangerous to visitors and museum.
- If the selected work is involved into any unsettled historic matters, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to disqualify the entry from selection, exhibition, publication and participation into the symposium.
- How to Participate and Related Schedule
- All artists should each submit the photos within 3 works to the Curatorial Committee for selection and should send Registration Form for Participating Artists and Caption of Works for the 7th Beijing International Art Biennale, China 2017. You can download the forms from the website of the Beijing Biennale (cf. XII. Contact Information) or get them from the Beijing Biennale Office (for free). All the blanks in the form should be filled in. Except for the signature, all the contents in the form need to be filled in via computer and printed out. Materials will not be accepted beyond the deadline.
Participating artists need to attach 2 personal color photos at the size of 2 inches with the registration forms. Meanwhile, an electronic image of the same personal photo no smaller than 1Mb according to the requirements of printing (in compact disc) is also required.
- The deadline for you to send by post all required material is December 25th, 2016. Please send by post the forms with your handwritten signature, color photos of the works (The size of the photo is supposed to be 12 inches, and each sculpture should be matched with 3 photos from different perspectives. On the back of the photo there should be the following information: name of the artist, title, size, materials and so on. Assembled works should be attached with detailed installation instruction), compact disc (the electronic image of yourself portrait need to be no smaller than 1Mb, the artworks no smaller than 4Mb) to the Beijing Biennale Office before December 25th, 2016 for the curators’ selection. (cf. XII. Contact Information) Please keep the tracking number of your delivery for your convenience.
All materials related with the participating works would not be returned.
- No registration or participating fee.
- The curatorial committee will select exhibits from all the works by virtue of their photos at the end of March, 2017. The result will be declared later at the official website of the Beijing Biennale. Meanwhile, the Organizing Committee will send an official letter to the selected artists to clarify the duties, rights and obligations of both sides. The official invitation letter will be sent to representatives of selected artists after completion of the procedures for the approval of foreign affairs.
- The Organizing Committee reserves the rights as follows: freely exhibiting the selected and invited works, freely taking photos of these works and making use of these photos free of charge, freely and publicly making use of the artists’ personal information in the registration forms and at the website without concerned expenses to the artist for international publicity of the exhibition and the publication of the catalogue.
- Mounting, Packaging, Shipping and Insurance of Art Works
- The Organizing Committee covers the cost of round-trip transportation of foreign works. For the domestic exhibits, we cover only the returning cost.
- The artists are responsible for installing frames for their painting works. Oil painting should be firmly fastened on the external frame, and nails and other sharp objects should not be protruding from the internal or external frames. Prints, watercolors and pastels should not be mounted on frames with glass surface. However, organic glass or transparent plastic board can be used. The participants should prepare by themselves if special need of displaying table. Works created with other media need to be further discussed.
- The participating artists should cover the cost of round-trip insurance of transportation by themselves for their works. The Organizing Committee will be responsible for the insurance of the works of the theme exhibition during the exhibition.
- The Organizing Committee will timely inform international artists the authorized transportation company which will contact with the off-bound artists in a timely manner by website announcements and e‑mail. Before May 31st 2017, all the artists from abroad are required to deliver your artwork to the logistics company appointed by the Organizing Committee after Heat Treatment or methyl Bromide fumigation. Please clearly mark the artwork number informed by the Organizing Committee at the outside of all packages. To facilitate the customs clearance, all non-manufactured wood/original wood packaging materials (including all the package materials, such as wood case, pad and wedge) must be treated by Heat Treatment or methyl Bromide fumigation at the origin and the artist are required to put the mark of IPPC on 2 opposite sides of the wooden packaging materials. All of packaging charges will be afforded by artists themselves. Please note, logistics will not door-to-door pick up your artwork.
Before August 31st 2017, domestic participants should send directly door to door packaged works to the designated address of our Organizing Committee in time, with the artwork number informed by the Organizing Committee on the box. The participants should cover the arrival cost of the works. The return cost of the works will be covered by the Organizing Committee.
Selected participants should send the selected works to the transport agent in time. If the artists change works without getting authorization, the Organizing Committee has the right to refuse the works. If the selected works cannot be transferred to the agent or to the Organizing Committee in time, we are not responsible for their missing the exhibition.
If artists send works which have not been selected to the Organizing Committee or to the venue of the exhibition, the Organizing Committee will refuse to accept the works and have no obligation to protect or return them.
- If works (including the works of the Special Exhibition) are damaged due to inappropriate package, damaged, broken or deformed because of their instability and infirmity during transportation, the Organizing Committee will inform the artist in time and will not be in a position to compensate for the loss.
- The Organizing Committee will be responsible for returning the works. If the selected artists abroad send their works to the Organizing Committee without the assistance of the appointed agents, the Organizing Committee will not be responsible for returning their works. If the artists do need to return the works with the help of the appointed agents, the artists should negotiate with the Organizing Committee before September 1st 2017.
VII. The Catalogue and Publicity Materials
- The catalogue: 635mm×965mm 1/16 color format. In addition to all participating works, it includes brief introductions to artists and short caption of the artworks. Each participating artist will have 2 catalogues.
- Exhibition Guide and Tips for the Artists
- Color Poster
- Invitation Cards
VIII. Symposium
- A one-day international symposium with simultaneous interpretation (in English) will be held after the opening ceremony.
- The Curatorial Committee members, exhibition participants, influential art critics, curators, scholars and so on from both home and abroad will be invited.
- Discussion will focus on the exhibition theme, for instance
- Before July 15th 2017, selected artists should send the symposium receipt to the Organizing Committee. The Organizing Committee will select the representatives, and cover 4 days’ accommodations and food in Beijing only for foreign selected artists who participate in the symposium (The companion of the artists should pay all his/her cost by himself/herself, and deal with the visa to Beijing by themselves).
- Donations
The Organizing Committee accepts voluntary donation. If you decide to donate your artwork, please indicate and sign at the end of the Caption of Work Form. Your donated work should be the original artwork. The Organizing Committee will issue a donation certificate to the artist and hold donation works exhibitions at the right time.
- Certificate
The Organizing Committee will issue Certificate for Selection and Certificate for Donation.
- Organizations
Sponsors: China Federation of Literary and Art Circles
The People’s Government of Beijing Municipality
China Artists Association
China Artists Association will be responsible for concrete implementation.
Supporting Organization: (to be determined)
Co-organizations: (to be determined)
Cooperation Organizations: Chinese Embassies in Participating Countries, Embassies of Participating Countries in China, Cooperative Organizations from Participating Countries
Organizing Committee:
The Organizing Committee of the 7th Beijing Biennale, composed of honorary director, executive director, deputy directors and committee members will coordinate organizations, supporting organizations, co-organizations and related departments and is responsible for the preparation and exhibition work of the 7th Beijing Biennale. (the details need to be further discussed)
Curatorial Committee:
The Curatorial Committee of the 7th Beijing Biennale (Curatorial Committee for short), composed of directors of the organizations involved, artists and invited international curators under takes the academic work of the Biennale’s preparation and exhibition, including recommendation of specially invited artists from home and abroad, selection of artworks, planning for the symposium and editorial work for the catalogue etc.
Counselors (2): Jin Shangyi, Shao Dazhen
Chief Curators (6): Zuo Zhongyi, Liu Dawei, Feng Yuan, Wang Mingming, Wu Weishan, Xu Li
Curatorial Team (19) (in the order of Chinese surname strokes):
Ding Ning, Ma Shulin, Wang Yong, Lu Yushun, Tian Liming, Liu Jin’an, Li Xiangqun, Yang Feiyun, Zou Wen, Shang Hui, Zhang Xiaoling, Hang Jian, Hu Wei, Tao Qin, Zhu Di, Chao Ge, Dong Xiaoming, Tan Ping, Xue Yongnian
International Curators (4): Vencenzo Sanfo(Italy), Beate Reifenscheid(Germany), Miguel Angel Benavides(USA), Xenia Benivolski(Canada)
Convenors of Curatorial Committee (2): Tao Qin, Wang Yong
The Beijing International Art Biennale Office, as well as the International Department of the China Artists Association will be responsible for all the organizing work.
Notes: The artists applying to participate in this Beijing International Art Biennale are all regarded as agreeing with the above regulations and the content of the forms. The Organizing Committee of the 7th Beijing International Art Biennale 2017 has the sole right to explain the regulations. All the items in this regulation are mainly applied to the theme exhibition. The rights and obligations of the Special Exhibition need to be further discussed between the Organizing Committee and the organizer of the Special Exhibition.
The Organizing Committee of Beijing International Art Biennale
March, 2016