Symposium of the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival's China Southern Tour Held at the Fujian Provincial Academy of Painting

August 8, 2024, Fuzhou — With the global launch of the Second Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival now underway, a symposium themed "Facing the World: How to Tell the Chinese Watercolor Story" was held in grand style at the Fujian Provincial Academy of Painting. As a key component of the festival's China Southern Tour, the event was dedicated to advancing international exchange and cooperation in Chinese watercolor art, and to elevating its presence and influence on the global stage.

An International Platform Propelling Chinese Watercolor onto the World Stage

The Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival is a global celebration of watercolor art jointly supervised by the Treviso City Hall of Italy and the Shanghai Chinese and Foreign Culture and Art Exchange Association, and co-initiated by the Italian Cultural and Art Exchange Association and Sheng Xinyu Art (China). The inaugural edition in 2023 was successfully held across venues in Italy, the United States, and China, drawing over 1,200 submissions from more than twenty countries — including the United States, China, Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, and Ireland — and attracting widespread attention from watercolor enthusiasts around the world.

The Second Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival was incorporated by the Treviso City Hall into the official series of events commemorating the 700th anniversary of the death of the great explorer Marco Polo (1254–1324), participating as a model of East-West artistic exchange in the city's broader commemorative celebrations. This edition also received strong support from the renowned Chinese art supply brand Rubens Art Materials, which provided prize sponsorship to facilitate international watercolor interaction and exchange.

Fujian: A Cornerstone of Chinese Watercolor

The symposium was chaired by He Wantai, Secretary-General of the Watercolor Art Committee of the Fujian Artists Association. In his address, He noted that Fujian watercolor carries a long and distinguished tradition, underpinned by a wealth of talented artists nurtured by the fertile cultural soil of the Min region. "The Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival offers an international platform for watercolor art," he said. "Through this symposium, we hope to explore practical pathways for bringing Fujian watercolor to the world — and for letting the world see Fujian watercolor — and to discuss how watercolor art can be used to tell the Chinese story."

Ji Yinglun, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Collection magazine and Co-Secretary-General of the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival, outlined the mission and itinerary of the festival's China Tour. He explained that Fujian was chosen as the first stop not only because of its deep ties to the watercolor tradition, but also in recognition of the considerable strength of Fujian's watercolor artists. "China is a major power in watercolor art, and Fujian is one of its most important centers," he observed. "Yet China's voice in the global watercolor arena remains insufficiently heard. It is our hope that through this international exchange — through the platform of the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival — the world will come to truly appreciate the caliber of Chinese watercolor."

Chinese and International Experts in Dialogue on Global Outreach

Zhang Hongbin, founder of Sheng Xinyu Art and curator of the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival, delivered a keynote address in which he provided a detailed account of the festival's preparations and the participation of Chinese artists. He called on outstanding watercolor painters to take action, engage actively in international artistic exchange, and showcase the true brilliance of Chinese watercolor — with the ultimate ambition of making Chinese watercolor a mainstream force in the global watercolor community.

Sandra Miranda Pattin, the renowned Italian contemporary artist, international curator, and juror for this edition of the festival, shared her perspective on Chinese watercolor art from the vantage point of the jury. She observed that Chinese watercolor, while honoring its traditions, continues to pursue innovation and breakthroughs — and that this distinctive quality of blending the classical with the contemporary provides rich material for its international dissemination. She expressed great anticipation for the Chinese works to be presented at this year's festival.

Open Dialogue: Addressing the Questions of Competing Artists

Following the keynote presentations, Zhang Hongbin and Ms. Sandra engaged in an open and wide-ranging exchange with the more than thirty distinguished artists in attendance, patiently addressing the various questions and concerns that watercolor artists face when entering international competitions. Those present included Wu Fan, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the Watercolor Art Committee of the Fujian Artists Association; Feng Wei, Deputy Director of the Academic Department of the Fujian Provincial Academy of Painting; and Chen Quan, Deputy Director and Secretary-General of the Fuzhou Watercolor Art Committee.

In his closing remarks, Secretary-General He Wantai underscored the vital importance of participating in international exhibitions and competitions for the promotion of cultural exchange, and offered an enthusiastic endorsement of the festival's China Tour program. "The Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival is not merely a platform for displaying art," he said. "It is a bridge for cultural exchange. We look forward to using this platform to help the world better understand the unique appeal of Chinese watercolor art — and we look forward, above all, to seeing Fujian's artists use their art to face the world and tell the Chinese watercolor story."