Artists to Grace World Stage at Venice Event

Four female Chinese artists will have work shown at the upcoming Venice Biennale, the 100-year-old carnival of contemporary art held in the Italian city.

The work will feature "Everyday Miracles," one of the themes of the June 6 to November 21 festival, and go on show in the event's Chinese Pavilion, according to organizers yesterday.

It is the second time Chinese contemporary artists have been on show at the renowned art event since the Chinese national pavilion was set up at the last biennale.

China Arts and Entertainment Group, which is in charge of China's participation along with new partner Fudan University's Shanghai Institute of Visual Art, said it has full confidence in the institute.

"The Shanghai Institute of Visual Art is one of the few Chinese art schools to enjoy direct access to the world's most avant-garde art. We believe the great creativity of the school can provide us with good support to live up to the theme of the carnival that always calls for the spirit of innovation in art," said Zhang Yu, General Manager of CAEG.

Gong Yan, dean of the institute, said the involvement of the school in the art event shows the improvement of China's progress in cultural development and communication.

"It's rare for an art institute to have the chance to get involved in the participation of a contemporary art event so important and authoritative as the Venice Biennale. It to some extent proves the success of our institute's belief and practice in a 'fenceless' art education," the dean said.

Hou Hanru, a well-known contemporary Chinese artist and curator of the Chinese Pavilion, said he believed the four artists would "exemplify in particular ways the evolution of the engaging relationship between female artists and the Chinese art scene, and speak to the claims of women in the rapidly changing Chinese society of the last two decades."

Hou added to provide the world with a view into the thoughts and attitudes of Chinese contemporary artists is "no less important" than having China involved in important art events on a global stage.

Kan Xuan, one of the four artists, said she believed her work was chosen for the national pavilion because the theme of her work matches the concept of everyday miracles and she "would not make any particular change to her style just to match the occasion."