Treasures in public museums unchained (2)

The one and only

Gao Yun, former director of Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum, said to Xinhua Daily that art museums should be an icon of a city, known to both local residents as well as visitors from around the world. The Louvre in Paris has the Mona Lisa and Milan's Santa Maria delle Grazie has The Last Supper. The world's most famous museums are known for their one-and-only collections.

However, it is still common that many art museums in China keep a large number of artworks in the storeroom.

Wang Huangsheng, director of the Central Academy of Fine Art Museum (CAFAM) once told the Global Times that some art museums see their collections as their own treasures and are not so willing to share with others. Even for some bigger art museums, it was not until recent years that managers learned to regularly exhibit their collections, not to mention engaging with the public or designing stylish exhibitions.

"To change the situation, NAMC must be the bellwether to stop allowing classics to lie in the stockroom," Lu Yanguang, director of Guangzhou Museum of Art said to xkb.com.cn.

This time, NAMC is playing the role of bellwether, offering the public an opportunity to learn the characteristics of each art museum and their one-and-only treasures. For instance, China Art Museum Shanghai presents a historical Shanghai in the context of globalization and modernization. Examples include ink paintings by Lin Fengmian, Wu Guanzhong and works by Zhao Wuji.

The Jiangsu Provincial Art Museum was one of the earliest public museums in China. Founded in 1936, its collection focuses on traditional Chinese paintings. For the Beijing exhibition, they brought works from 17 masters such as Xu Beihong, Li Keran and Fu Baoshi, all of whom were born or lived in Jiangsu.

CAFAM is a bit different. As a university based art museum, one of its most important collections includes works from alumni who went on to become world-renowned artists. The list contains names like Fang Lijun, Chen Danqing, Liu Xiaodong and many others from different eras.

We recommend:
Beijing is in silver and white	Girlhood photos of Chinese stars revealed	A trip to sunshine sanctuary in Beihai
How sweet! Stunning pure ad girls	China's largest 'capsule hotel' opens in Qingdao	La Perla Spring Summer 2013 Lingerises
A young artist's life with wolf cub	Banquets at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse	Olympic medalist Michelle Kwan marries