MARC CHAGALL

COLOR & MAGIC

SOURCE: By Li Yuche Source: Global Times Published: 2020/10/12 21:39:10

More than 100 artistic gems were revealed during the opening ceremony of an exhibition featuring the original artworks of pioneering modernist artist Marc Chagall at the CAFA Art Museum-Langfang on Saturday, sending a message of “love” to the world to ease the frustrations brought by the pandemic.

Transcultural ‘Love’ and ‘Nostalgia’

Scheduled to end on January 18, 2021, the Art Exhibition of Marc Chagall displays 155 of the master’s artworks created over his 60-year art career. The exhibited pieces cover a range of materials and styles such as gouache, tempera, etching and lithography. Tracing Chagall’s constant pursuit of “nostalgia” and “love” in his art, the exhibition is divided into five sections. The opening section “Love, Nostalgia, Fantastic World and Circus” features 19 paintings that convey the artist’s nostalgic memories to Chinese audiences by inspiring them to stay true to their original aspirations.

“Chagall’s nostalgia carries a similar meaning to the saying ‘remain true to your original aspirations.’ Seeing how the artist reflects on his hometown and cultural identity inspires us to think about our own self-development” Zhang Zikang, the curator of the exhibition, told the Global Times on Saturday. Zhang, also the director of the National Art Museum of China, is a core figure behind the development of art museums in China.

The title of the ending section “Life Ends with a Bouquet of Flowers,” a phrase once spoken by Chagall himself, reflects his poetic approach to life. This section features six bouquet-themed paintings that use flowers’ symbolic meaning of “love” to encourage viewers to be optimistic and maintain a loving attitude toward life even when facing disturbing predicaments.

“To deliver love to the world and to encourage people to be hopeful and confident amid the pandemic,” Zhang said, explaining one of the goals of the exhibition.

When asked how the exhibition can help art lovers in China understand Chagall better, Zhang told the Global Times that “topics such as ‘love’ and ‘nostalgia’ are transcultural, we can observe these in our country too.”