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A historic exhibition featuring both contemporary Chinese and French artists has opened at the National Art Museum of China. Entitled "ChiFra," the exhibition bears witness to 50 years of diplomatic relations and cultural exchange between China and France. It also gives Beijingers another way to rein¹ in the Chinese lunar New Year. Julian Waghann has the details.

An art salon² where East meets West. The "Chifra" exhibition opening ceremony welcomes artists and art lovers from China and France, with an evening of mingling³ and passionate⁴ dialogue.

The exhibition features more than forty contemporary artists from the two countries, and ranges from oil paintings to sculptures. And this is the first time in over a hundred years that contemporary artists from China and France are exhibiting in the same space on such a scale.

A historic exhibition featuring both contemporary Chinese and French artists has opened at the National Art Museum of China.

Fan Di'an, Director of Nat'l Art Museum of China, said, "By bringing these artworks to a museum setting, you flesh out the artistry and quality of the works, which contrasts with the Paris exhibition done at the Champs-Elysees last year, which was more accessible."

The "ChiFra" exhibition kicked off on the famous French boulavard in October of 2013. The show attracted more than 20,000 visitors from 20 countries in a matter of two weeks, allowing dialogue not only between the paintings and visitors, but also between the painters.

A historic exhibition featuring both contemporary Chinese and French artists has opened at the National Art Museum of China.

"Sino-French cultural exchange goes back a long way. But it was the wave of Chinese artists who went and studied art in France in the early 20th century that marked the beginning of the French influence on contemporary Chinese art." Julian Waghann, Beijing, said.

An exhibition of Chinese paintings in Paris in 1933 took the international art community by surprise and garnered⁵ the world’s attention. Many Chinese artists such as master Xu Beihong studied western painting in France, and reinvigorated the use of ink and color in Chinese painting.

Artist Yang Yongsheng said, "We’re not influenced by the contemporary French oil paintings as much as by classical French oil paintings, because oil painting is done less in France nowadays."

Not so in China, where a rapid growth in the economic sector⁶ in past decades has fueled interest in and helped raise the prestige of art.

Remy Aron, President of Maison Des Aritstes, said, "Painting is very much alive and part of the culture in China, and there are many artists who are happy to create!"

For the artists at the "ChiFra" exhibition, the art of light and shadows is first and foremost, followed by the art of sharing and dialogue. The exhibition will last until Febrary 16th at the National Art Museum of China before kicking off its nationwide tour.