On February 12, 2018, "When Paris Meets Wenzhou—Sketching and Exhibition by Chinese and French Artists", the exchange and launching ceremony opened in Versailles, France.

1. The Launching Site of Sketching and Exhibition of Chinese and French Artists in Wenzhou

Français De Mazières, Mayor of Versailles; Parmentier, Secretary-General of Municipal Committee; Rémy Aron, President of the French Association of Artists, and other 10 artists;  Zhou Jianpeng, a teacher of the School of Art of Peking University; Wu Zhiping, honorary president of Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce, France, and Zhou Hui, curator of Yishangxuan of Paris, participated in the event.

2. Rémy Aron, President of the French Association of Artists, explains the significance of the event

3. Rémy Aron, President of the French Association of Artists introduces the event to Français De Mazières, Mayor of Versailles

4. Français De Mazières, Mayor of Versailles appreciates of the works of Chinese artist Zhou Jianpeng

Paris is a world-renowned art capital. From Renaissance to Impressionism, Paris has created world art miracles. However, since Duchamp, the art of Paris and even the world has been surrounded by "contemporary art". Although this art can explore various possibilities of human and artistic development, the comprehensive intervention of contemporary art also marginalizes traditional painting art. According to Mr. Rémy Aron, "French art has lost the tradition of obtaining creative inspiration from sketching and is surrounded by contemporary art, which is a disaster". At the same time, on the basis of drawing lessons from western oil paintings, Chinese oil paintings integrate elements of Chinese painting and calligraphy, and make bold attempts to nationalize Chinese oil paintings. In the past 15 years, Mr. Remy Aron has been keeping close contact with Chinese artists, and has always had the desire to seek a new direction for French painting creation and to promote Chinese-French art exchange, which is also the reason why we have this event.

Wenzhou is the frontier of China's reform and opening up, with a rapid economic development. There are also close business contacts between French and French Chinese. People all know that Wenzhou is an economically developed place, but they do not know that Wenzhou is also a city with a long culture. Mr. Wu Zhiping said at the launching ceremony: "China is a big country with 5000 years of culture. Wenzhou is the center of Ouyue culture. It is also the birthplace of Chinese landscape poetry.  The clouds and shadow of Mount Yan, the tides of Ou sea, scenic spots of Nanxi, sceneries of hundreds of islands, rock sceneries of Yucang, waterfall with the length of hundreds of meters, the village-style customs, radon spring of Chengtian, all these have bred the brilliant Ouyue culture. Therefore, setting the venue at Wenzhou, and 20 Chinese and French artists are invited to Wenzhou to sketch and have seminars, to explore the similarities and differences between Chinese landscape culture and Western landscape culture, and to co-create Wenzhou-themed works of art, which is of special significance to both Chinese and French cultural exchanges. Thus, Mr. Remy Aron believes that this is an epoch-making event, through which our cooperation will take an important first step.

5. French artists introduce themselves

6. Chinese and French artists exchange ideas

7. Chinese and French artists exchange ideas

8. Chinese and French artists exchange ideas

Français De Mazières, Mayor of Versailles, also came to the scene to have in-depth talks with Chinese and French artists, in order to understand the purpose of the event and the situation of Wenzhou city, and expressed his strong support for the event and his willingness to provide more substantive assistance for the follow-up exhibition. What is more valuable is that the mayor of Versailles expressed his willingness to become a cultural friendly city with Wenzhou.

9. Photo of Mayor of Versailles and Chairman of French Artists Association

10. Photo of the participants of Sketching and Exhibition by Chinese and French Artists

The sketching time in Wenzhou is May 10 to 25, 2018.During which, we will have a French artist's salon exhibition, a Sino-French Art seminar and related cultural exchanges in Wenzhou. After the sketching event, the Wenzhou landscape themed works created by Chinese and French artists will be held in Wenzhou and Paris for a series of events such as “When Paris Meets Wenzhou—Sketching and Exhibition by Chinese and French Artists"