10th “From Lausanne to Beijing” International Fiber Art Symposium and Biennale
By Gvantsa Turmanidze
Wednesday, October 24
Fiber Art Biennale “From Lausanne to Beijing” has produced ten exhibitions in the past twenty years. Biennale has been held in many cities of China, becoming the largest and the most high-profile international exhibition of fiber art. I am very proud to find out that in 1990, Georgian artist and tapestry master Prof. Givi Kandareli visited Tsinghua University, in order to introduce Gobelin, a traditional European weaving art form, to Chinese students. It is thanks to the contribution of Prof. Givi and his wife Ms. Liu Guang-wen (well-known Chinese Georgian, Chairwoman of China Georgian Friendship Association) that China’s fiber art has developed so rapidly. Prof. Lin Lecheng (curator of the International Fiber Art Biennale) said: “In their footsteps I have continued their dream for China. From the first fiber art workshop, to the first exhibition of From Lausanne to Beijing International Fiber Biennale, then onto the first fiber art museum”. Prof. Givi has suggested to Prof. Lin “China should start a Fiber Art Exhibition and Academic Exchange just like the Lausanne Fiber Art Biennale”. He said, “I believe such an exhibition would be a great catalyst for China. It would become a driving force behind the development of fiber art in China. China is both traditionally and potentially rich in textiles and cultures on the back of a fast developing economy. China is ready to undertake such a biennial exhibition. As an organizer of the exhibition, China will be a part of the world community of fiber art”. Now fiber art has taken its root in China as Prof. Givi Kandareli predicted.
This year the exhibition “from Lausanne to Beijing” returned to Tsinghua University where it began. Thousands of works have been submitted from 45 countries of Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania. This 10th biennial is presenting 175 pieces of selected artworks at Tsinghua University Art Museum, Academy of fine Arts &Design, Tsinghua University and Beijing A.C. Art Museum. Amongst them are beautiful works of Georgian artists, such as Khatuna Razmadze-Mebaduri “Hope” (Gobelin), Nino Dzidzikashvili “In the Space” (silk, batik), Manana Dzidzikashvili “The hut with laughing people” (Gobelin) and Mzia Khalvashi “Georgian old men” (Gobelin), noteworthy is the fact that she received a grant for participation from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of Adjara Autonomous Republic as an honorable artist of the region and the owner of the President’s Medal of Honor. Prof. of Ilia State University Ms. Salome Tsiskarishvili showed the artworks produced by contemporary Georgian fiber artists and made an introductory speech about fiber art in Georgia.
The theme of the symposium, held after the official opening of the Biennale, was about the development of fiber art in the new era. Several topics including the characteristics of fiber art, the comparative study of fiber art in different countries and the inheritance and innovation on textile traditions were discussed, to deepen and widen our understanding of fiber art and to provide new references and directions for the future development and construction of Fiber Art.
All the works at the Biennale reflect what contemporary fiber art is from perspective of material, technique and form. Fiber art not only presents rich sentiment inherited from history, but also reveals the diversity of possibilities in fiber art’s future. The selected works are included in the catalogue, which will be uploaded on the web-site later on. The exhibition lasts until November 15, 2018.
For more information visit Biennale’s web-site: https://www.chinafiberartforum.com/
