National History Museum in Rio Opens International Art Exhibition

By Sarah Brown, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National History Museum in Rio de Janeiro is currently hosting an ambitious international art exhibition that reunites the works of over one hundred modern painters. With artists from China, Japan, Ireland and South Korea, the exhibit Aomei Fine Arts 2016 reflects a diversity of skills and images.

The theme of the art exhibition is Art Makes the Olympics Even More Beautiful and is a way of rounding off the games and celebrating sportsmanship and cultural reunion through art. It also makes up a part of the larger Year of China-Latin America-Caribbean Exchange which is an initiative that was born after a meeting with the Chinese president Xi Jinping and the leaders of Latin America and the Caribbean in July 2014.

The works of art from the Chinese artists are modern paintings yet maintain the classic and traditional craftsmanship of delicate details and realism. The themes of the paintings are sports in China and also tells the story of Chinese civilization and history. Some pieces unfold the history of football in China more than 2,000 years ago, among other sports.

The exhibition hopes to capture the Olympic spirit through art, reflecting the mix of multi-cultural China, Latin America and the rest of the world. A distinct characteristic of the art is although it is modern paintings, it is far removed from the modernist style that requires individual interpretation. The masterpieces are in a traditional realist style that allows simple appreciation rather than mental interaction.

“The event is part of the Olympics, to close them, it acts as an exchange between the countries here in Brazil.” explains Alexandre Murucci to The Rio Times who is involved in the production of the exhibition. “The aim is to show the arts of the Chinese artists. It’s modern art but not as we see in the mainstream of today. We see a richness and quality of classic paintings from China and Chinese artists, the details of the work, the richness of the art. It’s beautiful to see something so well made.”

There will also be a seminar on October, 25th at 7:30 PM as part of the exhibit event. The seminar will involve the Chinese artists and creators of the event in the museum’s auditory and will involve art-related discussions.

Aomei Fine Arts 2016 is a production of the China Society as part of the Promotion of Cultural and Art Development, the Beijing Association for the Promotion of Olympic-related Culture and the Beijing Olympic Club. It will be in Rio de Janeiro for fifteen days before going to other countries as part of the art tour.

The event began on Friday, October 14th and will continue until Monday, October 31st. It opens Tuesdays to Fridays from 10AM until 5:30 PM. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, it will open from 2PM until 6PM.

What: Aomei Fine Arts 2016 – art exhibition
Where: National History Museum, Praça Mal. Âncora, s/n – Centro – Tel: (21) 3299-0324
When: Friday, October 14th – Monday, October 31st
Entrance: FREE