From May 16th to May 20th, 2023, the Romanian Cultural Institute in Beijing participated in the Cultural Fair in Ningbo as part of the China-CEE Cultural and Trade Activity (3rd CHINA-CEEC Expo & International Consumer Goods Fair). This fair is one of the largest exhibition events in China. The purpose of ICR Beijing's participation in this year's edition was to continue promoting Romanian cultural products among the young audience in China.
The event was divided into several sections, including exhibitions, art installations, films, conferences, etc. It started on May 16th with a presentation of the Romanian booth and exhibitors, conducted by the Head of Relations, Andreea-Ema Stoian.
For the exhibition, a booth was set up with traditional Romanian craft art objects from the Astra Museum in Sibiu (including traditional Romanian costumes, blouses, hats, and souvenirs such as scarves, embroideries, handkerchiefs, sandals, postcards, etc.), as well as other specific artisanal objects that visitors could purchase directly at the fair or online on the organizers' website. The Chinese audience particularly appreciated these authentic products. Additionally, they could watch a documentary from the Astra Museum about the preservation of Romanian cultural heritage, which ran every day during the fair.
To complement the souvenirs from the Astra Museum, in the modern art section, an exhibition of ceramics with Romanian motifs was organized, created by the artist Irina Banari, who has been a resident in Shanghai for over 13 years. She is an honorary member of the Union of Visual Artists in Romania. Irina Banari holds a master's degree in Creative Strategies and Industrial Design from the National University of Arts in Bucharest, Applied Arts department, and a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts, specializing in Decorative Arts and Design, from the same university, Plastic Arts department (painting). She has participated in significant exhibitions in Bucharest (Romania), Shanghai, Hangzhou (China), North Carolina (USA), Paris (France), Gyeongsangnam-do (South Korea), and other countries and regions. As an expatriate, Irina Banari has always drawn inspiration from social narratives, expressing them through dynamic figurative-abstract compositions. Her works explore the sensual paradox of textures through the use of informal or intuitive signs on paper, oil painting on canvas, or the versatility of clay in ceramic sculpture.
In the second section, an art installation was presented in which the fair's mascot, Davey, was painted in different versions by artists from participating countries. This installation was prominently displayed at the Ningbo event. On the Romanian side, the responsibility for creating the painting and art installation fell to Assistant Professor Lucian Bruma, from the "George Enescu" University of Arts in Iasi.
Lucian Bruma is a painter and assistant professor in the Painting Department at the "George Enescu" University of Arts in Iasi. In 2021, he completed his doctoral studies in visual arts at the National University of Arts in Bucharest. Some of his solo exhibitions include "Acid Histories in Interrupted Vortexes" at the Aparte Gallery in Iasi in 2021, "No(w) Filters for Memory" at the Estopia Art Gallery in Bucharest in 2020, "Mărturii ale unei vieți netrăite" at the Borderline Art Space in Iasi in 2017, and "Think about the Box" at the Aparte Gallery in Iasi. He has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including "Innocence" and "Blurred Is the New ID" at the Estopia Gallery in Bucharest in 2021 and 2020, respectively, and the annual ARTIS art salon in 2019, among others.
In the forum-conference section, a roundtable discussion was organized on the topic of cultural exchanges with cultural centers/institutes from Central and Eastern Europe in the era of digital cultural exchange. Last but not least, the Chinese artist Song Sijie gave a piano recital featuring repertoire from Eastern European classical music, including pieces by George Enescu (Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 and Cuckoo). The young pianist also spoke about the influence of the great maestro Dinu Lipatti in China.
The event was a success, with the participation of 12 countries from Eastern Europe and a total of over 126,000 visitors in five days, including 3,042 professional buyers.
The Ningbo Cultural Fair is an annual event in the city of Ningbo, China, held in a specially constructed exhibition park for this event. It is one of the largest and most important cultural festivals in China, attracting a large number of visitors from across the country and abroad each year. Participation in the Ningbo Cultural Fair provides the advantage of accessing an important platform for promoting cultural industries in the Chinese market and can contribute to the promotion of Romanian cultural products, as well as the development of long-term partnerships and collaborations. It is a free platform where Romanian craftsmen and artists can showcase and sell their works. Furthermore, through the presence of ICR Beijing at the fair, the Chinese audience can learn more about Romanian culture and art. The event had over 126,000 visitors and was promoted through the most important local media channels (SinaWeibo, CGTN, Zhejiang News, etc.).
