“Art ?Realm - Wang Jia’s European Travels” opened at the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy on Jan 20, 2013, by observing and thinking during a journey in Europe, through more than a hundred photographs and essays full of emotion, Wang Jia presents the audience with a different European artistic view of scenery, by including cross geographical and cultural perspectives and sentiments.

Wang Jia (b.1983 in Beijing) graduated from the University of Westminster with a master’s degree in Music Commercial Management. Currently he works at the National Museum of China as a curator. As a child he was influenced by art, with an obsession in various styles of music, he loves fashion and photograph, his exhibition depicts the recordings of Wang’s work and travels, throughout Europe, including famous art museums in Germany, France and Italy, etc., former residences of celebrities, as well as idols of the art world.

With a camera and a distinctive humanitarian feeling, a variety of European art masters, and masterpieces, as well as exotic music, architectures, history, and culture are combed through and shown on a new painting scroll as travels by Wang Jia. By observing works of artists from van Gogh to Rembrandt, from Bach to Mozart, and even the great writer Victor Hugo’s paintings, he tells his feelings through art, architecture, literature and design in light, color, structure and perspective, displaying the humanity of history and artistic proposition, the audiences learn the unique aesthetic appreciation and cultural charm while meeting European history and culture. Music can still be heard, ancient dreams can still be felt, time leaves its mark on the old buildings, in short, through the exhibition the audience can see the nourishment and comparison between Chinese and European cultures. As well as this, because of his work, these artworks and texts feature thoughts and discussions on museums, exhibits and curating, design and arrangement, where the audience find themselves in an entirely new world.

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Chen Lvsheng, Director of the National Museum of China said in his articles, “When Wang Jia presents this exhibition, I am not only the witness of Wang’s growth, the exhibition also reminds me of my experiences when I travelled with him. As an older person, I guided him to travel to the museums mentioned in this exhibition, as a colleague, I was a guide while wandering to various places around Europe, from Florence to the Seine. From him, I understand the meaning of “When three people walk together, one of them is my teacher”. It is certain that through this exhibition, I know more about Wang Jia: His hard work is covered by his fashion appearance, through images and texts, his observation and thinking demonstrate his knowledge and experiences, and in particular his interests, all of which are the basis for further professional achievements.” These comments are a professional explanation of the exhibition, meanwhile, it also depicts his approval and expectation of Wang from the director.

If the exhibition is a converging artwork of Wang’s sentiments and the world in his view, Wang is one of the most proud works of his father Wang Mingming. As an artist and with duties in different places, Wang Mingming reviewed the growth process of Wang Jia, and analyzed it from the perspective of art education, he said, “I have been thinking about our education, how far can we go if we only focus on scores rather than on moral character, focus on education background rather than on capacity. Wang Jia changes his tortuous experience into being calm, treating himself, and he knows how to make good use of his advantage when he is not good in all topics, kindness and honesty make him feel warm, a wide interest makes him aware the broad spirit of art. He has returned to China and worked for 6 years, a tough period of adopting himself as he experienced the domestic environment, he learned how to deal with complicated relationships, to transform knowledge into wisdom during his studies in the artistic sea, understanding the essential artistic elements in expressing people’s heartfelt stories rather than showing technology, and that the highest realms of Oriental and the Western art are the same. He gradually matured a clean inside maturity with an ability to control his own destiny.” This is not only a pleasing and emotional comment from the heart of a father, but also the same pursuit in art and the realms of life of the father and son.

The exhibition will close on January 27, 2013, the book “Art ?Realm - Wang Jia’s European Travels” is published and issued at the same time, this is not only a recording and combing of the art journeys, but is also a discussion about the educational method of “Read rolls of books, Walk Miles to different places”, it is also a theme about “A man should be independent at the age of thirty”.

Translation: Chen Peihua/CAFA ART INFO

?About the exhibition

Duration: January 20-27, 2013

Location: 1st and 2nd floors of the Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Institution

Organizers: Curation and Management Center of National Museum of China, Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy