On October 15, 2015, “Chinese Pictures–From the CAFAM Photography Collection” of the “Unfamiliar Asia: The Second Beijing Photo Biennial (2015)” was unveiled at the 798 Art Center. As the auxiliary exhibition of the main exhibition, it showcases a series of selected photos collected by the CAFAM, and the theme of the exhibition directly points at the same theme “China”. CAFA Art Museum is currently one of the most important public art institutions in China, and it is committed to the construction of the multi-level, three-dimensional system for collections which reflects the development of Chinese art over the years, while photography is a major category of contemporary art and also the focus of the collection of CAFA Art Museum. At the opening ceremony, the Director of CAFA Art Museum Wang Huangsheng said that: “The collection and research of the art of photography is lagging in China, Beijing Photo Biennial (2015) presents the photography collection of CAFA Art Museum, in order to promote the related institutions which attach great importance to the collection, research and protection of the art of photography.”

Before the opening of the exhibition, the curator of the exhibition Li Yaochen was interviewed by CAFA ART INFO, Li introduced the photography collection of CAFA Art Museum in detail: CAFA Art Museum started to systematically collect photography when it held the exhibition “Landscape·Mindfulness” in 2009 and it paid attention to the collection in two channels, on the one hand it focused on the collection that concentrated on the discovery of young photographers that were graduates, on the other hand was the collection of the mature, classic works of photography, for example, it formed a collection when the exhibition of Marc Riboud, Valda, Weng Naiqiang, Anzai Shigeo were held, in addition, the academic team at the museum gradually finished the literature of the old artists and included it into the collection. So far, there were more than three hundred pieces in the collections. CAFA Art Museum has been committed to the construction of the sequence of art history, including the photography striving towards a collection of Chinese photographic art with a developing context in art history.

The exhibition is unfolded around the theme of “China”, which refers to the meaning of culture. In modern times, great changes have been taking place in China, the ancient and modern, agricultural and industrial, national and international cultures are blended and collided in this place, which also makes China become a “focus” of the world. For its very complicated large territory and the “depth”, “China” provides the photographers with a rich image boundary and visual field. The “Chinese” photos taken in Chinese culture territory deserve the attention and recognition of China, and it is the main thought of the exhibition themed “Chinese Pictures”. At the same time, it also echoes the “Unfamiliar Asia”, the theme of the Beijing Photo Biennial (2015)”.

The exhibition is the presentation of the photography collections of an institution, it is worth mentioning that the CAFA Art Museum was supported and received donations from a number of photographers during the preparation of the exhibition. The exhibition continues to November 8.

Text and photo by Zhang Wenzhi/CAFA ART INFO

Translated by Chen Peihua and edited by Sue/CAFA ART INFO