Organizer｜Asia Art Center、Global Art Center Foundation
Co- organizers｜Annie Minet Luc Merenda
Cooperation｜COMITE VENDOME
Sponsored by｜Evergreen grop、Mauboussin、Park Hyatt Paris、Event Parther、Strategic media partner
Venue｜Place Vendome, Paris
Ever since Place Vendome was laid out at the center of Paris in 1893 by order of the Sun King, Louis XIV, it has been one of the most symbolic landmarks in Eurasia. Its renown lies in its historical significance, aesthetic values in architecture, and pivotal loost prosperous squares in Paris. Parisians have even cation. Today, as a home to luxury hotels and prestigious jewelry shops, Place Vendome is one of the mbestowed upon the place an elegant name—the “Treasure Trove of Paris.” The city of Paris is considered the capital of art and culture, and in 2013, officials from Paris and the Vendome Committee (Comite Vendome) invited representative Li Chen, contemporary sculptor of “Spirit of the East,” to host a major outdoors sculpture exhibition. A substantial group of large-scale sculptures descend upon Place Vendome, revealing novel dimensions in this familiar landscape.
Li Chen’s artwork is a reinterpretation of thousands of years of traditional sculptures. It incorporates contemporaneity and his signature visual style. The sculptures are imbued with a remarkably refreshing and natural effect that addresses the dichotomy of materialism and spiritualism in the “heavy yet light” presentation. Li Chen’s unique style has steadily risen in international recognition and he has been invited to host exhibitions in major cities around the world. This important outdoors sculpture exhibition is jointly organized by non-profit organization in Europe-Global Art Center Foundation—and Asia Art Center. Taking this exhibition to Europe was no small feat. It required an intensive 18-month collaboration involving professional teams from Paris, the Netherlands, Italy, and Taipei, to solve technical difficulties such as maximizing load capacities, planning transportation and storage, and calculating wind resistance against statues. With full support from those mentioned above, the Vendome Committee, and Parisian authorities, Chinese artists are now able to shine and take a step onto the world stage.
