Emmanuel Macron arrives in China this Wednesday, April 5. On the program: three days of state visit during which it will be a question of economy, Ukraine but also the relaunch of cultural exchanges between Beijing and Europe, interrupted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With our correspondent in Beijing, Stephane Lagarde
It is in an art gallery in the northeast of the Chinese capital that Emmanuel Macron is expected this Wednesday for his return to China. The French president should spend a “ Good time – this is in any case the title of an event which is intended to reflect the renewal of cultural exchanges between France and China, as Jonas Stampe, curator and principal researcher at the Red Brick Art Museum in Beijing, explains to us. :
” ”Bon moment” must be a perfect moment for visitors, an exhibition that presents the best of contemporary Chinese and French art with big names, but also works by young Chinese artists. »
” breath of life »
The best of Franco-Chinese contemporary art and in this case the works of Huang Yong Ping, Tatiana Trouvou, Shen Yuan, Laure Prouvost or even Cao Fei: this exhibition embodies a rebirth of cultural exchanges interrupted by the pandemic, of a share between China and the rest of the world, but in particular with France which occupies an important place on the scene of Chinese contemporary art, say the specialists of the sector in the country.
” The arrival of the French president marks the importance of culture in society, but also in international exchanges. It’s a breath of air and life continues Jonas Stampe.
On this occasion, Emmanuel Macron must inaugurate the 17th edition of the Franco-Chinese festival Crossings », hard affected in its live performance part during the three years under zero-Covid in China – like cinema for that matter. On the occasion of this presidential visit, this Friday, April 7, the film will be released on Chinese screens Notre Dame is burning.
Its director, Jean-Jacques Annaud, is a regular on official trips. A name that speaks to the Chinese, according to the film’s distributor, Selim Elbeky: ” Jean-Jacques is known and his films are appreciated here. The Chinese know that he is one of the very few foreign directors to have made a Chinese film, ”The Last Wolf (Wolf Totem)” in 2015. And ”Notre-Dame burns” the same: I remember being in China during the fire and the Chinese were sadder than me when they saw the images, it’s a mythical place “.
Franco-Chinese artistic and cultural cooperation which will be in the spotlight next year, for the 60ᵉ anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
