Opening Ceremony of the exhibition “The Immortals of a City”
From December 8th, 2017 to January 3rd, 2018, the China Cultural Center in Brussels is hosting an international photo exhibition: around 50 pictures of urban sculptures of the “European Capitals of Culture” will be exhibited. On the occasion of this important exhibition, an official opening ceremony was organized on the evening of Thursday December 7th at the Center, in the presence of the photographers. Earlier in the afternoon, world-renowned Chinese photographer Mr. Zeng Yi and co-author of this exhibition, held a lecture about how China is perceived by foreigners visiting the country.
On December 7th, over 120 people attended the inauguration of the exhibition “The Immortals of a City”.
The event started in the afternoon with the lecture “China through the eyes of foreigners” by photographer Mr. Zeng Yi, where around 20 people were present. Zeng Yi presented a beautiful selection of his own pictures of this previous and current photography projects. He gave the audience the opportunity to travel with him through his pictures taken during his trips across the world. He shared his wonderful memories and showed how pictures can be an illustration of immense humanity and also document the progress of the society. The participants had the opportunity to ask questions and to interact with the lecturer.
In the evening, the opening ceremony was held in the presence of more than 120 guests. Before the official opening ceremony, guests enjoyed the outstanding performance of a quartet. They gladly let themselves be carried away by elegant tonalities.
To mark the opening of this exhibition, the China Cultural Center had the chance to welcome His Excellency ZHANG Ming, Ambassador of the Mission of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union. During the opening ceremony, a number of honored guests took the floor. First of all, Mr. TAN Shu, Director of the China Cultural Center in Brussels opened the ceremony and expressed his joy at the opportunity such events create to bring European and Chinese people together. Director Mr. TAN Shu was followed by Mr. Li Jianmin, Minister Counselor of the People’s Republic of China to the European Union, he shared a word about the profound cultures of both China and Europe. On behalf of the Directorate General of Education and Culture of the European Commission, Ms. Monica Urian, spoke about the important milestones of this exhibition, not only for the Chinese, but also for the European people. She explained that through the lenses of Chinese and Italian photographers, people get to think differently about the unique European heritage. Finally Ms. Urian also added that such initiatives encourage exchanges between cities. Ms. Julie Patterson, Co-President of the China Arts Festival in the EU referred to the previously organized activities that promoted a dialogue between China and Europe. She then mentioned that this exhibition will inspire people to visit these landmarks in Europe, and that it will strengthen the relationship between the East and the West. Vice Director of the Network of International Cultural Entities, Mr. Liu Hong Ge concluded the ceremony by pointing out that “The Immortals of a City” will trigger more thinking about cultural values, and also that by pushing forward mutual knowledge, we will accomplish more things together. Apart from the Ambassador and distinguished guest speakers, also the photographers of the exhibition were present.
The opening ceremony of this exhibition was an excellent way to discover the European Capitals of Culture from another perspective, but also to get an insight into the universe of these photographers, as well as their work and their collaboration.
After the ceremony, the Chinese photographers mingled with the audience, which was a great moment of sharing, and a symbol of the flourishing cultural exchanges between China and the European Union. A delightful violin performance accompanied the guests during this successful evening.
The exhibition will be open to the public from Monday to Friday until January 3rd, 2018, according the opening hours of the China Cultural Center.
