Vatican and China Launch 'La Bellezza Ci Unisce' Art Diplomacy Project
A collaborative effort named 'La Bellezza Ci Unisce' (Beauty Unites Us) has been launched by the Vatican Museums alongside the China Culture Industrial Investment Fund to improve the currently tense diplomatic relations between the Holy See and China. This initiative will lead to two exhibitions in the spring of 2018. A selection of 40 items from the Vatican's 'Anima Mundi' ethnographic museum, mainly consisting of Chinese artifacts, will be showcased in Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai. Concurrently, 40 pieces from Chinese state collections will be presented at the Vatican. The exhibition in Beijing will include 39 Chinese artworks and one piece of Western Christian art. Barbara Jatta, director of the Vatican Museums, stated that art serves as "a vehicle for dialogue," while Zhu Jiancheng, president of the China Investment Fund, emphasized the importance of fostering friendship and advancing diplomatic normalization.
Key facts
- Project titled 'La Bellezza Ci Unisce' (Beauty Unites Us) launched by Vatican Museums and China Culture Industrial Investment Fund
- Two twin exhibitions planned for spring 2018
- 40 works from Vatican Museums to be shown in Beijing, Xi'an, and Shanghai
- 40 works from Chinese state collections to be shown at Vatican's Anima Mundi space
- Beijing exhibition includes 39 Chinese-origin works plus one Western European Christian piece
- Vatican exhibition includes 30 historical objects and 10 paintings by Zhang Yan
- Zhang Yan donated two paintings to Pope Francis in May 2017
- Barbara Jatta (Vatican Museums director) and Zhu Jiancheng (China Investment Fund president) made statements
- Project aims to ease diplomatic tensions over bishop appointments and China's divided Catholic community
Entities
Artists
- Zhang Yan
Institutions
- Vatican Museums
- China Culture Industrial Investment Fund
- Anima Mundi
- Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association
Locations
- Vatican City
- China
- Beijing
- Xi'an
- Shanghai