Culture Beat: Exhibition on French artist Yves Klein opens

An artwork on display at the exhibition Photo: Courtesy of Guardian Art Center

Exhibition on French artist Yves Klein opens

Yves Klein - Painter of Space, the first retrospective in China of the French pioneering artist Yves Klein kicked off at Beijing's Guardian Art Center on Thursday.

The exhibition showcases a collection of more than 60 works and a large selection of documents, which includes drawings, photographs and films that encompass the full range of techniques developed by the artist during his career from 1954 to 1962.

Divided into nine sections, the exhibition presents the entire trajectory of the artist: the first monochrome paintings in color, the famous blue Monochromes, the reliefs and Sponges sculptures, the Anthropometries, the Monogolds and his last experiments with natural elements such as fire, air and water.

The event, which lasts until October 3, is part of the 17th edition of the Croisements Festival organized by the French Embassy in China. As an annual two-month-long cultural event fostering cultural exchanges between China and France, the festival covers various fields, including film, music, art and literature.

Yves Klein, born in 1928 in Nice, embarked on his artistic journey in 1954. He is a pioneering figure in action art and the immaterial practices of contemporary art. During his short but intense career, the artist employed blue as a vehicle to capture the intangible and the infinite and created the iconic "International Klein Blue." He passed away at age 34 from a heart attack in 1962.

Photo: Courtesy of Guardian Art Center

ZHA works on display at Guardian Art Center

An exhibition featuring the works of the renowned British architecture firm, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA), opened to the public on Thursday at the Guardian Art Center in Beijing. 

Titled The New World," the exhibition showcases a collection of architectural masterpieces from around the world spanning 40 years since the firm's establishment. It also features some ZHA's projects in China, which include the Guangzhou Opera House, Beijing Leeza SOHO and the Beijing Daxing International Airport.

The exhibition also presents ZHA's innovation in the architecture industry, incorporating cutting-edge technologies such as digital design, robotics, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality into their designs. The show will last until October 3.

"The architecture designed by ZHA has significantly reduced carbon emissions (by approximately 40%), which has been recognized by the United Nations and environmental protection organizations," British Ambassador to China Caroline Wilson said at the opening ceremony.

"We are very much looking forward to cooperate with China and hope that the UK and China can continue to work closely together to face more challenges in areas such as climate and environmental change," she noted.

Founded by the late renowned architect Zaha Hadid in 1979, ZHA's portfolio includes notable projects such as the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Summer Olympics. In March, ZHA received a 2023 World Architecture Community Award for their design of the new BEEAH Headquarters in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates.