Zhang Yang

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MASTERPIECES by prominent sculptors from home and abroad are being displayed at the 2017 Shenzhen Pingshan International Sculpture Exhibition, which kicked off yesterday at Pingshan Sculpture Creative Park, a branch venue of the 13th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair to open tomorrow.

According to the exhibition’s curator, Han Zhanning, the exhibition themed “Breakthrough: Urban Spirits in Sculpture” consists of five units — Special Promotion Unit, Urban Spiritual Unit, Spatial Crossover Unit, Concept Advancing Unit and Pingshan Sculpture Unit.

In the Special Promotion Unit, Dong Shubing, a renowned Chinese sculptor and head of the sculpture department at Tsinghua University’s academy of arts and design, is exhibiting his sculpture series named “Infants,” featuring large sculptures that demonstrate the vibrancy of life in a world of turmoil.

As a father himself, Dong said that he wanted the visitors to feel the greatness of life from the sculptures that he created. One of his steel sculptures featuring a sleeping baby that is placed near the entrance of the park has impressed many visitors.

“Babies are so quiet and peaceful when they are sleeping. A sleeping baby looks like a mountain even though he is small,” Dong said. “It also implies that adults, just like babies, also need a sense of safety for a good sleep.”

According to Dong, the large outdoor sculpture is a type of shared art that encourages the public to touch and feel the charm of the arts. “It’s very forward-looking for the Pingshan District Government to organize this kind of a sculpture exhibition,” he said.

In the Urban Spiritual Unit, outstanding sculptors from China and overseas have been invited to showcase their most representative work that conveys their understanding of urban spirits in multiple ways.

An old-fashioned bicycle sculpture made of red bricks, which was created by a sculptor from Shaanxi Province named Dai Yun, has attracted attention from many visitors. Dai said that the red bricks represent the old buildings and blocks of a city, and he created the sculptures by reusing discarded red bricks to show the urban renovation process of a city.

Academic forums, workshops and performances are scheduled as well during the weeklong exhibition concluding Monday. The exhibition also aims to introduce high-end cultural resources to Pingshan District by recruiting artistic consultants and soliciting cultural and art projects.