NEW YORK, March 6, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- China's most
prestigious arts academy, the China Central Academy of Fine Arts
(CAFA), successfully concluded its inaugural "Happy Chinese New Year: Fantastic Art China" – a
weeklong series of cultural events in New
York to celebrate Chinese New
Year organized in partnership with top US cultural
organizations including the New York Philharmonic, New-York
Historical Society, National Dance Institute, Empire State Realty
Trust, Fireworks by Grucci, U.S.-China Cultural Institute /
Committee of 100, China Institute, and the Chinese Consulate of
New York.
Following in Chinese tradition, "Fantastic Art China" commenced
with a twenty-minute fireworks display over the Hudson River on
February 17th, titled
"Harmonious China", designed by CAFA. The display was divided into
four thematic and emotional chapters—starting with "Great
Jubilance", followed by "The Return of Spring", then "Illumination
of Stars and the Moon", and concluding with a powerful "Universal
Celebration". Executed by US partner Fireworks by Grucci, the
display included three-barges on the Hudson River.
The fireworks display marked the first-ever large-scale
fireworks display in the U.S. to commemorate Chinese Lunar New Year, with more than 1,000 members of
the public convening along the Hudson River form both Midtown
Manhattan and New Jersey sides to
view the show. Live accompanying music was broadcast on three local
radio stations-- WKDM AM1380, WZRC AM1480 and WGBB AM1240--
featuring special music composed by Guan Xia, director of the China
National Symphony Orchestra.
As part of "Fantastic Art China", CAFA also hosted a
much-anticipated public exhibit of contemporary Chinese visual art
at the David Rubenstein Atrium and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln
Center from February
18-24th, which featured famous works of art
including some never previously exhibit outside of China. The exhibit featured work by renowned
Chinese artists including XU Bing, HUANG Jiancheng, XU Jiang, XU
Jiang, LV Shengzhong, CHEN Wenling, ZHAN Wang. The exhibit
spotlighted two digital pieces, including: HUANG Jiancheng's
"Rebuild Chinese Painting Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival",
considered by many as the most significant classical Chinese
painting in history; and XU Bing's "The Character of Characters", a
grandiose hand-painted animation explaining the connection between
Chinese characters and the temperament of people who write
them.
In addition to the artworks, the Atrium was transformed into a
contemporary artistic take on a traditional Chinese market
"Creativity Bazaar", which served as both a real market
showing handicrafts from across China and a contemporary art piece. The Bazaar
assembled traditional and innovative Chinese craftworks and New
Year storing items that are specially collected from across
China, including from Shanghai
Museum, Nanjing Museum, Hunan Provincial Museum, Zhejiang
Provincial Museum, Hubei Provincial Museum, CAFA Museum, Suzhou
Museum Ordos Museum, and Art Plus.
More than 200 VIP guests from across New York's business, cultural, and media
sectors also attended a kick-off event to unveil the public art
exhibit at the Atrium at Lincoln Center and also view the fireworks
from the China Consulate of New
York.
Additionally, a special Chinese Lunar New
Year lighting installation designed by CAFA and titled
"Splendid China" was also displayed on the tower lights of
New York City's Empire State
Building from February 17th to
18th. The artistic light display combined and
alternated the Empire State Building's 16 million colors original
colors in a 60-second rotating display of five varying rhythms of
color schemes. The color schemes aimed to present a joyful and
dynamic atmosphere, consistent with the theme of "Fantastic Art
China", and symbolically celebrated traditional Chinese culture via
a modern, dazzling lights display.
On February 24th, the
New York Philharmonic presented its fourth annual Chinese New Year Concert and Gala at Avery Fisher
Hall conducted by Long Yu, Music
Director of the China Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra,
and featuring acclaimed Grammy Award-winning Chinese-American
cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Grammy
Award-winning musician Wu Tong,
vocalist Lei Jia and ghijak player Gulinaer Yiming. The
Honorary Gala Chairman were Mr. and Mrs. Maurice R. Greenberg, James and Elaine Wolfensohn, Permanent
Representative of the People's Republic
of China to the United Nations H.E. Ambassador Liu Jieyi,
and Consul-General of China in New
York H.E. Ambassador Zhang Qiyue.
A free outdoor community event took place the afternoon of the
concert at 4:30 p.m. on Lincoln
Center's Josie Robertson Plaza
featuring 80 local public school children from the National Dance
Institute performing folk-inspired dances, and the
Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company performing the traditional
Dragon Dance.
Visit fantastic.art.china.cn or follow
www.facebook.com/chinanewyearnyc and
www.twitter.com/chinanewyearnyc for more information.
For Media Inquiries, Please Contact:
Maritza Huerta, 646-338-0396,
MaritzaH@BLJworldwide.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-central-academy-of-fine-arts-concludes-landmark-chinese-new-year-celebrations-in-new-york-with-top-us-cultural-partners-300047016.html
SOURCE China Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA)