Postscript of 2011 Guanlan International Print Biennial

The Guanlan International Print Biennial is one of the biggest art exhibitions of its kind, with a large number of participating artists representing many countries. It promotes exchanges among artists of all nations and fosters the development of international printmaking. It offers both China and the rest of the world the opportunity to know and understand each other better.

In the First Guanlan International Print Biennial 2007, 1976 works by 1145 artists from 57 countries and regions were submitted and we intended to give the world an outstanding print exhibition. The huge success of the first Biennial paved the way for its international expansion. Two years later the 2009 Guanlan International Print Biennial turned out to be another great success. 2804 works by 1604 artists from 70 countries were submitted. This year, the Third Guanlan International Print Biennial received 3697 entries by 1991 artists from 81 countries and regions. It set a new records for participating works, artists, countries and regions. Among the works we received, were some from world-renowned printmakers whose participation proves our exhibition has won the wide recognition and support of the international artistic community.

The 1991 artists are from both developed countries and regions like Europe, America, Japan and South Korea, etc, and developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Biennial gives different cultures and artistic ideas the opportunity to converse and clash with one another. We can say that the Guanlan International Print Biennial is an all-embracing art exhibition and a grand artistic event attracting the attention of artists around the world. The entries vary in medium and genre, but are undoubtedly all fine works embracing modern ideas and technology. Their distinct themes and strikingly different styles fully indicate the strength of international printmaking.

After two rounds of careful evaluation, 248 works were selected for the exhibition, and 15 won the Guanlan Print Prize. The selection process was long and difficult. The overseas jurors, along with their Chinese colleagues, picked out the best works observing strictly the rules established by the jury after thorough assessment and discussion. We are glad to say that the whole process of selection was conducted in a friendly and lively atmosphere, and the jurors had a full and frank exchange of artistic ideas and thoughts.

The curators of this exhibition, Jiang Lu and Su Xinping came to Guanlan many times to offer their guidance. They encouraged us to continue to increase our capacity for staging a major art show and create international recognition. The party secretary and executive vice chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, Wu Changjiang, spoke highly of Guanlan International Print Biennial. He said the success of the last two exhibitions won worldwide reputation and made themselves known by the international artistic community. He added that the Guanlan International Print Biennial has helped to introduce the Chinese culture to the world and promote international artistic exchanges, and that its contribution to the formation of the character of Chinese art and the development of Chinese printmaking should not be underestimated.

The work of the Biennial has also been appreciated by the government officials of all levels, and the entries themselves left the whole jury with a deep impression. One of the jurors, Professor Ingrid Ledent from the Belgium Royal Academy of Fine Arts praised this exhibition as a great success both in terms of quantity and quality of its works. It is also worthwhile to mention that the participation of the world renowed print artists makes this exhibition more important.

With the contiuned support of the artists from all over the world, Guanlan International Print Biennial surpasses itself and explores new frontiers. Due to its growing international influence, other international print biennials and triennials began to seek cooperation with it to stage joint exhibitions. We have the reason to believe that in the future Guanlan International Print Biennial will show the world more masterpieces of printmaking.