NEWS 

Liu Feng

Liu Feng
Secretary of Jingdezhen Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China(CPC)

Ceramics is one of the most splendid cultural symbols of the five-thousand-year Chinese civilization, and it is also the most representative cultural product on the ancient Silk Road for more than 1600 years. Jingdezhen was born for porcelain, flourished through porcelain, and was named for porcelain. Thanks to the thousand-year kiln fire and ten-thousand li porcelain road, “china” wares of Jingdezhen, were able to tell the story of the nation of “China”, creating such a prosperous scene that “artisans came from all directions and wares were exported across the world” and exerting a wide and far-reaching impact on the lifestyles, values and aesthetic tastes of the people of the countries along the “Belt and Road”.

Ceramics are both ancient and ever-changing with each passing day; they are both national and international. For thousands of years, despite the vicissitudes of time and tide, Jingdezhen’s traditional porcelain-making skills and humanistic and artistic spirit, which have been soaked in the thousand-year ceramic culture, have been innovating through inheritance and development. The establishment of the Jingdezhen International Ceramic Art Biennale aims to build a platform for cultural inheritance and innovation and international exchanges and cooperation through the medium of porcelain. It also aims to tell well the “Chinese stories”, “Jiangxi stories” and “Jingdezhen stories” of the new era, expand Jingdezhen’s international reputation and cultural influence, and continue to turn a new chapter in the development of Jingdezhen in the new era.

The 2021 Biennale is co-sponsored by the The People’s Government of Jingdezhen Municipality, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, China International Culture Group Co., Ltd., and International Academy of Ceramics. With the theme of “The Spirit of Ceramics”, the Biennale will exhibit 300 works (sets), among which 220 pieces (sets) are publicly solicited from all over the world. It can be said that this Biennale is an exquisite gala to witness the wonderful “transformation”of Jingdezhen, and it is also a great event in the field of world ceramic culture. In particular, many awards have been set up, such as Gaoling Award, Kito Award, and Taoxichuan Emerging Artists Award, to further promote the innovative development of new concepts, new materials, and new processes in the ceramic field, and to let the world grasp and feel the China’s responsibility and mission for the prosperity and development of world ceramic culture.

Each era has its own theme and mission, and each city has its own glory and dreams. The one-thousand-year ancient town of Jingdezhen has left us precious wealth, and today, our active efforts will create new wealth for the history of Jingdezhen. Jingdezhen has been blessed with a once-in-a-thousand-year historical opportunity, especially thanks to the approval of the construction of Jingdezhen National Ceramic Culture Inheritance and Innovation Pilot Zone. We must thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s cordial entrust for the development of Jingdezhen to build well the Pilot Zone. It is also our great responsibility to create a new model of humanistic city, a new highland for the development of characteristic industries, a new pattern of comprehensive integration and development, a new practice of common prosperity, and a new platform for international cultural exchanges. We shall build a modern socialist international porcelain capital in an all-round way, and strive to create a new path for inheriting and innovating our outstanding cultural heritage with world influence, Chinese values, Jiangxi elements, and Jingdezhen characteristics.

The world is full of vitality due to colorful civilizations, and these civilizations are coexisting with each other harmoniously due to exchanges and mutual learning of each others’ wonderful values and culture. We sincerely hope to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with friends from all over the world, and jointly contribute to the infinite excitement of ceramic culture, and work together to compose a beautiful harmony of exchanges and cooperation of civilizations!

2021年10月