The opening was attended by a large crowd of art lovers as well as a number of important guest, representing both Poland and China. The Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland Professor Małgorzata Omilanowska, who arrived in Beijing on an official visit, stressed the importance of cultural exchanges for bilateral ties, adding that exhibitions of comparable scale and quality have until now only been shown by Poland in several European countries, but never on another continent.
The exhibition “Treasures from Chopin’s Land”, put together by 17 key museums from Poland under the supervision of art historian and curator Professor Maria Poprzęcka, shows the Chinese public around 350 items representing the evolution of Polish art and culture from the 15th to the 20th century.
Among the guests of honour of the opening were the Chinese Vice-Minister of Culture Ding Wei, the Ambassador of Poland to China Tadeusz Chomicki, the Deputy Administrator of China’s Cultural Heritage Administration Gu Yucai, the Director of the National Museum of China Lü Zhangshen, the Director of Warsaw’s National Museum Agnieszka Morawińska and the Director of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute (known under the brand Culture.pl) Paweł Potoroczyn.
The general sponsor of the exhibition, Poland’s copper mining giant KGHM Polska Miedź, was represented by the Deputy Chairman of the Board Jarosław Romanowski.
After the official opening Minister Omilanowska, who is an accomplished art historian herself, walked through the exhibition with Vice-Minister Ding to show him some of the most important and noteworthy pieces on display.
“Treasures from Chopin’s Land” will run at the National Museum of China until the 10th of May.
Source: Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing
Photo © Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Beijing