Upon hearing the word “art”, most people picture boring paintings or sculptures. Add the word “festival” and these images escalate to music, dancing, acting and all manner of performing arts conjured from the creative imagination.
The art world is vast, and the art of the world is just as vast. Let us now journey to Zurich, Melbourne and Shanghai—where extraordinary art festivals very recently took place—to explore and enjoy the depth of art in the eyes of the world.
Zurichoise Contemporary
The 15th edition of Art International Zurich, which took place from 10-13 October in the Kongresshaus near Zurich Lake, attracted a more than 18,000-strong crowd consisting of artists, gallery representatives and owners, art lovers, auctioneers and collectors from around the globe.
As an interdisciplinary and interactive meeting point between these parties, Art International Zurich is one of the most important and well-established modern art events in Switzerland.
One of the special entries this year is the African tribal art meets contemporary art exhibition by Performance Suisse Galerie.
Melbourne Art: Fun for All
One of Australia’s leading international arts festivals, the Melbourne Festival has an outstanding reputation for presenting unique international and Australian events in the fields of dance, theater, music, visual arts, multimedia, as well as free public events for over 17 days every October.
The event projected art in its wider spectrum, from paintings and sculptures to music, dancing and kid’s weekends. Although we regret not being able to stay for the entire showing from 11 to 27 October, the excitement and festivities were catching, and the city of Melbourne showed no reservations in celebrating their artistic side.
Shanghai’s Tribute to Art and History
As the only state-level International Arts Festival hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF) is a feast of domestic and foreign music, dance, drama, visual art and more, and has been held for 14 consecutive years.
From the October 18 to November 18, CSIAF presented a series of activities and exhibitions from foreign cultures such as Russia, France, Egypt, Germany as well as domestic ethnicities such as those from Yunnan, Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, Gansu, and many more.
This year’s notable performances include ‘Ultimate Broadway – Songs from Musical Classics’, ‘Opera Bohemia’ by the Shanghai Grand Theater and Austria Salzburg Art Festival, Ningxia’s ‘Ancient Cliff Paintings’, ‘The Lingering Charm of Guqin’, and many other acts that evoke ancient memories as well as fusions with contemporary art.
