The Solo Exhibition of Italian Visual Artist Elena Givone Held in Chongqing

From July 3 to 28, the “Dreams: A Global Tapestry · Chongqing — Elena Givone Solo Exhibition in Chongqing” was held at One Altitude, Raffles City Chongqing. The opening ceremony on July 3 was attended by several distinguished Chinese and international guests, including Fabio Schina, Consul-General of Italy in Chongqing; Daniele Galleni, Deputy Director and Cultural Attaché of the Italian Institute of Culture of the Embassy of Italy in Beijing; Valentín Touris, Acting Consul-General of Uruguay in Chongqing; Wang Nan, Chairperson of the CPPCC Yuzhong District Committee; He Fang, Deputy Director of the Committee for Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the CPPCC Chongqing Committee; Fan Qing, Level-II Inspector of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government; and Feng Yuliang, Level-II Inspector of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development.

In his speech, Fabio Schina noted that over the past decade, the Consulate-General of Italy in Chongqing has made it a key mission to promote dialogues and deepen mutual understanding between Italy and China. He emphasized that culture, as one of the best channels for fostering exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, has always been the most effective way to achieve this goal. Art exhibitions bring together people from different places and cultural backgrounds, building bridges of cultural exchange and helping to strengthen trust and emotional bonds between the Chinese and Italians.

“Through an international image language and visual signs, Elena’s works tell the story of Chongqing to the world,” said Zhang Xiaojing, Director of the Chongqing Foreign Affairs Service Center and President of The World & Chongqing. She noted that this photography exhibition is not only a joyful occasion for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between Chongqing and Italy, but also a bridge that deepens emotional connections between the people of both sides. It’s hoped that more viewers will be able to experience the beauty of harmony in diversity.

Vincent L. J. DENG, Curator and Managing Director of Hong Kong VA Galleries, shared that the exhibition features over 110 photography works, documenting Elena’s over-decade-long journey in pursuit of dreams around the world. Most of the works were created during Elena’s time in Chongqing, where she invited people in both urban and rural areas to share their dreams and wishes. Also in Chongqing, at the Luzumiao Art Center, she invited her friends to present their dreams. In Chongqing as well, Elena documented moments of Italian students paying academic visits to Chongqing Nankai Liangjiang Secondary School with their local peers. Through these works, she builds a cultural bridge between China and Italy. The exhibition also tells the story of how Elena pursues her dreams around the world, as her lens captures the hopes and dreams of people from different cultures.

“This exhibition grew out of a dream — my dream of exploring China. Over the past year and a half, I’ve visited Chongqing several times, which allows me to learn about different aspects of the city and to connect more deeply with its unique and captivating features,” said Elena Givone. When talking with guests and audience present at the exhibition, Elena also invited them to embark on this journey of dreams with her.

At the opening ceremony, representatives from Nanchuan District gave a heart-touching folk song performance titled Preparing a Bowl of Oil Tea for the Guests, and offered their specialty, ancient tree black tea. The lively performance and special local tea were warmly received by the guests, offering a vivid taste of Nanchuan’s charm and hospitality.