Art and the Olympics will go hand in hand in 2008 when the Third Beijing International Art Biennale gets under way.

Titled Colors and Olympic Spirit, the biennale will include 800 paintings and sculptures selected from more than 30 countries around the world.

Held since 2003, the art festival is distinctive for its focus on painting and sculpture, while installation and video works tend to dominate other biennales.

But the world of art is versatile. The sculptures in the Beijing Art Biennale include traditional versions and those that incorporate installations. The paintings also include those combining photography with a wide range of comprehensive materials in an effort to strengthen their visual impact.

Artists who participate in the exhibition are required to find inspiration from the Olympic Spirit of peace, harmony and co-operation. Balancing the strength of the body, will and mind, the works will express the philosophy of life with the sports slogan, Higher, Faster and Stronger.

Having got approval from the Olympic Organizing Committee, the event is being hailed as a new symbolic cultural event for Beijing and a brand of contemporary Chinese art.
Sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Beijing Municipal Government and other organizations, the event is coming to the fore among dozens of biennales around the world.

Along with the themed exhibition, the biennale will include several other shows, like the Sports in Painting from the mid-19th to 20th century and a British Contemporary Art Show.
For more information, contact the Organizing Committee of Beijing International Art Biennale. www.bjbiennale.com.cn

Tel: 010-65389184