Interview with the director of the Museo Nacional del Prado

Cultural exchanges between China and other countries are booming, with an increasing number of visiting international exhibitions. As part of our “Art Without Boundaries” series, our reporter Wang Siwen talks to Miguel Falomir Faus, the director of the Spanish national art museum, the Museo Nacional del Prado, which has just brought its largest collection to China.

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Reporter: This is the first cooperation arrangement between the Prado Museum in Madrid and the Museum of Art Pudong. This exhibition showcases a mix of Chinese and Western cultures. So, why choose Shanghai for this exhibition?

Faus: It’s important to be here. It’s important to show to the Chinese public, the paintings that we have in the Prado. We have had growing numbers of Chinese visitors every year. So for us, it’s quite important to be part of the vibrant artistic scene that we see in this city.

Reporter: Contact between China and Spain can be traced back to the Ming Dynasty, when Diego de Pantoja met Emperor Wanli in 1601. What kind of chemistry happens when two different cultures, from East and West, meet each other?

Faus: Actually, contact started before Pantoja, when the Spaniards arrived in the Philippines in the 1560s from Mexico, and the relationship between China and Spain started then. There were many differences – political differences, cultural differences, religious differences – but there were also points in common. In the end, for human beings, it doesn’t matter where and when we share, there is always fear, passion, and love. That’s the point, and what allows communication between different cultures.

Reporter: The Prado Museum is very active on social media, and it clearly has a digital strategy. On TikTok, the museum has nearly 600,000 followers. What results have you seen after making the Prado collection accessible online?

Faus: We are the museum with the most followers in TikTok in the world, double our nearest rival. I remember the first day that the person in charge of social media came to my office and told me about a new a social media platform called TikTok, which he thought might be interesting for us to use. The only problem was that they’re very short. I remember my answer. If you are able to encapsulate something of interest in 60 seconds, then go ahead. He did. And since then, he has proved to everyone that you can convey very interesting subjects within a very short period of time. It’s an amazing way to get in touch, mostly with the younger audience. Our public is becoming younger and younger, in many ways thanks to TikTok.

We have also worked with some Chinese social media platforms and some influencers from China. We have had a lot of success in doing so in the past.

Reporter: Spain has many museums but the Prado, which opened in 1819, is one of the most popular, with three million visitors per year, and over half of them overseas tourists. How do you make sure it remains attractive after so many years?

Faus: What makes the Prado different from other museums of Western art is the fact that it is the former royal collection, so it’s not a museum created or designed by scholars like so many others. The kings and queens of Spain in the past, they just collected what they like, they didn’t collect what they didn’t like. So that explains why the Prado Museum has been called “a museum of painters” rather than of paintings, because we have the largest collections of paintings by Bose, by Raphael, by Rubens, by Velazquez, by Goya. That provides the public with an immersive experience that you can’t find in any other museum.

Reporter: Internationally, how can museums draw more visitors?

Faus: Big museums serve three purposes – they are international institutions, they are national institutions, and they are local institutions. So, we have to see how to satisfy these three different audiences. It’s not always easy to make it compatible to all these different kinds of visitors. I think this is a challenge that all big museums are facing in the world.

Reporter: It is said you had twice rejected the opportunity to be the director of the Prado Museum before you took up the role in 2017. What made you change your mind?

Faus: I studied the history of art. I like to think of myself as a scholar devoted to Italian Renaissance art. In the end, I accepted the role just because I love the Prado. I couldn’t see myself directing any other museum. I have a professional and personal commitment to the institution.

Reporter: You are a curator, a scholar, a person who loves and knows art, in particular Italian Renaissance paintings. What’s your mission as the director?

Faus: The paintings are there, and the paintings are always the same. It’s society that’s changing. My main concern is how to answer the question why the Prado still matters, trying to provide our visitors with the tools to understand why the Prado is important, and why it is one of the most important collections of Western art in the world. That’s my main task.

Reporter: You once said, and I quote: “After hundreds of years, the empire was swept away and the only thing left is the Prado.” What’s so unique about the Prado? What personal bond do you share with the museum?

Faus: Spain right now is a small country. It’s not among the most powerful countries in the world as it was centuries ago. When you see all the richness and power, the glory – it’s all gone. In the end, what remains? It’s the art. That’s why through the collections at the Prado, you can learn about the history of Spain. One of the most distinctive features of the Prado is how closely it is connected with the history of Spain. I think that’s what we are doing with this exhibition in a very successful way.

Reporter: And lastly, I know it’s probably impossible, but I still need to ask – is there any chance we will be able to see (1656 Velázquez painting) “Las Meninas” in China?

Faus: Sadly, I have to say that it’s not going to be possible. It’s one of the very few paintings that cannot leave the Prado. There is also a list of paintings that due to their fragility or their importance cannot leave the Prado. “Las Meninas” is at the top of that list. It’s our most treasured painting, and the most iconic work that we have. It’s also a very large painting and not easy to move. But that provides people from Shanghai with a good reason for visiting us in Madrid.

The art of creating elegant tearoom decorations from ink slabs

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The “Four Treasures of Study,” namely a writing brush, ink stick, paper and ink slab, were highly sought after by ancient Chinese scholars. Today, ink slab artisans are better known for their ingenuity and skills in combining this particular craft with tearoom decorations. Let’s take a closer look at these innovative tearoom adornments.

World’s largest deinonychosaur tracks discovered in southeast China’s Fujian

A dinosaur tracksite discovered in Lincheng Town, Longyan City, southeast China’s Fujian Province. /CMG

A dinosaur tracksite discovered in Lincheng Town, Longyan City, southeast China’s Fujian Province. /CMG

A team of scientists on Monday claimed discovering large two-toed tracks of deinonychosaurs in Lincheng Town, southeast China’s Fujian Province.

At least eight types of dinosaur tracks have been found over the years at the Longxiang tracksite by scientists and experts from China University of Geosciences and Yingliang Stone Natural History Museum, 12 of which are didactyl deinonychosaur tracks that fall into two morphologies.

Among the 12 two-toed fossil tracks, five large tracks measuring 36.4 centimeters in length and 16.9 centimeters in width, on average, led researchers to establish a new dinosaur taxon: Fujianipus yingliangi.

A dinosaur tracksite discovered in Lincheng Town, Longyan City, southeast China’s Fujian Province. /CMG

A dinosaur tracksite discovered in Lincheng Town, Longyan City, southeast China’s Fujian Province. /CMG

Based on relative toe proportions, Fujianipus is a probable troodontid.

“These are currently the largest deinonychosaur tracks found in China and beyond,” said Xing Lida, an associate professor at China University of Geosciences, adding that based on the size of the tracks, it is estimated that Fujianipus was at least 5 meters long, with a hip height of nearly 2 meters.

“The Longxian tracksite is the best-preserved, largest area and the most diverse Late Cretaceous dinosaur tracksite discovered in China to date,” said Niu Kecheng, curator of Yingliang Stone Natural History Museum.

The discovery of the Fujianipus yingliangi greatly expands the size range of deinonychosaur tracks, which is of great significance for the study of the Late Cretaceous dinosaurs in China, Niu added.

The discovery was recently published in the international journal iScience.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

‘AI for good’: China and France issue joint statement on AI governance

Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday issued a joint statement on artificial intelligence (AI) governance, pledging to work together to promote the responsible development and use of AI for the benefit of all.

The statement, released at the conclusion of Xi’s state visit to France, comes as AI is rapidly becoming a major global issue. AI can revolutionize many aspects of our lives, but it also raises many challenges, such as its impact on employment, its misuse for malicious purposes, and the ethical implications of AI.

In their statement, Xi and Macron acknowledged the importance of AI and the need for international cooperation to ensure it is developed and used responsibly. They called for AI to be human-centered and to serve the common good.

The two leaders also pledged to work together to promote the development of AI governance frameworks that are flexible, inclusive and transparent. They called for these frameworks to protect individual privacy, promote ethical AI development and ensure that AI is used in a way that is consistent with international law.

(Cover via CFP)

Refugee Team demonstrates Olympic spirit, sends message of hope

Refugee Olympic Team members will compete across 12 sports during the Paris Olympic Games. Photo: Courtesy of International Olympic Committee

Refugee Olympic Team members will compete across 12 sports during the Paris Olympic Games. Photo: Courtesy of International Olympic Committee

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has unveiled its largest Refugee Olympic Team to date for the Paris Olympic Games and a new emblem for the team.

A total of 36 athletes from 11 different countries and regions will compete across 12 sports including swimming, badminton and breaking during the Paris Games from July 26 to August 11, marking the third time for the Refugee Team to take part in the Olympic Games since Rio 2016. 

The announcement was made by IOC president Thomas Bach during a live-streamed ceremony from Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland on May 2.

“With your participation in the Olympic Games, you will demonstrate the human potential for resilience and excellence. This will send a message of hope to the more than 100 million displaced people around the world. At the same time, you will make billions of people around the world aware of the magnitude of the refugee crisis,” said Bach.

The establishment of a Refugee Team is more than an enrichment to the Olympic community. It is the best interpretation of the Olympic spirit of peace, mutual respect and understanding by promoting inclusiveness, unity, perseverance and fair play and it serves as a powerful reminder of the transformative power of sport.

The Olympic Games aim to bring together athletes from all over the world to compete regardless of nationality, ethnicity, or background. 

In 2024, for the first time in the Olympic history, the Refugee Team will compete under its own emblem, instead of the Olympic flag with its signature five interlocked rings. Bringing a unique identity to the team, the design of a circle of arrows around a red heart represents the team members coming from different corners of the world and sharing their unique journeys.

The Refugee Olympic Team symbolizes unity and solidarity among nations and athletes. It sends the powerful message that despite the challenges and adversities faced by refugees, they can come together as a team and compete alongside athletes from around the world.

Additionally, the participation of refugee athletes in the Olympic Games promotes a message of peace and understanding. It highlights the human cost of conflict and displacement while at the same time emphasizing the importance of global cooperation and support for refugees.

In promoting peace, the team’s purpose positions itself on the same level as the Olympic Truce, an ancient Greek tradition which required the cessation of all hostilities to secure safe passage for athletes during the ancient Olympic Games.

According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there were an estimated 114 million people forcibly displaced worldwide as of September of 2023.

Supporting refugees and displaced populations remains a key priority for the IOC, and is part of Olympic Agenda. The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) was established in 2017 to build on this commitment.

Representing the people affected by war and poverty, refugee athletes from countries such as Iran, Afghanistan and Syria will take this opportunity to raise global awareness of the refugee crisis and serve as role models to inspire individuals facing adversities worldwide and convey to the world a call for unity and peace. 

This year, the team will be led by Chef de Mission Masomah Ali Zada, who competed for the Refugee Team at Tokyo 2020 in road cycling. In an interview, Zada commented: “With all the challenges that you have faced, you now have a chance to inspire a new generation, represent something bigger than yourselves and show the world what refugees are capable of,”

The presence of the Refugee Team at the Olympic Games is a perfect example of how sports are able to promote global peace and the harmonious coexistence of mankind, said a Chinese netizen on X-like Sina Weibo. 

The Olympic spirit represents the universal values of excellence, friendship, respect, sportsmanship, and inspiration that unite athletes and people around the world in the pursuit of athletic achievement and human excellence.

The Refugee Olympic Team will definitely leave a lasting legacy beyond the Games and it is hoped that such initiative will lead to increased support and opportunities for refugee athletes at all levels of sport, encouraging participation, integration, and social inclusion in communities worldwide.

The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]

Strategic significance of China-France relations is becoming increasingly prominent: Global Times editorial

60 years of friendship.Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived Sunday in Paris for a state visit to France as the first stop of his European trip. He received a grand welcome from the French side. At the same time, President Xi’s written speech upon arrival at Paris Orly airport, the signed article published in French media Le Figaro, and the China-France-EU trilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have continued to spark heated discussions in Western public opinion, highlighting the significance of this visit at the bilateral, European and global levels.

President Xi said in his signed article that during his visit to France, he brought with him three messages from China: China will work with France to carry forward the spirit that guided the establishment of their diplomatic ties, build on past achievements and open new vistas for China-France relations; China will open even wider to the world and deepen cooperation with France and other countries; China will strengthen communication and coordination with France to uphold world peace and stability. These three messages not only demonstrate China’s concept of development, security, and civilization in the new era, but also reflect the strategic, epoch-making and global nature of China-France relations in the context of a changing world order.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France. Sixty years ago, the two countries broke through the icy barriers of the Cold War, bridged the gap between camps, and established ambassadorial-level diplomatic relations, “ripping a slit in an iron plate,” pushing the world toward dialogue and cooperation. Even today, admiration for the strategic vision and broad-mindedness of that generation of leaders remains a common sentiment from top to bottom in both China and France, demonstrating that the strategic direction of the relationship established at that time was correct and stood the test of time. President Xi’s emphasis of carrying forward the spirit that guided the establishment of diplomatic ties, namely the spirit of independence, mutual understanding, foresight, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, shows that in the face of profound global transformations and uncertainties, it is hoped that the two countries can lead the world back to the right path of cooperation rather than confrontation, to win-win results rather than zero-sum.

We have noticed that from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to trade disputes, some Western public opinions have previously listed a “to-do list” between China and France. China and France never avoided these issues. Over the past 60 years, the reason why China-France relations have consistently remained at the forefront of China’s relations with Western countries, pioneering many “firsts,” is not because they have not experienced ups and downs, but because they have always focused on the fundamental and long-term interests of both countries and peoples, jointly safeguarded world peace and stability, and promoted human development and progress.

Charles de Gaulle once said at a press conference after the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, “France simply recognizes the world as it is.” He firmly believed in the long history of Chinese civilization and emphasized that global development cannot be without China. Today, as China deeply integrates into globalization, just as de Gaulle foresaw, it has a strong willingness and continues to contribute to global development. China’s expansion of high-level openness and deepening cooperation with other countries, including France, is not a forced choice, but a conclusion drawn from our own development experience and a natural result of our development needs. China offers opportunities rather than risks, and seeks cooperation rather than confrontation. As long as one can correctly grasp the main thread of comprehensively understanding China’s development, all problems will be technical and temporary.

France is an influential major power in the Western world, and its influence stems not only from its hard power but also from its longstanding tradition of independence and its unique perspective and vision. The stability and development of China-France relations will become a very prominent case in China’s relations with the West, helping other Western countries to understand China’s foreign policy and the principles China upholds when developing relations with countries of different systems and cultural backgrounds. The stability of China-France relations provides more impetus for China-Europe relations and also helps European countries to understand China in a rational, pragmatic, and objective manner and handle their relations with China accordingly.

France was the first Western power to establish diplomatic relations with China, and China-France relations have always carried the genes of influencing international relations and the world order from the very beginning. Just as President Xi said, “both China and France value independence as two major countries, and our interactions in the long course of history have released tremendous energy swaying the trajectory of the world.” Under the strategic guidance of the two leaders, we look forward to China and France embarking on a new journey for the next 60 years of bilateral relations, constantly making new achievements for global peace and stability as well as human development.

China braces for potential disruptions as more solar flares loom

China’s National Satellite Meteorological Center (NSMC) has issued a warning for potential disruptions to communication systems due to a series of expected solar flares.

The alert comes after an X-class flare, the strongest classification, struck on Sunday afternoon.

According to the NSMC, additional solar flares are anticipated to erupt between May 6 and 8. These flares are predicted to fall within the X-class or M-class, the second highest, categories.

Solar flares are intense bursts of energy erupting from the sun. They pose a threat to satellites, astronauts and radio communications, while also generating spectacular auroras.

The NSMC advises users of radio communication to mitigate potential disruptions by switching frequencies or employing alternative communication methods.

(Cover via CFP.)

French museum adopts ‘China’ as its theme of the year

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Exquisite porcelain, vibrant clay figurines, famous paintings from ancient China… Visitors to the Guimet Museum in Paris this year may feel as if they have stepped into this ancient Eastern civilization. The museum, which has the largest collection of Asian art in Europe, has chosen “China” as its theme for 2024, with Chinese elements appearing in all its activities throughout the year.

The historic Zhou Enlai – Pompidou visit to Yungang Grottoes

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French sinologist David Gosset reminisces about the historic visit of China’s former Premier Zhou Enlai and then French President Georges Pompidou to the Yungang Grottoes in 1973, symbolizing the enduring friendship between France and China. Despite their respective illnesses, the leaders’ determination to elevate bilateral relations resonates through time, underscoring the importance of collective efforts in fostering global understanding, dialogue and cooperation.