Italians critical of Chinese art
A cultural exchange has turned into an awkward debate over aesthetics in Italy and China, the British newspaper The Guardian reported. In an attempt to promote trade relations, the city of Florence gave a bronze reproduction of Michelangelo's David to the city of Ningbo, China, two years ago. In return, Ningbo donated two huge stone sculptures last year. The reproduction was greeted warmly by the Chinese, but in Florence authorities are having difficulty finding a home for the two reproductions of Tang dynasty figures, one a smiling warrior and one a bureaucrat, because city residents do not find them aesthetically appealing.
The statues, which are 13 feet tall, have been housed in a freight warehouse since they arrived. “They are ugly and too imposing,” said Andrea Ceccarelli, a representative of the city's residents. The city must deal with the situation now because a delegation from Ningbo, a city in Zhejiang Province, is coming to Italy later this month to inspect the statues. Silvano Gori, a Florence city official, blamed his fellow citizens for the response. “Every time you try something different in Florence there is a row,” he said.
Source: The New York Times
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