"Italia, We Are With You” and “Art & Fashion for Health"
Artwork by Chen Jiu (Photo courtesy of Chinese New Art)
Chic Group announces support for young talents’ projects by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana and WING’s Culture and Art Fund engages top Chinese artists to promote solidarity
The "Italia, We Are With You” and “Art & Fashion for Health" event took place on 20th May 2020 at Shanghai Tower, organized by Chic Group and the Rong Family's WING's Culture and Art Fund of Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation. The event received the endorsement of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI), the Italian Cultural Institute of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, Shanghai International Culture Association, and special patronage from Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation. Ernst & Young, International Business Alliance (IBA), Hope Group and Shanghai University CSCS were technical partners of the event.
In 2020, the year that marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy and the China-Italy Culture and Tourism year, the outbreak of Covid-19 continues to impose great challenges to the cultural, social and economic exchanges between the two countries. With most of the Italian citizens and businesses still under lockdown, the pandemic has inflicted devastating effects on the country's economy. The "Italia We Are With You" initiative was undertaken by CNMI to convey the support of its members and international partners to the Italian Government's efforts to fight the health emergency.
"In Chinese, the word for crisis (危机), also bears the meaning of opportunity."
Earlier in February, CNMI, the official organizer of the Milan Fashion Week, launched the solidarity project "China, We Are With You" with the support of Chic Group to give the opportunity to Chinese young designers, media, buyers and fashion lovers to participate in the Milanese fashion shows digitally in spite of the physical distance. Three months later, as the pandemic took a hard toll on a large number of Italian small enterprises in the fashion industry, following the "Italia We Are With You" initiative, Chic Group, a leading Chinese investment firm with its own branch office in Milan and a long-term partner of CNMI for the Fashion Hub of MFW, announces its support for the projects of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana dedicated to young talents with a contribution of € 120,000.
Yue Minjun, Roles, 2011; Oil on Canvas, 200x230cm (Photo courtesy of Central Academy of Fine Arts)
In Shanghai Chic Group has joined forces with the WING's Culture and Art Fund established in October 2019 as a special fund under the Shanghai Cultural Development Foundation, a non-profit organization with the mission to promote Chinese culture as well as cultural exchanges between countries to present “Art & Fashion For Health”. Leveraging the tremendous power of art and fashion to promote mutual understanding and a cultural of solidarity, on this occasion, Chic Group and WING's Culture and Art Fund have also engaged ten of the most influential Chinese contemporary artists: Ding Yi, Ding She, Fang Lijun, Li Lei, He Xi, Chen Jiu, Lin Mingjie, Yue Minjun, Zhou Chunya, Xue Song to create artworks that inspire and explore humanity in the present climate. The result was a mix of wonderful design and thought, with each artist approaching the theme – protective mask design - in their own way. The special limited editions of these colorful and bold creations were presented and auctioned at the event to raise funds for WING's Culture and Art Fund’s upcoming cultural activities.
XUE SONG 薛松, Dialogue with Master 8, 2013, Mixed media on canvas (Courtesy of ShanghART)
Mr Marcello Tsai, CEO of Chic in China said: "In Chinese, the word for crisis (危机), also bears the meaning of opportunity. The current health crisis has given us the tremendous opportunity to reinvigorate a sense of humanity and global community that had weakened under the pressure of ignorance and isolationism. Chic is proud to be here today with the Rong Family’s Cultural Fund and CNMI as we believe that the crisis can be overcome thanks to the soft power of art, culture and fashion”.
Ms. Cherry Yiu, President of WING's Culture and Art Fund, delivered the welcome address: "Our organization will continue to distinguish itself in the promotion of Chinese traditional culture and to play an active role in the field of art and fashion to favor positive exchanges between China and Italy to strengthen reciprocal understanding, that is the founding principle of a long-term prosperous relationship".
Mr Carlo Capasa, Chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana sent a video message to express gratitude for the support: “As Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana our aim is not only represent the Italian fashion industry, but also to embrace global values as unity, resilience and solidarity. Since the beginning of the global pandemic we decided to stand together and built a bridge with the Chinese population through the initiative “China We Are with You”, which enabled over 25 million people in China to virtually attend all the activities of the Fall/Winter 2021 Milan Women’s Fashion Week, despite travel restrictions. As CNMI we are very grateful and want to thank the Chinese population who have acted without hesitation and supported our initiative “Italia we are with you”, as soon as Italy needed aid, thus demonstrating how important it is to be united in moments of extreme adversity.”
"Fashion and art are without borders."
The Italian Government was represented by Mr Alberto Manai, the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai who stated: “On behalf of the Consulate General of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Shanghai, I am very pleased to be part of this event on the 50th anniversary of relations between Italy and China. At this particular time in the history of the world, many countries, including Italy, are called to face important challenges together. Solidarity and collaboration are of crucial importance in this situation.”
The event was also attended by special guest Mr. Zeng Fengfei, a leading figure in the field of Chinese fashion design and founder of the Zengfengfei brand, who displayed his classic Chinese style elegant fashion collection "far and near" along with the ten artists’ unique masks.
Zengfengfei FW 2019 (Photo courtesy of SA Fashion Week)
This event, the first one of a series of Sino-Italian cooperation initiatives that Chic Group and WING's Culture and Art Fund are planning for the future within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, launched the message that fashion and art are without borders and help far away people stay universally connected at this unprecedented time.
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