SHANGHAI.- 183 emerging and established metal art works grace the Shanghai World Handicraft Industry Exposition Park from 5 June until 5 July for the fifth edition of China International Contemporary Metal Art Exhibition.

Funded by China National Arts Fund, co-organised by the Academy of Arts & Design,Tsinghua University and China Arts and Crafts Association, the 5th China International Contemporary Metal Art Exhibition (CICMAE) presents 183 works by the most prominent avant garde figures from 13 countries and regions, including China, Taiwan, the UK, USA, Japan, Korea, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, India, Australia, Switzerland and Israel.

Wang Xiaoxin, exhibition curator and AADTHU professor, notes: “This year’s edition showcases works from highly innovative handcraft artists, who work with various materials including gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, stainless steel, titanium, lacquer, stone, wood and leather. With traditional techniques such as filigree, enamel, forging, burin, casting, gilding and silver-inlaid black copper* as well as cutting-edge techniques represented by 3D printing.”

These metal artworks focus on the interaction of multiple dimensions and orientations in the field of contemporary metal art. They also represent the most cutting-edge technology of metal art in China and worldwide.




Zhou Shangyi, AADTHU professor: "CICMAE is a profound exploration and an important embodiment of structural development and fusion innovation in the field of Chinese metal art from industry, academia and research.”

Lu Xiaobo，Dean of AADTHU: “Initiated in 2009, CICMAE plays an important role in promoting relevant art colleges and industrial enterprises to form a good situation of resource integration, complementary advantages and joint interaction. The exhibition highlights the thoughts and features of the development of contemporary international metal art on a grand level and promotes the benign interaction between both Chinese and international metal art.”

Zhang Hong, Vice President, Chinese Arts and Crafts Association: “In 2017, the Chinese Arts and Crafts Association participated and hosted CICMAE, where the traditional foundations, contemporary concepts, aesthetic spirit and commercial value of metal art were discussed in depth with all relevant circles with interaction around cultural heritage, artwork innovation, academic research and industry. Thus, the Association has accumulated a wealth of experience. This year the Association continues to participate in and hold the exhibition with the theme of Integration: Ancient & Modern, which hopes to show a new look of metal art, and to promote the new development of metal craft culture as an unique element of Chinese arts and crafts, and contribute to the worldwide development of metal art.”

The metal age brought a new era to human civilization. Metal art has proved essential to the continuous development of human society. In modern times, traditional metal craft is handed down from generation to generation in the hands of artists and craftsmen and it is glowing with new vitality of life；brand-new materials, techniques and arts constantly impact the inherent boundaries of metal art, pushing the development of metal art to a new height. Contemporary metal art is forming new values and new social demands in the confrontation and interaction between inheritance and innovation, decoration and concept, traditional craft and modern technology.

This year’s edition explores how artists engage with material in new and unexpected ways, how they create work with traditional materials such as gold, silver, copper, iron and tin and work with modern materials such as stainless steel and titanium and mixed materials of non-metallic materials such as lacquer stone wood and leather. For example, a wearable piece by Swiss artist David Bielander - a witty combination of silver and white gold staples, looks as if it has been made from cardboard when in fact it is made from gold - explores issues of identity, belonging, judgment and perception with the public. The artist takes the familiarity of everyday objects and combines them with a witty abstraction to create truly uncanny artworks.

Likewise, Chinese artist Wang Xiaoxin's work The Spirit of Culture - applied with the traditional Chinese cloisonné technique to the material, shape and imagery of celadon, and cleverly combined it with new techniques.