西班牙驻华大使拉法埃尔•德斯卡利亚尔专门到馆观展，大使表示：不仅是对本届所设“从西班牙到南美洲当代艺术特展”十分关注和认可，而且对整个北京双年展都充分肯定，而且期待在此基础上展开更多的合作。 

      Spanish ambassador to China D. Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo paid a special visit to the museum. The ambassador said that he not only paid close attention to and recognized the "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art from the Kingdom of Spain to South America" set up this year, but also fully praised the entire Beijing Biennale and looked forward to more cooperation on this basis. 

       9月2日下午三点，西班牙驻华大使拉法埃尔·德斯卡利亚尔，西班牙文化处官员桑德拉·卡斯蒂略，专程前往中国美术馆观看第八届中国北京国际美术双年展，中国美术家协会分党组副书记、北京双年展策委会召集人陶勤全程陪同。在陶勤副书记的陪同下，大使一行首先参观了从西班牙到南美洲当代艺术特展展厅的作品，整个展厅的作品体现出鲜明的拉美风情。陶勤副书记也对其感兴趣的中外优秀作品做了详细的讲解，大使与主办方、策展人和两位参展艺术家代表进行了深入的沟通，尤其是两位参展作者，分别为大使详细讲解了创作理念和创作背景等。

At 3 pm on September 2, Spanish ambassador to China D. Rafael Dezcallar de Mazarredo made a special trip to the National Art Museum of China to visit the 8th BIAB in the company of Ms. Tao Qin, the Deputy Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of Chinese Artists Association as well as the convener of the Beijing Biennale Organizing Committee. Accompanied by Deputy Secretary Tao, the ambassador visited the works of the “Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art from the Kingdom of Spain to South America", which embodies a distinctive Latin American style. Ms. Tao also gave a detailed explanation of the excellent works both from China and abroad that he was interested in. The ambassador had in-depth communication with the organizers, curator and two participating artists who explained their creation philosophy and the background of their own work to the ambassador.

Artist Arturo Berned Luque is introducing his work to the Spanish Ambassador

      西班牙雕塑《头颅17号207c32》，作者阿图罗·卢克，是对形状、空间和金属材质的重新诠释。通过抽象的表现手法，艺术家以教学规律和极具象征意义的几何图形为构思，最终呈现出一件以黄金比例为基准的雕塑作品。移步换景，通过不同的角度，导致色彩的奇妙变化，表现多彩。是很有哲学意味的一件作品。

Spanish sculpture "Head XVII 207c32", by Arturo Berned Luque, is a reinterpretation of shape, space and metal materials. The artist conceived his idea based on geometric figures that feature mathematic rules and symbolic meaning, and finally presented the sculpture in golden ratio. Moving from one place to another, you’ll find a different shape and color of this work, which shows great philosophical significance.

      西班牙油画作品《天国之战》，作者阿尔贝托·雷格拉，简洁的画面弥漫着蓝色调，而其中模糊的形状像是未知的天体，耐人寻味。整幅画作抽象，风格独到，它不是单纯的色彩堆积，而是作者灵性的一种演绎。表现了中国画的青绿山水，二维与三维的结合，抽象的绘画语言，并加入肌理立体效果。

      The Spanish oil painting “Celestial Fights" is the work of Alberto Reguera. The blue color is gradually diffusing in the simple picture and the vague shapes are like unknown celestial bodies, forming a quite intriguing atmosphere. The abstract style of the work is very unique. It is not a simple accumulation of colors, but an interpretation of the artist’s spirituality. It shows the picturesque landscape of Chinese painting, the combination of 2D and 3D, and the three-dimensional effect of texture with abstract painting language. 

新西兰驻华大使参观展览 

The New Zealand Ambassador to China visited the Beijing Biennale

      新西兰大使表示在北京双年展组委会支持下新西兰特展举办得非常成功，新西兰当代艺术能够在北京双年展这一国际平台上展示，对于新西兰当代艺术国际推广和影响力的提升都将大有助益。 

The New Zealand ambassador said that with the support of the Beijing Biennale Organizing Committee, “The Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art of New Zealand” was very successful. It would be of great help to promote the contemporary art of New Zealand through the international platform of BIAB.

      9月12日上午，新西兰驻华大使傅恩莱女士利用休假的时间携家人一起专程去中国美术馆观看北京双年展。中国美术家协会分党组副书记、北京双年展策委会召集人陶勤在新西兰特展展厅与大使会面，并一起观看了主题展和新西兰特展的作品。傅恩莱大使与该特展的策展人琳达·泰勒女士及很多参展艺术家都非常相熟，几乎对新西兰特展的每一件作品都饶有兴趣，时时驻足观看，细细品味。新西兰是位于太平洋中美丽的岛屿国家，生活在这块土地的人民由多元化族群构成。既有一千多年前就生活于此的毛利原著民族——新西兰这片长白云之乡是他们甜蜜的家；也有工业革命后为寻求新的生活方式而来的欧裔民族；也有近一个世纪以来，在全球化背景下，大规模移民到此的亚裔民族。本次新西兰特展展出的32件作品也是基本遵从了新西兰文化多元化的发展脉络，艺术家涵盖土著毛利人、欧裔新西兰艺术家、亚裔新西兰艺术家三大版块，作品种类从绘画到雕塑、到装置，作品风格从抽象到具体、到写实，内容丰富充实，艺术性很强。傅恩莱大使对这些作品连连称赞，并感谢北京双年展组委会的大力支持，使得新西兰当代艺术能够在北京双年展这一国际平台上得到展示。陶勤副书记表示借助北京双年展的平台，新西兰当代艺术的国际影响力、媒体曝光度大大提高，的确是事半功倍，傅恩莱大使对此表示认同，并再次对北京双年展的成功举办表示热烈祝贺，随后傅恩莱大使携同家人一起观看了本届北京双年展的其他展品。 

On the morning of September 12, New Zealand Ambassador to China Ms. Clare Fearnley used her vacation time to visit the BIAB with her family. Deputy Secretary Tao Qin met with them in the New Zealand Special Exhibition Hall. They appreciated the works of the theme exhibition and the New Zealand Special Exhibition together. Ambassador Clare Fearnley is very familiar with the curator of the special exhibition, Ms. Linda Rose Tyler, and many participating artists. She was very interested in almost every work of the New Zealand Special Exhibition and stopped from time to time to observe and appreciate them.  

New Zealand is a beautiful island country in the Pacific Ocean. People living here are from diverse ethnic groups. There are Maori indigenous peoples who lived here more than 1,000 years ago - the land featuring long white clouds is their sweet home. There are also European ethnic groups who came to seek a new lifestyle after the industrial revolution. There have also been a large number of Asian immigrants to this region against the backdrop of globalization for nearly a century.

The 32 works on display at this New Zealand Special Exhibition shows the country’s cultural diversity. The artists mainly include three sections: Aboriginal Maori, European New Zealand artists and Asian New Zealand artists. The types of works range from painting to sculpture and installation, expressed in an abstract, concrete, or realistic way with rich content and strong artistry. Ambassador Clare Fearnley praised these works again and again, and thanked the Beijing Biennale Organizing Committee for its strong support, which enabled New Zealand contemporary art to be displayed on the international platform of the Beijing Biennale. Deputy Secretary Tao Qin said that with the platform of BIAB, New Zealand's contemporary art has expanded its international influence and become better known to the world. Ambassador Clare Fearnley agreed with this and once again expressed warm congratulations on the success of the Beijing Biennale. Later, Ambassador Fearnley and her family watched other exhibits of the Beijing Biennale.

The Lebanese Ambassador to China Milia Jabbour held a reception for the artists 

       9月12日上午，新西兰惠灵顿市政府高级艺术顾问凯蒂·泰勒·杜克女士一行也专程观看了展览，此次新西兰特展也展出了惠灵顿市政府提供的两件具有代表性的作品：其中一件作品《方案九》的作者克丽·李是华裔新西兰人，她的创作通过对身份认同及多元化文化形态等问题进行趣味性的探索，创造出了富有表现力和社会性的作品。凯蒂·杜克女士对该作品非常欣赏，为陶勤副书记做了详尽的介绍。随后双方就将来的合作展开了务实而富有成效的对话。陶勤副书记谈到北京双年展每两年举办一次，中国美协赴外展每年也会把优秀的中国艺术家的作品在世界范围内进行推广，希望通过此次相识双方通过北京双年展、“艺术与和平”、“中国美术世界行”等展示平台建立长期的交流与合作。凯蒂·杜克女士表示非常有幸惠灵顿市政府的藏品可以在北京双年展上展出，同时也非常希望2021年“中国美术世界行”的作品可以在惠灵顿展出，她回国后会积极操办此事帮助联系合适的展览场地。她还提到惠灵顿和澳大利亚的堪培拉是姐妹城市，她会积极探寻中国作品在惠灵顿、堪培拉城际巡展的可能性。陶勤副书记对凯蒂·杜克女士建立北京、惠灵顿、堪培拉三城艺术交流机制的提议表示赞同，也为其展示了中国美协之前在丹麦、捷克等地办展受到的礼遇、模式及成果，双方一致赞同尽快具体推进2021年中国作品赴新西兰展出的进程，此次会晤轻松愉悦，富有成效，为双方将来展开深度合作打下了良好的基础。

On the morning of September 12, Ms. Katie Taylor Duke, senior art consultant of Wellington, New Zealand, also made a special trip to watch the exhibition. Two representative works provided by Wellington City were also presented at the New Zealand Special Exhibition. One of the works, Plan Nine, was created by Kerry Ann Lee, a Chinese New Zealander. She explored the identity and diverse cultural forms in an interesting way and created expressive works that reflect the society. Ms. Katie Duke gave high praise of the work and Deputy Secretary Tao Qin gave a detailed introduction. Later, they had a fruitful dialogue on future cooperation. Ms. Tao mentioned that the Beijing Biennale is held every two years, and the Chinese Artists Association promotes the works of outstanding Chinese artists around the world every year when it goes abroad. She hoped that the Beijing Biennale and other platforms like "Art and Peace" and "China Art World Tour" could serve as the bridge for two sides to have long-term exchanges and cooperation.

Ms. Katie Taylor Duke said that she felt very lucky seeing Wellington government's collection on display at the Beijing Biennale, and also hoped that the works of 2021 "Chinese Art's Trip to the World” would be displayed in Wellington. She would take care of the matter and help contact the appropriate exhibition venue after returning her country. She also mentioned that Wellington and Canberra are twin cities, so she would actively explore the possibility of Chinese works displaying in the two cities. Deputy Secretary Tao Qin agreed with Ms. Katie Taylor Duke’s proposal to establish an art exchange mechanism in Beijing, Wellington and Canberra, and also showed the courtesy, model and achievements of exhibitions held by the Chinese Artists Association in Denmark, Czech Republic and other places. Both sides agreed to push forward the exhibition of Chinese works in New Zealand in 2021 as soon as possible. The meeting was relaxing, pleasant and fruitful, laying a good foundation for further cooperation between the two sides.

陶勤陪同新西兰惠灵顿市政府代表团参观展览 

Ms. Tao Qin accompanied the delegation from the Wellington government of New Zealand to visit the exhibition

      9月17日上午，中国对外友好协会李小林会长，以后藤纯男美术馆馆长后藤洋子为团长的日中文交代表团一行、新西兰特展主办方一行，分别参观了第八届北京国际美术双年展。中国美协分党组副书记、北京双年展策委会召集人陶勤陪同李小林会长和外宾观展，为嘉宾们做了丰富而生动的讲解，并在间歇之余，接受了人民日报环球网的专访。 

      李小林会长、陶勤副书记首先与日中文交代表团一行进行了亲切的交流，李小林会长对中日悠久的文化交流表示肯定。陶勤副书记表示，我会与日中文交一直保持着良好、频繁的互动、合作关系，每届双年展他们都会推荐日本优秀的艺术家参展。此次，日本代表团前来观展，也是双方交流合作的一个体现。日中文交代表团团长后藤洋子非常感谢林小林会长和陶勤副书记对中日文化交流的重视，其代表团成员根来宏先生更是由衷感叹，北京双年展是他看过最棒的当代艺术展。随后，李小林会长在陶勤副书记的陪同下专门参观了新西兰当代艺术特展，与特展主办方、新西兰艺术家代表等亲切交谈，了解新西兰的艺术现状和艺术特色，称赞新西兰特展民族特色鲜明、作品丰富独特。李小林会长本人很喜欢绘画，看到来自全世界110多个国家的艺术作品汇聚一堂，欣喜之情溢于言表。在整体观展之后，李小林会长对此次北京双年展的展览规模、作品的艺术价值和丰富性给予了充分肯定。

On the morning of September 17, the president of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries Ms. Li Xiaolin, delegation of Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association headed by Director of Goto Sumio Museum of Art, Hiroko Goto, as well as the organizer of the New Zealand Special Exhibition visited the 8^th BIAB. Deputy Secretary Ms. Tao Qin accompanied President Ms. Li Xiaolin and foreign guests throughout their visits and gave rich, vivid explanations to the works. During the spare time, she received an exclusive interview from Global Times.

President Li Xiaolin and Deputy Secretary Tao Qin exchanged ideas with the delegation of Japan-China Cultural Exchange Association. President Li praised the long-standing cultural exchanges between China and Japan. Ms. Tao said that she would always maintain good and frequent interaction and cooperation with Japanese-Chinese Cultural Exchange Association. For each and every year, the Beijing Biennale Organizing Committee recommends outstanding Japanese artists to participate the exhibition. This time, the Japanese delegation’s visit exactly shows the results of exchanges and cooperation between the two sides. Hiroko Goto, head of the Japanese-Chinese delegation, thanked President Li Xiaolin and Deputy Secretary Tao Qin for their attention to the cultural exchange between China and Japan. One representative of the delegation, Mr. Hiroshi Negoro, expressed his heartfelt admiration that the Beijing Biennale is the best contemporary art exhibition he has ever seen. Later, President Li Xiaolin visited “The Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art of New Zealand” with the company of Deputy Secretary Tao. He had a close conversation with the organizers of the special exhibition and representatives of New Zealand artists, gaining a better understand of the current art situation and artistic characteristics of New Zealand. He praised the distinctive national characteristics and rich, unique works of the New Zealand Special Exhibition. Since President Li likes painting very much, he was overjoyed to see those works from more than 110 countries all over the world come together. At last, President Li Xiaolin fully praised the scale, artistic value as well as the rich content of the works of Beijing Biennale. 

       缤纷多彩的第八届北京双年展还没落下帷幕，关于第九届北京双年展国际合作与交流的畅想序曲就已经奏响，下届北京双年展计划在2021年底到2022年初跨年举办，而2022年北京将举办冬奥会，期待北京双年展能再次与奥运结缘，期待届时有更多的国际友人因北京双年展而欢聚、为艺术而结缘、为力与美的结合而陶醉。 

The wonderful 8th BIAB has not yet come to an end, but the prelude of the 9th BIAB featuring international cooperation and exchange has already started. The next Beijing Biennale is planned to be held from the end of 2021 to the beginning of 2022. Since Beijing will host the Winter Olympics in 2022, we hope the BIAB will connect with the Olympics again. We look forward to more international friends gathering in Beijing Biennale, sharing thoughts of art and enjoying themselves for the combination of strength and beauty.