For the first time in the Biennale di Venezia's 110-year history, a China pavilion opened yesterday at the 51st International Art Exhibition in Venice, Italy.

A proving reflection is Biennale president David Croff's description of the world's curiosity towards China - the world is watching China greedily. The exhibition has aroused extensive global attention as visitors from around the world throng to the premiere China Pavilion, located in Virgin Garden within the Arsenale complex.

Organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture, the inaugural China Pavilion is entitled "Virgin Garden: Emersion," taken from the name of the pavilion site.

"The title represents the induction of China in the Venice Biennale with romantic symbolism, and three curatorial themes," Fan Di'an, Vice President of China's premiere art institution, the Central Academy of Art, said at a press conference in Beijing last week.

"First, Emersion embodies the diverse zeitgeist rising from rapid change and development in Chinese society.

"Second, Emersion speaks to the displacement or re-location of China's distinct political, economic and cultural influences onto an international arena.

"Finally, Emersion is the process by which the evolving face of Chinese contemporary artistic practice will emerge from behind prevailing Western stereotypes," Fan said.

La Biennale di Venezia has exhibited and honoured the works of numerous renowned Chinese artists over the past 10 years, notably, with the late Harald Szeemann's 1999 exhibition Aperto.

Over all, nearly 20 Chinese artists participated in the event. The artists not only paved the way for the West's understanding of contemporary Chinese artistic practice, but also served as catalysts for China's presence in the international field of contemporary art starting with the country's presence at this year's 51st Biennale.

The inaugural China pavilion presents five major works and consists of two spaces, adjacent interior and exterior venues.

The interior, a former naval oil storage facility, features a video installation by Xu Zhen and a light installation by Liu Wei. These two works focus on the human psychological response to fleeting, chance stimulation, while articulating the point of collision between the internal domain of the human psyche and the public dynamics of society.

The adjacent outdoor space features three works, all of which marry traditional Chinese culture and the groundbreaking exploration inherent in contemporary artistic practice.

Architect Zhang Yonghe, the soon-to-be-head of Architecture at MIT, designed an open bamboo canopy that connects the enclosed gallery with a doorway. The skeletal shelter, fabricated by traditional Chinese bamboo artisans and designed as a refuge for visitors after extended Arsenale viewing, is a nomadic, versatile landscape in the garden.

Also in the courtyard are artistic team Sun Yuan and Peng Yu's sculptural installation of a UFO and a feng shui project by Wang Qiheng, an architectural historian from Tianjin University who is the most renowned fen shui specialist in China.

The flying saucer, hand-crafted by Chinese farmer Du Wenda and his friends over the past few years, has been capturing the spotlight from the global media since it arrived in Venice one month ago. It took off yesterday on the opening of the China Pavilion and will remain floating today and tomorrow.

The 9-minute LED screening of feng shui analyses includes Wang's assessment of the quality of energy for the exsiting national pavilions, the Biennale, the city of Venice and the investigation on potential locations and manifestation for the future, undetermined site of the China Pavilion.

After its show at the Venice Biennale, the premiere China Pavilion exhibition will be moved to the Shanghai Zendai Modern Art Museum, which is due to open at the end of this month.

(China Daily 06/10/2005 page6)