Beijing

Joe Hisaishi's works

China Broadcast Symphony Orchestra will perform an audio-visual concert of works created by Japanese master Joe Hisaishi.

The conductor and composer of more than 100 film scores, Hisaishi is best-known for his collaborations with Japanese animation guru Hayao Miyazaki since 1984. He has composed most of the scores for Miyazaki's films, such as Castle in the Sky and Spirited Away.

The concert will feature not only Hisaishi's famous soundtracks for animations, but also scores for classic movies such as Kikujir's Summer and the Academy Award-winning film Departures.

During the concert, scenes of the films will be played to allow audience to understand the ideas behind the music.

7:30 pm, April 20. Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, Northwest of Tian'anmen Square. 010-6559-8285

Ode to philosopher

Tell Me Ten Words That Relate You, an exhibition in celebration of the 300th anniversary of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's birth, is offering Rousseau's fans and French language lovers a chance to feel the expressive possibilities of French and to understand the great philosopher and novelist.

Ten words, including ame (soul), caractre (nature), and histoire (story) have been chosen as the collective theme among Rousseau's works. Stories and anecdotes related to the 10 words bring an interesting insight into French culture.

Participants of the exhibition are also invited to contribute their own lists of 10 French words and to share their experiences and dreams linking to their chosen words.

10:30 am-7 pm, until April 30. French Cultural Center, 18 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang district. 010-6553-2627

Contemporary art

A retrospective exhibition of contemporary artist Gu Dexin is ongoing, with a title of The Important Thing Is Not the Meat.

Gu first came to prominence on the Beijing art scene with a 1986 solo exhibition of paintings and works on paper that spanned various styles. In 1989, he was among three Chinese artists included in the epochal exhibition Magiciens de la Terre at the Centre Pompidou, in what was arguably the first international display of contemporary art from China.

The exhibition traces the full arc of Gu's career, from his amateur paintings in the late 1970s through his climactic final piece of 2009, bringing together nearly 300 works.

10 am-7 pm, until May 27. UCCA Auditorium, 798 Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-5780-0200

Horowitz images

An exhibition of iconic works by Polish photo-artist Ryszard Horowitz opens at the chic boutique hotel Grace Beijing.

The exhibition, titled Horowitz with Grace, showcases 12 of his representative works dating from 1969-1995. Horowitz is renowned as a "photo-composer", blending the artistic genres of both painting and photography. He made his Beijing debut last year, as part of an inspiring schedule of political, commercial and cultural exchanges between Poland and China.

Grace Beijing, 1 706 Houjie, 798 Arts Zone, 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. 010-6436-1818

Oil photos

French film director and artist Agnes Varda has return to China more than 50 years after she first visited for a retrospective exhibition, The Beaches of Agnes Varda in China, 1957-2012.

The exhibition is showing Varda's early photographic works that includes the black-and-white and color photos she shot on her maiden visit to China. Also on display are installations by the Grandmother of the French New Wave, which focus on everyday items, such as mirrors and chairs.

9 am-5:30 pm, until April 18 except Mondays. Art Museum of Central Academy of Fine Arts, 8 Huajiadi Nanjie, Chaoyang district. 010-6477-1575

Shanghai

Dragon incubator

Hong Kong artist David Chan's calligraphy work is showcased at Shanghai Times Square. The building on Huaihai Road has been adorned in the theme of Chan's art featuring the dragon, the Chinese totem. On display are more than 50 works by Chan, each displaying variations of the Chinese character "dragon". The works offer insight into the Chinese view of nature and attitude towards life.

10 am-10 pm, until April 23, 1F&2F lobby, Shanghai Times Square, 99 Huaihai Zhonglu, 021-6391-0691

Hong Kong

Get animated

Organized by the Hong Kong Arts Center and sponsored by the Urban Renewal Authority, Comix & the City Exhibition & Talk is a prelude to the 2013 opening of Comix Home Base in Wanchai. Local comics and animation artists Kongkee, Rainbow Leung, Stella So and Albert Sung share how daily observations infuse meaning into their work in panel discussion Talk: Comics, Animation & Life at 4 pm on April 15. You can also see their creations along with a host of others at the exhibition. Images are inspired by Hong Kong daily life such as trams and street side stalls.

10 am-8 pm, April 13-May 25. Experimental Gallery, Hong Kong Arts Center, 2 Harbour Road, Wanchai. 852-2582-0200

Macao

Relic hunters

The Macao Institute of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Relics offers a monthly field trip for intrepid locals and visitors. Check out the city's ancient wonders through the eyes of conservationists and learn how they have been meticulously preserved over the centuries. This month includes exploration of the mural at the Holy Chapel of Our Lady of Guia, a fresco that requires continuous upkeep due to Macao's hot and humid climate. Later, delve past St. Paul's iconic facade and see what lies beneath the church's foundations.

10 am, April 9, Our Lady of Guia Chapel, Rampa da Guia. 3 pm, April 9, St. Paul Church and Ruins, Calcada de Sao Paulo. Enquiries and registration 853-6652-0191

China Daily

(China Daily 04/08/2012 page15)