After three years of online meetings with his Chinese partners, Eike Schmidt, director of the world-renowned Uffizi Galleries in Florence, Italy, visited Shanghai recently to share the beauty of Renaissance art
"It is very important for the Uffizi Galleries to be present in China," Schmidt told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "We look forward to enhancing our cooperation with art museums here."
In 2022, the Uffizi Galleries and Shanghai's Bund One Art Museum signed a cooperation agreement to mark the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, according to which the two museums would jointly hold 10 exhibitions in China over five years.
As a highlight and kickoff event, the "Uffizi Self-portrait Masterpieces" exhibition was unveiled in Shanghai in September 2022 and enjoyed immediate success.
It gathered 50 epic pieces by 50 masters from the 16th to the 21st century, including Titian, Rembrandt, and Chagall. The Self-Portrait of Raphael, a classic work by the master, made its debut in Shanghai during the exhibition.
The show has now traveled to Beijing and is currently on display at the National Museum of China.
"Botticelli and the Renaissance," the exhibition that is currently running at the Bund One Art Museum, features one of the greatest painters of the Florentine Renaissance. It has also become a big hit since its inception in April.
In recent years, the Uffizi Galleries has engaged in extensive cooperation with galleries across China, bringing a large number of precious works for Chinese art lovers.
According to Schmidt, another exhibition focusing on the art of the Enlightenment of the 18th century is being prepared and will open in the autumn in Bund One.
He also disclosed a dream project dedicated to both traditional and contemporary Chinese art. "While it is too early now to make any announcement, it is certainly something that is within the horizon of what we're planning to do."
During his first visit to Shanghai, Schmidt has been impressed by "the joy of the people on the streets, in the museum, and the beauty of the city."
The director of one of the most visited art museums in Europe said he is already looking forward to his next trip to China to promote art dialogues and deepen cultural ties.
"There are still eight more exhibitions to go... Even 10 exhibitions will not be enough. For us it's almost as never leaving," said Schmidt, referring to the joint program with Bund One. "I'm looking forward to going beyond these here in Shanghai, but also (cooperating) with other museums in China."
