英语阅读：Lack of mutual cultural understanding
The New York Times reported that a pair of statues, a gift from China, hasreceived the cold shoulder in Italy.
A cultural exchange program between Ningbo and Florence has unexpectedly
hit an aesthetic roadblock. Florence gave Ningbo a replica of Michelangelo's
David, which Ningbo gladly accepted and erected in a public venue. In return,
Ningbo, a city south of Shanghai, donated two reproductions of Tang dynasty
figures.
Florence residents called them "ugly and too imposing". As a result, the
13-ft tall statues have been put in a warehouse. Local officials are now worried
guests from Ningbo are coming for a visit.
Some netizens suggested that the disparity comes from the two pieces of
art. Florence is the birthplace of European renaissance, with world-famous
sculptural masterpieces, while Ningbo is not known for such art.
I'm not in a position to determine the gap in the value of the two gifts.
I've studied Michelangelo as part of my college course on the renaissance, but I
know almost nothing about Ningbo's "Civilian bureaucrat and military officer".
That does not imply the latter is less valuable artistically or financially as
I'm no expert.
Since both are replicas, I believe the crux lies in aesthetics, not values.
The Tang statues are obviously in the Buddhist tradition, a world apart from the
Greco-Roman-Renaissance axis. Putting them side by side, one needs a different
set of standards to appreciate and evaluate each of them. By extension, it is
understandable that putting one in the context of the other will yield jarring
incongruity.
However, incongruous is not the same as ugly. Can you imagine erecting a
statue of David in a Chinese city a century ago? Or 50 years ago? I bet if
Ningbo had put the matter to a vote by all its citizens, it may well have been
vetoed and the end result would be to remove it from public sight, most probably
inside a museum where visitors are more prepared to come face-to-face with a
bigger-than-life sculpture of a naked young man.
In other words, not every Chinese can appreciate the beauty of David
without some rudimentary education, at least background information about its
status in art history. Public nudity, even in art, runs counter to Chinese
morality and sensibility. I remember the early years of China's reform - that
is, a generation ago - when artistic expressions featuring nudity often met with
public outrage.
A statue on a bridge in a big city had to "wear a thick layer of clothing"
after it was completed. The mural in the Capital Airport, which had one of the
female figures slightly exposing her upper body, caused a big controversy.
The Ningbo officials deserve plaudits for their courage to highlight a
piece of artistic work that may more readily spark sneers than cheers in the
local community. They have either studied the history of civilization or have
consulted experts. And they probably believe the shock value may subside and
residents, even those ignorant of European culture, may cast away their doubts
and admire it for what it is.
Or maybe I'm overestimating their aptitude. They could have been in the
same quandary as the Florence officials, but went ahead and installed it anyway
because not doing so might entail the loss of face.
I don't have a solution for the Italians. They should have asked for a
photograph before consenting to the gift. Maybe they would have chosen a replica
of a terra-cotta soldier instead.
If you look at the larger picture, the incident illustrates the need for
two-way cultural understanding. While a Chinese city is educated enough to
convince its citizens of the beauty of a nude sculpture, a European city, one
far better known than its Chinese counterpart, is so unfamiliar with Oriental
art that a crash course is out of the question.
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