The Second Dialogue of the China-Europe-America Museums Cooperation Initiative Successfully Held
Date：2022-05-23
For the second consecutive year, the dialogue of the China-Europe-America Museums Cooperation Initiative took place online, bringing together 31 personalities from the world of museums, arts and culture.
After the success of the first dialogue, the theme of which was the impact of technological developments on museums, the second dialogue discussed their role in the preservation of cultural heritage and the fight against traffickings in the field of art.
David Gosset, founder of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, underlined the importance of the event which brought together important Chinese, European and American museums, and high personalities from 10 different countries. In a reference to Victor Hugo (1802-1885), he asserted that one should not oppose the protection of local cultures and the preservation of world heritage because these two efforts complement each other.
The former head of the Palace Museum, Shan Jixiang, Richard Kurin, representative of the Smithsonian, Victoria Reed of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Vernon Rapley of the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as the director of the National Museum of Cambodia Chhay Visoth converged to call for greater international cooperation in the cultural field.
This message was reinforced by Gao Anming, Chief Editor and Vice President of China Foreign Languages Publishing Administration, and Irina Bokova, former Director General of UNESCO, who was participating for the second time in the China-Europe-America Museums Cooperation Initiative.
The first session focused on the problem of provenance and authentication of works of art. Chaired by the former cultural adviser to three Presidents of the Italian Republic, Louis Godart, it was an opportunity for General Roberto Riccardi, Colette Loll, founder of Art Fraud Insights, Marie-Cécile Zinsou, president of the Zinsou foundation and Mariarosaria Barbera who was the director of the Ostia Antica archaeological site, to present their activities and analyses. Louis Godart insisted on the idea that Beauty should bring us together.
The second session explored the need for public awareness on issues related to illicit trafficking in the field of art. Chaired by the co-founder of East Langkun, Alex Fan, it notably brought together Maxwell L. Anderson, former president of the American Association of Directors of Fine Arts Museums, and Marco Biscione, who was in charge of the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin.
The third session focused on partnerships between public and private sectors. G. Bin Zhao, economist at PwC China, organized the dialogue and was surrounded by prestigious speakers: Seven Shu, director of Tencent Digital Culture Lab, Raffaele Cosimo, of Intesa SanPaolo, Bonnie Goldblatt, from Citi, Arthur de Villepin, from Villepin Art, Juan M. Gabarron, president of The Gabarron Foundation.
This second forum is the result of cooperation between the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, the think-tank Academy of Contemporary China and World Studies (ACCWS) based in Beijing, and Antiquities Coalition, which works from Washington DC in the service of fight against illicit exchanges in the field of archeology and the arts. The founder of Antiquities Coalition, Deborah Lehr, and its director Tess Davis spoke on behalf of this American organization.
The event benefited from the support of private actors – the Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo, Yi Tsai and East Langkun. The chairman of the largest Italian bank Intesa Sanpaolo, Gian Maria Gros-Pietro, was also able to present what his organization is doing to support culture and the arts. On behalf of East Langkun, Vivian Jia shared her analysis of the art market.
In conclusion, David Gosset expressed the wish that after two consecutive years of online meetings, the third dialogue in 2023 could take place in a traditional manner. His message was reinforced by Joan McEntee, former Under Secretary of the United States Department of Commerce and Giamberto Giraldo, President of Yi Tsai who welcomed an international event to stimulate cooperation around a major topic.
