Art trade fair set to open

Some 20,000 works of art will go on show at the 7th Guangzhou Art Trade Fair (GATF), which will open on May 18.

The GATE, established in 2011, is the Guangdong capital's major international platform for art exhibition and trade. It is organized by the Guangzhou International Exhibition Commission and the Guangzhou municipal bureau of culture, radio, TV, film, press and publication.

This year's fair will run for four days focusing on different art markets. Held at the Pazhou Canton Fair Exhibition Center, the trade fair covers nearly 200,000 square meters, and is divided into two main exhibition halls with 12 themed exhibition areas featuring traditional Chinese ink paintings, oil paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, and board paintings collected from around the globe.

The trade fair will also work to promote Guangzhou as a city of prosperous commercial industry and rich cultural heritage, as well as aim to improve its cultural soft power through more cultural communication with other countries.

The organizing committee will host its own 500-square-meter exhibition hall to show innovative artworks created in Lingnan (the adjacent areas in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Hong Kong and Macao), to promote local culture, as well as a themed exhibition showing Yongqing Street, the most beautiful ancient street in Guangzhou.

The intangible cultural heritages of several main cities in Lingnan area including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Foshan, Chaozhou and Zhaoqing will also be put on show.

Other exhibitions such as a Buddhist culture exhibition and works from traditional artists, will not only showcase the charm of innovative art, but also promote the local art market.