Opening of the temporary exhibition in China

Starting Saturday, 25 July, an exhibition titled “Meeting Chopin” is open to visitors at the Art Museum of the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing. 

Thanks to this exhibition, visitors can not only learn about the composer’s life and view memorabilia associated with him, but also experience his work, reflect on the reception of Chopin’s music over the centuries, and delve into the history of the Chopin Competition. 

The Beijing exhibition, titled “Meeting Chopin,” presents the life and work of Fryderyk Chopin, spanning Żelazowa Wola, Warsaw, and Paris. The Polish composer’s legacy is illustrated by valuable musical autographs, letters, and memorabilia, as well as paintings, sculptures, and posters directly inspired by his work. 

The exhibition also explores the reception of Chopin’s figure in contemporary culture and art, emphasizing the artistic process of transposing music into the visual arts and vice versa. Additionally, the phenomenon of the synthesis of the arts—and even synesthesia—was highlighted, as superbly illustrated by Ira Jean Belmont’s 1930 painting titled “An Expression from the Fantasy-Impromptu by F. Chopin.”

In light of the 100th anniversary of the Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition, which falls in 2027, the exhibition naturally included items dedicated to the history of the Competition, showcasing its turbulent past, its distinguished members of the jury, and its most popular participants—including, of course, the Chinese laureates. Among the items on display are sets of medals from the 14th and 18th editions of the Competition, as well as a modern replica of the silver laurel wreath, which was the special prize awarded by Jerzy Żurawlew to Halina Czerny-Stefańska at the conclusion of the 4th Competition.

The exhibition at the Art Museum at the NCPA aims to make visitors aware that Chopin’s music—full of emotion, feeling, and nostalgia—is like an intense conversation conducted without words. It knows no boundaries, for it moves each of us, regardless of nationality, language, culture, or the times that define us. In China, thousands of kilometers from Chopin’s home country, the sound of the piano conveys the same sensitivity, longing, and beauty that were born in the composer’s soul two hundred years ago. Thanks to this, each of us has the opportunity to listen to our inner selves.

Dr. Seweryn Kuter

 

Curator of the Fryderyk Chopin Museum and curator of the exhibition: Dr. Seweryn Kuter
Content consultation: Urszula Król, Jędrzej Mróz
Exhibition coordination: Mariola Wojtkiewicz, Jędrzej Mróz
Conservation supervision: Diana Długosz-Jasińska, Marek Kostawski, Dr. Marta Zaborowska