"Croisements Festival: DAMI——Bogdan Smith's Solo Exhibition," hosted by Hunan Arts Publishing House, opened on June 14 at the Meilun Art Museum in Changsha, showcasing a collection of photographic and installation works by the French artist Bogdan Smith.

This exhibition marks the first time that "Croisements Festival" (croisements meaning intersections or crossroads) has brought a solo exhibition by a French contemporary artist to Hunan, and it is one of the key events of the 20th Croisements Festival. Launched in 2006, Croisements Festival is the largest and most influential cultural exchange brand and platform for civilizational dialogue between China and France.

According to the organizer, the exhibition is themed "DAMI," the artist’s term for altered states, integrating lens-based narratives with spatial installation art to focus on the contemporary characteristics of biotechnological development, the reconstruction of ecological perception, and the convergence of multi-dimensional senses. The exhibition aims to explore the profound shifts in contemporary human identity and reexamine the core contemporary question of "what makes us human" at the boundary between reality and virtuality.

At the opening ceremony, Bogdan Smith stated that art knows no borders and serves as a universal language that connects hearts and bridges civilizations. By bringing this exhibition to Changsha, the art museum has become a hub for cultural exchange, artistic interaction, and intellectual dialogue between France and China. This initiative represents a vivid example of people-to-people exchanges between the two nations, building an important bridge for mutual artistic learning and cultural integration, and effectively fostering cultural connectivity and mutual understanding between the two peoples.

Currently, Hunan has established 120 friendship city relationships in 47 countries across five continents, with international people-to-people exchanges continuously deepening. Guo Xiangli, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Hunan Provincial People's Government, noted that this exhibition is a significant achievement of "Croisements Festival" taking root in Hunan, providing a window for Hunan residents to understand French contemporary art and injecting new vitality into the deepening of the Sino-French friendship.

From April to August this year, the 20th Croisements Festival will feature nearly 20 events across six Chinese cities, covering fields such as classical music, film, and visual arts. Laurent Cuenoud, deputy consul general of the French Consulate General in Wuhan, noted that the events showcase the charm of French culture through diverse artistic forms and continue to lay a solid foundation for artistic encounter, cultural exchanges, and mutual cultural learning between France and China.

Information:

Duration: June 14 – July 12, 2026

Venue: Meilun Art Museum (inside the Hunan Arts Publishing House, No. 622, Section 1, East 2nd Ring Road, Changsha City)

Opening hours: 9:00—17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday; Closed on Monday

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

责编：王柯沣

一审：王柯沣

二审：秦慧英

三审：张权

来源：湖南省政府门户网