The National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) in Beijing opened a Czech sculpture exhibition on Monday as part of the Czech Culture Festival.

The exhibition features 61 works made between the 1960s and 1980s, including those by world-renowned Czech glass masters and artists who rose to prominence in the Brussels 1958 World Expo.

Artist: Hugo Demartini

With the theme of the "New Sensitivity – Sculpture Exhibition of the Czech Republic from 1960s to 1980s", the exhibition was organized by the NAMOC and the National Gallery in Prague and is now being held at the No. 5 and 7 halls at the museum from May 11 to June 30.

"Czech art has formed a part of Europe's rich cultural tradition," said Fan Di'an, the museum's director. "Over the centuries, ancient cathedrals, churches, castles and palaces have proudly soared to the skies in Prague and other cities and towns, displaying the grandeur of classical architecture. To this day, these edifices are repositories of sculptural art."

These exhibits will offer an intriguing glimpse into the unofficial art of the 1960s through to 1980s, and into its profound conceptual and formal transformation. The world-renowned tradition of Czech glassmaking and crustal, celebrated for its craftsmanship, will be reflected in glass objects on display, he said.

The exhibition is an event integrating the creative contemporary Czech art with the materials, light and space, and a new achievement for the cultural exchange between the two countries. The art communication and dialogue between the two countries will enable two peoples to know each other better and look into the future, Fan added.

The Czech Culture Festival in China was officially opened on May 8 in Beijing. The festival was organized based on the Agreement on Cooperation between the Czech Ministry of Culture and Chinese Ministry of Culture from 2007 to 2011. This year, the festival is also held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the countries.

New Sensitivity – Sculpture Exhibition of the Czech Republic from 1960s to 1980s

May 11 – June 30, 2010

National Art Museum of China

Halls 5 and 7

1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing

9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (no entry after 4 p.m.)

20 RMB