Art Deco—The France-China Connection

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The Art Deco style, which flourished in Europe, Asia, and the Americas from the1920s to the 1940s, was born in France and named after the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in Paris. Art Deco’s forms captured the spirit of the modern age (cars, aeroplanes, electricity, telephones), and was embraced across the globe. From Canada, the United States and Brazil, to Australia and Asia, French architects and designers built banks, cinemas, grand hotels, even palaces and private dwellings. Even the young Chinese republic, led by Sun Yat-sen, adopted Art Deco from 1929 on. Therein resided the movement’s originality and resilience.

The history of Art Deco in China, and of the reciprocal influences between French and Chinese artists, still remains to be written. In its modest way, this exhibition hopes to initiate this project, while also proposing fruitful paths for future exploration.

裝飾藝術風格誕生於法國，以1925年的巴黎裝飾工藝博覽會命名，自二十年代到四十年代火紅於歐洲、亞洲及美國。裝飾藝術的形式定格了新時代氣魄，在汽車、飛機、電力與電話的年代，世界各地皆傾心於裝飾藝術的魅力，從加拿大、美國、巴西，到澳洲、亞洲，都有法國建築師和設計師的藝術足跡，他們建造銀行、電影院、大酒店，甚至皇宮與私人住宅。就連新成立的中華民國，在孫中山的領導下，自1929年起亦採用了裝飾藝術風格，可見這股藝術新潮的原創性與適應能力。

裝飾藝術在中國的歷史，以及法中藝術家的相互影響，仍然未有詳盡記載。是次展覽期望略盡綿力，推動是次項目，為未來的探索鋪設康莊大道。