Li Chen’s Major Sculpture Solo Exhibition at Place Vendôme in Paris –
A perfect rendezvous between the Eastern spirit and Western historical monument

Li Chen’s European Touring Exhibition Makes its Debut in Paris

Roland Barthes, a French Philosopher, once said: “Maupassant’s enjoying a daily lunch at the Eiffel Tower because it was the only place in Paris where he did not have to look at the imposing structure.” – this is the symbol of 19th century Industrial Revolution in France, a mark of modernization. More than one hundred years later, on September 2nd, 2013, a group of monumental sculptures of ink-black appear on the other side of the city – they are Li Chen’s sculptures from contemporary East. The sculptures’ beauty and spiritual energy have embellished Paris, a city where Western industry, art, and fashion history confluence, marking the commencement of rendezvous between the East and the West.
Internationally acclaimed Chinese contemporary sculptor, Li Chen, is officially invited to host a major outdoor sculpture exhibition at Place Vendôme in Paris. The event will span from September 2nd to 29th, 2013, launching the debut of his exhibition tour in Europe. Li Chen’s much-appreciated outdoor exhibition premiere at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall back in 2011 will be viewable at Place Vendôme – a treasure trove of Paris and home to some of the biggest names in jewelry. They will display 12 representative sculptures from Li Chen’s 4 creative series from 1998 to 2010. The largest piece to be displayed at Place Vendôme is 9 meters (3-storey) high, and weighs 2 tons!
Without continuous cooperation from Li Chen’s professional organizer, Li Chen’s major sculpture exhibition in Europe wouldn’t have been possible! The project organizer has coordinated ceaselessly with Vendôme’s committee on issues such as extending the exhibition period, confirming maximum load capacities, planning transportation and storage since 2011. After intensive negotiations, the exhibition was declared official by authorities in 2013. At this point, the organizational team immediately proceeded with transportation arrangements. The 3 – storey high sculpture must be handled with cautions; the transportation process for this exhibition was therefore particularly complex and involved considerable manpower and machinery. Inside the artist’s high-ceilinged studio, workers scrupulously packed works of art as well as installation equipments. Cranes, forklifts, trailers, and semi-trucks were also utilized to place these large pieces of art into customized crates, and then containers sponsored by Evergreen. Followed by one laborious week as complicated as any other construction project, the ship carrying 6 containers left the port on July 10th, 2013. Currently the 12 sculptures have arrived in the historical city of Paris, anticipating to launch one of the biggest art festivals in Europe this year!
This exhibition’s preliminary works have triggered interest in other European countries, please stay tuned for more updates on Li Chen’s international exhibitions.