CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Friday, May 4, 2018 LIFE 23 A TRIBUTE TO TRIER Karl Marx’s statue in his hometown infuses philosopher’s soul with art, writes its sculptor Wu Weishan.
n the history of human civilization, people have erected statues to show their recognition of Ihuman values and to celebrate men of special significance. Thus, Western history can be read through sculptures, which aren’t just about aes thetic appreciation but also have cultural and epochal val ue. On the 200th anniversary of Karl Marx’s birth, a bronze statue of Marx, at a height of 5.5 meters, will find its home in a public square in Trier, Germa ny, Marx’s hometown on Satur day. The statue also reflects the city’s profound historical and cultural traditions. As the sculptor of the bronze statue, I’m proud that its appearance in Trier has drawn global attention. As history has entrusted me the mission to infuse the philosopher’s soul with art, it is not only about conveying personal style and Bronze statue emotions, but also the friend of Karl Marx ship between Chinese and Ger created by Wu mans. Weishan. Recalling the two years of Chinese artist Wu Weishan works on German philosopher Karl Marx’s statue in his studio. The statue will be officially inaugurated in Trier, the creating process of the stat Germany on Saturday, Marx’s 200th birth anniversary. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ue arouses waves of emotions in me. The story began with my trip er of the millennium” by BBC tion and height of the statue. incorporates the spirit of Marx. to Trier in January 2016, with News Online readers and Finally, we decided that the Soon, Leibe came to my stu respect and dreams of decades. topped several lists of the great statue would be located in dio in Beijing. After seeing the As one of the oldest cities in est philosophers in history, front of the city museum, near 60centimeterhigh maquette Germany, Trier got fame as ear It (making the which made Germany proud. Porta Nigra, the Roman archi and a 2.3meterhigh interme ly as 2,000 years ago during the For a century Chinese society tecture, with Karl Marx House diate model, he was pleased to Roman times. The river Mosel statue) is not only has achieved great progress by just 200 meters away. Obvious say that Karl Marx has come to le slowly winds through, combining Marxism with Chi ly, the statue, the height of life again and his philosophy Chinese art. The lines of Chi ations in the shape of the reflecting the city’s elegance about conveying nese social realities. which was preliminarily deter has been visualized in the 21st nese calligraphy and the statue. and primitive simplicity. The personal style and In that sense, a Marx statue mined at about 6 meters, century. Moselle River endow the statue To ensure its outdoor visual red sandstone hills and warm by a Chinese sculptor will would integrate with the envi According to Leibe, Trier has with the spirituality of art. effect, I transported the model purple forests under the winter emotions, but also become a bond of friendship ronment. erected a 6.9meterhigh statue When creating the statue, I back to Beijing and modified it sunshine echo with Roman between China and Germany. With a consensus on the stat based on my design after solic merged Western realism and in an outdoor square. It was architecture, whose poetic tone the friendship As a Chinese artist, I grew up ue, the Germans toasted me iting public opinions. He had Chinese impressionism. West the beginning of February reminds me of the early Ren with a portrait of Marx at goodbye with local wine and I personally spent one day trav ern realistic sculptures from when Beijing was between 8 C aissance oil paintings. between Chinese home. His iconic hairstyle and wrote: “The hometown of a eling by bus and getting public ancient Greece and Rome have and 12 C. I climbed up and Having witnessed numerous moustache, as well as the great man — our permanent feedback. The design was provided me with a sharp knife down the scaffold in the chilly pedestrians coming and going and Germans.” thoughtful expressions had spiritual home.” accepted by the vast majority to bring out the character’s wind and shaped the model for thousands of years, the found their way to my heart And the mayor wrote that and won 42 votes from the total physical form and spirit, with plaster. After 5 hours of stone roads are burnished with Wu Weishan, director of the and soul. the statue of Karl Marx will 53 at the city council, with four whereas the Chinese impres continuous work, my hands sheen. The holy melody of the National Art Museum of China Images of a man change build a golden bridge between abstentions. The suggestions sionism gave me wings to freely almost froze. church organs and the slow according to different stages in China and Germany. were merely to readjust the express poetic sentiments. In the early morning of Feb rhythm of life tell the city’s long his life. As the first large out Soon after returning to Chi height of the statue in order to What I always strive for is to 28, the bronze casting was history. All of these are filled with the concept of the Marx door sculpture of the city, I na, I started my creation. In fit the display space. turn my statues into poetic phi completed and the statue was with the historical and cultural statue. Accompanied by the intended to conform it to fact, I have created quite a few Later, I had multiple faceto losophy. about to be transported to Ger profoundness of the great mayor, we went to the desig Marx’s identity as a great think statues of Marx in recent years, face and video interactions on Ludwig is a highly accom many via a large aircraft. I man’s birthplace. nated location of the statue. er and philosopher and mean continuously studying litera the size of the statue. We deter plished architect and urban went to the airport to see off Wolfram Leibe, the Lord Knowing that the city has invit while apply an image that had ture and consulting research mined that the statue should planner, who is passionate and the statue and waited on the Mayor, Andreas Ludwig, the ed a Chinese artist for the stat represented Chinese people’s ers of Marxist philosophy be 4.6 meters in height and the rational. After seeing the stat apron from 1 am to 5 am. Just director of the city’s planning ue, some of my German peers impression of him. during the process. The accu base should be 90 centimeters, ue, he wrote that he was when the day started dawning, department, and all the citi had come from Berlin. And, a I wanted the statue to be mulation of experience adding up to 5.5 meters, which pleased to witness turning a the plane slowly taxied and zens I saw were in high spirits. number of journalists, citizen located in an open space. allowed me to compare from indicates Marx’s birthday and concept into reality. “What we quickly took off, carrying the At Karl Marx House, the representatives and roleplay Unlike statues of Egyptian multiple perspectives and find suits the overall environment. see and sense is pure sublimity. best wishes of the Chinese peo former residence of Marx, I ers of Marx were there, too. pharaohs, the Buddha and any an accurate positioning and In January 2017, Ludwig The works of Marx are revived. ple. sensed why a member of the In Germany, it requires other religious icon, or politi way of expression. visited my studio along with art Professor Wu’s statue teems The bronze statue of Karl lawyer family was born with social participation, repeated cian statues with gestures, the With inspiration from and engineering experts and with vitality,” he adds. Marx has been erected in his the genes of reason and logic. public discussions in media statue of Marx should empha Marx’s hometown, I created a German journalists. Boarding Though it was winter, the hometown! It has been 200 Marx had spent his childhood and a vote through parliament size his greatness as an ordi 60centimeterhigh maquette, the 4.6meterhigh scaffold studio was warm with passion, years from Marx’s birth to the and a part of his teenage life in to build a statue in public spa nary human being. which presented Marx wearing and facing the final model of friendship, art and philosophy. statue’s erection. Trier before he went to the Uni ces. I thought of him being seat an overcoat and walking Marx’s statue, he told the In front of the statue of Karl Life is limited but the spirit versity of Bonn at the age of 17, Facing the media and the ed or standing, but later decid against the wind with a book in reporters, “This is Marx in our Marx, China and Germany is infinite. The book in Marx’s and later studied law at the public, I talked about Marx’s ed on a forward movement of his hand. His hair and beard hearts!” made spiritual conversations hand and the path under his University of Berlin, where he commitment to the dedication the statue, considering that his were rich, consistent with his Those who were present saw on art. feet have fully proved that was fascinated by philosophy of happiness for all, his perse ideas have played a role not facial expression and pace. The that Marx’s figure resembles After the statue was final mankind will continue to and history. verance in search for the truth, only in his time but also in the base is designed as a polygon, mountain ranges and earth, ized and shipped to Shanxi advance on its own wisdom Step by step, he walked his calmness when overcoming future. symbolizing the life course of and even the folds of his coat province for casting, I was still and strength. toward the forefront of Euro adversity in his life, as well as I appreciated it that the may Marx: Trier, Bonn, Berlin, Paris, flow with natural grace. I told concerned. pean culture and then made his optimism and confidence or respected my design. And Brussels and London. them that it is inspired by the The clay model was made The author is the director of his way into the world. for enriching his life. Marx had Ludwig accompanied me in Experts in Trier recognized beautiful landscape of Trier indoors, so the outdoor light the National Art Museum of That was when I came up been voted “the greatest think the rain, deciding on the loca the design, praising that it and the freehand brushwork of ing might result in visual devi China. Chinese tenor organizes concert in memory of opera teacher
By CHEN NAN 95yearold widow, Li Jinwei, a [email protected] If you go veteran soprano and music educator, and they talked Ding Yi performed as Alfre 7:30 pm, May 4. Poly about bringing together other do Germon, the lead male role Theater, 14 Dongzhimen students of Shen for a concert in Giuseppe Verdi’s opera La Nandajie, Dongcheng in tribute to their teacher on Traviata, at the Sydney Opera district, Beijing. the 25th anniversary of his House in 2002. death this year. As the first Chinese tenor On Friday, some 54 singers, known to have sung at the cul including veterans such as Yin tural landmark in Australia, Xiumei, Yu Junjian and Yan the role also led him to other In early 1980s, when Ding, Weiwen, and young students Left: Chinese tenor Ding Yi performs at China Conservatory of Music in June 2017. Right: Ding Yi and his teacher, Shen Xiang. performances there, such as in now 56, was a teacher at the from the choir of Beijing PHOTOS PROVIED TO CHINA DAILY masterpieces Tosca, Rigoletto Xi’an Conservatory of Music in based China Conservatory of and Faust. Shaanxi province, Shen was Music, where Ding teaches, Today when Ding looks back teaching at the Central Con will perform at the concert, ing University in 1940, and Shen held his first solo concert first prize in the women’s al Vocal Competition in 1991. upon that time, he not just servatory of Music in Beijing. with repertories of popular also learned music there. In in Shanghai, which was a suc group. Shen himself also got called recalls his excitement and “Shen was a famous teacher Chinese folk songs and classic the following year, he went to cess. Then, in 1985, at the second to judge international vocal pride but also the contribution and I didn’t expect I would arias from operas, including study English literature at St. Shen was among those BBC Cardiff Singer of the competitions. of his teacher, Shen Xiang, the become his last student,” Ding Carmen and La Traviata. John’s University of Shanghai who laid the foundation of World Competition, bass Liu Speaking about his teacher, late tenor and vocal music says. Ding will perform at the and was also admitted to the vocal music education in Chi Yue won the third place. mezzosoprano Guan Mucun educator, from whom he had “He not only trained me to concert, too. Shanghai National Music na and helped Chinese sing Shen’s other awardwin says: “He has said that emo learned opera in the late use my voice to sing but also “I hope the concert will not Academy to learn vocals. In ers get international ning students include bari tions should come first for a 1980s. corrected my diction, because only commemorate Shen but 1944, he was expelled from the exposure. In 1984, he led a tone Cheng Da, who won the singer and then techniques, “La Traviata was the first he spoke four languages — also inspire young music stu school because he refused to delegation to the Finnish third place in the Internation such as breathing, resonance opera I learned with Shen. It English, French, Italian and dents in general,” says Ding. sing in a fundraising concert Miriam Hailin First Interna al Vocal Competition held in and pronunciation. brought back lots of memories German.” Born in Tianjin, Shen for the Japanese army, which tional Vocal Competition, Chile in 1989, and tenor Hei “It is a valuable idea that we of him when I performed in During Spring Festival in enrolled to study English lan had then occupied Shanghai. where his student, mezzoso Haitao, who won the first should share with our young Sydney,” says Ding. February, Ding visited Shen’s guage and literature at Yench Later the same year, at age 23, prano Liang Ning, won the prize in the Verdi Internation singers today.”