Authors

Discussion

My presentation will focus on the “Chinese Painting Exhibition,” which was brought to the USSR in 1934 shortly after the reestablishment of official relations between the USSR and China, represented by the Kuomintang Party (KMT). The exhibition aimed to strengthen cultural ties between the two countries and, for the first time, provided Soviet visitors with a comprehensive overview of Chinese art from the Han dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) to the 1930s. Before arriving in the USSR, the exhibition traveled around Europe, where it received extraordinary attention and largely positive feedback. Today, the “Chinese Painting Exhibition” is known as one of the first successful efforts to introduce Chinese art to Western audience.

In my presentation, I will challenge this narrative and demonstrate, based on archival documents and press reports, that in the USSR the exhibition was viewed as rather controversial. I will examine the factors behind the Soviet perception, focusing on the image of China circulated in the USSR, the Soviet artistic discourse of the 1930s, and prevailing exhibition practices. I will argue that the “Chinese Painting Exhibition” defied dominant Soviet ideology and became an exceptional artistic event of the 1930s.

I will also address the question, “Why would the Soviet authorities invite such an ambiguous exhibition to the USSR?” by demonstrating that the USSR used exhibition exchanges as a tool of cultural diplomacy, prioritizing geopolitical goals over ideological concerns in this case. I will discuss how flexible Soviet authorities, such as All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS) and People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs, were aiming to realize far-reaching objectives. I will conclude the report by outlining the exhibition's impact on China–USSR cultural relations, showing that, despite its controversial nature and ambiguous perception, it ultimately benefited the Soviet Union and helped achieve many of its diplomatic goals.