Looking Back at the Venice International Watercolor Festival: Reframing the Global Coordinates of Watercolor Through “Art Historical Anchors”

Since its inaugural edition in 2023, the Venice International Watercolor Festival (Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival), jointly initiated by the Italian Cultural and Artistic Exchange Association and Sheng Xinyu Art from China, and strongly supported by the Municipality of Treviso, has been successfully held for three consecutive editions. The fourth edition is scheduled for October 2026.

2026-05-01

"Heritage and Expedition: The Memory and Contemporaneity of Watercolor"--Thematic Interpretation of the 4th Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival 2026

The 4th Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival 2026 is organized around the theme "Heritage and Expedition: The Memory and Contemporaneity of Watercolor." This framing is conceived as an act of commemoration — honoring Elhanan Bicknell (1788–1861), one of the most consequential British art patrons and collectors of the nineteenth century, and his descendant Clarence Bicknell (1842–1918).

2026-05-01

When Watercolor Meets Monotype: A Special Masterclass at the Fourth Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival

The Venice International School of Graphics is one of the most important centers for printmaking education in Italy and across Europe, offering instruction in a wide range of traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques. Venice, as a great hub of art and printing during the Renaissance, provided extraordinarily fertile ground for the development of watercolor monotype — and yet, for all its prestige, the school remains largely unknown to most Chinese artists.

2026-04-20

An Unexpected "Suspense": Visiting Dr. Selby Whittingham, Founder of the Turner Society

My acquaintance with Dr. Selby Whittingham, Chairman of the Turner Society, dates to 2021, when I conducted an in-depth interview with him exploring Turner's life and artistic journey.

2026-04-20

Symposium of the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival's China Southern Tour Held at the Fujian Provincial Academy of Painting

With the global launch of the Second Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival now underway, a symposium themed "Facing the World: How to Tell the Chinese Watercolor Story" was held in grand style at the Fujian Provincial Academy of Painting.

2026-04-20

The Third Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival: Turner's Spirit Reborn and a Deeper Dialogue Between East and West

From October 11 to 26, 2025, the Third Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival was held in grand style at the Palazzo dei Trecento in Treviso, Italy. Themed "Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of William Turner," the festival was jointly organized by the Independent Turner Society (UK), the Italian Cultural and Art Exchange Association, and Sheng Xinyu Art (China).

2026-04-20