Organizing Institutions

Lead Organizers: Clarence Bicknell Association (UK), Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange, Shengxinyu Art (China)

Supervising Institutions: Municipality of Treviso (Italy), Shanghai Association for International Cultural and Artistic Exchange

Host Venue: Palazzo dei Trecento (Treviso, Italy)

Co-organizing Institutions: Marangoni Art Association (Italy); Treviso Association for Science and Culture (Italy)

Organizing Committee

Chairman: Raffaello Padovan (President, Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange)

Vice Chairman: Zhao Kangwei (President, Shanghai Association for International Cultural and Artistic Exchange)

Curator: Zhang Hongbin (Founder of Shengxinyu Art; internationally renowned curator)

Secretary-General: Ji Yinglun (Co-founder of Shengxinyu Art; Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Collection Magazine); Giandomenico Padovan (Secretary-General, Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange)

Secretariat Members: Li Feng (China), Wang Min (China), Gogo Yang (China), Liao Wanning (Canada)

Overview of the Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival

Origins and Background

The Le Venezie International Watercolor Festival is a global watercolor art event jointly initiated by the Municipality of Treviso (Italy), the Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange, and Shengxinyu Art (China). The festival was founded in response to the downturn of international watercolor art during the COVID 19 pandemic, with the aim of revitalizing the medium on a global scale. It seeks to promote artistic interaction and exchange in the post pandemic era, transcend national and regional boundaries, and foster mutual understanding among artists from diverse cultural backgrounds. The festival provides an international platform for watercolor artists, enthusiasts, and art students to present their work and engage in meaningful dialogue.

Themes and Overview of Each Edition

First Edition (2023):

The inaugural festival focused on revitalizing global watercolor exchange in the post pandemic context. Without imposing a restrictive theme, it embraced openness and encouraged free artistic expression. The event attracted wide international participation and, through both online and on site exhibitions and judging, successfully reconnected artistic dialogues that had been interrupted by the pandemic.

Second Edition (2024):

The inaugural festival focused on revitalizing global watercolor exchange in the post pandemic context. Without imposing a restrictive theme, it embraced openness and encouraged free artistic expression. The event attracted wide international participation and, through both online and on site exhibitions and judging, successfully reconnected artistic dialogues that had been interrupted by the pandemic.

Third Edition (2025):

The year 2025 marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of William Turner, the great master of British Romanticism. Co organized with the Independent Turner Society (UK), the third festival adopted the theme “Commemorating the 250th Anniversary of William Turner’s Birth.” The exhibition was held at the Palazzo dei Trecento in Treviso, Italy, paying tribute to Turner’s extraordinary achievements in light and color while encouraging contemporary artists to inherit and reinterpret his innovative spirit.

Fourth Edition (2026):

In 2026, the fourth Venice International Watercolor Festival will return with the theme “Heritage and Expedition: The Memory and Contemporaneity of Watercolor.” Jointly organized by the Clarence Bicknell Association (UK), the Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange, and Shengxinyu Art (China), this edition brings together artistic forces from China, the UK, and Italy. It aims not only to honor the spiritual foundations that have shaped the history of watercolor, but also to advance deep cross cultural dialogue and innovation within the contemporary global context of the medium.

Shengxinyu Art

Founded in 2002, Shengxinyu Art is an international platform for artistic exchange and promotion that integrates art information, exhibitions, and competitions across regions and cultures. Since its establishment, the organization has been committed to advancing the dissemination and development of contemporary figurative and realist art, dedicated to connecting artists, art institutions, and art enthusiasts worldwide, and serving as a vital bridge between the Chinese art community and the international art world.

In terms of philosophy, Shengxinyu Art holds in high regard the unique role that traditional classical art plays in sustaining human civilization, fostering social progress, and promoting reconciliation across different cultures and peoples. The organization focuses on the practice and promotion of contemporary figurative realism, upholding enduring historical values and traditional aesthetic standards, while actively exploring the renewed vitality of classical artistic language within the contemporary context of the twenty-first century.

In terms of practice, Shengxinyu Art continually deepens its global network of artistic collaboration by organizing annual international art competitions, academic symposia, plein air painting activities, and facilitating exchanges and reciprocal visits among international artists and institutions. The organization maintains long-standing partnerships with the Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange, multiple art associations in the United Kingdom, and major cultural institutions across Europe. Together, they have co-organized a series of internationally influential events, including the Velázquez International Painting and Sculpture Competition, the Titian International Portrait Competition, and the Venice International Watercolor Festival, with exhibitions held in historically and culturally significant cities such as Seville and Treviso, lending each event considerable humanistic depth and academic distinction.

In terms of outreach, Shengxinyu Art's website and community platforms command wide attention within China's art world, attracting an average of over 1.5 million visitors annually. The platforms regularly publish global art news, competition updates, and exhibition information. Interview features on award-winning artists are published not only on Shengxinyu Art's official channels, but also simultaneously on art.china.cn, a national-level Chinese art media platform, further enhancing the international visibility and academic influence of outstanding artists.

Over more than two decades of dedicated effort, Shengxinyu Art has grown into one of China's most influential international art exchange platforms, playing a consistently positive and substantive role in fostering East-West artistic dialogue, preserving the spirit of classical art, and advancing cross-cultural understanding on a global scale.

The Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange

The Italian Association for Cultural and Artistic Exchange is a non profit organization dedicated to promoting cultural and artistic exchange between Italy and countries around the world. It has long been active in the fields of international artistic collaboration and public cultural affairs. Using art as a bridge, the Association emphasizes cross cultural understanding and dialogue within contemporary artistic contexts, and through a wide range of ongoing international initiatives, it has established an important platform linking Europe with the global art community.

In collaboration with Shengxinyu Art, the Association has co organized a number of major international events, including the Titian International Portrait Competition, the Velázquez International Painting Competition, and the Venice International Watercolor Festival. Through these sustained efforts, it has gradually developed into a key connector between Italy and the international art world, playing a positive and consistent role in advancing artistic diversity, cultural exchange, and international cooperation.