TheMKsport awards ceremony for the "Virtual Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition was held in Beijing on November 19. The event was jointly organized by the People's Daily Overseas and the Palace Museum. Artworks by Chinese and international participants, such as A Friend Comes from Afar, Palace Shadows Interwoven: The Forbidden City and Versailles, and The Melody of the Guqin, Spring Breezes, A Dream of the Ancient Capital won awards.
2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the China-France diplomatic relations, as well as the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism. The theme of the "Virtual Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition, which launched in April, is centered on the theme "Exchanging and Mutual Learning, Co-create the Future." Nearly 4,000 artworks were submitted from across the five continents. After an online voting and expert review process, 38 winning pieces were selected.
In the course of participating in the "Vitural Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition, both Chinese and international netizens chose elements from the Forbidden City and Versailles Palace that reflect Chinese-French and global cultural exchanges to create artworks through an AI platform. Some were inspired by the interactions between Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and King Louis XIV, offering a fresh perspective into the encounter between the Chinese dragon (a unique cultural creation and spiritual symbol of the Chinese people) and the lily (the emblem of the French royal family). Others integrated French elements into Chinese ancient paintings, achieving a "new fusion" of realism and freehand brush work (a genre of Chinese traditional painting). Some drew inspiration from the architecture of both palaces to create a "new space" blending Eastern and Western styles, while others used language and writing to spark imagination, creating a "new aesthetic" through the interplay of Chinese characters and French words.
The reporters interviewed four of the Chinese and French winners, who shared how they expressed their understanding and appreciation of each other's culture, their inheritance and promotion of the "Chinese-French spirit," and their yearning and pursuit of a harmonious civilization through the combination of art and technology.
Amicable 'exchange of perspectives'
In front of the magnificent Chinese-style palace, an angel with clasped hands and a charming Luduan (mythical Chinese beast) smile at each other, their eyes full of friendliness and anticipation… A Friend Comes from Afar by Chinese netizen Yuan Quan won first prize in the "Vitural Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition.
"The title of this work is taken from The Analects of Confucius (a classic of traditional Chinese culture) and reflects the Chinese value of cherishing friendship and communication. Confucian sages believed that interpersonal relationships and cultural exchanges could bring endless joy and opportunities for mutual growth," said Yuan, who hopes to express the deep friendship and harmonious communication between China and France through this artwork.
Yuan grew up in Beijing's Xicheng district and frequently visited the Forbidden City, which is close to his home, developing a profound connection to this imperial palace. To him, it is not only a treasure of ancient Chinese architecture but also a cultural landmark that carries countless historical stories. "I'm very interested in the architectural layout and craftsmanship of the Forbidden City, especially the glittering glazed tiles and the intricate dragon patterns, which left a deep impression on me," Yuan said.
During his years of living in Europe, Yuan visited France frequently. In his impression, the French are elegant and confident. They love freedom, excel at thinking, value family and friends like the Chinese, and have a deep interest in food, art, and philosophy, while maintaining a high standard of living. When visiting Versailles Palace, Yuan was struck by the magnificence and exquisite elegance of its gardens, noticing the many elements of Chinese culture within the palace, including luxurious rooms adorned with Chinese-style wallpapers, furniture, and porcelain figurines, gardens featuring uniquely shaped pavilions that reflect an appreciation of Chinese garden art. These details tell stories of Chinese-French cultural exchanges in history.
By chance, Yuan learned about the "Virtual Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition on social media and decided to participate. "AI painting is an emerging form of artistic expression that offers limitless possibilities for creative work. By participating in this event, I can reinterpret traditional culture with modern technology, while paying tribute to the Chinese-French cultures I love," Yuan said.
He chose the Luduan from the Forbidden City and the small angel statues often seen in Versailles as the central figures in his artwork. The Luduan is a mythical beast in Chinese legend, said to travel 18,000 li (about 9,000 kilometers) a day and speak all languages. Yuan had taken his children to see the Palace Museum's original children's play Luduan, in which the Luduan was both majestic and filled with childlike charm, making a lasting artistic impact on him. "The Luduan and the angel are typical symbols of Eastern and Western cultures respectively. Their encounter and gaze show the beautiful scene of the two civilizations respecting and appreciating each other, symbolizing the hope for deeper cultural exchange between China and France, and the enduring blossoming of friendship through mutual understanding and cooperation," Yuan explained.
The entire creative process took over a month and involved nearly 100 adjustments and optimizations. Yuan drew on many photographic techniques during the creation, such as blurring the background to create a shallow depth-of-field effect, making the central figures more prominent; using soft tones to simulate the natural light of morning or dusk, highlighting the texture of the sculptures; and employing the golden ratio composition to position the angels and Luduan at the visual focus, resulting in a balanced and harmonious structure.
Yuan believes that Chinese-French cultural exchange has played a significant role in the innovative development of the world civilization, with mutual influences in architecture, art, and thought, producing rich cultural achievements. "I hope this cross-cultural dialogue and cooperation will deepen mutual understanding and inspire progress across global civilization," Yuan said.
A beautiful encounter
Earlier this year, when Luo Yuguo, an 8-year-old Chinese-French boy learned about the "Vitural Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition, and he attempted to depict the long-awaited scene in his heart: In the spring of the Forbidden City, with its red walls and yellow tiles, spring flowers in full bloom, a little boy dressed in a blue Hanfu sits on the stone steps, playing the ancient Chinese guqin, lost in the music.
"I hope one day I can bring my beloved guqin back to Beijing and play it in the ancient Forbidden City," said Luo, who created the AI painting titled The Melody of the Guqin, Spring Breezes, A Dream of the Ancient Capital, which won first prize in the competition.
A painting by Luo Yuguo
Luo, who lives in Lyon, France, has been learning the guqin for nearly two years. His story with the guqin began during a Chinese calligraphy class at the Little Panda School in Lyon, founded by his mother, Luo Jian, a Chinese expatriate in France. Luo Yuguo grew up learning Chinese and Chinese culture at the school. In early 2023, during a Chinese calligraphy class, Luo Jian invited a Chinese guqin teacher to perform for the students, introducing them to the refined sound of the guqin along with the fragrance of ink. The ethereal sounds of the guqin deeply captivated Luo Yuguo, and under the teacher's guidance, he tried plucking the strings for the first time and became instantly hooked.A painting by Charlotte Jeanningros
When beginning her creation, Jeanningros wanted to blend defining elements of French and Chinese cultures. "The rooster is one of France's national symbols - it appears not only on church rooftops but also on football jerseys. There's even a saying that describes the French as 'proud as a rooster.' Meanwhile, Chinese porcelain is renowned worldwide, particularly Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) porcelain, which stands out for its distinctive blue tones and remarkable elegance," Jeanningros explained. She hoped to use AI technology to pair the French rooster with Ming Dynasty porcelain, creating an elegant and meaningful connection that would broaden perspectives, break artistic boundaries, and bridge tradition with modernity.A painting by Wang Jingchuan
While satisfying customers' taste buds through food, Wang continued to nurture his passion for design. He often experiments with new creative approaches. Earlier this year, he came across the "Virtual Tour of the Forbidden City and Versailles" AI Painting Competition on social media. The theme of combining Chinese and Western cultural elements immediately resonated with him. "As a design student, I've always been fascinated by the interplay of Chinese and Western cultures," Wang explained. He saw the competition as an opportunity to blend his professional skills with his personal interests and to deepen his understanding of Chinese-French cultural exchanges.