What's on

Eternal beauty

Rituals of Repetition: Portals to Eternity, at the Art Museum of the Central Academy of Fine Arts until Aug 25, features the work of four South Korean artists, whose creative methods have refreshed the look of ceramic, paper and ink, three traditional materials widely used in East Asia. By embracing their cultural heritage while taking on an international perspective, the creations express, in an experimental way, the beauty of eternity, and celebrate the endeavor to excel.

Lee Jin-woo's work hails water as a symbol of the renewal of life, purification and regeneration. Chang Jin-won began using traditional techniques, then turned to abstraction and now tries to bridge the past and the present. Lee Seung-hee has been at the forefront of ceramic art, and his pieces on display renew the impression of the possibilities of ceramics. Shin Young-ho's exploration of the ink tradition reflects on the passing of time and meaning of life.

9:30 am-5:30 pm, closed on Mondays. 8 Huajiadi Nanjie, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.

Garden of history

The Old Yiyuan Garden in Shanghai's Jiading district is a famous classical garden-residence built in the 16th century. Its serene, elegant atmosphere has made it a major attraction. Now, this historical destination has become a platform for contemporary art, thanks to River of Books, an exhibition of dozens of works by contemporary artists that seeks to create a dialogue between the past and the present. The show is a collaboration between the Yiyuan and the Shanghai Art and Design Academy, and the art is on display in both the garden's interior and exterior spaces. Visitors can expect to encounter exhibits as they walk through the lush bamboo groves, along beautiful stone paths, and beside lakes filled with lotus blooms. It runs until Thursday.

7 am-6:30 pm, daily. 218 Highway, Nanxiang town, Jiading district, Shanghai. 021-5912-4916.

Time in sculptures

The China Academy of Art, a tranquil destination established in 1928 beside the picturesque West Lake in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, pioneered the teaching of sculpture in modern China. It recruited noted artists to teach generations of sculptors whose work shaped the art scene in the following years.

Dedications to Transcendental Sculptors, running at the Art Museum of the China Academy of Art until Aug 6, traces the development of the teaching of sculpture over the past century. It pays tribute to the efforts of artists and educators over the generations to integrate Chinese artistic traditions with modern styles of sculpture, to express people's concerns and address the changing needs of society.

9:30 am-5 pm, daily. 218 Nanshan Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8716-4633.

China Daily