A landmark exhibition bringing together more than 40 French tapestry treasures made its Asian debut on April 30 at Shenzhen Bay Culture Square in Nanshan District, marking the first large-scale, systematic presentation of French tapestry art in Asia.

Two photographers shooting during a media tour of the exhibition.

“Au Fil Des Siècles: Chefs-d’œuvre de la Tapisserie Française et Résonances Chinoises” (“Century Threads: From Royal Courts to Contemporary Art — French Tapestry Treasures and Chinese Echoes”) opens to the public on May 1 at the square’s newly inaugurated Gallery 9, running through Aug. 16. 

The exhibition spans seven thematic sections and features more than 70 works in total, including over 10 pieces from the venue’s own collection and some 20 works by leading Chinese artists presented in a “Chinese Echoes” section.

French curator Lucile Montagne.

The show traces the full arc of tapestry art from the 18th century to the present, featuring works from the court of Louis XV — including a rare piece from the same series gifted to Emperor Qianlong — alongside masterpieces by French court artists Charles Le Brun and François Boucher. The exhibition then follows the medium’s transformation under the influence of modernism, with works produced in collaboration with the French National Manufactures by Jean Lurçat, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Le Corbusier, Joan Miróand Zao Wou-Ki.

French curator Lucile Montagne, head of the Inspection Department at Mobilier national and chief curator of Cultural Heritage, gave a guided tour of the works at the opening ceremony alongside Chinese co-curator Wang Huangsheng, former director of the Central Academy of Fine Arts Museum. Montagne told Shenzhen Daily in an exclusive interview during the April 21 unboxing event that the tapestry tradition runs deep in European culture.

“The art of tapestry is really ancient. In France and in Europe, the tapestries were used to decorate walls and to keep room temperatures comfortable at castles or big homes,” Montagne said.

The Sky by Henri Matisse. Yang Mei

Among the highlights, she singled out works by two 20th-century icons. “Pieces based on the works by Matisse and Picasso are the must-see tapestries in the exhibition,” she said, pointing visitors toward Matisse’s “The Sky” in particular. “‘The Sky’ was made after a collage by Matisse. He actually cut the small patterns himself. It was really a work of art made to be presented as a tapestry in the 1960s,” she said.

Montagne also highlighted the scale of the venue. “We are going to show a 7-meter high tapestry by Georges Mathieu and I’m really pleased that it can be done inside such a huge and really fantastic place,” she said.

The King Visiting the Gobelins Manufactory by Charles Le Brun.

The “Chinese Echoes” section is organized around three strands — early imperial court tapestries, works by modern and contemporary Chinese artists, and contemporary fiber art — tracing the development of Chinese tapestry alongside its French counterpart. It includes representative works by Wu Guanzhong, Pan Gongkai, Fang Lijun, Zhou Chunya, Ding Yi, Liu Ye and Shi Hui.

The exhibition is a flagship project of the 20th anniversary of the “France-China Cultural Spring” program. It is organized by Shenzhen Bay Culture Square and co-organized by Bicheng Culture, with joint curatorial support from France’s Mobilier national and the Manufactures nationales (Sèvres & Mobilier national). China Resources Land serves as supporting sponsor.