French artist Bernar Venet donates 'Convergence' sculpture to China, 'a symbol of relationship'
By Published: Dec 04, 2025 12:28 AM
French artist Bernar Venet donated his iconic sculpture to China as a demonstration of the cultural friendship between China and France, at a ceremony attended by visiting French Culture Minister Rachida Dati on Wednesday.
The sculpture, Convergence: 52.5° Arc x 14, symbolizes the Olympic spirit, just like the one that was installed in Saint-Denis, France, to celebrate the Paris Olympic Games, said Culture Minister Dati at the donation event, the first cultural event that the visiting French delegation attended after landing in Beijing.
Venet stunned visitors in Paris with his monumental Corten steel sculpture ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Titled Convergence: 54.5° Arc x 14 (2024), it stands 18 meters tall and weighs approximately 40 tons.
Convergence: 52.5° Arc x 14 is specially tailored and similar to the Paris one as the 84-year-old artist says "convergence" can "bring us together."
"I created it for the 60th anniversary of the friendship between China and France in 2024. And now Beijing is the best place for it to stay as a witness of our cultural bond," Venet told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Through its intersecting arcs, the work symbolizes the convergence of cultures and ideas, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between East and West with a form that evokes aesthetic harmony and the potential of collaboration. The arcs, reach toward one another but never fully merge, suggesting the coexistence of different perspectives, histories, and identities.
Dati also said it "represents the many links between our nations," and is "a testament to the cultural cooperation between France and China, which renews the cycle of exchanges between our two countries."
The Venet has visited many Chinese cities, from Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong to Shanghai with his exhibition, which "has been an extraordinary experience of intellectual exchange."
He told the Global Times that he only has one desire now, "to continue these precious moments for many years to come."
"To put it simply, if I were born in China, I would be Chinese; if you were born in France, you would be French. We do not choose our origins - we simply have different cultures, but we are all united by the bond of humanity," he noted.
The minister ended her speech by saying that, "This sculpture will become, each and every month, a symbol of the relationship between our two countries and also an assurance of a lasting and prosperous cultural relationship."
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a state visit to China through Friday. It is Macron's fourth state visit to China, Xinhua reported.
The sculpture, Convergence: 52.5° Arc x 14, symbolizes the Olympic spirit, just like the one that was installed in Saint-Denis, France, to celebrate the Paris Olympic Games, said Culture Minister Dati at the donation event, the first cultural event that the visiting French delegation attended after landing in Beijing.
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati (3rd from the left) and artist Bernar Venet (2nd from the right) at the Wednesday ceremony Photo: Xu Liuliu/GT
Venet stunned visitors in Paris with his monumental Corten steel sculpture ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Titled Convergence: 54.5° Arc x 14 (2024), it stands 18 meters tall and weighs approximately 40 tons.
Convergence: 52.5° Arc x 14 is specially tailored and similar to the Paris one as the 84-year-old artist says "convergence" can "bring us together."
"I created it for the 60th anniversary of the friendship between China and France in 2024. And now Beijing is the best place for it to stay as a witness of our cultural bond," Venet told the Global Times on Wednesday.
Through its intersecting arcs, the work symbolizes the convergence of cultures and ideas, reflecting the ongoing dialogue between East and West with a form that evokes aesthetic harmony and the potential of collaboration. The arcs, reach toward one another but never fully merge, suggesting the coexistence of different perspectives, histories, and identities.
Dati also said it "represents the many links between our nations," and is "a testament to the cultural cooperation between France and China, which renews the cycle of exchanges between our two countries."
French artist Bernar Venet is interviewed by the Global Times on Wednesday. Photo: Xu Liuliu/GT
The Venet has visited many Chinese cities, from Beijing, Guangzhou and Hong Kong to Shanghai with his exhibition, which "has been an extraordinary experience of intellectual exchange."
He told the Global Times that he only has one desire now, "to continue these precious moments for many years to come."
"To put it simply, if I were born in China, I would be Chinese; if you were born in France, you would be French. We do not choose our origins - we simply have different cultures, but we are all united by the bond of humanity," he noted.
French artist Bernar Venet's sculpture, Convergence: 52.5° Arc x 14 in Beijing Photo: Xu Liuliu/GT
China and France have a tradition of creating sculptures to commemorate events, especially diplomatic ones. These works - accessible to all and resistant to time - are precious testimonies for future generations, said the minister.The minister ended her speech by saying that, "This sculpture will become, each and every month, a symbol of the relationship between our two countries and also an assurance of a lasting and prosperous cultural relationship."
French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a state visit to China through Friday. It is Macron's fourth state visit to China, Xinhua reported.
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