Exhibition on Caravaggio works offers visitors journey through art restoration

The "Caravaggio's World of Art" exhibition opened at the National Museum of China in Beijing on Friday, showcasing the renown Italian painter's masterpiece Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy and offering visitors an immersive exploration of his captivating artistic world.

The exhibition features Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610), one of the most revolutionary figures of European art, and centers on Mary Magdalene in Ecstasy, which was created during the later years of Caravaggio's life.

The painting holds an air of mystery in Western art history, with nearly 20 known copies existing, but the original had been lost for centuries. It wasn't until 2014, after more than 400 years, that the painting was rediscovered. Experts and renowned restoration teams spent six months authenticating and restoring the legendary work.

The exhibition presents the artwork through the perspective of restorers, and offers visitors a journey through art restoration, revealing the captivating stories behind this painting.

"The exhibition mainly centers on this masterpiece. As we can see, the layout of the exhibition allows visitors to view the painting from different angles, and guides them back to the original work. We've used restoration techniques, art historical interpretation and even some technological approaches to help the audience better understand the painting's past and present," said Zhuge Yingliang, associate researcher at the National Museum of China.

The exhibition also applies virtual reality (VR) technology, allowing visitors to virtually experience other works by Caravaggio, including Boy with a Basket of Fruit and Young Sick Bacchus, bringing them even closer to the artist's era and artistic vision.

Meanwhile, the exhibition showcases the restoration techniques used in Chinese painting and offers an interactive experience of painting restoration.

The exhibition will remain open till the end of March 2025.

Exhibition on Caravaggio works offers visitors journey through art restoration

A panda family of four in Macao has won the hearts of an increasing number of people with their fluffy appearance and adorable behaviors, attracting 290,000 visitors last year.

A pair of giant pandas Kaikai and Xinxin were chosen as a gift of the central government to the Macao Special Administrative Region in 2015. They gave birth to twin brothers Jianjian and Kangkang in Macao in 2016. The panda family is now living a happy and leisured life.

"This is our Kangkang, the younger twin. He's a little smaller in size and has a more pointed face, just like his dad Kaikai. He's also very smart and always gains affection of his breeders by acting in a cutesy manner," said a panda caretaker.

In the panda pavilion, Macao's Seac Pai Van Park, the panda family receives attentive care from their zoo keepers. They enjoy fresh local bamboo, fruit, and high-fiber biscuits every day, with special fruit and bamboo cakes on their birthdays.

"They're actually quite familiar with us. Since they're now adult pandas, we can't interact with them the same way we did when they were younger, like being in the same space. However, we still have regular interactions, such as touching them safely, which they seem to enjoy. Sometimes we clean biscuit crumbs off their mouth or nose. This helps them get used to our voices and smells, building their trust in us, which makes it easier to carry out medical checks for them," said the caretaker.

As the 25th anniversary of Macao's return to China draws near, an increasing number of locals are visiting the park to see the panda family, wishing for them to thrive in Macao and bring even more happiness to the people, just as their names suggest.

Giant pandas in Macao capture hearts of visitors