Illustrations of Spanish children’s hopes and dreams on display

 

Children and teenagers enjoying Spanish book illustrations about kids' hopes and dreams at the Instituo Cervantes on Wednesday.

By Zhao Hongyi

 

 

Fifty-eight book illustrations about children’s hopes and dreams went on display at the Instituto Cervantes on Wednesday. The exhibition, entitled “The Best,” features drawings by 29 Spanish artists that provide a fresh look at the aspirations of Spanish boys and girls.

“Kids and teenagers have a rich and incredible understanding of our world, which inspies illustrators to put these ideas into paper,” Inmaculada Gonzalez Puy, head of the Spanish cultural center in Beijing, said at the exhibition’s opening. “We hope this will encourage us to keep on dreaming and hop,” she said.

The illustrations, selected from books for children and young adults, also give people an opportunity to learn more about the book illustration market in Spain, Puy said. Organizers hope the exhibition will likewise remind visitors of the importance of intellectual property rights.

The annual display of children’s book illustrations began in 2005 when the International Kids and Juveniles Books Library opened in Bosnia. hat year, 29 Spanish illustrators contributed five art works each to the exhibition.

The Spanish Embassy’s cultural section, organizer of “The Best,” showcased two pieces from each painter this year. But it provides visitors with a free CD containing 145 illustrations by the 29 featured artists, and 225 more similar pieces from 73 other illustrators.

The exhibition, which runs through September 27, is a curtain-raiser for the upcoming Beijing International Book Fair on September 3 to 7. The fair, held every year at the China International Exhibition Center, was absent in 2008 because of the Beijing Olympics.

As the honorary host of this year’s book fair, Spain will present a series of cultural events, including Spanish modern dance performance Provisional Danza on August 31; a baroque concert on September 1; and a play based on the Spanish novel Don Quixote on September 3.

People who view “The Best” are encouraged to create their own paintings during their visit, and display their works beside the Spanish illustrations in honor of Instituto Cervantes’ third anniversary in Beijing this year.

The center also offers Spanish language classes and proficiency tests, provides movies and lectures from various Spanish-speaking countries, and has a library with Spanish books, audio and video materials. It recently launched a Spanish-teaching website to make learning the language more accessible to people everywhere.