CMG Holds Art Exhibition to Showcase Belt and Road Projects Ten Years On

China Media Group (CMG) has started a series of art exhibitions showcasing projects under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Themed “Ten Years of BRI” the inaugural art exhibition was held at Nairobi’s Sarit Center, an upscale shopping mall showcasing 15 large paintings from various artists in East Africa.

The paintings depict projects such as the Express Way in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, Standard Gauge Railway, a football stadium in San Pédro, Ivory Coast and the Africa Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, all built through Chinese support.

“I love the painting about Global Trade Centre (GTC) and the roads. This shows that China – Kenya friendship has had tangible fruits. We can see it every day and now through art.”, said William Otieno, a visitor to the art exhibition.

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The event was also decorated by Chinese lion dance performance, wushu by Kenya Wushu Association and songs by Students from Confucius Institute at the University of Nairobi.

This is the first time BRI projects are being showcased through paintings, giving members of the public a deeper understanding on the impact of Chinese investment in Africa’s infrastructure in the last decade.

The participating sketch artists visited all the locations, allowing them to paint intricate details of each project.

“I’m excited to be among the first group of artists hired to create paintings that visually represent the Belt and Road initiative. These paintings will go a long way in telling the China-Africa friendship story”, said Anwar Sadat an artist from Uganda.

CMG intends to host these exhibitions in public spaces and institutions prior to the BRI summit, which will take place in Beijing later in October.

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In its 10th year, BRI is an ambitious plan put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 to develop two new trade routes connecting China with the rest of the world.

The World Bank says the BRI has increased trade of subscribers by 4.1%, attracted 5% more foreign investment, and levelled up the GDP of low-income countries by 3.4%.

Source: TUKO.co.ke