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18th – 28 March 2008

© Victor Sloan

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland, in association with the Golden Thread Gallery is delighted to announce the opening of visual arts exhibition, Drawing a Line – A Contemporary Survey of Art from Northern Ireland as part of the Harbin Winter Cultural Festival at the Museum of the Heilongjiang Daily in China on 18th March.

Last year, an exhibition of paintings from Heilongjiang, entitled Black Dragon River opened at the Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast which provided insight into Heilongjiang, its artists, environment and heritage. Now, as part of a two way cultural exchange, China has the opportunity to gain an appreciation of Northern Ireland’s regeneration in this diverse exhibition.

Iain Davidson, Visual Arts Officer, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, said, Drawing a Line represents examples of current subjects that exemplify a sense of Northern Ireland today. Bringing together a range of artists, from new emerging talents to the most established and respected practioners based in Northern Ireland today; the exhibition provides a unique insight into the evolving culture of contemporary Northern Ireland. We hope that our creative links with Heilongjiang will thrive and this exhibition represents one more step of that ongoing dialogue.”

Peter Richards, Curator, Golden Thread Gallery, said, “I am delighted to be involved in the organisation of this exhibition of Northern Irish contemporary art and to be part of the opportunity for cultural exchange. As Northern Ireland enters into a new era, there has been a period of great regeneration of the art world and by bringing this exhibition to an international venue we can reflect on the similarities, as well as the differences between the two cultures.”

Participating artists are: Ian Charlesworth, Victor Sloan, Carbon Design, Alastair MacLennan, Martina Corry, Alex Knox, Susan McWilliams, Lisa Malone, Dan Shipsides, Charles Walsh, Una Walker, Colin Darke.