Hamburg’s Pashmin Art Consortia and the Jiangjin Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Chongqing, China, jointly present an international art exhibition
The exhibition brings together works by 52 artists from seven countries, including 55 European paintings and 38 works from Jiangjin. With a total exhibition value exceeding €2 million, this German–Chinese project represents a new combination of international artistic exchange, bonded cultural storage, public display and art transactions.
On 23 September 2026, the 2026 First Land–Sea Connectivity Invitational Painting Exhibition (Jiangjin) opened at the Jiangjin Museum. Running until 30 September 2026, the exhibition brings together works by 52 international artists, offering visitors a range of cultural perspectives and approaches to contemporary painting.
The exhibition emerged from close German–Chinese cooperation. The Hamburg-based arts organization Pashmin Art Consortia planned and implemented the project together with the Jiangjin Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Chongqing, China, and other cultural partners.
The artworks were transported from the Jiangjin Comprehensive Bonded Zone to the museum. This marked Jiangjin’s first exhibition and sales project for artworks conducted under customs supervision.
The museum exhibition was planned to run for seven days and is open to the public free of charge. The organizers are the Jiangjin District Culture and Tourism Development Commission and the Jiangjin Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee, working alongside the Jiangjin Museum and other participating cultural institutions. The project therefore connects not only the European and Chinese art worlds but also new pathways for cultural exchange, international logistics and art transactions.
Art under customs supervision: a new model in Jiangjin
The model allows internationally sourced artworks to be stored under customs supervision and then moved from the bonded zone to an external exhibition venue for public display. Rather than paying all import duties and taxes in full before the exhibition begins, organizers may provide a guarantee. Subsequent customs procedures depend on whether the artworks are sold or re-exported. According to the Chinese co-organizers, this procedure reduces the financial burden of bringing high-quality international art into China.
During the exhibition at the Jiangjin Museum, the works were supervised by Xiyong Customs under the Chongqing Customs District. Sales could be concluded directly on site; purchased works could be handed over once the applicable customs duties and taxes had been paid. Unsold works were returned to the Jiangjin Comprehensive Bonded Zone after the exhibition. This creates a closed-loop process encompassing bonded storage, public exhibition, sale or re-export.
In its curatorial approach, “Art in Bloom” has consistently embraced the idea of connection: between artists and audiences, local and international perspectives, and established traditions and new artistic methods. Cooperation between Pashmin Art Consortia in Hamburg and its partners in Jiangjin makes this aspiration visible at an institutional level as well. The project creates tangible opportunities for encounters between Europe and China and strengthens the international presence of contemporary painting in Chongqing.
