Vinhedo, Brazil: Falun Dafa Art Exhibition Has Profound Impact

(Minghui.org) The opening ceremony for the Art of Zhen, Shan, Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance) International Exhibition was held in the Engenheiro Mario Pescarini Guerino Cultural Center in Vinhedo, São Paulo, on October 7. The exhibit was sponsored by the City of Vinhedo and the Falun Dafa Association in Brazil.

Worldwide, Ongoing Impact

“It is necessary that this exhibition be presented to the whole world and that everyone with a sense of humanity and a desire to defend the hope of mankind see this exhibition and at least be aware of what is going on in China,” said Vinhedo Mayor Jaime Cruz at the opening ceremony.

The exhibition details both an inner spiritual life and the outer human rights tragedy of the persecution of Falun Gong. Realistic oil paintings and Chinese watercolors from mostly Chinese artists give a unique insight into the spiritual discipline of Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa.

Wagner Pavarin, Secretary of Culture and Tourism of Vinhedo, said at the opening ceremony: “As an artist, historian, and curator, I have seen many exhibitions, and I believe that no exhibition has meaning if you do not carry anything away with you. Beyond the beauty of every piece presented here, I believe that all the history and reality behind it is very important, because it promotes personal and inner values. I believe you carry this with you forever. It is not an exhibition that ends here. You will take what you learn from it home and apply it in your life.”

Director of the Secretary of Culture Irene Lopes, who also spoke at the ceremony, praised the high level of the artistry in the exhibit. However, she said that the message was what impressed her most: “It is about the plight of people that just want to be good.” Ms. Lopes said she hopes the exhibition will reach more people.

Cristina, a 64-year-old teacher who visited the exhibition, said, “It is revolting to know that an atrocity like this [persecution] is happening in modern times. The artworks are wonderful and convey the suffering they [Falun Dafa practitioners] are going through. I plan to do more research on this and find out how I can help.” She asked where she could learn the Falun Dafa exercises.

Many visitors expressed outrage at the persecution and signed a petition to support Falun Dafa. The exhibition was scheduled to remain in Vinhedo from September 29 until October 24.

Working Together to End Forced Organ Harvesting

One of the paintings in the exhibit portrays the Communist regime's brutal crime of forced organ harvesting from living Falun Gong prisoners of conscience. The petition signed by visitors was sponsored by Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) and will be sent to the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations asking for an immediate end to the atrocity. Condemnation of this state-sanctioned crime in China has grown worldwide, both at the grassroots and leadership level.

Why Is Falun Dafa Persecuted in China?

In the early to mid 1990s, Falun Dafa became very popular in China. Based on the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, this ancient spiritual discipline was found to be very beneficial for health and spiritual well-being. The vast popularity of the practice, which had grown to nearly 100 million adherents by 1999 (more than the number of Chinese Communist Party members), appeared to have frightened then-Chinese leader Jiang Zemin, who took authoritarian measures to suppress the practice. This escalated into a brutal persecution and propaganda campaign by Jiang and the Communist Party, attempting to eradicate Falun Dafa. To date, there have been 3,795 confirmed deaths of Falun Dafa practitioners as a result of the persecution, according to the Minghui website.