(Clearwisdom.net) A four-day Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance Art Exhibition was held in Ceyrat, a city located in the neighborhood of Clerment-Ferrand in central France. The exhibition was mounted and organized by the city government of Ceyrat.
Several TV and radio stations, including the Clerment-Ferrand branch of TV Channel 3, France Bleu and RCF (Radios Chrétiennes en France) provided on-site news coverage about the event. La Montagne, the most popular newspaper in Auvergne Province, Ceyrat Infos, a local newspaper in Ceyrat, and Info, a free newspaper with a circulation volume as high as 200,000 across Auvergne, all carried announcements about the art exhibition before the grand opening.
Mrs. Mary-Teresia Monet, director of the Espace Culture et Congres Henri Biscarrat, where the art exhibition was held, was a graduate of an art institute. After she visited the art exhibition, she said, "These paintings are extraordinarily powerful in artistic expression." She was particularly touched by the painting entitled, "Tribulations in the Midland." She added, "Everyone knows the Chinese communist regime is an autocratic one. What I understand from these paintings and the testimony of this practitioner makes me feel troubled. We should not forgive the persecution inflicted upon any form of belief or cultivation practice. We have no right to infringe on others. Regardless of men, women or children, their bodies should not be infringed on. As a mother and grandmother, I cannot help but think of my own children and other children after seeing this persecution. History always repeats itself. I just wonder whether one day people will truly understand that we need to think carefully about this kind of persecution, whether it occurs today or in the future."
During the four days of the exhibition, people who saw the artworks were deeply moved by the paintings’ power of artistic expression and the stories depicted. Many visitors indicated that they would tell others about what they learned and through various means, they would try to help stop the persecution against Falun Gong practitioners.
Among the visitors to the exhibition were teachers from universities, high schools and elementary schools. The teachers said they would convey to their students the facts of the persecution as exposed by the paintings. Viewers who came from other cities expressed that they would recommend their city governments to host the exhibition. Some athletes said they would take the initiative to collect signatures to boycott the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
Several people left heart-felt remarks in the guest book: "You have awakened our conscience. Thank you very much for telling us all of this." "The paintings are so beautiful. Only non-violent peacefulness such as what we see in this exhibition can prevail over tyranny."
