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National Libraries in Arab Countries Urged to Join Arab-Chinese Digital Library

The concluding statement of the meeting stressed the need to activate work of the joint executive committee of Arab-Chinese Digital Library. SPA
The concluding statement of the meeting stressed the need to activate work of the joint executive committee of Arab-Chinese Digital Library. SPA
TT
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National Libraries in Arab Countries Urged to Join Arab-Chinese Digital Library

The concluding statement of the meeting stressed the need to activate work of the joint executive committee of Arab-Chinese Digital Library. SPA
The concluding statement of the meeting stressed the need to activate work of the joint executive committee of Arab-Chinese Digital Library. SPA

The 5th session of the Arab-Chinese Library and Information Experts has concluded at the King Abdulaziz Public Library (KAPL) in Riyadh with an agreement to enhance coordination.

Within the framework of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF), held under the theme, "Library Services Transformation Given Changing of Information Environment," the two-day meeting was launched on Tuesday by Deputy Foreign Minister Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Kheraiji with the attendance of KAPL General Supervisor Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muammar, Arab League ambassador Hala Jad, and Arab and Chinese experts.

The concluding statement of the meeting stressed the need to activate work of the joint executive committee of Arab-Chinese Digital Library, which is made up of representatives of the Secretariat-General of the Arab League, the National Library of China, and KAPL, as a permanent mechanism to enhance coordination among parties and provide support to the project.

The statement called on national libraries in Arab countries which are not yet members in the Arab-Chinese Digital Library to join the cultural project and contribute to enriching its content.

Attendees of the meeting also welcomed the decision to hold the next 6th meeting of the Arab-Chinese Library and Information Experts in China, expressing their gratitude to KAPL for hosting this week's meeting and for its efforts in bolstering the Arab-Chinese cultural cooperation.

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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
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Van Gogh Painting Falls Short of Expectations in Hong Kong Auction

A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP
A visitor looks closely at 'Les canots amarres' by Vincent van Gogh at Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters in Hong Kong. Peter PARKS / AFP

A Vincent van Gogh painting displaying the artist's shift from dark realism to vibrant impressionism sold for US$32.2 million at a Hong Kong auction on Thursday, falling short of expectations that it would fetch a record-breaking price.
"Les canots amarres" -- or "the moored boats" -- was the centerpiece of an inaugural evening sale held to celebrate the opening of auction house Christie's new Asia Pacific headquarters.
According to Christie's, it was expected to fetch HK$230-380 million (US$30-50 million) on the auction floor, AFP reported.
If bidding had reached the higher end of the estimated value, it could have surpassed Jean-Michel Basquiat's "Warrior" -- which went for HK$323.6 million in 2021 -- as the most expensive Western painting sold in Asia.

But the hammer of auctioneer Adrien Meyer fell Thursday at HK$250 million.
Cristian Albu, deputy chairman and head of 20th/21st century art at Christie's Asia Pacific, said the price was the "record of a Van Gogh in Asia.”
The auction house was "cautious" with its lineup on Thursday in hopes of boosting market confidence, added Ada Tsui, head of evening sale and specialist for 20th/21st century art.
Owned by the Italian royal family of Bourbon Two Sicilies, the Van Gogh painting is "the most important painting by the artist ever to be offered in Asia,” Christie's said in its introduction.
"'Les canots amarres' marks a vital stepping stone in his career," it said.
The painting is one of about 40 works Van Gogh developed around the scenic French town of Asnieres, a boating hub on the outskirts of Paris, during the summer of 1887.