An exhibition of works by Chinese and Belgian contemporary artists opened here last Saturday as part of the ongoing Europalia-China art festival.

The 120 artworks by some 50 artists include paintings, sculptures, artistic devices and video shows.

Fan Di'an, director of the National Art Museum of China and one of the curators of the show, said an important feature of this exhibition was putting works of modern artists from China and Belgium side by side in the same exhibiting room.

"Viewers can enjoy the similarity of contemporary art on one hand, and difference deriving from two different cultures on the other," he said.

The other two curators of the show, Ai Weiwei and Luc Tuymans, are both internationally renowned contemporary artists.

Ai, one of the leading Chinese contemporary artists, was an art adviser to the designing of the Beijing National Stadium, or Bird's Nest, which served as the main track and field stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Ai said the Europalia art festival offered a good chance for cultural exchanges between China and Belgium.

"This is the beginning of a very long-standing relationship between a very small country and a very large continent," said Tuymans, regarded by many as one of the most respected painters of his generation.

Claire Kirschen, general commissioner of Europalia China art festival, said, "We could not think of making an exhibition or an event on China without taking into account the scene of present contemporary art in China, which has gained importance in a huge manner during the past 10 years."

She said it was hoped the event would give a true picture of both traditional and modern China.

"We hope this exhibition will have a good influence on the future of contemporary arts in China and contemporary arts in Belgium," she said.