A Chinese calligraphic art exhibition, entitled Dialogue with the Expo, opened at the Shanghai Art Museum on April 16.

The one-week exhibition sponsored by Xia Zhengnong National Culture Education Development Foundation displays more than 100 calligraphic art works created by artist Wang Xuyuan on Expo architecture and China's architectural culture.

"The show will be a stimulus to the city's effort to create an artistic atmosphere for the Expo," said Zhang Shanliang, an official from the foundation.

Local calligraphers said as part of the Chinese national culture, calligraphy faces a challenge from the network technology as the world enters the information era.

"Therefore, how to carry forward the Chinese calligraphic art under the globalization remains a problem,"Zhang said.

The exhibition with "dialogue with the Expo" as its theme is a probe made by local artist Wang Xuyuan into the combination of theory on Chinese calligraphy with its practice.

"It is also an effort to seek a new way to innovate the traditional Chinese culture,"he said.

Wang has perfectly merged his painting skills and calligraphic technique in his works to give audience much room for imagination.

"His effort to apply fibre art, porcelain art and sculpture into the Chinese calligraphy has given it a new life," said Zhang.

He said all the works will be on display at the Expo for the world audience.