Tree of Lifeby French artist Jean-Francois Larrieu.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Garo says he collected tar, sand, volcanic ash and marine sediments to make the painting through which he reflects on human evolution.

"Switzerland has beautiful mountains, glaciers and lakes, and looks like a heaven on Earth. But if people do not realize that environmental pollution is worsening, the glaciers will one day all melt away," he says, adding that he believes art should serve as society's bridge with the future.

Such worries about climate change are echoed in other works on show, such as Crescent Iceberg, an oil painting by Norwegian artist Dag Hol.

Hol used intimate brushstrokes to depict a breathtaking view of a crescent-shaped iceberg floating on the sea and above it, a crescent moon lighting up the sky. With this poetic landscape, he examines the issue of rising sea levels.