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Calendar of Events
See the current events and exhibitions of the participating Museums.
3/5/2010 -
7/31/2010
Encountering Cheong Soo Pieng
exhibition -
NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts, Singapore, Singapore
An exhibition of works of one of Singapore's most influential artists, the late Cheong Soo Pieng. Spanning the period from 1947 (Cheong’s arrival in Singapore from China) to 1966 (after his trip from London), the exhibition emphasises on the archival and is presented to facilitate future research and projects on aspects of Cheong’s practice and his influence on later generations of artists. Giving primacy to the assembling of materials – from artworks to a range of documentations, such as newspaper cuttings, publications, video and oral interviews – the exhibition builds a preliminary perspective of Cheong Soo Pieng that is nuanced and which allows for multiple trajectories in later investigations. A collaboration between NUS Museum and The National Art Gallery, Singapore, this is the first exhibition on Cheong Soo Pieng since his last solo exhibition 19 years ago.
more info :
NUS Museum, Singapore
6/12/2010 -
8/1/2010
Hong Kong Diary Response Exhibition of the 53rd Venice Biennale Hong Kong Exhibition II
exhibition -
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, China
Using his previous works exhibited in the 53rd Venice Biennial Hong Kong Exhibition “Making (Perfect)
World”, Pak Sheung Chuen reassembled his works and made them into this exhibition entitled “Hong
Kong Diary”, which demonstrates the artist’s unique observation and thoughts on Hong Kong’s daily life
and his varied ways of artistic creation. Selected artworks will be shown in various public places as an
extension to the exhibition.
more info :
Hong Kong Museum of Art
5/21/2010 -
8/1/2010
“Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards” in 2009
exhibition -
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, China
The “Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition”, which was first held in 1975, is an important event in the art
scene in Hong Kong. This open competition provides a platform for local artists to demonstrate their
talents and showcase their accomplishments. Also, it reviews the most recent developments in the local art
scene and explores the uniqueness of creativity of artists and cultural identity of Hong Kong as a
cosmopolitan city; serves as a major showcase for local artists both locally and internationally in order to
keep pace with globalization of arts and presents awards to recognize the outstanding achievements of
local artists. To highlight the unique nature and mission of the “Hong Kong Art Biennial Exhibition”, it is re-
named as “Hong Kong Contemporary Art Biennial Awards” in 2009. The public’s response is
unprecedented. More than a thousand artists participated in the competition and amongst them, 83
entries passed the 2nd round of judging.
more info :
Hong Kong Museum of Art
5/18/2010 -
8/1/2010
Buddhist Hanging Scroll at Geumdangsa Temple
exhibition -
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
A Buddhist hanging scroll is a large painting for Buddhist outdoor ritual ceremony. This magnificent and uncommonly large Buddhist hanging scroll was painted in 1692. Being almost 8.3 meters in height, it was originally placed at Geumdangsa Temple.
In the painting, a Buddha carrying a flower in the feature of a bodhisattva appears solely without his dependents. Such a feature is known as Sakyamuni Buddha, also found in the hanging scroll at the Yulgoksa Temple. Fourteen bodhisattva avatars and four phoenixes are decorated on the coronet, and this is one of the two paintings existing with those figures.
The square-shaped Buddha’s face, sainted eye corners, shaded pupils and tightly closed small lips intends to show his dignity. The Buddha wears ornamental green cloth over the red underclothing, and the white band binding the underclothing drops down from the chest to the lotus pedestal. On every lotus flower placed on the halo of the body, 28 Sanskrit characters are written. The masterpiece illustrates the characteristics of the hanging scrolls of the 17th and 18th centuries, a balanced body proportion and a majestic feature of Buddha.
Refer
more info :
National Museum of Korea, Seoul
4/30/2010 -
8/1/2010
Antipas Delotavo: Dire Patterns
exhibition -
NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts, Singapore, Singapore
A painter entrenched in an unfolding milieu of societal affliction in the Philippines, Antipas Delotavo's long-standing practice is marked by a commitment towards social realism as an expression that lay bare society's physical and psychological states. This is a practice that is contingent on the shifting political and economic grounds that define the status and conditions of the underclass. Militarism of the 1970s, popular uprising of the 1980s, the waning influence of the political left, and the emergent global economy provide changing contexts to this practice, further complicating the vexing questions of art- making as cogent political activism, and its problematic relationship with the economic and political structures that sustain practice. In his recent series Dire Patterns, Delotavo deals with this predicament from a broader societal perspective, laying bare contradictions inherent in the necessary yet fraught engagement with capitalistic mechanisms of commodity and power.
more info :
NUS Museum, Singapore
7/13/2010 -
8/1/2010
Series Historical Collection: Speaking to the Future. Historic Photographs: Portraits.
exhibition -
Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
This fourth exhibition of the Historic Photographs series focuses on people in photography, featuring photographs of the Edo shogunate's delegation to Europe, along with portraits of political figures of the Meiji period. The past three exhibitions in this series have looked at the history of photography in Japan from its introduction at the end of the Edo period (end of the 19th century) as a modern technology. The importance of photography as an effective means of documentation was recognized from its earliest years in Japan. In this exhibition, we feature people as subjects of photography. The portrait genre was a major factor in the rapid popularization of photography in Japan. This was because photographs were affordable and accessible compared to portrait paintings, production of which was limited to the wealthy classes. The apparent demand of photographs among the wider public at that time is also an interesting aspect of the early history of Japanese photography. The people introduced here held important positions in Japanese history, politically or otherwise, and their circumstances were different from ordinary people. Nonetheless, their hopes of leaving behind their images and accomplishments for later generations must have been common to all people, as we can see today in their gaze through the lens.
more info :
Tokyo National Museum
7/21/2010 -
8/4/2010
The Skywards Beauty of five colors
exhibition -
National Museum of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
Korea-Mongolia Special Exhibition of Intangible Cultural Heritage THE SKYWARDS BEAUTY OF FIVE COLORS
In this year, we open this special exhibition of intangible cultural heritage to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the amity between Republic of Korea and Mongolia. This exhibition presents Korea's splendid traditional costumes with the title of 'The Skyward Beauty of Five Colors' and it will be one of noble moments to represent two nations cultural interchange.
more info :
National Museum of Mongolia, Ulaaan Baatar
6/1/2010 -
8/8/2010
Cizhou-Type Ceramic Pillows
exhibition -
Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Cizhou-type ceramics were produced in Cixian (formerly Cizhou) in China's Hebei province as well as the surrounding Huabei region. For over a thousand years, from the Tang dynasty to the present day, Cizhou-type wares have long been known and loved as folk ceramics. The style most representative of Cizhou-type wares flourished circa the 10th to 12th centuries, from the Song to the Jin dynasties. Spurred by an increasing demand for white vessels, Cizhou potters began coating their vessels with a white clay slip under a transparent glaze, thus initiating the production of white ceramics in the region. A variety of designs and techniques were used at the Cizhou kilns to decorate the white vessels. These included incised or impressed floral designs and sgraffito, which produced three-dimensional effects, as well as painted designs in red, yellow, black and green pigments. From the Song dynasty, ceramics spread widely throughout Chinese society as practical objects for everyday use, and these lively Cizhou-type wares provide an example of the vessels which people depended upon in their daily lives. Ceramic pillows were arguably the most distinctive objects produced at the Cizhou kilns, and their varied shapes and designs are imbued with the hopes and dreams of craftspeople from centuries past.
more info :
Tokyo National Museum
2/14/2010 -
8/15/2010
Year of the Tiger
exhibition -
Keramiekmuseum Princessehof, Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Jaar van de Tijger,
Year of the Tiger, Chinese and Japanese ceramics with the tiger as a motif.
Explanatory text only in Dutch.
more info :
Princessehof, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands
4/21/2010 -
8/16/2010
Pakistan – Where civilizations meet – 1st - 6th centuries - Gandharan arts
exhibition -
Musée National des arts asiatiques Guimet, Paris, France
Exhibition organised by the Guimet museum of Asian arts and the National Art and Exhibition Centre of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn.
The Paris exhibition commissioned by Pierre Cambon, head curator of the Guimet museum, replicates, in a modified form, the exhibition designed by Professor Michel Jansen and Doctor Christian Luczanits, presented under the name Gandhara. The Buddhist Heritage of Pakistan Legends, monasteries, and Paradise.
The Gandhara is a former kingdom with a Hellenistic influence which spanned the North West provinces of today’s Pakistan. This civilisation contemporaneous with the Romans in the west and the Chinese Hans in the east, peaked between the 1st and 3rd century AD, in the era of the successors of Alexander the Great and the Kushan Empire. A land of encounters, a land of Buddhism, invasions and exchanges, but also a land of ancient culture and diversities, Gandhara witnessed the birth and development of a brilliant civilisation combining Greek influences, resulting from the conquests of Alexander the Great, and Persian and Indian inspirations.
more info :
Musée Guimet, Paris
6/3/2010 -
8/22/2010
Singapore 1960
exhibition -
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
“Through hard work, faith and a little good fortune, may 1960 bring more happiness to more of us.” – Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in his first New Year Day speech to the nation. Politics and the struggle for one’s Independence have always been the defining corner-stone of the post-WW II chapter in the Singapore Story. Before tears were shed in that inevitable moment of anguish, hope and optimism were brimming in the air in 1960. That year, according to the new Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, would be a year of consolidation as opposed to the year before which was a year of decisive change. Celebrating a year on after 50 years of self-government, Singapore 1960 will transform the gallery into a vibrant and colourful ‘live’ show set interjected with both noteworthy and quirky news articles throughout that year.
more info :
National Museum of Singapore
6/23/2010 -
8/23/2010
Gemsoon : Overcome Adversity
exhibition -
National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War (1950-1953), the National Folk Museum is presenting a special exhibition titled "Gemsoon : Overcome Adversity." Our series of displays will focus on the real-life experiences of Koreans during the devastating war and also the true implications of this historical event in the shaping of contemporary South Korean life.
The exhibition is divided into four parts. The first part aims at providing a comparative review of how Koreans recall their experiences from the war and how this differs from the recollection of foreigners. The second part depicts various images from the daily lives of war refugees, how life continued in the severest struggle for survival. The theme of the third part centers on the post-war recycling and popular culture, and also the anti-Communist ideologies that dominated society at that time. The fourth and final part of the exhibition is about the millions of families separated following the division of the Korean Peninsula, and also displays the daily items of some Koreans who have experienced the war. The museum is also offering a wealth of video materials and other installations and technologies to provide visitors a real-world experience in the museum, intending to allow them an easier understanding of the heavy subject that is war. It is our sincere hope that each exhibition on display will be able to tell its own complex stories.
more info :
National Folk Museum of Korea, Seoul
6/22/2010 -
8/27/2010
Rijksmuseum acquires items for the collection of 19th century colonial history
exhibition -
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Rijksmuseum recently acquired five life-size portraits of Javanese court officials from the mid 19th century. Although intended for a European audience, they were probably created by a non-Western artist. The acquisitions will be exhibited with a scale model of a Javanese market from the same period with lifelike details and around 150 miniature figurines. It portrays the Dutch East Indies as the Europeans liked to imagine it, with a colourful market, exotic products, beautiful dancers and a gamelan orchestra.
The objects will be included in the permanent collection on display in the main building when it reopens in 2013. The portraits were acquired for € 190.000.
The five imposing paintings depict various roles in a Javanese court from regent to bodyguard. These are the only known paintings of this kind in the world. Depictions of Indonesians from this period were primarily created by Dutch artists, who painted from the perspective of the colonist, generally portraying Indonesians as rebels, colonial subjects or examples of a ‘primitive’
culture. However, these Javanese court officials are portrayed in a powerful and self-confident manner.
more info :
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
6/17/2010 -
8/29/2010
Dynastic Paintings and Calligraphy in the Palace Museum Collection (8th rotation)
exhibition -
The Palace Museum, Beijing, China
Like a river flowing from a distant source, Chinese painting and calligraphic art enjoy a long history. Both were derived from primitive symbols, nourished by Chinese civilization, executed with the same tools, i.e., brush pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and both were created using lines and strokes as the basic elements. Chinese painting and calligraphy both strive for brilliant brushwork and lyric aesthetics. Although they developed into two independent art forms - calligraphy emphasizing emotional release, and painting focusing on sketching likenesses - for millennia there was mutual interplay and development. Through constant interaction, the two arts complemented and enhanced each other such that they were popularly employed in other traditional arts, and continue to thrive even today. With their long history, unique presentation and aesthetics, Chinese painting and calligraphy have played an indispensable role in the fine arts. The Palace Museum's rich and comprehensive holdings of traditional Chinese calligraphy and paintings encompass not only extremely rare early masterpieces but also representative works from every historical period. These art works help in understanding the history of traditional Chinese calligraphy and painting. Here, the Palace Museum presents a selection of the finest works in order to introduce visitors to the classics, to share the sophistication of the works, and to reveal the profundity of Chinese culture.
more info :
The Palace Museum, Beijing
6/22/2010 -
8/29/2010
Goryeo Bronze Mirrors: Reflecting Culture and Life of the Goryeo People
exhibition -
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
The National Museum of Korea puts its collection of Goryeo-period bronze mirrors, including the latest discoveries, on exhibition. Under the five categories, the exhibition is designed to introduce the genesis of Goryeo bronze mirrors as well as the life and culture of the Goryeo period reflected in them.
A notable characteristic of Goryeo Bronze Mirrors: Reflecting Culture and Life of the Goryeo People is that the exhibition features some epoch-making recent findings that could require the chronicle of bronze mirrors to be revisited. In particular, the fish-pattern bronze mirror excavated in Chudong-ri, Seocheon was wrapped in one of the five bundles of paper, mukseojipyeon. The papers that wrapped the mirror are estimated to be a kind of document on account of some legible letters written on it such as gihae (a name of time frame), joyeon (a person’s name), and gyeong. Other relics found along with the fish-pattern bronze mirror include ancient Chinese coins called Chongningzhongbao, 1102-1106 and celadon ware that was used until the 11th or 12th century. Thus gihae is presumed to be a time period either in 1119 or in 1179. The Chudong-ri bronze mirror is a valuable source of information for future studies as it is the only case where the production year can be estimated.
more info :
National Museum of Korea, Seoul
7/1/2010 -
8/29/2010
Cutting Edge: The Evolution of Untraditional Papercuts
exhibition -
The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, United Kingdom
The Museum of East Asian of is pleased to announce that it will continue exhibiting highlights of the exhibition “Cutting Edge”. Due to overwhelming public enthusiasm, selected highlights – including the Curator’s favourite piece – will be joined by other artefacts not previously exhibited, including traditional papercuts that are too delicate to be placed on permanent display. These highlights will be on display until August 29th 2010 and form a reinterpreted exhibition, titled “Cutting Edge: The Evolution of Untraditional Papercuts”. Museum Curator, Michel Lee, explains “Moving the papercuts into our Franklin Tsu Gallery means that we have cases available in which we can display items that will emphasize the differences between these and traditional papercut designs and techniques”. Alongside the new and old papercuts, the exhibition will include both traditional papercutting tools and those used by the Yellow C Group’s lead artist, Lo Jhy Yen, in his modern works. Interesting additions to this exhibition include three Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) bowls with decorations created using a papercuts. Popular throughout the Song Dynasty at the Jizhou kilns in Jiangxi province, China, this technique involved using the papercuts like a stencil to decorate the bowls. The patterns are removed before firing to create a relief papercut design. The addition of these bowls explores another dimension of the tradition of papercut decoration.
more info :
The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath
3/26/2010 -
8/29/2010
Lofty Integrity: Donation of Works by Wu Guanzhong
exhibition -
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, China
In 2009, internationally acclaimed master of painting Wu Guanzhong offered Hong Kong another generous donation of 33 paintings. Following his donations in 1995 and 2002, the new gift includes 12 oil paintings
and 21 ink paintings done between 2005 and 2009. The donation will become a significant permanent
collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Being a significant figure of Chinese art history in the 20th
century, Wu has made a major contribution to the integration of Chinese and Western art. Wu was born in
1919 in Yixing, Jiangsu. In order to honour Wu’s generous donations and to share this heartfelt gift with
the community, the Museum of Art will stage a thematic exhibition which 51 artworks of Wu’s latest
donation along with the Museum’s collection.
more info :
Hong Kong Museum of Art
3/26/2010 -
8/29/2010
LOFTY INTEGRITY; Donation of Works by Wu Guanzhong
exhibition -
Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, China
In 2009, internationally acclaimed master of painting Wu Guanzhong offered Hong Kong another generous donation of 33 paintings. Following his donations in 1995 and 2002, the new gift includes 12 oil paintings and 21 ink paintings done between 2005 and 2009. The donation will become a significant permanent collection of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. Being a significant figure of Chinese art history in the 20th century, Wu has made a major contribution to the integration of Chinese and Western art. Wu was born in 1919 in Yixing, Jiangsu. In 1946, he won a scholarship to study at the prestigious Ecole Nationale Supérieur des Beaux-arts in Paris. In 1950, he returned to China and was assigned to teach at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and later transferred to other institutions. In 1991, he was made an Officer de L’Ordre des Arts et des Letters by the Ministry of Culture of France. In 1992, he became the first living Chinese artist to have a solo exhibition at the British Museum. In 2002, he was the first Chinese artist awarded the Médaille des Arts et Lettres by the Académie des Beaux-arts de L’Institut de France. In 2006, the Chinese University of Hong Kong granted Wu an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters. In order to honour Wu’s generous donations and to share this heartfelt gift with the community, the Museum of Art will stage a special exhibition which 51 artworks of Wu’s latest donation along with the Museum’s collection.
more info :
Hong Kong Museum of Art
5/1/2010 -
8/29/2010
Animal Kingdom: Paintings by Li Fuyuan
exhibition -
The Museum of East Asian Art, Bath, United Kingdom
The Museum of East Asian Art is pleased to work in cooperation with ArtChinese to host the exhibition: “Animal Kingdom: Paintings by Li Fuyuan,” which features fifteen pieces of the artist’s works. Mr. Li uses brush painting techniques with stunning effects. His paintings are full of bold, contrasting colours and elements that compose a visual melody of a fantastically cacophonous world. The abstract shapes work together to form the images of animals that are at once incorporated into a dramatic landscape but yet bursts out from the background to stare at the audience with as much interest and curiosity as the inquisitive humans eyes on the other side of the glazed frames. Li Fuyuan’s works are sure to delight.
more info :
Museum of East Asian Art, Bath
7/2/2010 -
8/31/2010
Cai Guo - Qiang: Head On
exhibition -
National Museum of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
Head On is created by Cai Guo –Qiang for his solo exhibition of the same name at the Deutsche Guggenheim in Berlin. Although the Berlin Wall is long gone, and the former East Germany and West Germany have reunified, there remain deep and intractable historical issues between the two sides. The 99 life-sized wolves are leaping en masse towards an unseen wall, with those at the front falling from striking the wall while those bringing up the rear continuing surging forward, undeterred. Seen from afar, the leaping wolf pack forms an arc full of force and power, their fierce courage and spirit of warrior camaraderie seemingly serving as a reminder to people: humanity is easily blinded by a kind of collective mentality and action, and is destined to repeat such error to an almost unbelievable degree. The crux of this installation lies just before the glass wall, as the artist reminds people: invisible walls are the hardest to dismantle. The second and third parts of this colossal installation - Illusion II and Vortex - will also be exhibited.
more info :
National Museum of Singapore
7/6/2010 -
9/5/2010
The Birth of Chinese Civilization
exhibition -
Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Focusing on the many renowned artifacts excavated from China's Henan province, this exhibition explores
the birth and development of Chinese civilization along the lines of three key themes: the birth of
dynasties, the growth of technical artistry, and the pursuit of beauty. Henan province, situated on the
banks of the Yellow River, has been home to dynastic capitals since ancient times. These include Anyang,
capital of the Shang (Yin) dynasty; Luoyang, capital during the Later Han, Wei (Three Kingdoms period)
and Northern Wei (Southern and Northern dynasties period) dynasties; and Kaifeng, capital of the
Northern Song dynasty. As a central region in the history of Chinese civilization, Henan was the birthplace
of many rare and valuable art objects demonstrating outstanding artistry, which continue to be treasured
today as symbols of China's valuable cultural heritage.
more info :
Tokyo National Museum
5/22/2010 -
9/8/2010
China: Journey to the East
exhibition -
British Museum, London, United Kingdom
A major exhibition exploring three thousand years of Chinese culture is taking place at York Art Gallery this summer. More than 100 remarkable objects from the British Museum will be included in the touring exhibition entitled: China: Journey to the East. These will be complemented by artefacts from the York Museums Trust collections and York’s Chinese communities. The exhibition is part of a national tour, supported by BP, a CHINA NOW legacy project, and it has been organised through the British Museum’s Partnership UK scheme. Helen Walsh, assistant curator of decorative arts at York Art Gallery, said: “This exhibition offers visitors the chance to experience one of the world's most important and influential civilisations. We are delighted to be involved in this tour, which is the largest UK loan of Chinese material the British Museum has yet undertaken.” The exhibition presents key enduring Chinese inventions such as the abacus (the world’s first calculator) the compass, and silk and porcelain manufacture. Objects will provide insight into the three main Chinese belief systems: Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism and will shed light on the colourful Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), and the important Mid-Autumn Festival. The exhibition will also investigate the development of China's writing system and its development as an art form through objects that range from a writing brush and ink box from the Ming Dynasty to a jade seal with a dragon carved in the top from 1764. Along with loan material from the British Museum, handling collections will allow visitors to experience the displays through sights and sounds, touch and smell.
more info :
British Museum, London, exhibition at York Art Gallery, York, UK
7/1/2010 -
9/8/2010
Samurai, Monks and Ninjas; Manga Revisits Japanese History
exhibition -
Musée National des arts asiatiques Guimet, Paris, France
The first part is located on the third floor of the museum, and presents Japanese history as seen through manga, from the 1950’s up until the present day.
This part aims to explain manga to viewers (whether amateur or connoisseur) through the history of Japan. The second part, in the rotunda on the 2nd floor, offers the visitor a contrastive insight into manga, with historical and legendary figures seen in the light of bygone graphic design.
more info :
Musée Guimet, Paris
7/6/2010 -
9/12/2010
Two Dainichi Nyorai Statues and Sculpture of the Kei School
exhibition -
Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
The two Dainichi Nyorai (Skt., Mahavairocana) statues exhibited here show many similarities in style and structure, as well as in the types of dedicatory objects enshrined within the statues and the manner of their installation. Both statues are thought to be the works of the Kamakura-period Buddhist sculptor, Unkei. The plinth of the Kotokuji temple statue (adorned with four lions), as well as the halo, shrine and the 37 Buddha figures riding on clouds within, were all produced circa the same time as the statue itself. It is likely that the Shinnyoen statue was also originally enshrined in the same way. While both statues are small, the posture and curves of the body appear brilliantly executed from all angles, whether viewed from the front, sides or back. These works demonstrate the expertise of Unkei, one of the greatest sculptors in the history of Japanese art. The sculptural style of Kaikei, who together with Unkei produced the two guardian figures of Todaiji temple, differs from that of Unkei and is distinctive for its clean, balanced aesthetic. In the Kamakura period, the Kei school (a group of Buddhist sculptors known after the "kei" in many of their names) from which the great sculptors Unkei and Kaikei emerged pioneered a bold, realistic style which was met with high acclaim. Viewers are invited to note the sense of power and movement in the Twelve Heavenly Generals (J., Junishinsho) statues on display.
more info :
Tokyo National Museum
3/16/2010 -
9/12/2010
Ancient Links between Humans and Animals: Bone and Antler Implements
exhibition -
Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Hunting and fishing tools and body ornaments crafted from animal bones, horns and tusks are known to archaeologists as "bone and antler implements." Objects crafted from shell are also included in this group. Together with earthenware and stone tools, bone and antler implements were essential to daily life in ancient times. Bone and antler implements have been unearthed from prehistoric sites worldwide. This includes Japan, where a great variety and number have been found in shell mounds across the archipelago, remaining from the ancient Jomon and Yayoi cultures of Honshu, and the Epi-Jomon and Kaizuka cultures of Hokkaido and Okinawa respectively. Bone and antler implements developed as a result of the strong connection between humans and animals in ancient times. People worked hard to hunt, fish and gather animals for food. They felt deeply indebted to the wealth of their natural environment, and humbly expressed their gratitude by making use of every part of their animal harvest, letting nothing go to waste. Crafting bone and antler implements required a detailed knowledge of the materials used. This included not only structural knowledge of animal or fish skeletons, but also the ability to identify harder bones from those which could be easily split or broken. In the case of body ornaments, color was important and rare materials were prized.
more info :
Tokyo National Museum
5/12/2010 -
9/13/2010
James Cook an the Discovery of the South Seas
exhibition -
Museum of Ethnology, Vienna, Austria
James Cook (1728-1779) owes his lasting fame to the three circumnavigations of the globe he undertook between 1768 and 1779 in his attempt to locate the mythical southern continent and the Northwest Passage. Accompanied by a team of scientists and artists, these journeys also served geo-strategic interests. While the scientists helped to increase our knowledge of the world based on reason, the pictures and reports of other travellers helped to create a romantic image of the South Pacific as a far-flung and free island paradise. Cook’s violent death on Hawaii, islands he himself had discovered earlier, helped turn him in the eyes of his contemporaries into a hero of the European conquest of the world. With over 500 exhibits from European museums and private collections the exhibition documents both James Cook’s journeys to the end of the world and their results. It showcases precious cultural documents from the peoples of the Pacific archipelago and the north-western coast of North America, among them impressive feather images, decorated bark cloth and carvings, as well as every-day objects. Together with paintings and drawings executed in the course of the journeys they document a South Pacific as yet untouched by the West, and the adventure of the eighteenth century’s most spectacular voyage of exploration.
more info :
Museum of Ethnology, Vienna
7/7/2010 -
9/13/2010
Imperial Sightseeing. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este’s Journey to India
exhibition -
Museum of Ethnology, Vienna, Austria
In the course of his voyage around the world Archduke Franz Ferdinand also visited India and Sri Lanka. Celebrated photographers such as Eduard Hodek the younger from Vienna or Lala Deen Dayal documented his adventures between tiger hunts and court etiquette. Around eighty historical photographs, as well as ivory and paper miniatures from the Archduke’s extensive „souvenir collection“ now in Vienna’s Museum of Ethnology, will be on show for the first time in this exhibition. The show is a collaboration between University of Vienna’s Institute of Art History and the Museum of Ethnology.
more info :
Museum of Ethnology, Vienna
11/14/2009 -
9/25/2010
Southeast Asian Ceramics, New Light on Old Pottery
exhibition -
NUS Museum, NUS Centre For the Arts, Singapore, Singapore
This exhibition features ceramics produced in Southeast Asian kilns from as early as the 11th century.
Research in ceramics over the past decades has uncovered a wealth of data about the centres of production, characteristics of wares from various kilns and the active timeframe of these sites. Our knowledge about the consumption trends of Southeast Asian ceramics has also been enhanced through finds from both land and maritime archaeology. Employed in concert with written sources, such archaeological data have been crucial in reconstructing the region's pre-modern socio-economic and cultural history and providing a more thorough picture of site usage patterns and intra-regional interactions.
more info :
NUS Museum, Singapore
11/17/2009 -
9/26/2010
The Crossroads of Civilizations: Ancient Culture of Uzbekistan
exhibition -
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Uzbekistan, "the land of the Uzbeks," is part of West Turkestan, which is located to the west of Pamir Mountains. In the ancient times, this region was part of Transoxiana, which refers to the land between Amu Darya ("Oxus" in Greek) and Syr Darya. Many oases were formed along these rivers that originate from Pamir Mountains and reach Aral Sea. This region was also a major center on the Silk Road, situated at the crossroads of West Asia, China, India, and the steppe region in North Asia.
This exhibition introduces Uzbekistan culture from the prehistoric period to the 8th century through its bronze and iron cultures, Buddhist culture, and Sogdian culture. In addition, the replicas of Afrasiab murals in which ancient Koreans appear will be shown.
more info :
National Museum of Korea, Seoul
5/29/2010 -
9/26/2010
'Seek knowledge even as far as China': a celebration of 50 years of the Oriental Museum, Durham
exhibition -
Oriental Museum, Durham, United Kingdom
The Oriental Museum was officially opened on 28th May 1960. This exhibition traces the history of the museum and its collections from its origins in the teaching collections of the University's Department of Oriental Studies to the present day. The exhibition looks at some of the key figures and major events in the history of the museum and features some of the treasures of the museum's collections not usually on display to the public.
more info :
Oriental Museum, Durham
5/27/2010 -
9/26/2010
Rediscovering Yeh Chi Wei
exhibition -
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, Singapore
Rediscovering Yeh Chi Wei tells the life and works of one of Singapore’s lesser known but important early artists, Yeh Chi Wei. Through his highly distinctive oil paintings, Yeh drew inspiration from a wide range of cultural sources, such as Han Dynasty carvings and Javanese batik. His innovative works powerfully weave together Asian and Western art aesthetics, cultural sources and inspirations from travels. A well-respected art educator and influential leader in Singapore’s early art scene, Yeh frequently led the Ten-Men Art Group on painting expeditions to various locations. His belief in improvement and innovation while maintaining a strong Southeast Asian identity encouraged and inspired other artists.
Organised by the National Art Gallery, Singapore, this exhibition will showcases Yeh’s illustrious artistic career, his contributions to Singapore, and how he celebrated the beauty of Southeast Asia through his art.
more info :
Singapore Art Museum
6/15/2010 -
10/1/2010
Muraqqa' Imperial Mughal Albums from the Chester Beatty Library
exhibition -
The Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, Ireland
This magnificent exhibition of paintings from the land of the Taj Mahal has been on tour in the US for the past year and will now be shown at the Chester Beatty, between June and October 2010. The Library holds one of the finest collections of Indian Mughal paintings in existence, and this exhibition is a rare opportunity to see many of the best of those works. The exhibition focuses on a group of six albums (muraqqa‘s) compiled in India between about 1600 and 1658 for the Mughal emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan (builder of the Taj Mahal). Each album folio originally consisted of a painting on one side and a panel of calligraphy on the other, all set within beautifully illuminated borders. Many of the paintings are exquisitely rendered portraits of emperors, princes and courtiers—all dressed in the finest textiles and jewels—but there are also images of court life, and of Sufis, saints, and animals. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully-illustrated, multiple award-winning catalogue.
more info :
Chester Beatty Library, Dublin
6/6/2010 -
10/3/2010
Decorative Arts of Ryukyu
exhibition -
Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo, Japan
The Tokyo National Museum's collection of ethnological materials from Okinawa is mainly comprised of objects purchased by the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce from Okinawa prefecture in 1884. In 1882, the German Anthropological Society asked the Ministry to collect Okinawan ethnological objects as reference materials for study. Objects which were not collected in time to send to Germany and spare samples were sent to Tokyo and transferred to this museum. Because many cultural properties, including ethnological objects, were destroyed in Okinawa prefecture during World War II, the Tokyo National Museum's collection is among the oldest ethnological collections of Okinawan objects in existence. Of special note are materials related to the noro (ritual officers) of Yamato-mura, Amami-oshima Island, which were donated by Ms. Yamato Yoshiko in 1998. Formerly in the care of Mrs. Osada Suma, a researcher of the Amami dialect, they are important for the study of the Okinawan culture. This display features examples of decorative art from Okinawa, including metalwork, colorful textiles, ceramics showing various influences, lacquerware showing Chinese influences, and jade objects thought to have been used by noro.
more info :
Tokyo National Museum
5/1/2010 -
10/17/2010
The Indian Sari
exhibition -
National Museum of Ethnology, Leiden, Netherlands
The sari is a garment known world-wide. All over the world women proudly wear the sari as a statement of
their Indian origins. It is a long cloth that women wrap themselves in as a type of body covering. The
weave, the decorations and the manner of wearing reflect the major differences in climate, social origins
and lifestyle within the multicultural Indian society. The exhibition has been made possible thanks to the
collaboration of the Textile Research Centre in Leiden, led by Dr. Gillian Vogelsang. The Indian Sari shows
the rich history of this timeless garment thanks to dozens of beautiful examples.
more info :
Museum Volkenkunde, Leiden
4/22/2010 -
10/22/2010
Ming Wong, Life Of Imitation
exhibition -
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, Singapore
In Life of Imitation, Ming Wong revisits the context of the Golden Age of Singapore cinema in the 1950s and 60s, an era of nation-building struggle and rapid modernisation. Inspired by the rich legacy, he re- reads ‘national cinema’ constructed through language, role-playing and identity, by re-interpreting films that are familiar to audiences spanning 2 generations, and which engage with performative notions of mis- casting and parroting. The first is a compendium of works by P. Ramlee, the wunderkind of Malay cinema.
The second is the Hollywood melodrama ‘Imitation of Life’ (1959) by Douglas Sirk about a black mother and her ‘white’ daughter. The third is Wong Kar Wai’s ‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000) with actress Maggie Cheung rehearsing for a confrontation with her spouse about his infidelity. Through these video interventions, the viewer is presented with questions related to roots, hybridity, and the politics of becoming.
more info :
Singapore Art Museum
6/16/2010 -
10/31/2010
Portraits of Birmese Chin Women's Face Tattoos
exhibition -
State Museum of Ethnology, Munich, Germany
Im Porträt: Gesichtstatauierungen der Chin-Frauen in Birma
Explanatory text only available in German
more info :
Staatliches Museum für Völkerkunde, Munich
6/20/2010 -
11/14/2010
Banned and Destroyed Books of the Qing Dynasty.
exhibition -
The Palace Museum, Beijing, China
Under construction
more info :
Palace Museum, Beijing
6/15/2010 -
11/14/2010
White Porcelain Jars: Embracing the Joseon Ideals and Rituals
exhibition -
National Museum of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
"White Porcelain Jars: Embracing the Joseon Ideals and Rituals" is a theme exhibition intended to contemplate on the unique features of the Joseon ceramics through its jars. Themed upon the white porcelain that decorates the last chapter of the Korean ceramic history, the exhibition showcases the white porcelain jar not just as a simple storage device but as a ware that perfectly embodies Joseon people's lives. Joseon, embracing Neo-Confucianism as the base for social order, strictly performed all the royal rites of the court by the prescribed formalities and procedures. Ritual ware to be used in those rites was also produced by the same standard. Created for specific purposes, placenta jar (胎壺, taehangari), burial ware (明器, myeonggi) and jar with dragon motif (龍樽, yongjun) tellingly inform us with the unique culture and the aesthetic of the Joseon royal family at work only within the court. We sincerely hope that this exhibition will serve as a venue for you to see the value and the significance of the white porcelain jar in addition to its plastic beauty.
more info :
National Museum of Korea, Seoul
7/7/2010 -
11/15/2010
Rashid Rana - Perpetual Paradox
exhibition -
Musée National des arts asiatiques Guimet, Paris, France
The Musée Guimet presents the exhibition " Perpetual Paradox " and exhibits for the first time in France the contemporary creations of Rashid Rana, considered to be Pakistan’s greatest contemporary artist because of his digital photomontages, sculptures and video installations.
Roughly twenty of his disconcertingly paradoxical pieces will be scattered among the museum’s permanent collection, offering a unique opportunity to compare contemporary art with the Musee Guimet’s age-old Asian pieces, thus placing a question mark above tradition and the “illusion of permanence”, from the depths of time to the modern age.
more info :
Musée Guimet, Paris
6/5/2010 -
11/28/2010
Heroes of Asia
exhibition -
Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore, Singapore
Heroes of Asia is the ACM’s second exhibition curated especially for children! Featuring colourful displays and engaging artefacts from the ACM’s collection, the exhibition explores the legends behind some of the well-known and well-loved characters of Asian myths – many of whom are still well-known and often found in contemporary culture.
Some of the characters you will learn about in the exhibition include Hanuman the Monkey God of India, Rustam the dashing champion of Iran who defeated dragons and demons, and Mulan the warrior-maiden of Chinese legends.
more info :
Asian Civilisations Museum, Singapore
1/1/2010 -
12/14/2010
Seeing the Kites Again
exhibition -
Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, Singapore
In 2008, Chinese artist Wu Guanzhong donated 113 of his important works to the National Heritage Board, Singapore. This is the highest-value donation ever given to a public museum institution in Singapore. An internationally eminent artist, Wu is best known for marrying the distinct art form of traditional Chinese ink with modern concepts in Western art. Recently published as a seven-volume anthology, Wu’s writings provide deep insights into his aesthetics and art practice. Showcasing 22 paintings from the donation, Seeing the Kites Again is an exhibition inspired by Wu’s metaphor of the kite. Since the 1960s, Wu Guanzhong has produced a great number of works, based on his personal recollections. These works are centred around his home in the South of China, his childhood, as well as the villages and towns he has been to. His interest in life and his attention to ordinary scenes, infuse his art with an aesthetic quality that demonstrates a return to simplicity.
This exhibition is an incubator project by the National Art Gallery, Singapore, held on the premises of the Singapore Art Museum.
more info :
Singapore Art Museum
3/12/2010 -
12/31/2010
Luz at the Gardens: An Exhibition of New Works by National Artist Arturo Luz
exhibition -
Ayala Museum, Manila, Philippines
As one of the leading modernists of his generation, Arturo Luz was named National Artist in 1997. His
works had inspired and influenced the next generation of artists working on minimalism and non-
objectivism. All the hallmarks of his artistic opus—elegant linearity, seamless design, and minimal color
—
are prominent and tangible in his three-dimensional works. The exhibition Luz at the Gardens features
several steel sculptures created recently by the artist. Through these monumental works, Luz pays
homage
to several artists of his generation. Spanish modernists Gerardo Rueda (1926-1996), Eusebio Sempere
(1923-1985), Antoni Tapies (1923), and his close friend Fernando Zobel (1924-1984). Their works have
significantly inspired and informed the non-objective works of Luz. This is the same group of leading
abstractionists, friends and contemporaries of Fernando Zobel, whose works are on display at the Museo
de Arte Abstracto Español, which Zobel established in Cuenca, Spain.
more info :
Ayala Museum, Makati City
5/31/2008 -
12/24/2018
Discover Islamic Art
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Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon, Portugal
Four VCM contributors are also partners in DIA:
* Giuseppe Tucci National Museum of Oriental Art, Rome
* Victoria and Albert Museum, London
* Museum of Mediterrenean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Stockholm
* Museum Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon (as an associated museum)
Museum With No Frontiers (MWNF) is an organisation whose ground-breaking and visionary programme aims to establish a vast trans-national museum that presents works of art, architecture and archaeology in the context in which they were created. Inspired by the principle of organising exhibitions without moving the works of art, MWNF is creating through modern technology an exciting new dimension to museums. The visitor is invited to experience a museum not only as a place to admire artefacts on display but also as a gateway to related works of art in other museums, relevant archaeological sites and monuments as well as to thematic visits. By raising awareness of artistic and cultural heritage and promoting investment in restoration and conservation projects, MWNF aims to promote cultural integration as a means of facilitating political cooperation between different countries and cultures. The MWNF programme provides an opportunity to learn about and enjoy the shared cultural heritage of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East in a completely new way. Its masterly orchestration brings together a large number of academics, professionals, photographers, tourist managers, politicians and many other people and organisations participating in this innovative project. The ever expanding MWNF network includes partners from 19 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. To date, public and private bodies from Algeria, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and the United Kingdom have joined the MWNF programme.
more info :
Discover Islamic Art
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