Chinese Ar 17t
Manchu emperor’s ceremonial 12-symbol jifu court robe, Qing dynasty, Yongzheng period (1723-1735), silk tapestry (kesi), 134 x 194 cm, Te John R Van Derlip Fund
18 West 86th Street NYC
bgc.bard.edu
longtime Mia visitors and traditional museum goers alike. Tis exhibition is highly innovative,
particularly in
Jade Mountain illustrating the Gathering of Scholars at the Lanting Pavilion, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period, 1790, light green jade, 57.15 × 97.47 × 290.3 cm, the John R Van Derlip Fund and Gift of the Tomas Barlow Walker Foundation
regards to visitor experience, and while there is an understood flow to the exhibition, visitors must rely on their own senses to navigate the galleries. Tis is especially so as the exhibition does not include any labels or interpretive didactics. Mia asks viewers to not rely on traditional curatorial modes of interpretation, but rather embrace the presentation of objects in situ, exploring the opulence of the Qing imperial courts through form, sound, scent, light, and innovative installation. While a brochure is available for thematic understanding of each room, the exhibition is best experienced with merely the senses, with a visitor walking through each gallery space to listen and see each distinct aspect that the museum highlights. Te idea for no didactic labels or interpretive panels stems in part from Wilson’s theatre background,
where an
Imperial throne, Qing dynasty, 18th century, polychrome lacquer over a softwood frame, 125.1 x 163.83 x 106.05 cm, gift of Ruth and Bruce Dayton
a wall covering, highlights the pure beauty of calligraphic line and form. Te artist is known for his performative calligraphy, and his bold red statement greets visitors at the entrance of the exhibition, suggestive of the experience that they will soon enter. Towards the end of the exhibition in
gallery nine, contemporary Shanghai- based artist Yang Yongliang’s work provides a similar wall treatment effect. Tis gallery presents the literati attraction of mountains, highlighting the romanticisation of court officials and emperors taking on the role of chaoyin, or
‘recluse at court’. Te
gallery’s objects include a tapestry scroll of 500 lohans exploring an otherworldly mountainscape,
small
scholar-official objects for contemplation, and Mia’s prized 640- pound, imperially commissioned, Jade Mountain. Yet the stories these objects tell become skewed when viewed surrounded by Yang’s print imagery. When viewers approach the artist’s digital landscape prints, they initially see a landscape painting, yet when viewed closer, visitors can perceive the disparate elements that make up the composition and realise it is a depiction of contemporary society. Tis inclusion of a contemporary new media work further places these Qing-dynasty objects into a new context. By placing Qing-dynasty objects within entirely transformed spaces, the exhibition creates an experience that is guaranteed to be new for
audience member may receive a playbill with an introductory text, but ultimately joins the experience knowing only what they entered with. Mia has provided their own physical playbill of sorts outside of the formal exhibition space with concise panels that explain to viewers the essence of the exhibition to provide visitors an understanding of their upcoming experience. Similar to a theatrical performance, where many visitors go online after the ending to learn of its history and significance, enthusiasts can go to the museum’s website for more information about the objects, the Qing dynasty, and the experience. While there have been countless exhibitions and presentations of Qing imperial rule and material culture, Power and Beauty creates an immersive understanding of Qing imperial life, such as the singular authority of the fearsome emperor, the sumptuous yet melancholy life for women in the inner courts, and the rigid hierarchy of court officials and their dress. Te exhibition presents Mia’s belief that art inspires wonder and fuels curiosity. While the presentation of the objects and their installed environments are curated by the minds of Liu Yang and Robert Wilson, the ultimate takeaway is left to the visitor. As keenly stated by Wilson, ‘Te reason we work in the theatre is to ask, “What is it?”, not to say what it is’. Tis approach is seen in the staging and installation of Power and Beauty,
where objects are
presented as emotion and the exhibition acts not as a didactic explanation, but as a completely immersive experience. • Power and Beauty in China’s Last Dynasty, until 27 May, at Minneapolis Institute of Art,
new.artmia.org.
February 23–July 8, 2018
Support for Fabricating Power with Balinese Textiles is generously provided by The Coby Foundation, LTD.
Ida Ayu Ngurah Punlari, weaver; Ida Ayu Pidada, dyer. Gedogan or Wangsul, 2017. Photo: Bruce White
MARCH 2018 ASIAN ART
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
