Detail: Celestial Music, mural from Mogao Cave 288 Western Wei dynasty (535-557), 52 x 522 cm Image courtesy of Dunhuang Academy
Dunhuang: Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road
April 19 – July 21, 2013
Dunhuang, the western gateway to China, is one of the world’s most esteemed art shrines and cultural heritage sites. Dunhuang: Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road will address art and ritual practices of the Northern dynasties (420-589) and the Tang dynasty (618-907). The exhibition will feature excavated art works, high relief clay figures, wooden sculptures, silk banners, and molded bricks. A group of treasured Buddhist sutras from the famous Cangjingdong (The Library Cave) will illustrate the story behind Dunhuang’s historic discovery. A magnificent replica of the 8th century cave that houses the beautiful Bodhisattva of the Mogao Grottoes and an illustrious central pillar from the 6th century will also be prominently displayed to recall the actual cave setting.
This exhibition is organized by China Institute Gallery and Dunhuang Academy under the direction of Willow Weilan Hai Chang and is curated by Fan Jinshi, Director of Dunhuang Academy.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and by the generous support of Blakemore Foundation, the E. Rhodes & Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, the Henry Luce Foundation and China Institute Friends of the Gallery.
Yu Hong (b. 1966), Questions for Heaven, 2010; Acrylic on canvas, 500 x 600 cm
Inspired by Dunhuang: Re-creation in Contemporary Chinese Art
September 19 — December 8, 2013
Dunhuang’s tradition, with its timeless charm and depth, continues to invigorate artists, teachers and students in their quest for education, self-cultivation and artistic creation. Highlighting paintings and sculptures by a dozen modern and contemporary artists, Inspired by Dunhuang: Re-creation in Contemporary Chinese Art will explore the historical site’s profound influence on generations of artists beginning with master painter Zhang Daqian. Other artists to be featured in the exhibition include contemporary art luminaries such as Zhang Hongtu, Liu Jude, Liu Dan and Yu Hong.
This exhibition is organized by China Institute Gallery and co-curated by Willow Hai Chang, Director of China Institute Gallery, and Jerome Silbergeld, the P. Y. and Kinmay W. Tang Professor of Chinese Art History and Director of the Tang Center for East Asian Art at Princeton University.
This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the generous support of China Institute Friends of the Gallery.
Courtesy of China Institute in America, for further information please visit www.chinainstitute.org.
