This exhibition is made possible, in part, by the generous support of the Henry Luce Foundation and China Institute Friends of the Gallery.
Exhibition Schedule
China Institute Gallery February 9—June 17, 2012
Available July – September, 2012
Available October – December, 2012
New “China”:
Contemporary Porcelain Art from Jingdezhen
Jingdezhen, also known as the “Porcelain Capital,” has served as the world’s major source of China trade ceramics for over 1,000 years. The city’s history, unique location, access to kaolin and skillful artisans still attract ceramicists from all over the globe. New “China” will allow visitors to explore the authoritative influence of Jingdezhen on ceramic arts during the last 100 years. It will introduce a special group of modern and contemporary artists, who have revitalized Jingdezhen and bolstered the world’s ceramic market through their contemporary ideas and progressive techniques.
This exhibition is organized by China Institute Gallery under the direction of Willow Weilan Hai Chang. It is co-curated by Lili Fang, Director of the Artistic Anthropology Research Center of the China Art Research Institute in Beijing, and a leading author on Jingdezhen studies and Nancy Selvage, former Director of the Ceramics Program at Harvard University.
Exhibition Schedule
China Institute Gallery September 13—December 9, 2012
Available Any three-month period starting January 2013
Dunhuang:
Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road
Situated at a major crossroads of the ancient Silk Road, Dunhuang is one of the world’s most esteemed cultural heritage sites. Dunhuang: Buddhist Art at the Gateway of the Silk Road brings into vivid focus the customs and practices of local Buddhists and illuminates the significance of the city as a crucial point of cultural exchange between East and West. Featuring sculpture, painted clay reliefs, calligraphy, Buddhist scriptures, and modeled bricks from the caves, this exhibition introduces the art and ritual practices from the golden eras of the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties. The diverse cultural history at Dunhuang is reflected in the evolution of the motifs and styles at work in these paintings and sculptures, and the crucial intersections of secular and religious, national and international, and East and West are revealed in these exceptional artifacts.
This exhibition is organized by China Institute Gallery and the Dunhuang Academy. It is curated by Fan Jinshi, Director of the Dunhuang Academy.
Exhibition Schedule
China Institute Gallery February 7—June 9, 2013
Available July— September, 2013
Available October—December, 2013
Dreams of the Kings:
A Jade Suit and Afterlife Objects from Xuzhou
Peng Cheng (present-day Xuzhou) in Jiangsu province was the birthplace of the first emperor of the influential Han dynasty. When he ascended the throne, the emperor declared Peng Cheng as the Kingdom of Chu, and knighted his peasant brothers as its sovereigns. Bestowed with specially chartered rights that alleviated the kingdom from imperial taxes, the kings of Peng Cheng enjoyed a uniquely luxurious and lavish lifestyle, and there is no place where that lifestyle was better represented than inside the royal tombs, which were often so large that they far exceeded imperial regulations. In Dreams of the Kings: A Jade Suit and Afterlife Objects from Xuzhou, exquisite jades, animated terracotta figures and other treasures exemplify the affluent and sumptuous lifestyle these rulers had during their lifetime, and is revealing of their beliefs and attitudes towards what was to come after death. At the centerpiece of this exhibition is a sumptuous jade burial suit, constructed with over 4,000 pieces of jade held together with gold thread, a material that was typically reserved for emperors.
This exhibition is organized by China Institute Gallery and the Xuzhou Municipal Museum. It is curated by Li Yinde, Director of the Xuzhou Municipal Museum.
Exhibition Schedule
China Institute Gallery January 30—June 15, 2014
Available July—September, 2014
Available October—December, 2014
Art in a Time of Chaos:
Part I: Southern Dynasties (In collaboration with the Nanjing Museum)
Part II: Northern Dynasties (In collaboration with the Shanxi Museum)
Chinese archaeology in the last twenty years witnessed an unprecedented period in the excavation of Six Dynasties art. Extraordinary works of art have been unearthed, and the ensuing scholarly research has significantly altered the understanding of this chaotic, four-hundred-year period of political upheaval, geographical division and civil strife. Not only is the Six Dynasties a pivotal link in the historical timeline between the Han and Tang dynasties, it has been recognized as the historical period that laid down the foundation for Chinese art. In ceramics, sculpture, painting and calligraphy, artists and artisans of the Six Dynasties spearheaded dynamic and vigorous artistic innovations that became instrumental in the evolution of Chinese art. Art in a Time of Chaos: Innovative Trends in Six Dynasties China will explore these creative individuals and the numerous techniques, theories and iconographies that have had insurmountable impact in the development of Chinese art throughout the ages.
On view will be important works of celadon, pottery, stone sculptures, brick carvings, calligraphy and mural paintings meticulously selected from the Nanjing Museum and the Shanxi Museum.
This exhibition is co-curated by Willow Weilan Hai Chang, Director of China Institute Gallery; Annette Juliano, Professor of Asian Art History at Rutgers University; Gong Liang, Director of the Nanjing Museum; Bai Ning, Director of the Nanjing Municipal Museum; and Shi Jinming, Director of the Shanxi Museum.
The exhibition will be presented in two parts at China Institute Gallery, but the hosting institution may choose to exhibit both parts simultaneously.
Exhibition Schedule
China Institute Gallery (Part I) January 29—June 7, 2015
China Institute Gallery (Part II) September 17—December 13, 2015
OPTION I (Part I and II combined) Summer 2015 or Spring 2016
OPTION II (Part I only) Fall 2015
OPTION III (Part II only) Spring 2016
The Beauty of Chinese Gardens
This exhibition showcases 38 black-and-white photographs of classical gardens in the Suzhou and Shanghai regions of China. Taken by David Engel in the 1980s, these photographs capture the unique architectural and aesthetic elements of private gardens in the lower Yangzi region. The serene and beautiful images offer visitors a striking glimpse into how man-made architecture can be ingeniously fused with the natural environment.
We offer to loan this exhibition free of charge. In return, the hosting institution would agree to cover all expenses related to the loan and to publicize and promote China Institute’s programs through their website, emails, and promotional materials.
Available Immediately
“[China Institute Gallery] consistently produces some of the best Asian shows in town, with first rate material, handsome installations and catalogues by some of the more glamorous specialists in the field…and exemplifies the curatorial direction museums should be taking today.”
(Holland Cotter, The New York Times, September 19, 2003)
For further information on exhibition rentals, including fees, logistics, and publications, please call 212-744-8181 x146, fax 212-628-4159 or email jlima@chinainstitute.org.
