|
Art News:
|
|
MEDIA
ALERT
ARTHUR M. SACKLER
GALLERY
FUTURE
EXHIBITIONS
ECHOES OF THE PAST: THE BUDDHIST
CAVE TEMPLES OF XIANTANGSHAN
February 26-July 31, 2011
Media
Preview:
Thursday,
February 24, 2011, 10 AM
Media Contacts:
Deborah Galyan (202) 633-0504; GalyanD@si.edu
Amanda Williams (202) 633-0271; Williamsam@si.edu
Press room:
Majestic sixth-century Chinese Buddhist sculpture is
combined with 3D imaging technology in this exploration of one of the most
important groups of Buddhist devotional sites in early medieval China. Carved
into the mountains of northern China, the Buddhist cave temples of Xiangtangshan
(響堂山, pronounced "shahng-tahng-shahn") were the crowning
cultural achievement of the sixth-century Northern Qi dynasty (550-77 CE). Once
home to a magnificent array of sculptures-monumental Buddhas, divine attendant
figures, and crouching monsters framed by floral motifs-the limestone caves were
severely damaged in the first half of the twentieth century, when their contents
were chiseled away and offered for sale on the international art market.
Because of the extensive damage to
Xiangtangshan, it has been all but impossible to appreciate the caves' original
appearance or to understand the rich and complex artistic and religious
achievement they once represented. In recent years, however, research and new
technologies have made it possible to digitally envision some of the caves as
they appeared before their tragic despoliation. In Echoes of the Past, ancient
sculptural masterpieces will be united with a set of innovative digital
components, including a video installation that offers an immersive, kinetic
re-creation of one of the largest stone temples. Touch screens and research
kiosks will offer more detailed information about the site and the themes
explored in the exhibition.
Echoes of the Past: The Buddhist
Cave Temples of Xiangtangshan is organized by the Smart Museum of Art,
University of Chicago and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian
Institution.
Major funding is provided by the National Endowment for
the Humanities, the Leon Levy Foundation, the Smart Family Foundation, and the
E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation. The catalogue was made possible by
Fred Eychaner and Tommy Yang Guo, with additional support from Furthermore: a
program of the J. M. Kaplan Fund.
Additional support for the Smart Museum of Art
presentation is generously provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the
University of Chicago Womens Board, and Helen Zell.
Additional support for the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
presentation is provided by the Cotsen Foundation for Academic
Research.
The exhibition is
supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views,
findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not
necessarily reflect those of the National Endowment for the
Humanities.
TOUR DATES
Smart Museum
of Art Chicago: September 30 2010-January 16 2011
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Washington, D.C.: February
26-July 31, 2011
Meadows Museum at
Southern Methodist University, Dallas: September 11, 2011-January 8,
2012
San Diego Museum of Art:
February18-May 27, 2012
|
|
Image: Still of
screen from Digital Cave: close-up view of 3-D reconstruction of missing Buddha
head in yellow against colored (texture-mapped) cave temple wall, east
altar, South Cave, Northern Xiangtangshan, with missing
fragments shown in yellow. Image by Jason
Salavon and Travis Saul. |
Hours: 10 AM to 5:30 PM
Open daily except
December 25
Free admission to galleries and programs
asia.si.edu / 202.633.1000
Metro: Smithsonian
|
|
|
|
Freer and Sackler Galleries | 1050 Independence
Avenue, SW | Washington | DC |
20560
|
| |
#
|
YOUR FIRST STOP FOR ART ONLINE! |
|
Discover over 150,000 works of contemporary art. Search by medium, subject matter, price and theme... research over 200,000 works by over 22,000 masters in the indepth art history section. Browse through new Art Blogs. Use our advanced artwork search interface.
Call for Artists, Premiere Portfolio sign-up for your Free Portfolio or create an Artist Portfolio today and sell your art at the marketplace for contemporary Art! Start a Gallery Site to exclusively showcase your gallery. Keep track of contemporary art with your free MYabsolutearts account.
|
|
Copyright 1995-2013. World Wide Arts Resources Corporation. All rights reserved
|
|
|