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New: Moving Perspectives: Shahzia Sikander/Xun
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July 18, 2009 - November 18, 2009
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As part of the year-long series Moving Perspectives that focuses on recent works of video art that provide rich sensory experiences of the many changes taking place in contemporary Asia, works by Shahzia Sikander and Sun Xun will be on shown continuously. Trained in Pakistan and in the United States, Shahzia Sikander (b. 1969, Lahore, Pakistan) deftly reinterprets miniature painting by isolating and abstracting formal compositional elements often found in this densely layered and intricate art form. The dynamism of her paintings is further set in motion in her video works, where the repetition of abstract forms becomes a buzzing hive, calligraphy whirls in and out of view, and imaginary curves morph into vivid landscapes. Similarly, Sun Xun (b. 1980, Fuxin, China) creates hundreds of paintings and drawings using sheets of old newspapers or entire blank walls. Filming his hand-drawn images, he transforms clocks, magicians, words, and insects into animated symbols flickering across the screen in dark allegories on the nature of historical consciousness and the passage of time.
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New: The Tsars and the East: Gifts from Turkey and Iran in The Moscow Kremlin
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May 9, 2009 - September 13, 2009
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On view only in Washington, D.C., are some 64 objects offered as lavish gifts and tributes by the Ottomans and Safavids to the Tsars through large embassies, diplomatic missions, and trade delegations. This exhibition explores the reasons for these extraordinary gifts, their artistic and cultural impact, and the aesthetic and ceremonial etiquette they inspired, one that became a defining characteristic of the Russian court and in the 17th century. Ranging in date from the late 16th century to the late 17th century, the works include rarely seen arms and armor, bejeweled ceremonial vessels, and regalia intended for the Russian court or the Orthodox Church. Related catalogue: $29.95 (paper)
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New: The Tale of Shuten Doji
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March 21, 2009 - September 20, 2009
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This exhibition explores modes of visual narration through the museum's exceptional collection of works illustrating the Tale of Shuten Doji, which is about the conquest of the monster Shuten Doji by the hero Minamoto Yorimitsu (948-1021). This popular tale was retold by many artists during the Edo period (1615-1868), appeared in works commissioned for elite patrons, and was widely available in printed books. For the first time since their acquisition, on display are two sets of handscrolls, a pair of screens, sketches for a set of fan paintings by Kawanabe Kyosai and book illustrations by Hokusai and other artists together with paintings from private collections.
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New: Perspectives: S-Curve by Anish Kapoor
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November 22, 2008 - January 3, 2010 (new closing date)
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As part of the Perspectives series of contemporary Asian art, on view is S-Curve (2006) by internationally-renowned sculptor Anish Kapoor. Consisting of two 16-foot lengths of polished steel that are gently curved to create a continuous convex and concave curve, the work recalls the exploration of form most famously embodied in Cloud Gate, in Chicago's Millennium Park. At a height of 7 feet and with highly reflective surfaces, S-Curve engages the viewer in a powerful physical experience. Known for his sublime approach to pure form, space, and materials since the early 1980s, Kapoor continues to examine spatial perception and the immateriality of the object in this work.
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New: Taking Shape: Ceramics in Southeast Asia
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April 1, 2007 - through 2010
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This exhibition of approximately 200 diverse and visually striking ceramic vessels from Southeast Asia explores the migration of pots from their makers to their users. This exhibition also illuminates the dimensions of international trade that brought southern Chinese ceramics into mainland Southeast Asia and from there reaching distant markets -- from Japan to Turkey. Spanning four millennia on invention and exchange, from the prehistoric period to the present, the vessels on view were crafted for rituals, burials, domestic use, and trade. These clay pots and jars, made permanent by firing in bonfires or kilns, form the most enduring record of human activities, interactions, and ideas about form and decoration in mainland Southeast Asia.
Web: www.asia.si.edu/exhibitions/current/TakingShape.htm
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Last update: July 30, 2009, 14:21
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