Anger at museum's LV show
By Xu Chi |
June 1, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A THREE-month exhibition on luxury label Louis Vuitton that opened on Monday at the National Museum of China is proving controversial as no commercial brands have ever exhibited at the museum before.
The exhibition takes up four halls in the Beijing museum, which has just reopened following renovation work, each fitted with massive mirrors and special lighting to create a dazzling effect for visitors, according to Chinanews.com.
LV handbags, suitcases and other products in the exhibition are protected by security guards, "like cultural relics" and visitors are not allowed to touch them, the website said.
"Ridiculous. The country has such a long history and so many cultural relics to exhibit to visitors but now it lets a pure commercial brand enter and hold exhibitions," Zhang Tinghao, former director of the Chinese Cultural Heritage Research Institute, told the website.
"As a public service institution, the museum should shoulder the responsibility of guiding and educating its visitors," said Zhang.
On the microblog weibo.com, many netizens vented their anger over the exhibition.
Many said luxury brands were not appropriate in an environment of cultural relics and the museum should be a dignified institution, above pursing profits from commercial brands.
Expand horizons
Some said they would rather see the National Museum of China working with major museums in other countries to expand their horizons.
Chen Lusheng, vice director of the museum, told the website that he understood visitors' reactions towards the LV exhibition as it was the first time that the museum had held an exhibition of a commercial brand.
"But compared with 157-year-old fashion brand LV, our museum - which is still to have its 100th anniversary - is still young," Chen told the Beijing News.
He added that the museum had set up strict criteria on selecting a brand to exhibit - insisting upon both historic and artistic value.
Chen said LV had many original designs that had affected the history of travel and "represented art and emotions."
He told the website that he hoped the museum's actions could "enlighten" China's cultural and creative industries.
An LV official told the website that although the company had paid high expenses for the exhibition, he believed it was worth the money.
The exact sum spent was not disclosed.
The exhibition takes up four halls in the Beijing museum, which has just reopened following renovation work, each fitted with massive mirrors and special lighting to create a dazzling effect for visitors, according to Chinanews.com.
LV handbags, suitcases and other products in the exhibition are protected by security guards, "like cultural relics" and visitors are not allowed to touch them, the website said.
"Ridiculous. The country has such a long history and so many cultural relics to exhibit to visitors but now it lets a pure commercial brand enter and hold exhibitions," Zhang Tinghao, former director of the Chinese Cultural Heritage Research Institute, told the website.
"As a public service institution, the museum should shoulder the responsibility of guiding and educating its visitors," said Zhang.
On the microblog weibo.com, many netizens vented their anger over the exhibition.
Many said luxury brands were not appropriate in an environment of cultural relics and the museum should be a dignified institution, above pursing profits from commercial brands.
Expand horizons
Some said they would rather see the National Museum of China working with major museums in other countries to expand their horizons.
Chen Lusheng, vice director of the museum, told the website that he understood visitors' reactions towards the LV exhibition as it was the first time that the museum had held an exhibition of a commercial brand.
"But compared with 157-year-old fashion brand LV, our museum - which is still to have its 100th anniversary - is still young," Chen told the Beijing News.
He added that the museum had set up strict criteria on selecting a brand to exhibit - insisting upon both historic and artistic value.
Chen said LV had many original designs that had affected the history of travel and "represented art and emotions."
He told the website that he hoped the museum's actions could "enlighten" China's cultural and creative industries.
An LV official told the website that although the company had paid high expenses for the exhibition, he believed it was worth the money.
The exact sum spent was not disclosed.
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