‘Staging Dunhuang:’ Ancient artifacts meet modern vision

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November 16, 2024

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‘Staging Dunhuang:’ Ancient artifacts meet modern vision

By Wang Jie | 00:00 UTC+8 November 16, 2024 |

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The Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum opened to the public in Shanghai’s Yangpu District this week.

The opening exhibition, “Staging Dunhuang,” features precious artifacts, including the Bayeux Sutra and the Beiliang Stone Pagoda, on loan from different institutions around the world.

The exhibition, which runs through May 31, consists of four parts: History, Nature, Reproduction and Mind.

Through the perspectives of geography, nature and technology, the exhibition aims to focus on the art of Mogao Caves as a model for the production of contemporary culture and visual experience.

It combines the work of Dunhuang’s nameless artisans with 20 contemporary artists such as Ding Yi and Ni Youyu.

“When mentioning Dunhuang art, we immediately think of the Mogao Caves,” said Wu Hong, chief consultant of the exhibition.

“But Dunhuang art is more than that. Dunhuang is a larger socio-geographical space. The Mogao Caves, a Buddhist cluster located 25 kilometers south of Dunhuang, is only one part of this geographic space.”

With videos and interactive installations, the exhibition presents the profound and unique charm of Dunhuang culture.

For example, Chen Zhihao and Zhou Zhenru use light and shadow to rediscover the Mogao Caves’ “Laba Lamp Burning Ceremony.” Their work “A River of Stars” is based on a draft painted by the Russian Oldenburg expedition. The digital work revitalizes a moving scene from Dunhuang’s history.

The exhibition is like an experiment in the creation of new realms and images through the juxtaposition and dialog between the static and the dynamic. The organizers look to initiate a conversation on the relationship between historical archives and artistic creation.

The museum’s exterior is reminiscent of Dunhuang’s natural landscape such as its wind-blown sand dunes and arched grottoes, echoing the esthetic elements of Dunhuang’s frescoes.

Its interior design is also impressive as it borrows elements of the natural scenery in Dunhuang. A “mini mountain” made up of sand is placed in the center of the hall. By burning incense from Dunhuang, the whole exhibition hall is permeated with a special scent. Separate small rooms refer to Dunhuang caves, inviting visitors to “reperceive” Dunhuang across time and geography.

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‘Staging Dunhuang:’ Ancient artifacts meet modern vision

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