The “Story of the Horse” exhibition celebrates Hong Kong’s hosting of the equestrian events of the 2008 Olympic Games. Featuring selected works from the Museum’s collection, the exhibition explores the depiction of horses in Chinese art and culture from four perspectives: the role of horses in ancient China; the literati essence in horse paintings; horses as decoration and symbol; and the horse in modern art.
Huang Bore (1901 – 1968) was an active defender of traditional Chinese painting and is commonly regarded as an important figure in the 20th century renewal of the traditions of landscape painting. Through the generous donations and loans of paintings from his family, the Museum has been able to present this comprehensive retrospective of Huang’s paintings based on Hong Kong’s beautiful natural landscapes.
A tour of the two exhibitions will be led by Maria Mok and Raymond Tang, both Assistant Curators of the Museum, respectively.
Date: |
7th August 2008 (Thursday) |
Time: |
6:00 -7:30 p.m. |
| Reservation Required (see Reply Slip). | |
Lecture on “An 18th Century Ink Masterpiece: Luo Ping’s Ghost Amusement Scroll” by Dr. Yeewan Koon
Of the many famous paintings in Chinese art history, perhaps few are as unusual as the Yangzhou painter Luo Ping’s handscroll on ghosts. The unconventional subject-matter is rare and challenges conventional ideas of refinement, yet this painting has been highly-prized among literati scholars and connoisseurs. During his lifetime, Luo Ping kept the painting by his side, using it as a calling card for later commissions. He is believed to have made versions of the work for a handful of admirers, one of which is now in the Xubaizhai Collection at the Museum. After Luo’s death, the painting entered collections in South China and gained the accolade of being one of the “Four Great Treasures of Guangdong”. To date, the painting has collected over 100 inscriptions written on 25 metres of silk and paper.
Why were scholars attracted to the depictions of fanciful ghosts? How did collectors and connoisseurs view this painting? These are some of the questions raised in this lecture that will touch on broader issues of how art can be entangled within the world of literature, science, and politics.
Dr. Yeewan Koon is Assistant Professor in the Fine Arts Department at the University of Hong Kong and a fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. (This painting will be featured prominently in the first Luo Ping exhibition at the Reitberg Museum, Zurich, followed by the Metropolitan Museum, New York in 2009)
Date: |
27th August 2008 (Wednesday) |
Time: |
6:30 pm |
| Language: | English |
| Venue: | Hong Kong Museum of Art Lecture Hall |
| Cost: | Members $100, Guests $150, Students$50. (Dinner on a shared-cost basis after the lecture) |
Special Tour of exhibition: “New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond” by Chief Curator HC Tang and Guest Curator Alice King
“Ink” painting is a unique, ever-changing form of traditional Chinese art. It has grown and flourished in the hands of great masters through the ages, shaped by socio-economic and cultural values of the times. This exhibition aims to examine the evolution of ink painting as a contemporary art form strongly rooted in tradition, and the aesthetics and essence of “ink art”. The exhibition is divided into six themes: Innovators to be Remembered; Beyond Tradition; Evolving City Life; Transformed Text; New Frontier; and Is it Ink Art? Works by the early Hong Kong masters Lui Shoukwan(呂壽琨), Luis Chan(陳褔善), Liu Guosong(劉國松), and Ding Yanrong(丁衍庸), will be included in the section focusing on the development of ink art in Hong Kong. Works by mainland artists Wang Tiande(王天德), Cai Guoqiang(蔡國強), Ming Fay(費明杰) and others will also be featured.A special tour of the exhibition has been organized for members. The Chief Curator of the Hong Kong Museum of Art, Mr. H.C. Tang, and Guest Curator of the exhibition, Mrs. Alice King will lead the tour.
Alice King has devoted her life to promoting Chinese art, and is the Chairman of the Ink Society. Over the past 20 years, she has organized more than 100 exhibitions for Chinese artists from China, Hong Kong and overseas.
Date: |
11th September 2008 (Thursday) |
| Time: | 6:00pm |
| Reservation Required (see Reply Slip). | |
Free Members’ Evening “Otium Ludens” Leisure and Play: Ancient Relics of the Roman Empire
The Friends take great pleasure in inviting you to a free evening viewing of the exhibition of Otium Ludens at the Museum. Come and enjoy a relaxed evening with your friends and other members and wander amongst the ancient relics of the Roman Empire.
Stabiae was a wealthy seaside resort with beautiful villas overlooking the Bay of Naples in the vicinity of Mount Vesuvius. Together with Pompeii, it was destroyed during the eruption of the volcano in 79 AD. The Otium Ludens exhibition features 170 works of art selected from several villas in Stabiae, including frescoes and stuccoed decorations as well as terracotta, glass, bronze, iron and marble objects and a complete installation of three wall sections, all of which tell a 2000-year old story of wealth, power, politics and lifestyle.
(The “New Ink Art” exhibition galleries will also be open to members on the evening)
Date: |
September 25, 2008 (Thursday) |
Time: |
6:30- 8:30pm |
| Venue: | Hong Kong Museum of Art |
All members and guests free. Registration is required.
Lecture - "Hidden in Plain Sight: The Remarkable Impact of the Story of King Goujian in Twentieth-Century China" by Prof. Paul A. Cohen
The story of Goujian 勾踐, king of the state of Yue 越 (Zhejiang province) during the last years of the Spring and Autumn era of the Zhou dynasty, has assumed different meanings and served different functions at various times in modern Chinese history. Yet Goujian remains elusive to many Western scholars. The talk will cover the story of Goujian and its remarkable influence from the late Qing to the present, as well as suggest reasons for why it has remained largely unknown outside of China.
Paul Cohen identifies this as an example of "insider cultural knowledge”, traditions that remain confined to members of a culture, and are often passed down in the form of childhood stories. He also examines the powerful relationship between past story and present reality. He illustrates the linkage of story to history, as illustrated by the case of Goujian in twentieth-century China.
Dr. Paul A. Cohen is Edith Stix Wasserman Emeritus Professor of Asian Studies and History, Wellesley College, and a long-time Associate at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, Harvard University.
Date: |
14th October 2008 (Tuesday) |
Time: |
6:30pm |
| Language: | English |
| Venue: | Hong Kong Museum of Art Lecture Hall. |
| Cost: | Members $100, Guests $150, Students $50. |
Friends’ New Tote Bags | Order Now!
Originally designed by the Museum design team, the Friends’ tote bags are sturdy, light and attractive with leather shouder straps and lined interior. As they have been very popular, we are now introducing four new colors; poppy red, meadow green, sky blue, and desert beige together with contrasting color purse. Perfect for carrying documents, books and shopping, they also make ideal gifts.
$120 each. Your purchase will help us support the HKMA.
Friends’ Notecards
The Friends’ blank notecards feature paintings from the Museum collection: Lady in Blue by Lin Fengmian, Two Swallows by Wu Guanzhong, or Victoria Bath/Victoria Pool by Wilson Shieh.Each set contains 8 notecards (of the same design) and 8 envelopes, attractively packaged in a box and perfect for your personal use or as gifts. $100 each box.
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