Cao Zhen

caozhen0806@126.com

A NEW exhibition at the Pingshan Art Museum is offering Shenzheners a unique way to experience the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Northwest China’s Dunhuang.

The “Amber of History: Reimagining the Library Cave at Dunhuang” exhibition includes paintings, sculptures, a video, and a virtual reality (VR) work by Chinese artist and Stanford University art professor Xie Xiaoze. The exhibits are the result of his artist-in-residence program at the Dunhuang Academy in 2017.

Xie’s project specifically focuses on Cave 17, known as “the Library Cave.” The 7-square-meter cave was filled with 50,000 relics including manuscripts, books, paintings, ritual items, and embroidery works dating from the 4th to the 11th century.

The cave was discovered in 1900 after centuries of obscurity. Most of the treasures in the cave were then pillaged and are now scattered across museums worldwide. These artifacts serve as pivotal sources for comprehending the historical, religious, cultural, artistic, economic, political, and technological landscapes of ancient China and Central Asia.

Xie named his art project “Amber of History,” seeing the Library Cave as an “amber” preserving Chinese culture. He produced a scroll of ink sketches, notes, diagrams, and calligraphy that served as a foundation for subsequent sculptures, installations, and paintings within the project. He also visited Shenzhen and Huizhou in search of materials for his sculptures.

Visitors can experience a VR installation that mirrors the Library Cave, which offers an immersive journey into the site. Another exhibit features colorful sculptures of the Library Cave with characters from Buddhist manuscripts embedded within, creating “time capsules” that safeguard Dunhuang’s cultural heritage.

In the “Eastern and Western Cosmologies” ink scroll, Xie combines scenes from “Three Realms and Nine Levels Diagram” in Dunhuang with Dante’s “The Divine Comedy,” exploring life and death, and resonances between East and West.

The exhibition’s curator, Wu Hung, emphasizes the fresh perspective it offers with its “reimagining” of historical resources through a contemporary lens. “Dunhuang is a wellspring of artistic inspiration, drawing numerous artists to craft interpretations of its enduring legacy. I’m impressed by Xie’s experimental approach, which challenges traditional understanding of Dunhuang’s cultural legacy.”

Venue: Pingshan Art Museum, Pingshan District

Metro: Line 14 to Pingshan Square Station, Exit D1