Three Art Exhibitions to Visit over the Weekend

The Art of Dunhuang

The National Art Museum of China has gone all out and dressed itself up for this exhibition. As you can see in the photo above, the gallery has covered itself in plastic sheets resembling the caves of Dunhuang. Dunhuang was an important trade hub on the Silk Road 2,000 years ago, a cultural hodgepodge of Muslim, Chinese, Indian and Greek cultures. This goes some way to explaining the diverse styles of Dunhuang – the Persian scarves worn by flying deities, Greco-Buddhist sculptures and Gandhara coloring. This exhibition displays sculptures as well as 120 murals (most of them recreations that have been painstakingly copied) and 29 original artworks from the ancient municipality. The museum is also hosting an exhibit of traditonal Chinese door hangings. You can visit their site for more information. RMB 20.

Daily 9am-4pm. National Art Museum of China (6401 2252/7076)

'85 New Wave: The Birth of Chinese Contemporary Art

This weekend is your last chance to catch this retrospective on the seminal art movement, which marked the "explosive response" of independent Chinese artists to the disillusionment of the early '80s art scene. Over 130 works covering a range of media from artists like Xu Bing, Zhang Peili, Chen Zhen, Ding Yi, Song Haidong, and Gu Wenda. Exhibition closes on Feb 17. For more background info, see Venus Lau's interview with the curator in the Nov issue of that's Beijing. Keep an eye out for their next exhibition, a Huang Yongping retrospective, that is due to open on Mar 22. On Feb 21 UCCA will also hold a panel discussion with contemporary artists, designers and critics that will focus on the relationship between art and text in the '85 period. Visit this site for more information. To reserve a seat, e-mail eventbooking@ucca.org.cn or call 8459 9269. Free with UCCA admission (RMB 30 for adults, 10 for students).

3-5.30pm.
Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (8459 9269)

The Four Monk Painters

In order to catch this small but fascinating exhibition you'll have to brave the tourist crowds and buy an entry ticket to the Forbidden City. Once inside, head to a small courtyard in the north eastern corner of the former imperial palace to witness the works of this legendary quartet – Shi Tao, Bada Shanren, Kun Can and Hong Ren – who pushed the boundaries of Chinese scroll painting. See 77 examples of their work dating from the early Qing dynasty. Don't be put off by the age of the pieces … these guys were cutting-edge – Shi Tao anticipated Pollock by hundreds of years with his ink-splattered works. For more background information, see this article from the Feb issue of that's Beijing. Until Apr 10. RMB 40.

Daily 8.30am-4pm. The Palace Museum (6513 2255, 8511 7099)

Links and Sources:
that's Beijing: Art Explosion - The new Ullens Center for Contemporary Art looks back at a pivotal period in modern Chinese art
that's Beijing: Art Feature:Mountain Monks -The four men who rewrote the rules of Chinese art
tbjblog: Just When You Thought Chinese Art Couldn't Get Any Hotter, Ullens Center Opens in 798