SPECIAL SHOWCASE
The Unheard Melody: Music in Chinese Paintings 大音希声：中国绘画中的音乐
A Special Showcase of Song Dynasty Art and Music
August 5 – 27, 2026
Opening & Lecture: Wednesday, Aug 5, 2-3:30pm
100 Washington Street, NYC
If Song dynasty paintings could speak, what would they tell us?
Drawing from the musical imagery found in A Collection of Song Dynasty Paintings, The Unheard Melody: Music in Chinese Paintings invites visitors to discover the sounds and stories embedded within these masterpieces. Featuring three thematic sections —“Harmony Through Music”, “Elegance and Refinement in Music”, and “Music in Common Life”—the special showcase reveals the diverse roles of music in Song society, from court rituals and ceremonial performances to literati gatherings and everyday life. Through high-resolution digital reproductions, audiovisual installations, and interactive experiences featuring traditional Chinese instruments, visitors will experience how ancient paintings preserve the sounds, movements, and musical imagination of their time.
The opening ceremony will bring the world of Song dynasty art and music to life through traditional Chinese music and Kunqu opera performances and immersive cultural experiences including flower arrangement, lacquer fan painting, and Hanfu garment activities.
Professor Miao Zhe’s lecture “Florence, Kyoto and Hangzhou: The Rise of Chinese Painting Collections in the U.S.” will unveil the fascinating journey of Southern Song dynasty paintings across cultures, tracing how changing artistic tastes during the Gilded Age shaped the formation of Chinese painting collections in the United States.
Join us to experience the magic and timeless beauty of ancient China!
To learn more and view the opening day schedule, click here.
RECENT ASIA WEEK NEW YORK EXHIBITION
The Dancing Goddess: Mei Lanfang in America
March 12 – July 12, 2026
Closing Party: Saturday, July 11, 2026, 3-5pm
China Institute of America President Jin Yu, CEO George Geh, and Gallery Director Charles A. Riley cordially invite you to the Closing Party of The Dancing Goddess: Mei Lanfang in America on Saturday, July 11, from 3 to 5 PM. Join us as we celebrate the much-anticipated launch of the fully illustrated 400-page exhibition catalogue, alongside a “water sleeves” dance performance. With this festive closing party, we bring the curtain down on our landmark exhibition. Click here to reserve your spot!
Step into the vibrant world of Mei Lanfang, the 20th-century’s greatest performer of Peking Opera, whose sensational 1930 American tour forever changed the landscape of modern theater. In celebration of China Institute’s centennial, The Dancing Goddess: Mei Lanfang in America revisits this milestone of Sino-American cultural exchange, a pivotal moment sponsored by the Institute itself. Discover how Mei Lanfang, through a revolutionary fusion of song, dance, and psychological acting, captivated American audiences and inspired artists from Broadway to Hollywood.
Set of woodblock-printed playbills for Mei Lanfang’s plays, 1922, collection of Chinese National Academy of Arts, ©Chinese National Academy of Arts
The exhibition will feature an extraordinary collection of his revolutionary stage costumes, rare photographs, original production materials, and artwork that illuminate his creative genius. Join us to experience the story of an artist who bridged cultures, a legacy that embodies China Institute’s century-long mission of fostering a deeper understanding of China through art, education, and culture.
Red satin robe embroidered with gold dragons among clouds (female costume), Qing dynasty Yongzheng period, silk, shoulder-to-sleeve length: 220 cm; garment length: 119 cm, collection of Chinese National Academy of Arts ©Chinese National Academy of Arts
Presented in celebration of China Institute’s Centennial, the exhibition honors this defining chapter in our history and the enduring legacy of cross-cultural dialogue that Mei Lanfang inspired.
Be sure to take part in our special three-part program tracing the evolution of Peking opera through the revolutionary work of Mei Lanfang. The program opens with a lecture by the exhibition curator, Dr. Catherine V. Yeh (Boston University), who explores Mei’s pioneering interpretation of female roles in Peking opera, especially his origination of the novel huashan role. In the second part, Dr. Kui Wang, historian and director of the Opera Research Institute at Chinese National Academy of Art, examines the specific cultural and historical context of Mei’s innovations. The program concludes with a conversation with the two speakers and Dr. Xiaojie Shao, associate director of the Library at Chinese National Academy of Art about the intersections of their research and Mei’s remarkably well-preserved legacy continues to influence theater, gender representation, and cross-cultural dialogue today.
Purchase your tickets here. For more information, please contact Tracy Jiao at [email protected].
We look forward to welcoming you soon!
To learn more, click here.
About China Institute Gallery
China Institute Gallery is renowned for its intimate, first-class thematic exhibitions. Since 1966, the Gallery has presented more than 120 exhibitions showcasing both historical and contemporary works across a wide range of media and art forms. Covering 5,000 years of Chinese history from the Neolithic period to the present day, China Institute Gallery is the only non-commercial exhibition space solely dedicated to Chinese art in New York and the United States. China Institute Gallery will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2026, reaffirming the gallery’s leadership in landmark historical exhibitions while expanding the gallery’s commitment to the vibrant world of contemporary Chinese art.
