Burial mask of the Princess of Chen, Liao dynasty (907–1125), Excavated from the tomb of the Princess of Chen at Qinglongshang Town in Naiman Banner, Gold, Inner Mongolia Archaeological Research Institute. On view at the Drents Museum—more info below.
We asked our participants to share the museum exhibitions they are most looking forward to this summer—here are their recommendations. For the final part in this 3-part series, we're focusing on Europe. If you find yourself there this August, don't miss the following exhibitions:
1. Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave at the British Museum in London, England
“Many years in the making and numerous recent Hokusai exhibitions later, this monumental exhibition showcases the unrivaled breadth and depth of Katsushika Hokusai’s mature and late work, as well as gives the visitor an insight into his personal life and beliefs. The world’s top scholars on the subject, who brought us the unrivaled show on Utamaro years ago, Timothy Clark of the British Museum and Asano Shûgo of the Abeno Harukas Art Museum, Osaka, have made this exhibition a must-see event due to the tremendous range, depth and quality of the work selected from collections worldwide, revealing in new ways, the brilliance and creativity of arguably Japan’s most celebrated artist,” says Asia Week New York founding participant Joan Mirviss. The exhibition is on view at the British Museum until August 13; view more information here.
Exhibition view of The Great Liao
2. The Great Liao: Khitan Relics from Inner Mongolia, China at the Drents Museum in Assen, The Netherlands
This exhibition highlights the splendor of an Inner Mongolian nomad dynasty. “The major archaeological exhibition The Great Liao tells the remarkable story of the mighty Liao dynasty in the 10th and 11th centuries—an empire with an area of more than 4,000 km, extending from the Sea of Japan in the east to the Altai mountains in the west. Spectacular archaeological finds that have come to light in the past thirty years give visitors a unique impression of the Liao culture,” writes the museum on its website. Through October 29, 2017.
Exhibition view of The China Collection at KODE Art Museums
3. The China Collection at KODE Art Museums in Bergen, Norway
From the museum's website: “The China Collection is one of Europe’s largest collections of Chinese art and artisanal handicraft, and numbers 2,500 items. The collection contains all kinds of Chinese art, and spans a time period ranging from the early Stone Age to the beginning of the 20th century. […] The China Collection was donated in its entirety by the adventurer and general Johan Wilhelm Normann Munthe (1864–1935). He lived in China from 1886 to 1935, and first worked for the Chinese customs agency before becoming a general in the Chinese army. After living in China for some years, Munthe took an interest in the country's art. He eventually built a large art collection.” The gallery was recently renovated and has now reopened; more information can be found on the KODE Art Museums website.