Events

13 Oct 2023 - 5 May 2024

Gallery I, Art Museum, the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Antiquities are the remains of human civilization. Their significance and purpose are rarely static, as new meanings and associations accrue in the social life of things. Encounters with different viewers may also lead to creative interpretations and nuanced appreciation of the objects. 

In celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the exhibition “When Art Speaks – Treasures of CUHK” will showcase 60 treasured artworks, dating from the Shang dynasty to the near-modern era, including rare imperial porcelain, calligraphy and paintings from Guangdong, and masterpieces by Hong Kong artists. The exhibition features a wide range of categories, including oracle bones, jadeware, goldware, zisha, enamel, lacquerware, bamboo carving and others. Highlights include a wanshou vase in underglaze blue, a white jade box with orchids attributed to Lu Zigang, Chen Xianzhang’s Response to the Poems of Night Sprinkle in White Horse Temple with Matching Rhyme in Running-cursive Script¸ Gao Jianfu’s Wither Lotus in Snow and Yip Yan-chuen’s Pearl of the Orient. The exhibition comprises three chapters, The Beginning, The Journeys and The New Page, which tell the stories respectively of the establishment of the Art Museum; its collections and academic research; and its rapid development and plans to expand with a new wing.

To celebrate the CUHK’s 60 years, distinguished CUers from various fields were invited to learn about the history of the selected cultural relics and share their own interpretations in audio recordings, which will be manifested in the exhibition. The guests include Dr Lee Lai-shan, Dr Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia, Ms Wong Ching-yi, Dr Sampson Wong, Mr Adam Wong Sau-ping and Mr Mau Hou-cheong. Through their lenses, visitors will be able to carry forward timely messages from the past and discover their own interpretations of the objects, bringing these “remains” back to life.