- Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong
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Art Museum at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Art Museum of the Chinese University of Hong Kong is a museum in Hong Kong, located within the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
The Museum serves the community by collecting, preserving, researching and exhibiting a wide range of artifacts illuminating the rich arts, humanities and cultural heritage of ancient and pre-modern China. The Museum promotes the excellence of both its permanent collection and loan collections of Chinese art and their use for scholarly endeavours and outreach efforts. As a university teaching museum, it offers in-depth practice of museology and teaching of art history and heritage through direct and sustained access to original Chinese works of at by collaborating with the Department of Fine Arts. With different University faculties it advocates interdisciplinary approaches to the social, cultural, technological and historical context of Chinese art. Founded in 1971, the Art Museum has been taking an active role in achieving the objectives of the University in promoting Chinese culture and heritage, and facilitating academic exchange between China and the West, as well as enriching the cultural lives and spiritual well-being of society.[1]
Contents
Collections
Starting from nothing, the entire collection now comprises over twelve thousand items. The acquisition of the late Mr. Jen Yu-wen's collection in 1973, which consisted of over one thousand items of Ming, Qing and modern Guangdong pieces, formed the core of the Art Museum's painting and calligraphy collection. Since then, gifts from generous donors have continuously augmented the holdings, including works from the Song and Yuan to modern periods. Since the inception of the Art Museum, Chinese epigraphy and rubbings have been its major objectives in acquisition and research. The rare rubbings from the Song and Ming eras are renowned. The ceramics collection is fairly comprehensive. As for other collections such as bronzes, jades, lacquer ware, ivories, objects for the scholar's desk and sculpture, even though the items are relatively few in number, many of them are nonetheless of outstanding quality. In particular, the Museum has representative research collections of diversified themes, including ancient seals, epigraphic specimens, rubbings, paintings and calligraphy by renowned masters, wood and bamboo slips of Qin and Han times, and export ceramics. These collections have attained recognition at international levels.
Exhibition
The Art Museum organizes thematic exhibitions that cover a broad spectrum of Chinese art, including paintings, calligraphy, a great variety of art objects and latest archaeological findings. Thematic exhibitions are frequently organized in cooperation with museums in mainland China, and with collectors' societies and private collectors in Hong Kong. Hence, rarely seen but important collections of Chinese art are made available to visitors so as to enhance their virtuosity and to promote the appreciation of Chinese art and culture. Special exhibitions to introduce the Museum's permanent collection are also regularly organized. Apart from exemplifying the rich traditions of Chinese art, the exhibits highlight the research orientation of the Museum. The Museum initiates and carries out research projects with specific reference to its collections and special exhibitions that are often complemented by lectures and international symposia. To heighten the interest of visitors, free guided tours by docents or staff members are provided for group visitors with advance booking, while free audio guide is available at all times.
Research
The staff members of the Art Museum undertake research projects to study the Museum collection as well as related objects in other collections. Some are joint projects among colleagues or with overseas scholars and many are funded by external competitive research grants. Recent projects involve studies on paintings, calligraphy, seals, rubbings, ceramics and using high-tech techniques in the authentication and dating of Chinese antique objects.
Publications
The Art Museum has actively maintained its publication programme and published close to one hundred titles over the years. All the exhibition catalogues are fully illustrated with ground-breaking research papers. In addition, studies on the Art Museum permanent collections and related research projects are published as special catalogues and monographs.
Friends of the Art Museum
Established in 1981 to support the Art Museum, the Friends is a multi-cultural society with about 500 members worldwide. It forms a vital link between the Art Museum and the Hong Kong community through lectures, study groups, tours to special exhibitions in Hong Kong and trips throughout Asia. The proceeds from these activities are used for fine arts student scholarships and grants and the acquisition of artworks for the Art Museum's permanent collection. The Friends is delighted to welcome new members who share their interests and wish to participate in its wide range of programmes.
Notes
External links
Coordinates: 22°25′09″N 114°12′23″E / 22.41924°N 114.20627°E
Categories:- Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Museums in Hong Kong
- 1971 establishments
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