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At the Minneapolis Institute of Art, a new exhibition showcases ritual Chinese bronze art.

Mia’s Deputy Director and Chief Curator Matthew Welch explained at a press event earlier this week: “This exhibition is the combination of a creative collaboration between Mia’s brilliant curator of Chinese art Dr. Liu Yang … and of course, the renowned artistic director, Tim Yip.”

“Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes,” which features works ranging from 12th century B.C.E. to 1st century C.E., is made up of pieces from Mia’s expansive collection of Chinese bronze art.  

The intent behind the exhibition is to place the pieces in their original context, as objects used in rituals.  

To achieve this, art director and designer Tim Yip, known for his Academy Award-winning designs for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” has designed environments for the pieces to inhabit.  

Mia’s chair of Asian art, and the exhibition’s curator, Liu Yang said they utilized special lighting, projections and other elements to “evoke [a] kind of multi-sensory experience.”

Designer Tim Yip said that often museums make mistakes when putting artwork on display. 

“For me at this time, I want to bring another angle to seeing this beautiful art, right? And then attract more young generations, different generations [of] people,” Yip said.

The exhibition is made up of seven rooms, all themed with a different kind of ritual. 

Wall paintings of mountains, inspired by Chinese bronze art, decorate the rooms, while soundscapes transport you from theme to theme. Yip and his team created the wall paintings and audio-visual components, while the space is creatively lit by lighting designer A.J. Weissbard.  

Mirrors are also a recurring motif. Yip explained that they work as a metaphor to bridge the gap between our time and the period in which the art was first created.

“It's like a mandala,” Yip said, referencing a particular mirror used in the exhibition's first room.

“I want to open the door for people to connect again with the contents [of the exhibition],” Yip said.  

If you are looking to read museum labels about the art in the exhibition, you are out of luck. The collaborators purposely excluded them. Instead, visitors who want to know more can receive a pamphlet before entering.

“This show is different; it’s kind of immersive,” curator Liu Yang explained. 

In a conventional exhibition featuring works like the ones in “Eternal Offerings,” artworks are divided by time period and category, rather than what the pieces were used for originally.

Yang said that doing an exhibition the conventional way can divorce the artwork from its original context.

“This show really wanted to create a kind-of a setting that place[s] those works in the original setting or environment.”

“Eternal Offerings: Chinese Ritual Bronzes” opens Saturday and runs until May 21.  

Arts and Culture

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Minnesota Arts

Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund

Jacob Aloi

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Tim Yip, the Oscar-winning art director for “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” helps Mia put ritual Chinese bronzes into an environment that reveals their original purpose.

Conjuring context: New exhibition looks to put ritual Chinese art in its original environment

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