Programme

LECTURE/TALK

June 03, 2016

The heart of ancient Buddhist civilization — Gandhara in nowadays Pakistan will be presented in a talk jointly organised by Hong Kong Silk Road Cultural Society, Art Serindia Ltd., Pakistan Culture Research Center-Tsinghua University and Pakistan-China Institute.

In particular, the talk covers the major Gandharan art museums and Buddhist ruins, as well as some of the most spectacular natural scenes of northwestern Pakistan, which will be featured in a 12-day journey leaving Hong Kong on 18 August. Renowned scholars and professors are to be invited for on-site lectures and museum tours.

COLLECTORS ROUNDTABLE

June 02, 2016

Asia Week Hong Kong continues with a second series of the Collectors Roundtable. Building on the success and enthusiastic response of the inaugural Collectors Roundtable last year, which brought together a specialist from Japan and other international collectors, Dr. Jan van Campen of Rijksmuseum will share his expertise on the cultural history of the reception of Asian Export art objects in Europe in a casual yet intellectually stimulating dinner setting.

CLOSING PARTY

June 01, 2016

The Fourth Edition of Asia Week Hong Kong will conclude with a panel discussion and a cocktail reception that follows. The event highlights the myriad meanings of collecting and is hosted in support of the Friends of the Art Museum at the Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong at the beautiful premises of Bonhams.

LECTURE/TALK

May 31, 2016

This talk will focus on the sudden influx of Asian luxury goods into the Netherlands in the 17th century and its implications for Dutch arts, culture, and society. A new market for affordable Asian luxuries supplied by the VOC, the Dutch East India Company, emerged in the Netherlands, and enthralled consumers brought new colours, patterns, and textures to their interiors and wardrobes. These objects also inspired Dutch artists and made their ways into portraits, genre scenes, and particularly still-life paintings. The appreciation for these Asian imports developed and they finally became an integral part of Dutch culture and luxury living.

LECTURE/TALK

May 31, 2016

Since the Renaissance, the world started to shift the balance of power from the East to the West. In the last five centuries, especially the 19th and 20th century, a tremendous amount of scientific breakthroughs and innovations in the West, followed by the English and American industrialisation, colonialism and postcolonialism, marked the important historical moments. The way of life in the East have been subsequently affected. And in some extreme cases, it had completely uprooted many Asian cultures and lifestyles.

Western modernity, once nurtured by imports of ideas and physical goods from the East, now dominates the world in almost all aspects of life, including daily lifestyles. Where does the future look like for Asian lifestyles?

LECTURE/TALK

May 30, 2016

In 1687, five French mathematicians were on a royal mission to China. Among them, Joachim Bouvet and Jean-François Gerbillon were invited by the Kangxi Emperor to stay in the court. From that same group, Jean de Fontaney, Louis le Comte and Claude de Visdelou were given permission to preach in China. Following this first mission, French Jesuits gradually became a significant missionary force. These individuals also made great contributions to the Sino-French cultural exchange. Through them, gifts were exchanged between Louis XIV and Kangxi. Furthermore, the missionaries introduced numerous French technologies to China. Their letters—such as the widely circulated Lettres édifiantes et curieuses—and publications that include Le Comte’s Nouveau mémoire sur l’état présent de la Chine made Qing China known to Europe, leading to significant influence on the waves of French chinoiserie and on the work of Enlightenment thinkers such as Voltaire and Montesquieu.

AUCTION

May 30, 2016

Lyon & Turnbull and Freeman’s will travel to Hong Kong to hold their inaugural Chinese Works of Art auction. Leading this sale will be the Thornhill Stem Cup —a remarkable blue and white Ming period piece previously in the personal collection of English collector, Ernest Thornhill, which was bequeathed to the University of Staffordshire in 1944. The Thornhill Stem Cup is an excellent example of its type, which is virtually unseen outside museum collections. Today, the National Palace Museum, acknowledged to hold the finest collection in the world, has a collection of over 2,000 various Xuande pieces.

LECTURE/TALK

May 29, 2016

The Stem Cup was the most valuable of 270 items bequeathed to the Staffordshire University by a collector named Mr. Ernest Thornhill in 1944, having originally been sent there during wartime to safeguard the collection. Upon rediscovering the collection, which has been hidden away in storage for a significant number of years, the University appointed Lyon & Turnbull to auction the Stem Cup in order to raise essential funds to build a permanent new home for the remainder of the collection at its Stoke-on- Trent campus. This resource centre will enable student access to the collection for their study, complying with the original bequest and wishes of Mr. Thornhill. The Thornhill Stem cup will be offered at auction in Hong Kong.

PREVIEW & AUCTION

May 29, 2016

Bonhams Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art sale in Hong Kong on 2 June 2016 will offer fine and rare porcelain and works of art which would once have graced the Imperial palaces. They include exquisite treasures from the reigns of the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors — all with impeccable provenance.

PREVIEW & AUCTION

May 27, 2016

Sotheby’s Spring auctions in May and June features auctions of Chinese Works of Art, Classical Chinese Paintings, Fine Chinese Paintings, and Wine.

PRIVATE RECEPTION

May 27, 2016

Taking place at the prestigious Liang Yi Museum in the heart of Hong Kong’s antiques district, a cocktail reception celebrates the inaugural auction of Lyon & Turnbull and Freeman’s, featuring Chinese works of art, with the Ming-dynasty Thornhill stem cup as its highlight. It will be officiated by Mr. Lee Young, Lyon & Turnbull and Freeman’s Director of Asian Art, Ms. Caroline Wilson Consul General of the United Kingdom in Hong Kong and Macau, and Ms. Candice Lee, Director of Asia Week Hong Kong. 

Join other art lovers of Asia Week Hong Kong, museum directors, curators, collectors, and scholars to celebrate Lyon & Turnbull and Freeman’s inaugural auction in Hong Kong.

LECTURE/ TALK

May 27, 2016

Contemporary ceramic gives artists a lot of possibilities. Works come in the forms of fine ceramics, sculpture, or even cross- disciplinary objects. Contemporary ceramic is no longer just design, techniques, or craftsmanship, but also works that are injected with the ideas, contents, and elements of our era.

LECTURE/TALK

May 27, 2016

“The world in a grain of sand” is an exhibition that uses a small number of objects to tell a lot about the extensive maritime and overland trade routes of the past. In the talk, the curator will talk about the spread of decorative style, religious ideas and the development of technology that came about as a result of centuries of trade and cultural connections between China and the world through interesting objects in the galleries.

MUSIC IN ART SPACE

May 27, 2016

Over 80,000 music lovers, most of whom from underprivileged groups and at-risk young people enjoyed the concerts co-presented by the Hong Kong Arts Centre and the Kung Music Workshop. The series, first launched in 2013, was funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. Thanks to the enthusiastic response, the co-presenters expanded the series to 2017.

LECTURE/ TALK

May 26, 2016

Rubbings are inked impressions on paper that have been reproduced from engravings or reliefs. They are one of the key ways to preserve Chinese art, culture, and history since ancient times. Despite their long history, rubbings have not been as popular as Chinese paintings and calligraphy due to the inherent difficulty in appreciating and authenticating them. 

This talk attempts to explore the lesser-known art form of rubbings in Imperial China, through select pieces from the Hong Kong University Museum and Art Gallery collection that have never been shown to the public. Among them, many are emblematic of Chinese calligraphic traditions, religions and numismatics and everyday life up until the 20th century. Most notable is the extremely rare rubbing of the Southern Song dynasty stone inscription from Joss House Bay, the earliest dated rock engraving in Hong Kong. In addition, this talk will also introduce the audience to some basic terminology and knowledge in rubbing connoisseurship.  

ART APPRECIATION

May 26, 2016

A new generation of “digital natives” need not be intimidated by art museums. As venerable as these cultural institutions may be, people of all ages should nonetheless be able to enjoy and connect with the artworks and the stories presented by authors and curators. The Sun Museum Night will be held on a Friday evening to promote the museum experience among the younger audience who are curious about Asian art. Besides an unconventional, interactive guided visit and activities, visitors will also be joined by artist Bao Ho and musicians Boyz Reborn performing around the exhibits who will transform their visit into a genuine treat for the senses. Young curators team and museum director Dr. C.T. Yeung of the Sun Museum will also give a talk to orient and engage the visitors, moderated by Elaine Kwok who will begin their long journey of art appreciation at the Sun Museum and beyond.

WORKSHOP

May 26, 2016

In the workshop, the instructor will demonstrate Batik techniques by using canting pens, wood/copper batik stamps, and paintbrushes, and then guide participants to apply wax using these tools and make their own pattern / image with the dyeing process to produce a handkerchief. Two identical sessions of the workshop will be offered. 

PREVIEW & AUCTION

May 26, 2016

Bringing together art lovers year after year, the fourth edition of Asia Week Hong Kong is high time interested parties preview the offerings of many auction houses. In this season, K Auction will hold a sale taking place on 29 May. Since its establishment in 2005, K Auction has been offering unique and extraordinary works of Korean art. By introducing excellent Korean art works to the Hong Kong audience, K Auction vitalize and diversify the Hong Kong art market.

LECTURE/TALK

May 24, 2016

Batik, or cloth made using wax-resisting dyeing technique, could be said to be as old as the people of the Indonesian archipelago and is found in important rituals and everyday lives of Indonesians from birth to burial. In October 2009, UNESCO designated Indonesian Batik as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The talk will be a journey to explore the cultural heritage and artistic tradition of Batik as the fabric has evolved through the ages.