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ASIA
SOCIETY PRESENTS
TWO MAJOR FALL EXHIBITIONS REFLECTING INDIA’S
VIBRANT ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS
IN THE
REALM OF GODS AND KINGS: ARTS OF INDIA
SELECTIONS FROM THE POLSKY COLLECTIONS AND
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
September 14, 2004 – January 2, 2005 |
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WHEN
GOLD BLOSSOMS:
INDIAN JEWELRY FROM THE SUSAN L. BENINGSON COLLECTION
September 14, 2004 – January 23, 2005 |
Media Preview
Monday, September 13, 2004
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Two outstanding collections of Indian art will be presented at
Asia Society and Museum this fall, as part of the Society’s
special 2004-2005 initiative to present the past, present and future
of India. In the Realm of Gods and Kings: Arts of India
– Selections from the Polsky Collections and The Metropolitan
Museum of Art and When Gold Blossoms:
Indian Jewelry from the Susan L. Beningson Collection
will showcase more than 200 works of traditional Indian art, most
of which are being exhibited to the public for the first time. The
exhibitions, opening simultaneously on September 14, represent Asia
Society’s continuing effort to introduce little known treasures
illuminating specific cultural frameworks.
The exhibitions are unique in that they genuinely reflect the “eyes
of the collectors” – Cynthia Hazen Polsky, and Susan
L. Beningson. Each collection is the result of committed involvement
with museums and cultural institutions throughout the U.S. and Asia
and a deep passion for Indian art. To the collectors, Indian art—with
its extensive history rooted in mythology and religion—provides
insights into the nuances of a culture in which the past and present
and the mortal and the divine are inextricably linked.
“It is this capacity to absorb and fuse the new with incongruent
juxtapositions of earlier eras that lead people to remark that Indians
live in many centuries all at once, or that the past is ever present
in India,” says Vishakha N. Desai, President, Asia Society,
and curator of In the Realm of Gods and Kings. “Even
the most modern works in the Polsky Collection take on an iconic
air when seen beside paintings and decorative arts of earlier eras.
Susan L. Beningson’s collection of Indian jewelry further
demonstrates this notion by presenting the tradition of adornment,
which has been culturally and religiously significant for thousands
of years, up to the present day.”
“The works in both In the Realm of Gods and Kings
and When Gold Blossoms are rich in a wide range of geographic
idioms and techniques while being unmistakably Indian,” notes
Asia Society Museum Director Melissa Chiu. “Both exhibitions,
amassed by collectors with discerning eyes, represent and illuminate
very appealing dimensions of Indian culture.”
Merrill Lynch is the lead corporate sponsor of In the Realm
of Gods and Kings and When Gold Blossoms
IN THE REALM OF GODS AND KINGS: ARTS OF INDIA
SEPTEMBER 14, 2004 – JANUARY 2, 2005
A Black Buck |
This exhibition—based on the collection of Cynthia Hazen
Polsky with loans from the Metropolitan Museum of Art—consists
of more than 75 works ranging from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the
early 20th century, and includes paintings, decorative objects,
sculpture and photography. The majority of the works come from the
court arts of North India.
As the title suggests, In the Realm of Gods and Kings
will take the viewer through two worlds: the courtly life of the
kings and the divine world of the gods. Upon entering the gallery,
visitors are greeted by an ivory statue depicting a man and woman
lost in a long embrace. This piece, similar in style to traditional
portrayals of the divine lovers Krishna and Radha, acts as the bridge
between the exhibition’s earthly and celestial realms and
brings to light the long-standing symbiotic relationship Indian
art has had with the divine.
While the majority of the works in the exhibition are from the
16th through 19th century, a selection of earlier objects as well
as 19th and 20th century photographs—including works by the
late acclaimed photographer Raghubir Singh—demonstrate a continuity
of cultural and spiritual concerns.
The richness and breadth of the exhibition reflect the ongoing
love affair Cynthia and her husband, Leon Polsky, have had with
India. Since their first visit to Asia more than forty years ago,
Mrs. Polsky has amassed a large collection of Indian art mostly
from the 16th through 19th century. The exhibition also pays tribute
to Cynthia Hazen Polsky as a patron of the arts by exhibiting works
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art that were either donated by
Mrs. Polsky or were purchased with funds provided by her. Mrs. Polsky
was a Trustee of the Asia Society from 1984–1991 and is now
an Honorary Life Trustee. She also served as a Co-Chair of Friends
of Asian Arts at the Asia Society. She has been a trustee of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art since 1984.
In the Realm of Gods and Kings is curated by Dr. Vishakha
N. Desai. The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated,
comprehensive catalogue edited by Dr. Andrew Topsfield, a noted
scholar of Indian painting and curator of Indian art at the Ashmolean
Museum, Oxford University. Catalogue contributors include Dr. Desai,
John Falconer, Dr. Navina Haidar, Jeremiah Losty and Michael Spink.
WHEN GOLD BLOSSOMS: INDIAN JEWELRY FROM THE SUSAN L. BENINGSON
COLLECTION
SEPTEMBER 14, 2004 – JANUARY 23, 2005
Necklace and Earring Set |
When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewelry from the Susan L. Beningson
Collection celebrates the dazzling beauty and awe-inspiring
technical craftsmanship of Indian jewelry. This exhibition presents
more than 150 pieces of jewelry from the 17th through 19th century,
primarily from South India. When Gold Blossoms refers to
the strong preference for gold in South Indian jewelry (North Indian
jewelry, on the other hand, is known primarily for the use of precious
and semiprecious stones). The title is also a reference to the nature-inspired
designs found on the jewelry, from ear studs each in the form of
a lotus to armbands featuring petal and leaf weaving.
Incorporating jewelry worn in daily life and that dedicated to
Hindu temples, When Gold Blossoms will include rings, anklets,
earrings, crowns, braid covers, pendants for the part of the hair
and an elaborate swing for a deity. Photographs from the 19th and
20th centuries will be displayed alongside the jewelry to provide
the visitor with a more comprehensive understanding of the ways
in which jewelry was worn.
Curated by Dr. Molly Emma Aitken, an independent curator, this
exhibition underscores the role of ornamentation and its significance
in Indian culture. More than almost anywhere else in the world,
adornment defines life in India. For thousands of years, jewelry
has held power as a signifier in religion and society, existing
for more than just to please the eye. Accessories both imbue a god
with greater power and represent the devotion of the worshiper.
To adorn a person is to offer him or her protection, prosperity,
respect and social definition. In addition, certain components of
jewelry are believed to have individual powers. Gold, for instance,
is thought to have the power to purify those it touches.
Because jewelry is light, small, and worn on the body, it moves
with its wearers across continents. Consequently, it reflects awareness
of a wide range of geographic idioms and techniques. For example
the earliest jewelry in India is decorated with granulation, a technique
that may have originated in Mesopotamia and that spread to the Middle
East, Central Asia and North Africa. Granulation remains an essential
element of the Indian jeweler’s repertoire today and is evident
in many striking works in the exhibition.
Susan L. Beningson has been collecting Indian jewelry for many
years and her collection of 17th, 18th and 19th century jewelry
was recently featured in the Sensuous and the Sacred: Chola
Bronzes from South India at the Smithsonian’s Arthur
M. Sackler Gallery. She serves on Asia Society’s Museum Advisory
Committee and is a Co-Chair of Friends of Asian Arts. She is also
a trustee of the China Institute, and the Freer Gallery of Art and
the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
When Gold Blossoms is accompanied by a fully illustrated,
color catalogue written by Molly Emma Aitken.
RELATED PROGRAMS
In conjunction with the exhibitions, Asia Society will present a
number of public programs relating to India. Exhibition curators
Molly Aitken and Vishakha N. Desai, and art historian Vidya Dehejia
of Columbia University will participate in a lunchtime lecture series
An Eye For Indian Art on October 20, October 27 and November
3, respectively. In addition, musical performances from India will
take the stage on September 14 and 17. The program on the 14th features
Maestro G.S. Sachdev on the bansuri, a bass flute made
of bamboo and one of the oldest instruments in existence. On the
17th, an ensemble from South India performs Carnatic music (the
classical music of the region) and percussion of Tamil Nadu and
Kerala. In the second program of the Hazen Polsky Foundation President’s
Forum series, on September 15, 2004, Vishakha Desai will talk with
Nobel laureate Amartya Sen about his work and career. For more information
on public programs at Asia Society, please visit www.AsiaSociety.org.
UPCOMING EXHIBITION ON CONTEMPORARY INDIAN ART
Asia Society will continue its focus on India with Edge of Desire:
Recent Art in India, a major exhibition presenting art from
the past decade. Running from March 1 through May 29, 2005, Edge
of Desire will feature more than 80 works by 35 individual artists
and two art collectives.
About Asia Society
Asia Society is America’s leading institution dedicated to
fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans
and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. A nonprofit, nonpartisan
educational institution, the Asia Society presents a wide range
of programs including major art exhibitions, performances, media
programs, international conferences and lectures, and initiatives
to improve elementary and secondary education about Asia. The Asia
Society is headquartered in New York City, with regional centers
in Washington, D.C., Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Hong Kong,
Manila, Melbourne, and Shanghai. For more information, contact the
Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10021. (212) 288-6400.
(www.asiasociety.org)
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