Western museums reach out to Chinese art lovers (2)

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Western museums reach out to Chinese art lovers (2)

By Li Jingjing (Global Times) 09:28, August 08, 2013

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Centuries of exchange

Sina Weibo is not the first attempt for Western museums to approach Chinese art lovers. The British Museum and the Louvre Museum have established Chinese language version websites for a long time, as well as the Chinese language pocket guide and audio guide for visitors within the museum. Those efforts make it easier for Chinese art lovers to embrace Western cultures, thus enhancing cultural exchanges among civilians.

Though vastly different from each other in the way of presenting art works, Western countries and oriental countries first began communications and cultural exchanges centuries ago.

In a documentary called When the Louvre Meets the Forbidden City, which was broadcast on CCTV in 2011, it traced the benchmarks of Sino-French communication. Some pictures in the Louvre presented life of ancient people. While the people depicted were of a typically Western appearance, the background included Chinese decorations on the wall. Whereas, some ancient pictures in the Forbidden City, though they are the portraits of Chinese figures of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), they are painted using the Western method of oil painting. One portrait is of China's Emperor Yongzheng (1678-1735) dressed in Western style, wearing a big curly wig.

Curiosity and unfamiliarity triggered the exchanges. Both cultures admire each other, and imitations in style acted as a form of tribute to each other at that time.

Centuries later, the communications have never stopped. That can be seen from the increasing number of Chinese visitors to the British Museum, the Louvre, or any of the other major museums around the world. While experiencing cultural diversity, visitors have a sense of excitement when seeing art works that represent their own culture when in other parts of the world.

But despite their interest in understanding other countries, the concept of a museum and the role that museums are playing in their life might be different for people in those countries.

Lively vs. lifeless

In an article published on the official website of Jinsha Site Museum in February this year, Xiao Feige, who works in the marketing department of the museum, gave her own observations about visiting other countries.

She mentioned that at a lecture in Boston, young museum staff members from around the world expressed their ideas about museums. One from the UK said it's the best low-cost option for family travelling. The one from the Metropolitan Museum of Art said it is the best place for teaching through lively activities. And the one from Germany said it is an elegant and romantic option for young people on a date.

Conversely, a simple online search on the topic, "What do you think about museums?" done by someone who works in the museum industry revealed more traditional and staid descriptions such as a "sacred palace for preserving knowledge" and "places that preserve cultural relics."

Xiao said these responses reflect a sense of distance between the public and the museum, also that Western museums are closer to the society and interact with it.

"In our country, when talking about museums, the first thing people think of are bottles, metals, mummies and tombs. The lack of cultural knowledge makes the word museum distant to people. Even highly educated university students feel that it is hard to understand," Xiao wrote in her article.

When talking about what museum means to her, Hogan said that "visual arts are the backbones of all cultures" and museums are trying to present art that people have not had the chance to experience while helping to interpret that art for them.

"Museums are hubs of cultural life, they are the places that people can learn things, enjoy things and experience different perspectives."