Photo – courtesy of China Academy of Art ©
The 4th edition of “Endless Mountains – An Exhibition of Art and the Tang Poetry Road: Mountain Trail of Infinite Longing” recently unfolded at the Gallery of Calligraphy and Painting Channel in Beijing, China, from November 4 to 21. Hosted by the China Academy of Art (CAA) and the Central Digital TV Chinese Art Channel, the exhibition, organized by the Research Development & Innovative Office, CAA, and Gallery of Calligraphy and Painting Channel, delved into the exploration and study of the “Tang Poetry Road.”
Centered on the influential Tang Dynasty, the exhibition extended its focus from Zhejiang in eastern China to Dunhuang for the first time, exploring Tang poetry in Dunhuang and highlighting cultural exchanges between the eastern and western regions. Beijing, serving as a bridge between the east and west, played a crucial role in connecting the past and the present, showcasing the juxtaposition of the graceful Tang poetry of Zhejiang and the bold Tang poetry of China’s frontiers.
The exhibition, themed “Mountain Trail of Infinite Longing,” drew inspiration from Tang-era poet Li Bai’s frontier poem, “The Moon at the Frontier Pass.” It adopted a unique approach, presenting the exhibits in the classical structure of a Tang poem – qi (introduction), cheng (elucidation), zhuan (transition), and he (conclusion). Departing from conventional sectioning, the exhibition served as a visual, narrative, and emotional response to Tang poetry, forming a “poem” composed of diverse artworks.
Featuring over 90 outstanding artworks from 80 artists, the exhibition embraced various media, including calligraphy, Chinese painting, lithography, oil painting, sculpture, photography, installation, and videography. The layout employed innovative methods such as displaying poems on stickers and hanging scrolls to captivate visitors visually and immerse them in the emotions and experiences conveyed by the poems. Leveraging new media, including installations, videos, and online digital exhibition halls, the exhibition broke away from a singular presentation model, providing an enjoyable and multidimensional experience for visitors while eliminating the limitations of a physical venue.
