Transforming Marks of Ink: Chinese Contemporary Ink Paintings – a comprehensive survey of the present state of Chinese ink paintings – opened at the Museen Dahlem in Berlin on June 26 and at the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau in Dresden on June 27. This landmark exhibition featured more than 120 masterpieces in the ink medium, and was divided between two locations: Berlin and Dresden. The locations were divided by the subject matter: figurative paintings in Berlin and landscape paintings in Dresden. It was organized by the National Art Museum of China in cooperation with the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin and the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
Transforming Marks of Ink: Chinese Contemporary Ink Paintings was the first large-scale contemporary ink exhibition in Europe, and provided a full-scale survey of the contemporary Chinese ink painting in a new era. Through the vocabulary of “ink”, the German audience was able to see the breath and depth of Chinese ink painting in a new context. The exhibition also vividly demonstrated how the tradition of Chinese painting has been upheld, implemented and renewed in modern Chinese art. At two venues, the Museen Dahlem in Berlin and the Kunsthalle im Lipsiusbau on the Brühlsche Terrasse in Dresden, two aspects – man and landscapes – were presented, which together provided visitors with a good overview of a diverse range of expressions.
The spectrum of works extended from traditional hanging scrolls to video installations. The Berlin exhibition concentrated on the increasing urbanization of China and the development of the country from a predominantly agricultural society to a progressively more industrialized state - with the individual at the focal point. The Dresden show, on the other hand, drew attention to the countryside, the traditional mystic portrayal of which gives an indication of the philosophical characteristics of ink painting.
Whilst showing the diversity, complexity and depth of contemporary ink artworks, this exhibition at the same time invites the viewers to explore and discover the eternal and essential elements of the ink tradition. Sculpture, installation and calligraphy works included in the exhibition further push the boundaries of ink painting to a realm that has never been entered before. Mr. Fan Di’an, the Director of the National Art Museum of China, gave the following comment about the significance of the exhibition: “Chinese ink painting is an important carrier of Chinese cultural tradition. It is a native art form that combines Chinese philosophy, culture and artistic languages. This exhibition introduced to the German public the new development of a traditional artistic language, expressed the vitality of Chinese culture, and diversified the discussions of art in this age of cultural globalization.”