June 14, 2023
I've been posting blogs about my recent trips to various museums for weeks now, but I still haven't finished writing all of them. For today's #WednesdayWalk initiated by @tattoodjay, here's another part of the blog series about my visit to Hong Kong's Museum Of Art.
After attending Angel's Make-A-Wish Party At HKMOA, (not really a party but a porcelain exhibition), I proceeded to the main gallery on the third floor with an exhibition named, Eternal Enlightenment: The Virtual World Of Jiajing's Emperor.
I was expecting a literal virtual world full of screens with video installations and such but I only saw connecting rooms in the same tones and patterns. All of which house collections from Jiajing's Emperor era.
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Jiajing Emperor is significant to Chinese history. At a young age, 13 years old to be exact, he was throned as the emperor of the Ming Dynasty from being a vassal prince. He also devoted himself to building temples and palaces. He is such a legendary man and this exhibition was held to celebrate the 500th anniversary of his ascension to the throne.
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This art gallery houses huge collections of underglaze blue porcelain with designs influenced by the emperor's Daoist beliefs during his reign. The majority have dragon and phoenix designs that symbolize imperial authority, and cloud designs that mostly reflected the emperor's hopes and wishes. There are huge ornate chargers, dishes, bowls, and different styles of vases with auspicious designs in Buddhism and Daoism.
Aside from underglaze blue porcelain, there are red patterns on yellow ground as well which was said to be typical in Jiajing's era. There are also lacquer table screens, vases, and some collections of bronze ewer, bowls, and dishes with different designs. Some seemed to have been deteriorated by natural elements and time as parts are already fading and broken.
As I explored further, I entered a chamber that proved its title as virtual world. I was awed by the light effect and digital art projected installations of porcelain patterns on the white facades of the chamber. Those clouds' designs were moving as if the wind blow them, and some dragons and phoenixes crossing the sea of clouds.
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I was as if inside Jiajing's immortal world trying to connect to the realm. Even the doors resemble portals that seem to connect one world to another. It was such an honor seeing the amazing collections from the legendary emperor of the Ming Dynasty in this art exhibition that will only last until the fourteenth of July. This wasn't just an ordinary museum exploration because as if I traveled back in time to five hundred years ago.
After exploring the virtual world of Jiajing's Emperor, I entered yet another gallery on the same floor which allowed me to have A Glimpse Of Canton China Foreign Art Trade In 18th & 19th Centuries. You can click the link to read about it and travel virtually to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Thanks for stopping by.
(All photos are mine)
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