Past Exhibitions

Root and Soul - Exhibition of Chinese Civilization No.1Special Exhibition Hall, 1F 2019.05.18 - 2019.07.18 Chinese civilization, profound and long-lasting, has been recognized by people all over the world. This fact is even further solidified by the boundless artifacts uncovered. Although only 30 sets of exhibits are shown in this exhibition and its selection process was constrained by many obstacles, we still have a chance to catch a glimpse of this magnificent Chinese civilization. The development of Chinese civilization has been multi-dimensional and full of twists and turns, rather than going down a narrow path. the artifacts will be restored to its former glory as we will attempt to place it back in its own timeline. We will also seek out the artifacts’ values and positions within the society by conducting an extensive study into their origin, design and background, thus shining a light on the beauty of the civilization. The Chinese civilization is the only civilization that is still alive and going strong. Although it lies on the Eastern pole of the Eurasian continent, blocked by an immense ocean, high mountains and an endless desert, China has never closed its door to other civilizations. There were exchanges and integrations between grassland culture and farming culture in its north and south; communication and interactions with cultures from ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia and Arab in the East and the West. In addition, There had also been an influx of colorful religions, such as Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism and Islam. some of foreign cultures have either faded away or assimilated into Chinese civilization. Through constant communication, trade and interaction, civilizations collide, innovate and renew. The exhibits here are witnesses of the cultural exchanges between China and the west. History and reality are inseparable, even more so with civilizations that develops from a natural, primitive state. These artifacts may seem to have no connection with the current China. Actually, it is inextricably tied up with our modern life. It affects our way of thinking and many other aspects. It is in our blood. It is the “root” and “soul” of our culture. “Even now, it is the powerful spiritual strength that promotes reform, opening-up and the socialist modernization movement”.	Exhibition of Artwork Donations from Yan Jialong and Zou Chuan’an No.2 Special Exhibition Hall,1F 2019.05.10 - 2019.05.30 The exhibition features 43 works of Yan and 63 of Zou, all of which marked the peak of their personal achievements, fully revealing the level of Hunan contemporary art between the latter part of the 20th century and the early 21st century.	Exhibition of Hunan Private Collections No.2 Special Exhibition Hall, 1F 2019.01.20 - 2019.02.28 Private collections of Hunan Province have been flourishing for a long time. In response to the policy of the Sate Council, we organized this exhibition, aiming to encourage the legal private collection, inject vitality into collection market and reveal the irreplaceable role of society in facilitating the protection of cultural relics.
The Paintings of Wu Guanzhong No.2 Special Exhibition Hall, 1F 2018.10.17 - 2019.01.10 Wu Guanzhong(1919-2010), born in Yixing of Jiangsu province, is a renown painter and art educator. His practical and theoretical achievements have brought a broader prospective for the Chinese contemporary art. During 1980s, Wu probed into a series of significant aesthetic problems such as “abstract beauty”, “form beauty” and “form determining the content”, leaving abundant works and many sharply novel remarks. Artistic ideas proposed by him like “unbroken kite string” (kite refers to art works while string the reality where inspirations lie. He argued that works, despite of its forms, ought to emotionally revolve around certain themes), “cultural war” (cultural is also involved in global competition) and “form is nothing” （form should be appreciated in content, otherwise, it is of no meaning. His ideas have caught widespread attention, aroused discussion and controversy in artistic field, stimulating relentless passion in contemporary artists. Devoted wholeheartedly to blending together western oil paintings and traditional Chinese ink paintings, Wu created a lot of works, which, with original and ingenious designs, are perfect combination of tradition and modernity, imbued with his philosophy of life and enthusiasm for art. What's more, he donated for many times his works to National Art Museum Of China， Shanghai Art Museum, Zhejiang Art Museum, The National Gallery Singapore and Art Museum of Hong Kong etc, making his works accessible to more people.	Pharaohs, Gods and Mummies:Ancient Egyptian Finds Exhibition No.1 Special Exhibition Hall, 1F 2018.09.28 - 2018.12.05 The body of a woman bent with her arms on the ground, her head marking the western border of the sky, while her arms limit the eastern one. This is how ancient Egyptians represented the sky, with the arched goddess Nut, who cyclically gives birth to the sun every morning. This is the starting moment of the journey in Egypt. On both sides of the Nile, the mother river of Egypt, plants grew in the fertile soil. The peasants supported the economic lifeline of the whole country through their hard work while senior officials lived a luxurious and dissipated life under the shade of garden trees. The quietly standing pyramids convey Pharaohs’ hope for immortality, and the stone pillars of temples contain the millenary history of this ancient country. The solar calendar tells extraordinary wisdom and the hieroglyphic has left behind the legend of ages. …… From desolation to prosperity, from ignorance to civilization, from simple lines to complex patterns, from frugal grave mounds to lofty palaces, all this contributed to the great civilization of Ancient Egypt. Hunan Museum, together with Henan Museum, Shanxi Museum, Liaoning Museum and Guangdong Museum, cooperating with the Museo Egizio, Turin, who holds the second largest ancient Egyptian collection, organized this ancient Egypt finds exhibition. More than 230 precious Egyptian artifacts from Nile river region with deep and profound history and culture, started from the northern ancient city of Italy, Turin, traveled to the east through the new Silk Road, and now display the mysterious and fascinating life, belief and rituals.	Exhibition of Yang Fuyin’s Paintings No.2 Special Exhibition Hall,1F 2018.09.06 - 2018.10.06 With great ingenuity and originality, Yang's Chinese paintings retain a touch of traditional charm in an unparalleled creative way, with his free-flowing brush strokes revealing great strengths. You can sense from his works the typical vitality and tension of Chinese art.