Denison Museum hosts opening reception for two new exhibitions

Date of Event: January 27, 2012

Posted: January 20, 2012

GRANVILLE, Ohio—Contemporary China is the focus of two new exhibitions opening at the Denison Museum (240 West Broadway) on Friday, Jan. 27. The opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., while the exhibitions will continue through Sunday, March 25The museum is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. All museum events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Baker at 740-587-6255 or visit www.denison.edu/museum.

“China Modern: Designing 20th Century Popular Culture,” is an in depth exploration of 20th century Chinese advertising images, mass media, graphic and product design that demonstrate how political ideologies and cultural values are transmitted through everyday objects. More than 170 objects in this exhibition bring the contrasting ideologies of capitalism and communism to the level of popular culture. The exhibition shows how, despite vastly different goals, the means of instilling these values was often strikingly similar. The predominantly graphic-based objects in China Modern include lychee and cigarette boxes, children’s toys, a multitude of product labels and advertisements, and propaganda from the rule of Mao Zedong. Beautifully detailed woodblock prints and lithographs showcase the high-quality craftsmanship of Chinese print designers and artisans.

An intimate exploration of a Beijing neighborhood can be experienced in “Beijing’s East Village: Photographs by Rong Rong, 1993–1997.” This exhibition features a selection of black and white photographs by the contemporary Chinese artist Rong Rong (b.1968). From 1993 to 1994, a group of experimental artists took up residence in an impoverished neighborhood in Beijing that they dubbed “East Village.” As a principal member of this struggling artists’ community, Rong Rong shared in the adversities of pursuing art in the bleakest conditions. In spite of these grim circumstances, the East Village became the site of some of the most experimental performances at the time. While artists were forced to leave in late 1994, their experiences in the East Village served as a vital catalyst for many of their later works. Examples of these latter experiments are also highlighted in this exhibition.

The Denison Museum will feature other events this spring to coordinate with these exhibitions. They will include a lecture by Ping Yang, assistant professor of communication, titled “Modernity and Mobility: Chinese Women in Popular Culture since 1910s,” at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16; a book club discussion of “Life and Death in Shanghai,” by Nien Chang, at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18; a Family Day at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3; and the East Asian Film Series, “Politics and Culture in Post-89 China,” which will take place from Friday, March 2, through Sunday March 4. Details for these events can be found at www.denison.edu/museum.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville—Denison Museum opening reception for “China Modern: Designing 20th Century Popular Culture,” and “Beijing’s East Village: Photographs by Rong Rong, 1993–1997” from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 27, at the Denison Museum (240 West Broadway). Exhibitions continue through Sunday, March 25, (closed March 10 to 17). The museum is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from noon to 7 p.m. All museum events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Baker at 740-587-6255 or visit www.denison.edu/museum.

CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville— Lecture: “Modernity and Mobility: Chinese Women in Popular Culture since 1910s,”at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 16, at the Denison Museum (240 West Broadway). All museum events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Baker at 740-587-6255 or visit www.denison.edu/museum.

CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville—Denison Museum book club discussion of “Life and Death in Shanghai,” by Nien Chang at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Denison Museum (240 West Broadway). All museum events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Baker at 740-587-6255 or visit www.denison.edu/museum.

CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville—Denison Museum Family Day at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 3, at the Denison Museum (240 West Broadway). All museum events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Baker at 740-587-6255 or visit www.denison.edu/museum.

CALENDAR LISTING, Denison University, Granville—Denison Museum East Asian Film Series, “Politics and Culture in Post-89 China,” from Friday, March 2, through Sunday March 4, at various times and locations on the Denison campus (100 College Ave.) All museum events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Sarah Baker at 740-587-6255 or visit www.denison.edu/museum.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name: Barbara Stambaugh
Position Title: Director, Media Relations
Primary Email: stambaughb@denison.edu
Business Phone: (740) 587-8575

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