Editor’s note: Guangzhou enjoys an invigorating autumn climate in November, the sky is clear and the air crisp. It’s a great time for engaging in both in and outdoor activities. With cooler temperatures hiking is a great choice, and for the less outdoorsy, the following 15 exhibitions are highly recommended. From treasures and artworks from overseas to traditional handicrafts and ink paintings from home, these exhibitions are a real cultural feast for your delectation this month.
Guangdong Museum
Golden Age: The Treasures of the Russian Empire
Period: Until Jan. 7, 2018
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:00, closed on Mondays
Venue: Hall 1, 3rd Floor, Guangdong Museum (广东省博物馆)
Add.: No. 2 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州市天河区珠江新城珠江东路2号)
Metro: Zhujiang New Town station, Line 3 or Line 5;
Bus: No.40, No.44, No.183, No.293, No.886, No.886A
Admission: Free admission tickets can be obtained from the Ticket Office from 8: 50 a.m. to 4 p.m. Valid ID is required for one person to get one ticket. Tickets are valid on the day of issue only.
The exhibition “Golden Age: The Treasures of the Russian Empire” presents 302 exhibits from the State Historical Museum of Russia. These exhibits are the best witnesses of the 200-year history of the Romanov empire. There are portraits, sculptures and clothing once belonging to the emperors or empresses, the royal family’s porcelain, glasswork, gold and silverware, luxurious jewelry, as well as certificates, silver spoons carrying inscriptions, and gold coins that illuminate the trade between China and Russia. This exhibition will provide you with a chance to appreciate the visual splendour of the Russian Empire.
The Ancient Post Road in Lingnan
Period: Until Dec. 3, 2017
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:00, closed on Mondays
Venue: Calligraphy and Paintings Hall, 3rd Floor, Guangdong Museum (广东省博物馆)
Add.: No. 2 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州市天河区珠江新城珠江东路2号)
Metro: Zhujiang New Town station, Line 3 or Line 5;
Bus: No.40, No.44, No.183, No.293, No.886, No.886A
Admission: Free admission tickets can be obtained from the Ticket Office from 8: 50 a.m. to 4 p.m. Valid ID is required for one person to get one ticket. Tickets are valid on the day of issue only.
The Ancient Post Road in Lingnan refers to the various routes that were used to deliver documents, transport goods, materials and people to ‘Lingnan’. Literally meaning ‘south of the ridges’, ‘Lingnan’ is a historic definition of the geographic area and cultures covered by China’s most southerly provinces.
The Lingnan post road was a major channel through which Guangdong traded and exchanged both Cantonese and international culture with other provinces in China. It includes both land and water routes, a state highway and privately constructed path.
The exhibition contains over 300 exhibits about the post road, the movement of people and trade, the history of Guangdong’s culture and charm it held for historic tourists.
Mucha and the others - Treasures of Art Nouveau
Period: Nov. 25, 2017 - Mar. 25, 2018
Opening Hours: 9:00 - 17:00, closed on Mondays
Venue: Hall No. 3, 3rd Floor, Guangdong Museum (广东省博物馆)
Add.: No. 2 Zhujiang Dong Lu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (广州市天河区珠江新城珠江东路2号)
Metro: Zhujiang New Town station, Line 3 or Line 5;
Bus: No.40, No.44, No.183, No.293, No.886, No.886A
Admission: Free admission tickets can be obtained from the Ticket Office from 8: 50 a.m. to 4 p.m. Valid ID is required for one person to get one ticket. Tickets are valid on the day of issue only.
Alphonse Mucha was a Czech Art Nouveau painter and decorative artist, known for his distinct style. This will be the first time Mucha’s works have been exhibited in China. With aesthetic full of sinuous curving lines and gorgeous colour, like the Fab Four 60 years later, Alphonse Mucha in 1904 was bringing with him an idea of the new that America wanted: his posters are still best-known examples of the curvaceous forms of Art Nouveau. Then, as now, Art Nouveau was synonymous with the gaiety and decadence of the Belle Époque Paris, when technological and aesthetic innovation collided with an exotic eclecticism exemplified by Mucha's inimitable mixture of sumptuous patterning and voluptuous female forms.
— Adapted from ‘The grand designs of Alphonse Mucha’ by Mark Hudson (China Daily)
Guangdong Museum of Art
Sitting in Oblivion: Artworks of Duan Yuanwen and Huang Guowu
Period: Oct. 29 - Nov. 9, 2017
Opening Hours: 9:00 – 17:00 (closed on Monday)
Venue: Halls No. 10, 11 & 12, Guangdong Museum of Art (广东美术馆)
Admission: Free
Add.: No. 38 Yanyu Lu (Rd.), Er-sha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区二沙岛烟雨路38号)
Bus: You can take one of the following buses in Guangzhou to get there: Bus No. 89, 194, B21, 131A, 57, or 12.
The exhibition presents over 200 latest artworks by Chinese ink painter Duan Yuanwen and oil painter Huang Guowu. Both are accomplished artists in their own fields of expertise. By displaying the works of these two representative young artists, the exhibition allows you a glimpse of an emerging movement which looks to blend these two orthodox schools into something fresh and exciting.
Running Wildly at Night: Line Drawings by Lin Yusi
Period: Oct. 24 - Nov. 10, 2017
Opening Hours: 9:00 – 17:00 (closed on Monday)
Venue: Hall No. 7, Guangdong Museum of Art (广东美术馆)
Admission: Free
Add.: No. 38 Yanyu Lu (Rd.), Er-sha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区二沙岛烟雨路38号)
Bus: You can take one of the following buses in Guangzhou to get there: Bus No. 89, 194, B21, 131A, 57, or 12.
“Running Wildly at Night: Line Drawings by Lin Yusi” is the first exhibition in the “Series of Young Artists at Guangdong Museum of Art” which will feature more artwork by emerging artists over the coming weeks. This exhibition displays 116 line drawings by the young artist Lin Yusi, showcasing Lin’s infatuation with the tradition of Chinese painting and culture.
Willing to Learn - An exhibition of Qiuting’s Ink and Wash Paintings
Period: Oct. 13 - Nov. 19, 2017
Opening Hours: 9:00 – 17:00 (closed on Monday)
Venue: Halls No. 5, 6, 8 & 9, Guangdong Museum of Art (广东美术馆)
Admission: Free
Add.: No. 38 Yanyu Lu (Rd.), Er-sha Island, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区二沙岛烟雨路38号)
Bus: You can take one of the following buses in Guangzhou to get there: Bus No. 89, 194, B21, 131A, 57, or 12.
This is the first time artist Qiu Ting has a solo exhibition in Guangdong. With the theme of “attaining new knowledge by reviewing the old”, the exhibition showcases some representative works, fine paintings and calligraphy works that have been collected by the artist for years. From these artworks, you will be able to feel the evolution of the artist’s style and grasp the essence of how the artist combines creation with collection, study, and appreciation.
Other venues
Exquisite Works of Art Selected for Exhibition
First period: Until Nov. 26, 2017
Second period: December 1, 2017 - January 7, 2018
Venue: Chinese Paintings from all Dynasties, Guangzhou Museum of Art (广州艺术博物院)
Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday: 9:00 - 17:00; Saturday, Sunday and official holidays: 9:30 - 16:30; closed on Monday.
Add.: No.13 Luhu Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市麓湖路13号)
Bus: Take bus No. 63, 245, Tourist Bus No. 1 and get off at Luhu Park (Guangzhou Museum of Art) station; or take bus No. 10, 63, 297, 808, 883 and get off at Guangdong Second Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital station; or take bus No. 109, 110, 184 and get off at Hengzhigang station.
This exhibition contains paintings from a dozen dynasties and eras, such as Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing, as well as contemporary and modern eras. Paintings by artists from the Lingnan area, the most among the most unique and prized in the museum, are also on display in this exhibition.
Guangzhou: Sailing the Seas for Two Thousand Years
Period: Until Dec. 10, 2017
Opening hours: 9: 00——17: 30 (open all year round, closed on February 28 & August 31 for overhaul)
Venue: Museum of the Western Han Dynasty Mausoleum of the Nanyue King (西汉南越王博物馆)
Service: Guiding service can be offered in Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish, etc.
Bus: Take Bus No. 203, 273, 552, 7, 543, 211, 29, 7, or 33 and get off at Jiefang North Road station (解放北路站)
Metro: Take Guangzhou Metro Line 2 and get off at Yuexiu Park station (越秀公园站), take Exit E.
The exhibition shows Guangzhou’s history of engagement with the world through sea routes and the emergence and subsequent prosperous development of the Maritime Silk Road. With over 200 objects on display, the exhibition consists of three sections organized chronologically: Qin, Han, Wei and Jin dynasties; Sui, Tang, Song and Yuan dynasties; as well as the Ming and Qing dynasties. Exhibits include silver boxes, beads, glass bowls and peacock blue glazed pottery bottles from overseas, as well as typical traditional ‘Made in China’ goods such as chinaware, pottery vessel, and figurine shaped lanterns which proved enormously popular overseas.
The Magic of Blades and Scissors: Exhibition of Paper-cutting
Period: Oct. 18 - Nov. 18, 2017
Opening hours: 8:30 - 17:30
Venue: East Hall of Guangdong Folk Arts Museum (广东民间工艺博物馆)
Add.: Chen Clan’s Academy, Zhongshan 7 Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou
Nearby metro station: Chen Clan’s Academy, Line 1
Paper-cuttings are very popular across China, but in Guangdong, (Foshan and Chaoshan in particular) paper cuttings are among the best-known and archetypal. They both have similar content, stylings, stories and evoke similar feelings. This exhibition showcases some of the finest works to have been collected by the Guangdong Folk Arts Museum from the Foshan and Chaoshan regions. The exhibits present a dazzling display of paper cutting skills.
OPERA OMNIA – RAPHAEL
Period: Nov. 1 to 23, 2017
Admission: Free
Venue: Canton Place Central Plaza square, Guangzhou
Nearby metro station: Liede or Tancun, Line 5
This exhibition has been organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Rai Television National Broadcasting, with the support of the New World Company, and will be held at the Canton Place from November 1 to 23, 2017, before moving on to Foshan. The exhibition will display, for the first time in China, 35 highly detailed and true-to-scale reproductions of Raffaello’s masterpieces. The opening ceremony will be graced by a performance from the Italian vocal group “Mezzotono” on Sunday 5th November 2017 from 18:00 to 20:00 in Canton Place Central Plaza square, Guangzhou.
Belgian artist’s solo exhibition held in Guangzhou
Duration: 2017. 10. 14 — 2017. 11. 13
Open Hours: 11:00 - 20:00
Venue: Kui Yuan Gallery, No.9, Xuguyuan Road,Yuexiu District, Guangzhou (广州市越秀区恤孤院路9号 逵园艺术馆)
Nearby metro station: Dongshankou, Line 1 or 6
To present Burhan Amer is to tell the story of a man, shaped by the multiplicity of his life. The story of a child, born in a village of Palestine, who scarcely had time to grow up before being torn away from both his land and childhood. The thread of life led him to China, becoming his adopted home. It is Beijing, 1979, his soul is broken, his heart empty. The journey has the outline of a new uprooting. China is his muse, revealing itself to him.
Solo Exhibition of Wang Yefu held in Guangzhou
Duration: 2017. 11. 4 - 12. 6
Open Hours: 10:30 - 19:00
Venue: Fan House, Fl. 1&2, East Podium Building, The Westin Pazhou, Guangzhou (广州琶洲广交会威斯汀酒店东裙楼1､2层 Fan House生活艺术空间)
Nearby metro station: Exit C, Pazhou, Line 8
Wang Yefu’s stunning works are more sophisticated than they might superficially appear. From the very beginning he has taken the initiative to do what many Chinese artists were reluctant to do, that is to observe and to show the gradually urbanized China, which is the foundation of contemporaneity rarely realized by many other artists depicting China today. This also explains why the work by so many artists who respond passively to such social change is always haunted by the aesthetic touch of an agricultural society.
Mosaic Art Invitational Exhibition held in Guangzhou
Period: Oct. 29-Nov. 10, 2017
Venue: Exhibition Hall 1-4, University Town Art Gallery of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts (广州美术学院大学城美术馆)
Add.: No. 168 Outer Ring West Road, University Town, Panyu District, Guangzhou (广州市番禺区大学城外环西路168号)
A total of 69 artists have been invited to participate in this exhibition, ranging from the old, the middle-aged to the young generations of mural painters and the outstanding representatives of other categories of painting. This is the first time a mosaic art exhibition is held in China. The paintings submitted by the artists have rich themes. Some present the glory of the Chinese history, some show the glorious moments of the modern history of Guangdong, some show the regional culture and some demonstrate the ancient mythology, and still some others display the customs of Chinese minorities and exotic flavors.
Pan Yuliang: A Journey to Silence
Date: Sept. 23 - Nov. 19, 2017
Place: Guangdong Times Museum (广东时代美术馆)
Add.: Times Rose Garden III, Huangbian North Road, Baiyun North Avenue, Guangzhou
Time: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00 ( Closed on Mondays )
Entry: Adult ￥20, Discounted ￥10, free to members of Times Museum/ Staff and Times Property homeowners.
Inspired by Pan Yuliang and her decision to open her 1977 exhibition to others, this May in Paris , the exhibition Pan Yuliang: A Journey to Silence invited artists Hu Yun, Huang Jing Yuan, Wang Zhibo and art historian Mia Yu to form a research group functioning as a collective subjective agency. Following that, the second chapter at Guangdong’s Times Museum, invites Theatre 44, Fang Lu, Qin Jin and Song Ta to join in with their new commissions from Pan Yuliang and responding to the exhibition.
A Three-Year Retrospective Exhibition of 33 Contemporary Art Center in Guangzhou
Duration: 2017.09.23-2017.11.16
Opening Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00-18:00 (closed on Sunday)
Venue: 33 Contemporary Art Center, 33/F, Towe A, Victory Plaza, 103 Tiyu West Road, Guangzhou (33当代艺术中心,广州天河区体育西路103号维多利广场A塔33楼)
Nearby metro station: Tiyu Xilu, Line 1 or 3
Guangzhou 33 Contemporary Art Center, founded in October 2014, is a modern and contemporary art institution dedicated to exploring new artistic directions, and promoting the construction and development of an artistic ecosystem and cultural industries in Guangzhou. Since its establishment, 33 Contemporary Art Center has successfully held over 10 art exhibitions, over 20 academic conferences and workshops, and collaborated with more than 60 artists from in and outside of China.
This Three-Year Retrospective systemically examines and presents the exhibitions, art collections, public education initiatives and academic studies from the past three years, illustrating the accomplishments of 33 Contemporary Art Center and generating valuable thoughts for its future development.
(Author: Monica Liu; Editor: Simon Haywood)
