<em>View from the South of the Pagoda of Monk Wansong or the Old Man of Wansong (Wansong Laoren Ta) at Xisi</em> | Photo: BabelStone (Own work) via ikimedia Creative Commons
A treasure to be sought ought painstakingly, just a short walk from the Xisi Metro Station in the heart of Beijing - a tiny pagoda from the XIII Century at the centre of a lovely walled garden with roses and pomegranates. Ancient and, for a long time, hidden. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, the pagoda was surrounded by the streets and buildings of the blossoming commercial centre that Beijing had become. The pagoda gets its name from the elderly wise man Wansong Xingxiu, a famous monk who lived from 1166 to 1246. We know as much thanks to the inscription on a tablet stating "Pagoda of the Old Man of Wansong”. Hidden but never forgotten, the pagoda was restored numerous times which is why it lasted so long. The last work was completed in 1986 in order to repair damage from an earthquake, bringing to light the original structure - seven levels of brick measuring 5 metres, emerging from structure of thin slabs of stone laid all about it, it is thought, in 1753. In 2013, to celebrate the renovation of the entire neighbourhood, the area was opened to the public. On the North and South sides of the courtyard, there are bookshops specialising in the history of Beijing, as well as an exhibition hall with objects and information related to the pagoda’s history.
Twenty new paintings in which the Japanese artist explores the themes of personal identity formation and the search for individuality, as well as the attempt to assimilate to social norms and perform human behaviors within social contexts.
“Luc Tuymans: The Past” will be one of the most significant investigations of his work and his first comprehensive presentation in China. With around 80 works that trace his artistic journey, the exhibition tells how Tuymans explores the unsteady power that images wield to shape the present and give form to the past.
The avant-garde of photography in China in Mo Yi's shots
It is the first major museum study of the Chinese artist Mo Yi. Flaneur, outsider and self-taught photographer. Mo Yi's images from the streets of Tianjin are iconic for their ability to capture the energy and melancholy of the social fabric of China in the second half of the 20th century.
An original production combining art, entertainment and music: drawing inspiration from the colorful paintings of calligrapher Dong Yang-Zi, a series of paintings are shown on stage in a combination of art and multimedia projection.