In times of heightened political tension between China and the United States, art emerges as a beacon of hope, fostering understanding and collaboration. This sentiment is palpable at the Cleveland Museum of Art’s (CMA) new exhibition, “China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta,” where six major Chinese museums have come together to showcase the profound cultural richness of the Jiangnan region.
Set to debut on September 10 in the century-old museum in Ohio, the exhibit encompasses roughly 200 items, seamlessly integrating a third of the pieces from CMA’s collection with loans from 30 different private collections and institutions. Spearheaded by Clarissa von Spee, the museum’s chair of Asian art and curator of Chinese art, the showcase unravels the story of Jiangnan – an economic, political, and cultural titan in Chinese history.
Von Spee’s profound connection with this project dates back to 2013 when she was a fellow at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou. During her visits, she perceived a significant disparity between Western understanding of China and the intricate cultural diversity inherent to its vast regions. This realization was the catalyst for the exhibit’s inception.
Tracing back to the Neolithic era, the exhibition sheds light on the history of today’s Zhejiang province, home to the sophisticated Liangzhu culture, known for its impeccable jade artifacts used in age-old rituals. Over time, Jiangnan, once considered a hostile environment for its damp climate, metamorphosed into a land celebrated for its water towns, gardens, and cultural output.
One of the gems of the exhibition is a 12th-century handscroll, Imaginary Journey through Xiao-Xiang, on loan from Tokyo’s National Museum, revered as an official national treasure in Japan. Similarly, another monumental piece, a 1698 handscroll titled Kangxi Emperor’s Southern Inspection Tour, from the University of Alberta Museums Art Collection, makes its way into the spotlight.
Though the collection boasts impressive partnerships, logistical complications prevented the inclusion of artifacts from Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, another repository of Jiangnan art. Nevertheless, CMA’s initiative stands as a testament to enduring cultural exchanges between China and the US post-Covid-19, especially when juxtaposed against other institutions like the British Museum, which faced challenges borrowing from Chinese entities during the pandemic.
Dr. Brian Wong, an assistant professor at the University of Hong Kong, emphasizes that such artistic endeavors remain untouched by political rifts. According to Wong, the Cleveland exhibition, predicated on decades of trust, continues independent of overarching political narratives
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