The exhibition Modernity: Transmission and Alternation：Three Asian Cases is part of the joint research project MGA (Modernization, Globalization, Art) between CAFA(Central Academy of Fine Arts) and ZKM (Center for Art and Media Technologies). The exhibition focuses on three cultural icons in the Modernization process in Asia----Rabinaranath Tagore from India, Pan Tianshou from China, Kaii Higashiyama from Japan, to explore how Modernity is transmitted, reacted and altered when it was firstly introduced into these Asian countries, through a study of their inspirations from local cultures, reflections on Western Modernity and judgments on the Modernization of their own traditions. 

Kaii Higashiyama said he was born on the cross of East and West. In his case, we may see how the Japanese Painting, which may not seem directly relevant to Western Modernism art, was closely intermingled with the transmission of Western Modernity into Japanese context in late 19th and early 20th century, and how this Japanese Painting format emerged as a complicated reaction between Modernity and local traditions. Rabinaranath Tagore acknowledged both Indian tradition and Western Modern culture in a more profound way comparing to his Indian colleagues. Thereon he can hardly satisfy the Indian art practices at his time---either rigid mimic of Victoria Art or mincement play of Oriental patterns. He takes a radical way to abandon all his cultural ancestors to activate Indian art. Pan Tianshou was originally optimistic on the hybrid of Chinese and Western cultures. However, with happenings of “Chinese Painting Department Cancelled” and “Chinese Painting renamed as Color Ink”, he realized the Self-elimination of Chinese painting as a possible result of this hybrid. Thus he has adjusted his proposition to “Keep a Distance between Chinese and Western Paintings”, as a way to reflect and re-balance with the dominant attitude of Complete Westernization and Complete Hybrid at his time. 

The exhibition will show 6 original works of Pan Tianshou’s masterpieces, lasting from Nov 18th  to Dec 27th, 2014.