The Bath-based Museum of East Asian Art is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a contemporary exhibition about ‘wellness’ at a time when it could do with a little ‘healing’ itself.
This little gem of a museum is still mourning the theft of a few ‘jewels’ from its own collection ‘crown’ after a mid-night burglary both robbed and wrecked one of its galleries.
Today – Saturday, May 5th – the museum’s doors defiantly open on a new season and a follow-through exhibition which explores our quest for mental and physical reassurance.
It’s by Beijing-based artist Zhang Yanzi who – according to the exhibition brochure: ‘explores our common frailties and shared humanity, investigating the nature and meaning of wellness in China, its history, and it’s modern counterpoints from a Chinese perspective.
We invite visitors to be open to a breadth of approaches to wellness and to experience psychological refreshment.’
Ties in nicely with the history of our own city here in the West doesn’t it? Bath’s ‘healing waters’ heritage that stretches back to Roman times.
The centrepiece of Zhang Yanzi’s show is a silk robe covered in capsules which ponders the question ‘do these pills ‘cloak’ us with a feeling of reassurance and calm?’
‘A Quest for Wellness’ has been curated by Nicole Chiang who explained what is now on view.
A Quest for Wellness – Contemporary Chinese Art by Zhang Yanzi – runs until November 12th.
Please check out the museum’s website for more information via https://meaa.org.uk
It also contains details of its appeal to raise money to help refit the gallery – badly damaged in the burglary – and also illustrations of the items stolen.
