Join three expert art historians in unraveling China Institute Gallery’s anniversary exhibition, China Institute Gallery at 60, 1966–2026: Selections from Three Millennia of Chinese Art. Bringing decades of collective expertise, the speakers will recount the multifaceted stories and messages embedded within these works. They will unpack their ancient history, whether as objects of private scholarly treasures or as public assertions of dynastic power, while also remarking on their modern history in the Gallery’s 122 past exhibitions over the past 60 years.

The presentations will span a wide variety of media, featuring classical paintings and ceramics alongside garden rocks, jades, and other small objects that recreate the complete sensory tapestry of Chinese cultural life.

Through three keynotes and a panel discussion, the cherished tradition of scholarly dialogue will be revived. We invite you to stroll alongside our curators, to observe, admire, and contemplate these works in intimate detail.

Keynote One: “Pursuit of the Afterlife”
Speaker: Dr. Annette Juliano 朱安耐
For the ancient Chinese, the pursuit of the afterlife meant ensuring the deceased’s transition to another realm. This required anticipating their needs and correctly preparing the tomb.  An ancient sage summarized the process: the deceased were treated “as though dead and yet still alive, as though gone and yet still present.” Well-cared-for ancestor spirits meant good fortune for living. Neglected spirits turned into implacable ghosts. My discussion will center around the enormous creativity this pursuit inspired in Chinese culture – making objects for the tomb, such as mingqi (clay spirit objects). I will incorporate objects from the exhibition as well as from other sources.

Keynote Two: “The Scholar’s World”
Speaker: Dr. David Ake Sensabaugh 江文苇
Over the past six decades, China Institute has held many exhibitions that have introduced the world of the Chinese scholar. I will concentrate on just a few works from exhibitions on gardens, rocks, books, and seals. These were all subjects of groundbreaking exhibitions, and we are fortunate to have been able to reassemble several works from those exhibitions. I will discuss paintings from the Ming dynasty depicting gardens and rocks; rocks from the Qing dynasty; rare books published in the late Ming dynasty; and hardstone seals and books of seal impressions from the early Qing dynasty. All of them open up aspects of life in traditional China.

Keynote Three: “What Makes a Great Chinese Painting?”
Speaker: Dr. Alfreda Murck 姜斐德
China Institute Gallery at 60 has fifteen excellent paintings on display. They range in date from the Southern Song (12^th–13^th century) to a few months ago. They range in size from small fans to a hanging scroll two and a half meters tall. Selected to represent ten exceptional exhibitions, many of these paintings exhibit the factors that make for a great work of art. I will talk about five factors that make a painting compelling. Most of my examples come from paintings in the exhibition; a few are from other sources. Full disclosure – these are subjective judgments but based on years of studying and admiring Chinese paintings.