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Caroline Chiu: Polaroids as Chinese Ink Painting

Snite Museum of Art

March 14-April 25, 2010

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These photographs are taken from Hong Kong artist Caroline Chiu's larger series entitled Dreaming: A Chinese Wunderkammer. Wunderkammer were 17th- and 18th-century European "wonder rooms" or "cabinets of curiosity"--some of the earliest known "museums"--which contained specimens reflecting the natural world, anthropology, archaeology, relics, and art.

The late Qing emperor Qianlong, known for his passion for the arts, also pursued this type of collecting. In Chiu’s case, she collects, by photography, objects representing the material culture of traditional China: bonsai, scholar’s rocks, flowers, artworks depicting the animal zodiac, and, here, goldfish. Her choice of subjects makes reference to historical Chinese culture; her graphic photographic images of goldfish suggest the brushstrokes of traditional Chinese ink painting and the sweeping abstract shapes of Chinese writing.

Because the images were taken with a rare 20 x 24 inch Polaroid camera—for which film is no longer manufactured nor available––the exhibition is also an elegy to the era of Polaroid cameras and film. Indeed, it may mark the passing of film media in favor of digital photography.

Concurrent to this Snite Museum of Art exhibition, Chiu will also create a five-day installation on the Notre Dame campus entitled 108 Thoughts on Spirituality. The installation will consist of projected images of flames, photographs of flames, music from various sacred traditions, sacred smells, a space to meditate and an opportunity for audience members to respond to questions about spirituality by writing or drawing upon Chiu’s photographs. Participants will receive one of Chiu’s photographs in appreciation for their commentary on spirituality. The artist will speak during a 5 to 6 p.m. reception on Thursday, April 15, 2010.

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• Ticket Info

  Tickets: This event is free and open to the public.

• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  March 14-April 25, 2010

  Times:
  Tuesday-Wednesday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
  Thursday-Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
  Sunday, 1:00-5:00 p.m.

• Venue Info

  Snite Museum of Art

  Snite Museum of Art South Bend, IN 46556

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• Parking Info

  The Visitor Parking lot just east of the Marie DeBartolo Center for Performing Arts is available at all times and can be accessed from the corner of Eddy Street and Holy Cross Drive, accessible by traveling north of Edison Avenue on Eddy Street. The $2.00 fee is paid upon exiting, or by using a free token available at the front security desk.

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  • Wheelchair Access

• NOTE: We do our best to ensure all information is accurate, however it's a good idea to visit the website or call the venue to verify the information.

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