Turner masterpieces alongside contemporary artists shown at Museum of Art Pudong
2024-09-30 to 2025-05-10
2024-09-30 to 2025-05-10
Joseph Mallord William Turner, "The Blue Rigi, Sunrise" 1842, watercolour on paper 297 × 450 mm © Photo: Tate
Joseph Mallord William Turner, "Bridge of Sighs," Ducal Palace and Custom-House, Venice: Canaletti Painting exhibited 1833, oil paint on mahogany 511 × 816 mm, accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856 © Photo: Tate
"Dialogues with Turner: Evoking the Sublime" is showing at the Museum of Art Pudong through May 10, 2025.
Co-organized by MAP and the Tate in the United Kingdom, it is the largest exhibition of oil paintings ever loaned by the Tate, and brings together Turner and contemporary artists.
Featuring over 100 artworks, among which nearly 80 are original oil paintings and watercolors by Turner, the exhibition is an opportunity to delve into the artistic world of Joseph Mallord William Turner, one of the greatest British painters of the 19th century.
Many of these works are being exhibited in China for the first time.
Born in 1775 in Covent Garden, London, Turner is widely regarded as the first modern painter. His legacy is rooted in his expressive style and bold use of color, with the capturing of atmosphere being central to his oeuvre.
As a pioneer of Romanticism, Turner used his technique to capture the majesty and grandeur of nature, challenging the boundaries of human perception. From the towering peaks of the Alps to the winding canals of Venice, Turner's canvases chronicle the eternal dialogue between humanity and the elements.
Joseph Mallord William Turner "Moonlight, a Study at Millbank" exhibited 1797, oil paint on mahogany 314 × 403 mm, accepted by the nation as part of the Turner Bequest 1856 © Photo: Tate
The exhibition is divided into eight thematic sections and spans the first and third floors of MAP, offering a panoramic view of Turner's artistic career, closely intertwining his travels with the subjects of his creations. From early British landscapes to the dramatic scenery of the Swiss Alps, and on to the poetic depictions of Venice – the "City of Sublime," the exhibition reveals the evolution of Turner's artistic style and his unique understanding of light and atmosphere.
One of the sections "Evoking the Sublime" not only exemplifies Turner's revolutionary style, but also places an emphasis on the enduring influence of the "sublime" as an aesthetic concept. Works by leading contemporary artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Mark Rothko, Katie Paterson, and Richard Long are interspersed alongside Turner's masterpieces, offering alternative perspectives for viewers to appreciate Turner's art as well as his courage and vision to constantly seek for innovative expressions to respond to the changing times.
Olafur Eliasson, "Your Double-Lighthouse Projection," 2002, stainless steel, wood, fluorescent lights, colour filter foils (red, green, blue), projection foils (white, black), control unit Displayed: 3630 × 11540 × 6300 mm, presented by Tate Members 2004 ©2002 Olafur Eliasson
For example, "Your Double-Lighthouse Projection" by Olafur Eliasson, a prominent contemporary artist known for his grand installations, is a highlight of the exhibition. The work costs over 1 million yuan (US$141,564) in transportation of the two large, free-standing, circular chambers. Installed, one chamber is bathed in shifting hues of colored light, the other illuminated with white light. This highly subjective experience with an emphasis on individual perception echoes Turner's exploration of light and color in the 19th century.
Turner created a kind of dizzying visual impact through landscape painting, while Eliasson manages to arouse similar sensations by playing with contemporary light installation.
Exhibition info:
Date: Through May 10, 2025, 10am-9pm
Address: 1/3 F, 2777 Binjiang Ave
Admission: 100 yuan
滨江大道2777号