About this Event
Join us for the exhibition preview of 'Shadow and Void: Buddha¹⁰' on Friday, 17 January 2025, from 6pm to 8pm.
esea contemporary and MAO (Museum of Asian Art), Turin, are pleased to present ‘Shadow and Void: Buddha10’, an innovative collaboration between the UK’s only non-profit gallery dedicated to East and Southeast Asian contemporary art and one of Europe’s foremost institutional collections of Asian art.
Curated by Xiaowen Zhu, Director of esea contemporary, and Davide Quadrio, Director of MAO, this exhibition intertwines scientific studies, contemporary art, and spirituality by showcasing recently restored Buddhist sculptures from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries CE, on loan from MAO, alongside contemporary works by Shigeru Ishihara, Lee Mingwei, LuYang, Sun Xun, Sinta Tantra, Wu Chi-Tsung, and Zheng Bo, including three new commissions created specifically for ‘Buddha10’.
Booking in advance is recommended due to limited space.
The ‘Buddha¹⁰’ project began in 2022 as an initiative by MAO to study, analyse, and critically reinterpret Buddhist artefacts from its collection, asking questions such as: Where do they come from? Why are they here? What are the reasons behind the presence of these pieces in an Italian museum? And ultimately, how did they get here?
Through collaborations with experts and contemporary artists, ‘Buddha10’ has evolved beyond a static display, exploring the West’s historical fascination with Buddhist imagery, often acquired under colonial contexts. With its second phase launched in May 2023, ‘Buddha¹⁰’ expanded to include new contemporary works, digital content, and live performances, enriching the dialogue between historical and modern interpretations of Buddhism. This phase introduced further commissions and sound installations, immersing audiences in themes such as origins, restoration, and cultural legacy. By juxtaposing ancient artefacts with contemporary creations, ‘Buddha10’ delves into displacement, ritual, exotic consumption, and authenticity, inviting visitors to engage with Buddhist art as both sacred iconography and culturally significant artefact.
‘Shadow and Void: Buddha10’ marks the project’s first international iteration, journeying from Turin — Italy’s historic industrial centre and automotive hub —to Manchester, birthplace of the Industrial Revolution. Staged at esea contemporary in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, just a stone’s throw away from the renowned Manchester Buddhist Centre, the exhibition offers a multi-sensory experience that welcomes the city’s multicultural communities (one fifth of the population identifies with Asian heritage.) Visitors are invited to engage with a serene, historically anchored reflection enhanced by dynamic contemporary art forms, including a sound installation by Shigeru Ishihara, video works by Lee Mingwei, LuYang, Sun Xun, and Wu Chi-Tsung, a site-specific mixed-media installation by Sinta Tantra, and a drawing installation by Zheng Bo.
In its latest iteration at esea contemporary – co-organised with Fondazione Torino Musei and generously supported by the Bagri Foundation, Arts Council England, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority – ‘Shadow and Void: Buddha10’ builds upon this foundation, highlighting continuities, both historical and spiritual, with contemporary reflections on cultural heritage, ritual practices, and community engagement. The exhibition in Manchester invites visitors to experience a dialogue that bridges traditional reverence with the immediacy of contemporary art, celebrating both preservation and reinvention through interdisciplinary engagement.
Image credits:
- Lee Mingwei, 'Spirit House', 2022. Detailed view of the exhibition 'Lee Mingwei: Spirit House', Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 2022. Photo courtesy of LEE Studio, photo by LIN Wei-Lung
- Sun Xun, 'Being is Negative (唯幻 / Illusione)', 2023, 4:30-minute loop, single-channel video with sound, commissioned by MAO for the ‘Buddha10’ exhibition
- LuYang, ‘Moving Gods’, single-channel video with sound, 4 min 43 sec loop, 2016, courtesy of the artist
- Zheng Bo, 'Drawing Life (Lesser Heat) 寫生（小暑） ', 2021, pencil on paper, 21 x 29.7 cm each, 15 pieces, courtesy of the artist and Kiang Malingue
- Lee Mingwei, 'Spirit House', 2022, installation view of the exhibition 'Lee Mingwei: Spirit House', Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 2022. Photo courtesy of LEE Studio, photo by LIN Wei-Lung
About esea contemporary
esea contemporary is the UK’s only non-profit art centre specialising in presenting and platforming artists and art practices that identify with and are informed by East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) cultural backgrounds.
esea contemporary is situated in an award-winning building in the heart of Manchester, home to one of the largest East Asian populations in the UK. Since its inauguration as a community-oriented visual arts festival in 1986, esea contemporary has continuously evolved to establish itself as a dynamic and engaging space for cross-cultural exchanges in the British art scene, as well as in a global context.
esea contemporary aims to increase the visibility of contemporary art practices from the East and Southeast Asian communities and their diasporas. It is a site for forward-thinking art programmes that beyond exhibitions also include commissions, research, residencies, publishing, and a wide range of vibrant public events. esea contemporary values creativity, compassion, interconnectedness, and collectivity in implementing its mission.
Learn more at: www.eseacontemporary.org
Photo by Joe Smith.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
esea contemporary, 13 Thomas Street, Manchester, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00 to GBP 3.96
