February 20, 2009

Ink not Ink, a major exhibition of contemporary Chinese art, makes its only stop in the United States at Drexel after shows at China's Shenzen Art Museum and the Beijing Today Art Museum. Featuring the work of 40 acclaimed artists including Wenda Gu, Wei Quingji and Lin Tianmiao, the exhibition includes nearly 100 paintings, prints, sculptures and videos. The center-piece of the show will be Wenda Gu's United Nations: Man & Space Year 2000, a colossal 100-ft. tall installation, representing the flags of every nation. Ink not Ink is the first ever survey-scale exhibition of contemporary Chinese art to be presented in Philadelphia and is the largest show of art ever presented at Drexel. Ink not Ink will be on display from April 2nd-May 9th. Organized by Dr. Joseph Gregory, Art & Art History Department Head, and Drexel Trustee Abbie Dean, Ink not Ink will be installed in five different locations on the Drexel campus including the I.M. Pei designed Bossone Research Center, the Frank Furness designed Paul Peck Alumni Center and the Pearlstein Gallery.

On April 1st there will be a symposium comprised of leading scholars from the United States and China including Robert Storr, Dean of the Yale School of Art, Richard Vine, Senior Editor, Art In America, Melissa Chiu, Director of the Asia Society Museum Fan Di'an, the Director of the National Art Museum of China and Lu Hong, curator at the Shenzhen Art Museum. It will create an important dialogue between Chinese and American scholars on the topic of contemporary Chinese Ink painting. Dr. Pan Qing, curator at the National Art Museum of China will serve as moderator. The Ink not Ink exhibition and symposium will be free and open to the public. For much more information, please click here.

On the evening of April 1st, there will be a Gala preview and reception, with paid admission, for our visiting Chinese artists and scholars along with dignitaries from the Ministry of Culture, members of the Consulate General's Office in NY, the Chinese Embassy in Washington, and American dignitaries. Jenny Chen of the Curtis Institute of Music will perform.

Drexel University's presentation of the exhibition and symposium is made possible through the generous support of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, the Marketing Division of the Ministry of Culture of the P. R. of China, the Shenzhen Foundation of Cultural Promotion and Development, Beijing Zhongwenfa International Cultural Exchange Co. Ltd, Continental Airlines and HSBC.