Gupta Art Exhibition at Zhejiang Provincial Museum, Hangzhou on June 15, 2017

          Consulate General of India in Shanghai in association with Zhejiang Provincial Museum jointly organized a rare exhibit of Gupta Period Sculpture and Art Works titled “Across the Silk Road: Gupta Sculptures and their Chinese Counterparts: 400-700 CE” at the prestigious Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou on 15 June 2017. 

2. The art exhibit was organized as part of the India Week celebrations, and jointly inaugurated by Consul General Prakash Gupta along with Mr. Chen Hao, Director of Zhejiang Provincial Museum. The exhibition features 56 Indian sculptures from the Gupta Era, gathered from 9 museums in India. 

3. The art exhibit was earlier displayed at the National Palace Museum in Beijing and then at the Fujian Museum in the preceding months. Zhejiang Provincial Museum in Hangzhou is the last and final destination in China for this exhibit. A large number of art lovers from Zhejiang turned up to view the exhibition. The Gupta Empire ruled over ancient India from the 4th-7th century CE. Known as the Golden Age of Indian history, the Gupta era produced superb artists, scientists, mathematicians, and sculptors. During the Gupta era, the “Dharmaratna Road” connecting India with Central Asia and China became a channel for artistic and intellectual exchanges which enriched the history and heritage of India, China, and the world. 

4. Separately, a film festival was also inaugurated at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum Theater, showcasing five of India’s most successful recent movies – “PK” “Three Idiots”  “Taare Zameen Par” “Queen” “English Vinglish” – all with Chinese subtitles/sound. 

5. The India Culture Week inaugurated today would comprise of India-China (Hangzhou) Business and Investment Forum; a Painting Exhibition by Chinese artists from Hangzhou Kaiming Art Gallery, who recently visited India on a familiarization trip organized by Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and have subsequently drawn their impressions of India titled “Journey to India” along with Photo Exhibition of Buddhist images; a Food Festival, and another Film Festival at Hangzhou Public Library. 

6. All in all, the Festival endeavours to bring unique flavor of India to the people of Hangzhou, through an interactive and immersive experience of various facets of Indian art forms, and is expected to bring a deeper understanding of India to the art-loving people of Hangzhou.

Hangzhou (Zhejiang)

15 June 2017