(image from http://www.rmn.fr)
BERNADINE BRÖCKERLa Voie du Tao: Un Autre Chemin de L'être
The exhibition was, to be brutally honest, terrible. But as I glance at the commentaries in the guest book while striding out of the show's gift shop, I am apparently one of the few amidst a sea of quite positive support. This might be because of the subject's newness; many of these artefacts were things I've never seen before. But coming up with a great idea is only a small part of a show.
The subject in and of itself is difficult to translate. The Taoist (pronounced "Daoist" - I learned something from the captions!) principles usually encompass words/calligraphy and a specific thought process rather than visual imagery, but these curators let the exhibition fall to surprising shallowness.
Quite deceivingly, the first section dedicated to "Cosmology" came close to achieving a great harmony of words, pictures, and form. A central cube lets the viewer walk around and look at artifacts depicting North, South, East and West within a darkened space, helping the viewer feel the atmosphere of scholarship and spirituality. The four-sided structure cleverly enabled the viewer to understand the fascinating iconography of each artifact and the detail of ancient printing techniques. The surrounding walls provided direct, straightforward text and displayed artefacts dedicated to early research into astronomy and navigation, including books and beautiful silk paintings.
Unfortunately as the show continues, the lights brighten, the objects are set up in display cases unrelated to their function, and a long-winded tour of Chinese legends and 'superstitions' takes place. Unclear allusions to the Tao-Te-Ching are made, and short stories that rang true to millions of people throughout history end up sounding like a monotone five-hour lecture.
The curators/designers decide to use digital scrolling wall text that fades in and out from a projector rather than the traditional wall labels. This gives a strange high-tech dimension to a show on a religion much based on veneration of nature. Coupled with jarring pseudo-'zen' wallpapers of textiles and textures badly Photoshopped, the balance intrinsic to the Tao and its Xi succumbs to the visual crime of over-saturation. While some wall colours transition at times to beautiful tones of blues, reds, or celadon green, the cacophonous music on what felt like a ten-second loop ensured that the viewer continued irritation. Coupled with large tours that come around every 10 minutes and construe themselves in small spaces, it was very difficult to peacefully view the objects and I, for one, felt grateful when the exhibition came to a close.
The pieces were grouped by subject rather than chronologically, a curatorial decision that makes little sense when encompassing such an enormous span of history. The exhibition starts with a map and a timeline that helps viewers understand what was happening comparatively in Europe during the Xin or Ting dynasties in China, but that does not cover up the holes in design in a show of such magnitude.
Overall, there could have been half of the 250 objects, more space between the sections, and a more scholarly rather than anecdotal approach to the pieces. It is apparent that much research was necessary to bring together all of these items from a religion that has not been traditionally well documented. But as it is now, this is Taoism explored in a most unharmonious "way."
La Voie du Tao is showing at the National Galleries of the Grand Palais in Paris until 5 July 2010.
Curated by Catherine Delacour, chief curator, Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, Paris and designed by Mostra
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