An International Forum on Buddihism and the ArtsToday

About

An international forum will mark the opening of the new Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The event will investigate how contemporary arts practices resonate with Buddhist thought. It will attempt to develop a shared understanding of this territory in terms of historical, cultural and aesthetic factors. The forum will bring together four internationally acclaimed artists, Meredith Monk, Kimsooja, Sanford Biggers and Lin Hwai-min (Artistic Director of Cloud Gate). They will discuss how they have drawn on Buddhist teachings and practices in their work. To wrap up, independent scholar Jacquelyn Baas will lead an audience response and discussion session. Potential areas of inquiry: - Creativity: The mind in the process of creation and perception - The role of Buddhism in the modernist impulse to integrate art and life - The manifestation of Buddhist themes in the work of artists whose creative process is directly linked with their own Buddhist practice, and of those who explore the nature of perception and reality - The potential of Buddhist theories of the mind in the teaching and presentation of art