Pictures of an Exhibition China and the Enlightenment
December 5, 2011
It marked a turning point in Europe's cultural history, when the dominance of religion and absolutism began to wane, paving the way for education and democracy.
These ideas revolutionized the Western world, but how can their legacy be translated in a non-European, authoritarian country today?
In April 2011, the new National Museum of China on Tiananmen Square in Beijing opened the largest exhibition on the art of the European Enlightenment to ever be hosted in Asia. It was the high point of a cultural exchange between the German and Chinese governments, bringing together some 450 works from collections in Berlin, Dresden and Munich.
Yet the landmark exhibition, funded by Germany's Foreign Office, was overshadowed by politics. The Chinese leadership barred unwanted guests from entering the country to attend, and as soon as the exhibition had opened, the country's most prominent artist, Ai Weiwei, was arrested without charge.
The two-part documentary, "Pictures of an Exhibition," tells the story behind this ambitious project – and the debacle it led to. It brings together German and Chinese curators, critics, art historians and exhibition visitors. Representatives of the Beijing art scene also talk about the significance of art in modern-day China, and why an official cultural exchange does not necessarily lead to a real cross-cultural dialogue.
The exhibition in Beijing is on show through March 31, 2012.
Broadcasting Hours:
Part 1:
DW-TV EUROPE/AFRICA
WED 07.12.2011 - 18:30 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 12:30 UTC
Berlin UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +4
DW-TV NORTH AMERICA
WED 07.12.2011 - 20:30 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 12:30 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 00:30 UTC
San Francisco UTC -8 | Edmonton UTC -7 | New York UTC -5
DW-TV LATIN AMERICA
WED 07.12.2011 - 20:30 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 04:30 UTC
Caracas UTC -4,5 | La Paz UTC -4 | Buenos Aires UTC -3
DW-TV ARABIA
THU 08.12.2011 - 03:30 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 09:00 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 13:00 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 01:00 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 11:00 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 14:30 UTC
Algiers UTC +1 | Cairo UTC +2 | Dubai UTC +4
DW-TV ASIA
WED 07.12.2011 - 18:30 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Jakarta UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
DW-TV ASIA+
WED 07.12.2011 - 19:00 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 13:00 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 17:00 UTC
THU 08.12.2011 - 20:30 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 14:30 UTC
FRI 09.12.2011 - 21:30 UTC
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Jakarta UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
Part 2:
DW-TV EUROPE/AFRICA
WED 14.12.2011 - 18:30 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 12:30 UTC
Berlin UTC +1 | Cape Town UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +4
DW-TV NORTH AMERICA
WED 14.12.2011 - 20:30 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 12:30 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 00:30 UTC
San Francisco UTC -8 | Edmonton UTC -7 | New York UTC -5
DW-TV LATIN AMERICA
WED 14.12.2011 - 20:30 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 04:30 UTC
Caracas UTC -4,5 | La Paz UTC -4 | Buenos Aires UTC -3
DW-TV ARABIA
THU 15.12.2011 - 03:30 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 09:00 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 13:00 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 01:00 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 11:00 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 14:30 UTC
Algiers UTC +1 | Cairo UTC +2 | Dubai UTC +4
DW-TV ASIA
WED 14.12.2011 - 18:30 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Jakarta UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8
DW-TV ASIA+
WED 14.12.2011 - 19:00 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 13:00 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 17:00 UTC
THU 15.12.2011 - 20:30 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 06:30 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 14:30 UTC
FRI 16.12.2011 - 21:30 UTC
Delhi UTC +5,5 | Jakarta UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8