Ravenel Art Group as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations in 2009 is sponsoring a special exhibition in Asia from the Louvre Museum in Paris. Entitled ‘Sculptures in Movement’ the exhibition is made up of eighteen replicas of sculptures from the Louvre’s ‘Touching Exhibition’, which was originally conceived as a way to introduce art to the visually impaired.
The ‘touching exhibition’ was first introduced in 1995 in the Louvre and became an immediate success not just with the visually impaired but with the ‘seeing’ public too. Inviting visitors to get up close and personal with individual works, art lovers can touch and feel the sculptures gaining a new experience and appreciation of art through their sense of feel and touch.
The exhibition has been two years in the planning between Ravenel Art, the various museums on each stop in Asia and the Louvre Museum in Paris. Ms Clara Kuo, President and CEO of Ravenel has deep associations with France, having studied art in the Louvre’s art school. Bringing the exhibition to Asia has a two-fold aim for Ms Kuo, to introduce Western art and culture to Asia and to make art more available to underprivileged groups. With Ravenel Art’s success in the art world over the last ten years it is only right that it give something back to society even in these troubled economic times.
The eighteen sculptures are exact replicas of famous works in the Louvre’s collection, made through 3D laser readings. The replicas are then made of resin or plaster and are finished to look like either marble or bronze. The exhibition includes copies of some of the Louvre’s most famous pieces including the ‘Venus de Milo’ representing classic female beauty, the ‘Borghese Gladiator’ considered one of the best representations of the male body, and ‘The Rebel Slave’ by Michelangelo, showing the power of emotion in art.
The exhibition is divided into five sections, each one emphasizing an aspect of human movement. The first section deals with ‘effort’ and shows the human body in extreme action, highlighting musculature and physical form. The second section is ‘racing’ and depicts the human body running. The third section is ‘dancing’ and represents gracefulness, lightness, and beauty. The forth section is ‘flying’ with two portrayals of Mercury, the messenger god and one of Icarus and Daedalus who made wings. The final section is ‘falling’ and depicts the human body in extreme tension in its last moments. All five ‘movements’ together display the various techniques and masterful expression that artists over the centuries have employed in sculpture.
The exhibition is also a great opportunity to introduce Western mythology to an Asian audience. From ancient Greek and Roman gods such as Aphrodite or Venus, Mercury and The Graces, to Greek and Roman heroes such as Milos of Croton, the soldier at Marathon announcing victory, Amazon female warriors, and Icarus and Daedalus, visitors will become aware of the many famous legends surrounding these names.
The first stop on the tour is the National Museum of History in Taipei where the exhibition will run from 10 April to 24 May 2009 before moving to Kaohsuing’s Museum of Fine Arts in the south of Taiwan from June 20 to August 23 2009. It will then travel to Beijing, Hangzhou and Wuhan in China.
Ravenel Art Group is a leading art auction house based in Taipei, Taiwan with offices in Hong Kong and Beijing. Set up in 1999, we have established Taipei as a major auction center for Modern and Contemporary Asian Art. We hold spring and autumn auctions in Taipei and Hong Kong. Our next auction will be held in Taipei on 7 June 2009
Ravenel Art
15F-2, No 76, Section 2, Tun-Hwa South Road, Taipei, Taiwan
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+886 2 2708 9868 ext 183
David Kearney
