Beyond Bollywood Audio Exhibition
Comb with Dancing Woman, circa 1600-1700, Sri Lanka; Kandy, ivory with traces of paint, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, The Avery Brundage Collection, B60M345
Hello, my name is Ainsley Cameron. I am the curator of South Asian Art, Islamic Art, and Antiquities at the Cincinnati Art Museum. I am the curator of Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art. I will be reading the Exhibition Themes section of the exhibition.
In this exhibition, you will encounter 122 artworks made of many materials and mediums, originating from ten countries, and created over 2000 years. Arranged by theme, each section offers varying answers to the questions: What is dance accomplishing here? How does dance communicate aspects of one’s identity, status, and beliefs? And what are the complicated motives associated with dance, on behalf of the creators, performers, and patrons?
- Destruction & Creation explores how dance can bring about cosmic or global change.
- Devotion connects earthly and divine realms through the dance of both god and devotee.
- Subjugation reveals how dance has a transformative power and can overcome negative forms.
- Glorification complicates the idea of reverence by exploring dance than honors gods and kings.
- Celebration demonstrates how dance often expresses exuberance, charm, and joy.
Within each thematic section, you will encounter one highlighted object with a longer, descriptive text representative of the theme overall. Near some artworks, you will find QR codes (accessible on your smart device) or screens featuring short video clips that suggest the movement and meanings embodied by the artworks. You will also find four contemporary video artworks by artists from India and Singapore. These expand on the five themes and continue our narrative into the present.
Be sure to visit the Rosenthal Education Center’s interactive exhibition, Art in Motion, for art-making experiences, and check cincyart.org/dance for associated programs and dance performances.