Starting Sunday, September 16, ancient and modern are spectacularly combined in the exhibition Buddha’s Life, Path to the Present at De Nieuwe Kerk at Dam Square in Amsterdam. Admire a wealth of thousands of years old objects and contemporary art from artists including Alicia Framis, Ai Weiwei and Yoko Ono. The earliest object dates from the third century A.D. and the most recent from 2018, since some of the installations are being created especially for this exhibition.

Buddha’s Life, Path to the Present

The ancient works of art recount the life of Siddhartha Gautama, better known as the Buddha. Born a wealthy prince in the fifth century BC, he chose at the age of 29 to renounce his royal lifestyle and devote himself to spiritual development. The various phases in his life – his birth, renunciation, enlightenment, first sermon and death – symbolize Buddhist belief and form the narrative of this exhibition.

The essence of Buddhism is enlightenment, attainable via a consciousness of the here and now. The exhibition makers, including co-curator and designer Siebe Tettero, illustrate the ‘now’ by including works by contemporary artists; some of these are new pieces specially created for this exhibition. The contemporary exhibits are by internationally famous artists like Ai Weiwei, Yoko Ono, Tony Feher, Alicia Framis, Tatsuo Miyajima, Allan Kaprow, Rei Naito, Kohei Nawa, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Ugo Rondinone and Carolee Schneemann. Dutch art is also represented with works by Salvador Breed and Koos Breukel.

what, when, where

Buddha's Life, Path to the Present

16 September 2018 - 3 February 2019

De Nieuwe Kerk, Dam Square, Amsterdam

 

Publication date: 15 Sep '18