Bat Cave: Treasures of the Day and Creatures of the Night

16 September 2015 - 03 January 2016

Bats are an auspicious symbol in China as the word for “bats” in Chinese is phonetically similar to the word for “blessings.” Bats were especially popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties, and could be found on a wide range of objects from folk art to court commissioned pieces. Despite the frequent appearance of bats in Chinese history, little attention has been paid to them.

Bat Cave: Treasures of the Day and Creatures of the Night at the Chantal Miller Gallery memorializes bats, the quintessential night creatures found on site at the Asia Society Hong Kong Center. With over 70 exquisite traditional Chinese objects with bat motifs, including ceramics, jade carvings, paintings and textiles among others, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity for visitors to explore the thematic variations of the bat motif that are seldom displayed together. In addition, the exhibition also presents a response project by the contemporary Chinese artist Sun Xun featuring a wall mural with digital art. By unraveling the hidden meanings and stories behind bats in a modern and fun context, the exhibition aims to alter the stereotypical opinions associated with traditional Chinese art.

Co-organized by Asia Society Hong Kong Center and Art Museum, Institute of Chinese Studies, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the exhibition will be on view from September 16, 2015 to January 03, 2016. The curator is Dr. Xu Xiaodong, the Associate Director of the Art Museum, and the Associate Professor (by courtesy) of the Fine Arts Department, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The Assistant Curator is On-tsun Andrew Fung of Asia Society Hong Kong Center.

Gallery Guided Tours

Saturdays | 2:30pm (In English)

Sundays | 2:30pm (In English)

Last Thursday of each month | 7:00pm (In English)

Gallery tours are open to public. No registration needed.

Programs

In conjunction with the exhibition Bat Cave: Treasures of the Day and Creatures of the Night, Asia Society Hong Kong Center hosts a variety of related programming, including lectures, special workshops and a competition.

Lectures
An Evening with the Minds Behind “Bat Cave”
Nature in New Media Art
Jingdezhen Story: Chinese Ceramic arts in the Past, the Present, and the Future
Bats and other Urban Wildlife in Hong Kong

Competition
Bat Motif Product Design Competition

Workshops
Bat Motif Product Design Competition: Interactive Design Workshop
Bat Nights @ ASHK Ecological Walk
Night of New Media Art @ ASHK
Bat Art @ASHK: Traditional Embroidery Button and Loop Making Workshop
Bat Art @ASHK: Paper Cutting Workshop – Bats and Happiness
Bat Art @ASHK: Immersive Game Theatre – “Gallery Comes Alive”

Press

Why Asia Society in Hong Kong has a thing about bats, South China Morning Post, September 15, 2015

Unleash the Bats, China Daily, September 16, 2015

從清朝飛往現代, HKET, October 2, 2015

「別有洞天」, Ta Kung Pao, October 11, 2015

Press Release:

Download the Press Release in English (PDF)

Download the Press Release in Chinese (PDF)

Online Learning Resources

To prepare teachers and students for visits to the exhibition, and enhance their appreciation of Chinese art and culture, a free bilingual Teacher Resource Guide for educators and School Tour Worksheets for students have been developed in association with Bat Cave: Treasures of the Day and Creatures of the Night.

1. Teacher Resource Guide

Teacher Resource Guide is designed for educators of visual arts, Chinese history, and Chinese language and culture. This guide is divided into three chapters, including a general introduction of Chinese artifacts and traditional art, appreciation of treasures with bat imagery, and links with contemporary art in this exhibition. A list of questions and suggested activities are provided for educators to facilitate discussion and organize educational activities suited to the level of their students. The guide has been mailed to all local secondary schools during the exhibition period.

Download: Chinese version | English version

2. School Tour Worksheets

School Tour Worksheets target kindergarten, primary and secondary school students with different age-appropriate activities according to the particular group visiting the exhibition. The worksheets will be given to students during exhibition tours.

Download

For Kindergarten students Chinese version only

For Primary school students Chinese version | English version

For Secondary school students Chinese version | English version

Installation views