[WEBCAST] Unsung Heroes of Ink – Premiere Film Screening and Conversation on Ink Art

UNSUNG HEROES OF INK Trailer from Olivia L. Wang on Vimeo.

Although appreciation for Chinese ink painting is growing, much of the art form remains unexplored. An ink painting comes into being when ink meets paper. But the role of the latter in shaping or responding to an artist’s style is often overlooked. How essential is the paper for the “language of ink“? What significance does papermaking have for ink art?

In UNSUNG HEROES OF INK we hear artists Liu Dan and Shao Fan explain how xuan paper shapes their work. We also see their collaborators—craftspeople in the remote Jing County, Anhui Province, who use ancient methods to hand-produce xuan paper. The craftspeople, who have spent a lifetime honing their skills, are the “unsung heroes of ink”.

After the premiere screening of UNSUNG HEROES OF INK film director Olivia Wang will discuss the film, the history of Ink Art and its relevance today with Esther Heer-Zacek, Member Emerita of the Asia Society Switzerland Board.

Unsung Heroes of Ink - A Documentary on Ink Art, and the Role of Paper
Directed by Olivia Wang | 2020 | 25 minutes
Language: Mandarin with English subtitles

About Asia Society Webcasts

Our webcasts offer access to latest developments and topics in the area of policy, art and culture presented by specialists and experts from all over the world.

Asia Society members can register for the webcasts to participate on the conference platform zoom. This offers you the possibility to comment and ask questions. Non-members are welcome to watch our webcasts live on Facebook.

This Webcast will not be recorded and only available live. Webcasts – no matter where you are, you can stay connected!

Olivia Wang is an independent art curator, consultant and writer. Her writing on contemporary Chinese ink art has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, ArtAsiaPacific, Orientations, Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, among others. Olivia has served as Representative of the Ink Society since 2015. Unsung Heroes of Ink is Olivia’s debut documentary, which she directed and produced. Olivia holds a BA from Brown University and MPhil from Oxford University.

Esther Heer-Zacek is committee Member of the Friends of Hong Kong Museum of Art, Non-Executive Director of the Sovereign Art Foundation and a member of the TATE Asia Pacific Acquisition Committee. Esther Heer-Zacek is the former Deputy Chief Executive Officer of BSI Bank Ltd Asia and a Member of the BSI Group Advisory Board. She was responsible for building BSI North Asia before it was sold. Before BSI Esther worked for 30 years with Coutts and built its presence in North Asia.

About Art over Lunch 

Art over Lunch is a monthly event series for members of Asia Society Switzerland. Each time, we visit an exhibition or a special part of a collection with artists, curators and experts for 45 minutes followed by a small lunch. The tours are designed to give members a different view on the vast troves at the museums in the city of Zurich and provide an opportunity to mingle and discuss. Currently Art over Lunch is available online. 

Art over Lunch is made possible with the support of Bergos Berenberg.