What spectacular photos! The very concept of that sculpture installation blows my mind. I’m curious: What exactly does a cultural diplomat do? Most of us are unaware that this career exists, yet for you it’s been a portal to all manner of discoveries. I hope you’ll get arlund to writing about this, if you haven’t already.
I guess I've referred to my former work from time to time. I'll continue to refer to it when it fits the story. But you've made me wonder if I could base a post around it at some stage.
Absolutely, you should. I'm sure we'd all be fascinated. And, of course, some of us, especially, John le Carré and Le Bureau des légende fans, understand that it was a cover and it's more than the cherry blossoms that keep you in Japan. :)
Ha, that old canard continues to flap its wings! But since you and @Rona Maynard have asked so nicely, I’m going to write a bit more in detail about what I did some day. 🙂
Thank goodness, the real life visit exceeded your expectations! Your essay made me appreciate how well you craft a good backstory. Always educational, and some serious platform shoes to boot! A quick peek at M+ reveals a Morimura and Sherman collaboration, too. You're my favorite cultural diplomat, Jeffrey!
Thank you, David. And don't forget the one in Beijing! And it seems there's an exhibition at the Palace Museum in HK from Versailles and I hope to see that. The prospoect of Qing and Versailles finery together is very inviting.
And the building itself is impressive. I remember being awestruck as I approached. I had not been living in Asia long (Vietnam at the time), and had not seen anything like it.
“Your reader begs leave to say that you are far more than a retired cultural diplomat.” Please don’t banish me! Loved this. What a tour de force, with you as a guide. Thank you, Jeffrey, for taking us on this glorious adventure.
🙂I’m so honoured to receive those kind remarks from the Han Yu of English prose. 🙏You are forever welcome and cherished in the English Republic of Letters!
Thank you so much for sharing this whole Palace Museum piece but especially Asian Field, I literally couldn't stop looking at those clay figures, the scene is almost hypontic. I still have the link you posted saved!!🙏🏼
Thank you, Susie. Hypnotic is the word. I had the privilege of being able to see the installation of the work in Shanghai (its largest manifestation, I think) and it was endlessly fascinating. A very rewarding part of my former job!
It was part of a UK-China cultural campaign that ran in 2003-4. One of the deep meanings of the piece for me came from the community of people in southern China who created the images—and were all credited by name at the exhibition.
This is probably a rather strange comment, but I am always so intrigued not just by what you write, but all the places you’ve been and the various cultures you have learnt about. In my head your life seems to have been full of so many incredible adventures that took you to so many cool places. And I’m just realising that when I read your pieces, a part of what I enjoy is living vicariously through you in some weird way. :)
Not strange at all, Michael. I'm so grateful for your readership and support and really glad that the places/cultures I write about come alive for you.
"I was delighted to glimpse through the artefacts into the elaborate trade, cultural, and scientific exchange, as well as the international politics, of the time. These objects ranged from tribute gifts from Okinawa to a telescope from Britain, enamel techniques from Europe, and some extraordinary platform shoes. The sight of all these set off a foment of imagination in my mind, forging connections."
Perhaps it has been done, and many times (I wouldn't know, never having pursued the topic) but your post and these words lead me to think how fascinating, additional international histories might be written focused not on political diplomacy but rather the adjacent "trade, cultural, and scientific" diplomacy, with the attendant gifts of objects and knowledge -- how that lineage factors into the rest.
Thanks, Jay. I think some historians have picked up this area. I once attended a fascinating lecture on the topic of the English trade mission to Japan in the early 17th century when they thought they could sell English wool to the Japanese. Spoiler alert: they couldn’t. But they did bring the first telescope to arrive in East Asia with them, and in return, Japan sent a suit of Samurai armour that’s still in existence today, as well as some gorgous panels. Another way of tackling this question is this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nrtd2/episodes/downloads
Finally, a lot has been written about “soft power” in the last few decades, which is an adjacent concept. The term seems to have originated with Joseph Nye and my former employers used it a lot. Here’s a link to his original article: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1148580
That looks fabulous. Is it on the site of the old concert hall/planetarium/gallery that was sort of between the Intercontinental Hotel and the Star Ferry terminal?
Hi June, no this site is on reclaimed land to the west of there, near (but not very near) Kowloon station. Access is still a bit of an issue, which I assume they’ll eventually work out. The HK Museum of Art reopened on its old site a few years ago and has a lovely new design.
It’s a while since I’ve been to Hong Kong, probably 9 or ten. I used to go twice a year when I was working. I love it, it’s such a vibrant city. I always stayed on Kowloon side and got to know it fairly well. My husband, on the couple of occasions he was able to come with me, loved the Maritime museum.
Thank you, Jeffrey, for taking me on a spectacular (albeit VR-style) tour of the museum, the city, and the history! Love it! ❤️
Thank you, Yi! It's a fine musuem. And curating that sparks the imagination is good curating in my view.
What spectacular photos! The very concept of that sculpture installation blows my mind. I’m curious: What exactly does a cultural diplomat do? Most of us are unaware that this career exists, yet for you it’s been a portal to all manner of discoveries. I hope you’ll get arlund to writing about this, if you haven’t already.
Yes, Asian Field was pretty mind-blowing!
I guess I've referred to my former work from time to time. I'll continue to refer to it when it fits the story. But you've made me wonder if I could base a post around it at some stage.
Absolutely, you should. I'm sure we'd all be fascinated. And, of course, some of us, especially, John le Carré and Le Bureau des légende fans, understand that it was a cover and it's more than the cherry blossoms that keep you in Japan. :)
Ha, that old canard continues to flap its wings! But since you and @Rona Maynard have asked so nicely, I’m going to write a bit more in detail about what I did some day. 🙂
I think you could. Whoever dreams of becoming a cultural diplomat?
Thank goodness, the real life visit exceeded your expectations! Your essay made me appreciate how well you craft a good backstory. Always educational, and some serious platform shoes to boot! A quick peek at M+ reveals a Morimura and Sherman collaboration, too. You're my favorite cultural diplomat, Jeffrey!
Thank you, Lani, and ah, yes, those shoes. There’s probably a book to be written about “soft power” shoe diplomacy…
😂 Next essay idea? 😂
😂
Thank you Jeffeey for combining travel, culture, art and joy in your usual inimitable fashion. Its lovely having you as a virtual guide.
Thank you, Michelle!
“Your servant begs leave to say that Buddhism is no more than a cult of the barbarian people.”
Ouch is right!!!!
He was blunt, wasn't he?
Having visited the National Palace Museum in Taipei, I'd be very keen to visit the Palace Museum. Great photos!
Thank you, David. And don't forget the one in Beijing! And it seems there's an exhibition at the Palace Museum in HK from Versailles and I hope to see that. The prospoect of Qing and Versailles finery together is very inviting.
Wow. Please share pics if you see that exhibition!
Will do!
I visited the National Palace Museum several years ago and would love to go back at some point! One day was not enough, and it was extreme busy!
It's such a popular place. The Forbidden City must have been literally awe inspiring to visitors during the days of the Empire.
And the building itself is impressive. I remember being awestruck as I approached. I had not been living in Asia long (Vietnam at the time), and had not seen anything like it.
“Your reader begs leave to say that you are far more than a retired cultural diplomat.” Please don’t banish me! Loved this. What a tour de force, with you as a guide. Thank you, Jeffrey, for taking us on this glorious adventure.
🙂I’m so honoured to receive those kind remarks from the Han Yu of English prose. 🙏You are forever welcome and cherished in the English Republic of Letters!
Love the photos in this, especially the first one. It’s very film noir.
Glad you liked that one, Deirdre!
"Asian Field" is indeed remarkable - and the Manchu script. Love these glimpses!
Thank you so much, Troy! I was so lucky to see Asian Field in three venues altogether.
Thank you— This is all so new to me, though I’ve been once to Hong Kong. Fascinating!
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Victoria. Thank you, as ever, for reading!
Thank you so much for sharing this whole Palace Museum piece but especially Asian Field, I literally couldn't stop looking at those clay figures, the scene is almost hypontic. I still have the link you posted saved!!🙏🏼
Thank you, Susie. Hypnotic is the word. I had the privilege of being able to see the installation of the work in Shanghai (its largest manifestation, I think) and it was endlessly fascinating. A very rewarding part of my former job!
That must have been a huge privilege. Was it simply, or not so simply in this case, an art piece or did it represent a bigger meaning Jeffrey?
It was part of a UK-China cultural campaign that ran in 2003-4. One of the deep meanings of the piece for me came from the community of people in southern China who created the images—and were all credited by name at the exhibition.
I can well understand Jeffrey, what a magnificent campaign to have been involved in, the credits must have filled a whole book!
This is probably a rather strange comment, but I am always so intrigued not just by what you write, but all the places you’ve been and the various cultures you have learnt about. In my head your life seems to have been full of so many incredible adventures that took you to so many cool places. And I’m just realising that when I read your pieces, a part of what I enjoy is living vicariously through you in some weird way. :)
Not strange at all, Michael. I'm so grateful for your readership and support and really glad that the places/cultures I write about come alive for you.
This was a good read- I particularly liked seeing the sumptuous panel of words, the Manchu script with lines so elegant, a language unknowable.
Thank you, Yasmin. For some reason, I'd never really thought about the written language of the Manchus. It came as a beautiful surprise.
"I was delighted to glimpse through the artefacts into the elaborate trade, cultural, and scientific exchange, as well as the international politics, of the time. These objects ranged from tribute gifts from Okinawa to a telescope from Britain, enamel techniques from Europe, and some extraordinary platform shoes. The sight of all these set off a foment of imagination in my mind, forging connections."
Perhaps it has been done, and many times (I wouldn't know, never having pursued the topic) but your post and these words lead me to think how fascinating, additional international histories might be written focused not on political diplomacy but rather the adjacent "trade, cultural, and scientific" diplomacy, with the attendant gifts of objects and knowledge -- how that lineage factors into the rest.
Thanks, Jay. I think some historians have picked up this area. I once attended a fascinating lecture on the topic of the English trade mission to Japan in the early 17th century when they thought they could sell English wool to the Japanese. Spoiler alert: they couldn’t. But they did bring the first telescope to arrive in East Asia with them, and in return, Japan sent a suit of Samurai armour that’s still in existence today, as well as some gorgous panels. Another way of tackling this question is this: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nrtd2/episodes/downloads
Finally, a lot has been written about “soft power” in the last few decades, which is an adjacent concept. The term seems to have originated with Joseph Nye and my former employers used it a lot. Here’s a link to his original article: https://www.jstor.org/stable/1148580
Terrific journey through Hong Kong with a Coleridge close: Who does this? You! xx
Thank you, Mary! STC does seem to pop up a lot, doesn’t he? Maybe it’s because he’s from the same part of England as me…
That looks fabulous. Is it on the site of the old concert hall/planetarium/gallery that was sort of between the Intercontinental Hotel and the Star Ferry terminal?
Hi June, no this site is on reclaimed land to the west of there, near (but not very near) Kowloon station. Access is still a bit of an issue, which I assume they’ll eventually work out. The HK Museum of Art reopened on its old site a few years ago and has a lovely new design.
It’s a while since I’ve been to Hong Kong, probably 9 or ten. I used to go twice a year when I was working. I love it, it’s such a vibrant city. I always stayed on Kowloon side and got to know it fairly well. My husband, on the couple of occasions he was able to come with me, loved the Maritime museum.