While neither discounting nor discrediting the issue of the representation of “subordinated otherness” outlined by Said, this exhibition attempts to propose a less politicized and more positivistic examination of Orientalism as a site of infinite and unbridled creativity. In this collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art, high fashion is juxtaposed with Chinese costumes, paintings, porcelains, and other art, including films, to reveal enchanting reflections of Chinese imagery….įilmic representations of China are incorporated throughout to reveal how our visions of China are framed by narratives that draw upon popular culture, and also to recognize the importance of cinema as a medium through which to understand the richness of Chinese history.Īnd from the exhibit’s mission statement, also found on the museum’s website, I found these quotes instructive in addressing the curators’ use of film clips to illustrate the exhibit’s themes: This exhibition explores the impact of Chinese aesthetics on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries.
![china through the looking glass theme china through the looking glass theme](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NUOcySpiX80/maxresdefault.jpg)
Here are some quotes from the museum’s website description of the exhibit, with the second one addressing the exhibit’s use of “filmic representations”: The screens showing these film clips accompanied display cases featuring costumes or art objects related to the theme. Six of the themes ran montages of three to five films each on continuous loops, while two themes stuck to one film each. They were grouped by eight chosen themes.
![china through the looking glass theme china through the looking glass theme](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/rihanna-attends-the-china-through-the-looking-glass-costume-news-photo-472172724-1556845474.jpg)
I counted a total of 24 films represented, most of them well-known, with only one completely new to me. What grabbed my attention most were the various screens in the galleries on which were projected film clips from famous Chinese, Hong Kong and Hollywood films. It takes up space on three floors (including the Anna Wintour Costume Center) and offers dozens of outfits and costumes by famous designers based on Chinese motifs and inspirations, along with other art objects (vases, sculptures, installations) and other commercial objects (e.g., perfumes). It bounced from topic to topic, missing context, and failing ultimately in telling any story.The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan is currently showing an exhibit called “China Through the Looking Glass,” which runs until September 7, 2015. Much of the content that did make it into the documentary was not relevant - or its relevancy made unclear due to the poor story-telling. What resulted is an epic failure of direction and having an editorial point-of-view. We got some of that, too, but not in the way that was interesting in the least. I had heard of it through mentions from people like Stephen Colbert, but knew little about it. The Met Gala is an interesting social gathering. We got a glimpse of that, but that would have been worthy of a documentary of its own. Although I know little about her, Anna Wintour strikes me as someone whose life might be interesting to learn more about. I would have liked to hear more about the history and construction. Even when I did not care for the style, I was impressed at the craftsmanship that went into them.
![china through the looking glass theme china through the looking glass theme](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/572e522f044262a7f8bb164f/1463967242495-OTHD56430C1K2N3O6B77/image-asset.jpeg)
There were lots of editorial points-of-view that would have been worthy of an interesting documentary.