Over sixty works of art, ancient and modern, come together spectacularly at Nieuwe Kerk

A unique thangka, a scroll painting, from the personal collection of His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been made available for the exhibition Buddha’s Life, Path to the Present. Made in Tibet in the nineteenth century, the scroll painting is one of a series illustrating the story of Buddha’s life. On Saturday 15 September, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will perform the official opening of the new exhibition at the Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam and he will view the thangka in its temporary home.

Ancient and modern, Ai Weiwei and Yoko Ono
The exhibition brings together thousand-year-old objects and modern art. The oldest object dates from the third century A.D. and the most recent is from 2018. Among the highlights is the standing Buddha, measuring over two meters high and dating from the fifth – sixth century AD, which greets the visitor at the entrance of the exhibition. The show includes a wealth of fascinating ancient sculptures lent by members of the Royal Asian Art Society in the Netherlands (KVVAK), which is celebrating its centenary this year.
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.

Exhibition
The exhibition recounts the life of the Buddha. Born a wealthy prince in the fifth century BC, he chose at the age of 29 to adopt a completely different way of life. 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. Buddha’s Life, Path to the Present will run from 16 September 2018 to 3 February 2019.

Opening: dialogue and livestream
The exhibition will be opened by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the morning of Saturday 15 September. The opening will take the form of a dialogue, conducted with young people and innovators in the world of technology, on the subject of Compassion and Technology. The event will be organized in close cooperation with SingularityU The Netherlands. The dialogue will take place behind closed doors, but will be livestreamed to the public. More information on the location and digital link to the livestream will follow.

In cooperation with the Buddhist Film Festival Europe (BFFE2018@EYE), the Nieuwe Kerk organizes a gathering in the art club of Arti et Amicitiae (Rokin 112). There the live stream will be broadcasted on a large screen on September 15. Sign up via info@Arti.nl (mandatory), entrance fee € 8 (including breakfast), walk-in between 8.30 – 9 am.

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Note to editors:
A selection of images can be downloaded from www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/press. They can be used copy-right free to accompany articles about this exhibition, provided that the obligatory photo credits are included.

To register for Buddha’s Life press conference on Thursday 13 September, follow this link.
To apply for accreditation for the Compassion and Technology dialogue on Saturday 15 September, follow this link.

De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam
Communication, Education & Marketing Department
Martijn van Schieveen and Madeline van Vliet
T +31 (0)20 626 81 68
nieuwekerk.nl/press/
pressoffice@nieuwekerk.nl