The Inka Road stretches 20,000 miles across South America. Providing a vital link between the administrative and spiritual capitals of the ancient Inka world, it is still in use today and deemed a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. This exhibit at the National Museum of the American Indian explores its engineering history in terms of technology, politics and culture.
The Renwick Gallery reopened last fall after an extensive renovation; now, an installation of artworks taken from the museum’s permanent collection will explore the value of craft in the modern world. More than 80 objects on view will include such new acquisitions as stained glass by Judith Schaechter, wood sculpture by Wendell Castle and cast glass by Karen Lamonte.
Fresh from a major renovation of its interiors, the Freer|Sackler reopens on October 14 with a weekend celebration of Asian art, food and culture. Four special exhibitions also kick off—including one that examines Buddhism in Asian art through objects and immersive spaces.
The Freer | Sackler celebrates its October 2017 reopening with an installation by artist Subodh Gupta (above), who transforms utilitarian vessels found in India into monumental structures. Comprised of about 30 towers of brass containers from one to 15 feet in height,
“Terminal” evokes a dense urban landscape.
This seminal exhibit highlights the artistic diversity of Asia, showcasing an array of objects from India, Nepal, Tibet Korea, Japan, Myanmar, Thailand and Cambodia.
Featuring nearly 350 objects and images, from a Tomahawk missile to a can of baking powder, this exhibit demonstrates the ways in which Indian words and images have become ingrained in American culture. It also examines how four Indian narratives—Pocahontas, Thanksgiving, the Trail of Tears and the Battle of Little Bighorn—have engendered enduring fascination and conflict.
More than 300 works of art from the museum’s permanent collection are on display, including sculpture, painting, photography, ceramics, costumes
and jewelry from some 25 nations. This ongoing exhibit explores perspectives in order to make thematic connections across
the spectrum of time, place and
medium.
This exhibit reveals the many ways cultures throughout the Americas expressed power and identity by decorating and venerating the head. Spanning 2,500 years, 20 objects on display range from shaman headdresses to finely crafted ceramics.
Chinese-born artist Hung Liu, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1984, adapts historical Chinese photographs in her work. This exhibit assembles pieces that Liu has richly layered using printmaking and collage techniques, resulting in compelling, highly textured compositions.
Marjorie Merriweather Post’s historic estate will host an exhibit of table settings representing past and present. A display of 18th- and 19th-century tables recreated by curators will be on view in the 40-foot dining room, while the dacha will house tables by local interior designers melding Merriweather Post’s inimitable style with their own modern sensibilities.