Passport to the Silk Road ëThreadsí Exhibit Made Up of Contemporary Works From Unique Region by Gary Tischler In some ways, the exhibition ìAncient Threads, Newly Woven: Recent Art From Chinaís Silk Roadî isnít remarkable for its artóalthough there are many gems among the 78 works on display at the Meridian International Center. Rather, the exhibit is remarkable for simply being there, looking at all the world like an invitation to and a reminder of an ancient life. There have been various exhibitions, programs, events, excursions and performance art productions on Silk Road themes before. The name itself is enticing, conjuring up the old caravan routes that linked the western-most part of China to Europe along a perilous, daunting and beautiful path. But this exhibition, which features works by artists from the famous cities and regions along the Silk Road, is different. Itís made up of contemporary works from a region that is almost unique unto itselfóin the sense that itís not traditionally Chinese in neither content nor history, though there are examples of that here. This Silk Road, which pushes up to what is now the tumultuous region that includes A fghanistan, Pakistan and Kazakhstan, is part of Chinaís remote West, where all sorts of cultural, religious, political and tribal influences play their part. Thus the display is a showcase of the way these various cities haves kept their own traditions and identities while coming under the influence of encroaching cultures from the East and West. The result is a glowing example of the remarkable diversity that exists along this route in art, geography and peopleóa testament to the inadequacy of category and genre. ìAncient Threadsîójointly organized over the course of several trips by the Meridian Center and the China International Exhibition Agency in Beijing, with the assistance of the Chinese Ministry of Cultureóis also an example of the remarkable effort made by the lead curators, who traveled great distances and were forced to make difficult but rewarding choices. It is a triumph of cooperation that seems to emerge most often from the cultural and artistic arenas. ìThe most important thing and whatís different about this exhibition is that itís contemporary work by contemporary artists,î said Nancy Matthews of the Meridian International Center. Matthews was one of three people who helped to select the art for the exhibition, along with Pamela Bailey, a curator from Houston, and Madame Xu Hong, senior researcher of contemporary art at the National Museum of China. ìI think itís the first time this kind of work from that region has traveled,î Matthews said. ìIt was a remarkable and rewarding journey. To me, the most difficult thing was having to choose. And the trips and the exhibition was and is full of surprises. Itís not at all what you might expect.î The Silk Road and the exhibition wind their way along the ancient caravan route, presenting works from artists living and working in Kashgar, Urumqi, Dunhuang, Lanzhou and Xiían. Represented are professional and highly trained artists well known in their own regions, as well as farmers and herdsmen producing remarkable examples of folk art. ìThereís been so far at least very little contact with Western schools of art or the modern,î Matthews explained. ìThe works here are about depictions of everyday life and culture, and within that framework, thereís a great deal of diversity, not only in subject matter, but technique and style. This is the area of the great game of imperialism, of old, huge mountains, deserts and vast areas of emptiness.î The paintings offer village art, grand landscapes, impressive portraiture and degrees of sophistication befitting places such as Urumqi, the economic, industrial, political and cultural capital of the Xinjiang province. Walking through the exhibition is in an intimate, small and almost envious way to trace the steps of both the curators and the original caravans. Viewers can, for instance, marvel at a beautiful work such as Zhang Zhenxueís ìAfter the Rain,î which is as close to abstraction as this exhibition gets. You can practically feel the rush of motion, air and thunderous noise in Wang Yungshengís ìYak Race,î a remarkably energetic oil on canvas, and youíll be soothed by the serenity of Yu Wenyaís woodcut ìYellow Trees,î and enthralled by Shao Hongjiangís ìLotus.î But somewhere in the course of moving through the show, a certain pull exerts itself. You feel the tug in the swift, thick and enticing brush strokes of Gulinar Ablatís ìThree Veiled Women Holding Flowers,î Mamat Sultanís ìOn the Street,î and the colorful, mystical group of works titled ìFarmer Paintings.î The thin lines and shadows of these pieces reach out to an honored past using a more traditional Chinese artistic style. You get a feel for the vistas with the generous, sweeping and delicate brush strokes. You can also sense the strangeness of the foreign lands. If the art is traditional, the expanse and breadth of this exhibition seem entirely fresh and new. In the end, the exhibition, uneven in its art, is continuously splendid in its revelation, making you long for a passport to the Silk Road. ìAncient Threads, Newly Woven: Recent Art From Chinaís Silk Roadî runs through June 27 at the Meridian International Center, 1624 Crescent Place, NW. For more information, please call (202) 667-6800 or visit www.meridian.org. Gary Tischler is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.