Wu Hung: "Spatial Dunhuang" Lecture Review
On the occasion of the opening of the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum, Professor Wu Hung, the museum's Chief Academic Advisor, delivered a lecture titled "Spatial Dunhuang: Revisiting the Story of the Mogao Caves." Professor Chen Juxia from the History Department of the School of Liberal Arts at Shanghai University, curator Zhou Zhenru of "Jingxiang Dunhuang," and participating artist Peng Wei joined the conversation, with Vice Dean Fan Bai Ding from the School of Arts and Humanities at the China Academy of Art as the moderator. The lecture reinterpreted Dunhuang from a spatial perspective, providing us with a new dimension for understanding and appreciating Dunhuang art. Professor Wu Hung's book "Spatial Dunhuang: Approaching the Mogao Caves" also provided an important theoretical foundation and source of inspiration for the museum's opening exhibition.
Lecture Content | Multifaceted Narration of Dunhuang Stories
Firstly, Professor Wu Hung explained the concept of "revisiting" in the lecture theme, stating that there should be many ways to tell the story of Dunhuang, and the more methods, the better. The linear narrative method of traditional history and dynastic history is one of the main ways to tell the story of Dunhuang currently. The Dunhuang Research Institute has worked for many years to categorize all the caves according to their form, painting, and inscriptions into various dynasties, forming a huge timeline. This linear temporal narrative, from early to late, shows the entire development process of the Dunhuang grottoes, which is indeed important. However, the spatial narrative can enhance our understanding of the Mogao Caves from another dimension. Here, he specifically mentioned the research of Western scholar Arnheim, emphasizing that space is directly reflected in the visual world and is an important part of our perception of the world.
The Importance of Spatial Experience
So why is space so important in the study of art? Because the core of the art world lies in space. Professor Wu Hung believes that understanding art and architecture requires not only textual descriptions but, more importantly, personal experience. We should value our personal experiences, which are not derived from reading a book or making a list, but by going to the site and experiencing it with our own eyes and bodies. For example, when we visit Dunhuang or any place, to perceive a building, a statue, a painting, or even an object, we consider its size, shape, and directionality, which is where the importance of space comes from.
Spatial Dunhuang
In the lecture, Professor Wu Hung discussed the application of spatial characteristics such as scale, shape, direction, distance, proportion, range, boundary, and center in Dunhuang art, and detailed how to experience and understand Dunhuang from a spatial perspective through the five chapters of the book "Spatial Dunhuang." He mentioned that the spatial experience of Dunhuang is complex, not only reflected in the physical form but also in the layout and design of painting and sculptural art works, which together constitute Dunhuang's unique visual and spatial experience.
Mogao Caves of Dunhuang
In the first chapter of the book, Professor Wu Hung explores not only the Mogao Caves themselves but the entire Dunhuang region. He emphasized the multi-religious phenomena of ancient Dunhuang, including Buddhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, and even Nestorianism. Dunhuang was an immigrant city, gathering different ethnicities and races, and the art and architecture of the Mogao Caves were also part of this multicultural environment. He cited the research of Tan Chanxue from the Dunhuang Research Institute, emphasizing this "large space concept" – before arriving at the Mogao Caves, one must imagine them as part of a larger space. From this, we can connect the real-life places, family tombs of ancient Dunhuang people with the spatial location of the Mogao Caves, thereby understanding their thoughts and beliefs.
Overall Space of Mogao Caves
In the second part, Professor Wu Hung's narrative focuses on approaching the Mogao Caves. The Mogao Caves are a collective that is constantly changing and developing. Through materials from different periods, he shows the evolution of the cliff face of the Mogao Caves from the Northern Liang to the Five Dynasties, which is also presented in the exhibition "Jingxiang Dunhuang." The story of the Mogao Caves is implied in their growth and changes, such as the location choices for family cave construction, and there is a lot of information and many historical stories waiting to be discovered.
Internal Space of Mogao Caves
In the third chapter, the viewer has arrived at the Mogao Caves and is about to enter the caves. Once inside, one must experience the sculpture, painting, and architecture of the caves from the inside because the interior of the grottoes is composed of these three elements. Uniquely, in different spaces, such as the central pillar caves, central Buddha hall caves, nirvana caves, and large Buddha caves, human movement is different. Therefore, after entering, the relationship between human body movement and space is also different. At this point, the entire cave must be considered as a single unit.
Images in the Space of Mogao Caves
The fourth chapter focuses on the relationship between sculpture and painting. Wu Hung mentioned that sculpture and painting are the two main forms of art. In ancient times, especially in religious art, they were considered as a whole, and sometimes we discuss them separately today, which is influenced by recent artistic concepts. On the front and back of the Buddha platform in Cave 55 of the Mogao Caves, the three-dimensional Buddha sculpture on the front represents the original Buddha being worshipped by visitors, while the two-dimensional Buddha painting on the back is the "auspicious image" recorded and copied by people. The difference between the Buddha and the Buddha's image is thus clearly demonstrated. Professor Wu Hung believes that this kind of intellectual and conceptual structure is so complexly manifested in Dunhuang that it should be paid attention to and even occupy a place in the history of world art. Therefore, in this chapter, he discusses the concept of space and the logic within the caves through the discussion of three-dimensional sculptures and two-dimensional paintings.
Space in Mogao Caves Paintings
The fifth chapter examines the space in Mogao Caves paintings from a closer perspective. Dunhuang paintings are very beautiful, and when viewers look at the paintings, the movement of the eyes replaces the movement of the body, and the significance of space and motion also changes. For example, in the Hua Yan Jing Bian in Cave 61, the spatial relationships are very clear. The painter consciously organized the picture according to the order of the scriptures, allowing viewers to visually follow the content of the scriptures and experience a sense of spatiality. This experience is not in the actual architectural space but in the flat image space or virtual space. The fifth chapter uses these painting examples to look for the builders, craftsmen, and monks of Dunhuang at the time, to see how they used painting to represent various spaces.
Case Studies of Dunhuang Grottoes
In the lecture, Professor Wu Hung applied the spatial method to three specific cases, discussing the evolution of the early cave groups, pagoda caves, and large Buddha caves in the Mogao Caves.
He first talked about the "original cave group," which are the three oldest existing caves (268, 272, 275), and believed that these caves were probably built for meditation, that is, for monks to meditate and observe images. These caves are built high up, far from the secular world, as the "Mogao Caves Record" says that Monk Lezun "built on the empty rock." Such a height will definitely cause great inconvenience for construction and viewing, so what is the reason that prompts the builders to overcome various inconveniences? Professor Wu Hung believes that the reason lies in religion, in the function of these grottoes themselves. Meditation must be clear and exhaustive, allowing the detached spirit to leave this secular world. So whether in the woods, on the mountains, or in one's own meditation courtyard, meditators always create a closed and isolated space. Looking into the distance from the location of the original cave group, the secular world is invisible, but the mountain peaks of Sanwei Mountain, where the divine traces appear, can be seen. We imagine the position of the monks and thus understand their perspectives and experiences, which are all good evidence.
In the internal space, the function of these grottoes can be better appreciated. Cave 268 is narrow and small, and a person standing in it can "touch the sky and the ground," obviously designed to accommodate a person's body, and has four small rooms, the purpose of which is for meditation. Cave 272 is also not designed for groups, and from the position of the Buddha inside the cave, worshippers can only see the whole Buddha by kneeling down. If standing, they can only see the top of the Buddha's head, which is disrespectful, so the internal space of Cave 272 is planned for individual worship. In contrast, Cave 275 is a larger cave that can accommodate group worshippers, and not only does the size of the space change, but the location and size of the central Buddha also change, reflecting the relationship between the worshippers and the Buddha.
The second example is the pagoda cave, also known as the central pillar cave because of the pillar in the middle, but Wu Hung believes that the term "pagoda cave" is closer to its essence because this type of grotto imitates the overall structure of the temple, with a tower in the middle and a Buddha hall in front. Many pagoda caves also have bright windows, and this type of cave is taller and brighter than the previous ones, with different functions, not developed from the aforementioned original cave group. In the pagoda cave, the overall design of the cave leads the worshippers to move around the tower, and the etiquette, space, and architecture all change as a whole. Professor Wu Hung mentioned that the reason for this change is worth exploring, especially in the study of art history, where murals and statues should be considered in the overall spatial movement process.
The third example is the Northern Great Buddha (Cave 96) of the early Tang Dynasty, which was built because of Wu Zetian. The Buddha is huge, 35.5 meters high, and the surrounding wooden structure is more than 40 meters high. People in it actually cannot see the whole Buddha. Here, Professor Wu Hung mentioned a paradox that often appears in art: You know this Buddha is incredible and indescribable, but in fact, people have to depict it because they still have to worship. How can they worship without a Buddha statue? Therefore, a method must be found to both show the Buddha and show that it is invisible or incomplete, incredible. The construction of the Northern Great Buddha is such an "incredible" method of expression. After the appearance of Cave 96, the overall spatial layout of the Mogao Caves changed, and the Great Buddha became a center, not only in a material sense but also in a political sense, which had a great influence on the subsequent development of the Mogao Caves, making them gradually approach the state we see today.
Conclusion
Dunhuang is not only a historical site but also a living cultural entity, and its stories and influences continue to this day. Professor Wu Hung, by revisiting the story of Dunhuang from a spatial perspective, allows us to more comprehensively understand the artistic and cultural value of Dunhuang.
Professor Wu Hung also congratulated the establishment of the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum in the lecture. He hopes that the museum can become a bridge connecting the past and the future, tradition and modernity, allowing more people to understand and appreciate Dunhuang art.
Dialogue Session
In the dialogue session, Professor Chen Juxia from the History Department of the School of Liberal Arts at Shanghai University, curator Zhou Zhenru of "Jingxiang Dunhuang," and participating artist Peng Wei, from their respective professional perspectives, discussed the multi-dimensional value of Dunhuang art. They discussed how to present the artistic and cultural value of Dunhuang to the public in a modern way and shared the challenges encountered in research, as well as the diverse use of modern technology and theory.
Professor Chen Juxia from Shanghai University has long been engaged in the study of Dunhuang documents and the images of Dunhuang grottoes. She believes that in the research process of Dunhuang studies for more than a hundred years, the achievements in various fields have formed a beautiful pearl, and Mr. Wu Hung's "Spatial Dunhuang" uses the spatial method as the main line, stringing these pearls into a beautiful necklace. The research results of Dunhuang studies are so fruitful, how to let readers understand Dunhuang through a book, how to grasp the pulse of Dunhuang art as a whole, has always been a problem that Dunhuang scholars think about. The book "Spatial Dunhuang" uses space, an art history theory and method, to explain the theme, content, and precious value of Mogao Caves art from far to near, from outside to inside, and is another masterpiece in the field of Dunhuang studies.
Constructing or interpreting Dunhuang grotto art from a spatial perspective is a very good perspective. At the same time, Professor Chen Juxia also expressed curiosity about Professor Wu Hung's research method, asking how he collected and selected a large number of research results in such a short time and transformed them into a rich book. In response, Professor Wu Hung said that his interest in Dunhuang began in the 1960s, and over the years, he gradually formed a systematic research plan. In this process, he gradually built a comprehensive understanding of Dunhuang grotto art through teaching and research. In addition, he also hopes that this book can be accepted by a wider range of readers, including ordinary readers interested in Dunhuang art and professional scholars.
Artist Peng Wei talked about how she was attracted by the architectural space and narrative nature of Dunhuang murals in the dialogue session and tried to reproduce this narrative and sense of space in her own works. She emphasized the profound influence of the storytelling and visual impact of Dunhuang art on her creation and how artists reinterpret and express these ancient stories through a modern perspective and techniques to gain a deeper artistic experience.
In the dialogue, Peng Wei also mentioned that Dunhuang art is not only a historical legacy but also a source of contemporary art creation. The difference is that while Professor Wu Hung keeps emphasizing in "Dunhuang in Space" that as a historian and art historian, one must "approach Dunhuang," as an artist, we are actually constantly "moving out of Dunhuang." The painters and craftsmen of Dunhuang had extremely high talent and ability, making the so-called myths, unbelievable stories, and paintings inseparable and credible. This also changed Peng Wei's view of painting, inspiring her to challenge her limits and tell stories through painting.
Zhou Zhenru is one of the curators of the opening exhibition "Jingxiang Dunhuang" at the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum. She shared the challenges faced by the curatorial team in planning the exhibition and how to use modern technology and concepts to present Dunhuang art. In her own study process, she gradually realized the integrity of the ancient Dunhuang grottoes, where murals, statues, architectural spaces, and the entire built environment and nature are all parts of it. Dunhuang grotto art, as a methodology, allows us to recognize each part of a complex ecosystem through a multi-level spatial system.
Zhou Zhenru talked about how modern viewers look at Dunhuang outside of Dunhuang, usually through looking at picture albums and images, and more focus on a part, which actually implies a kind of deconstruction of ancient Dunhuang. Of course, it has also produced many interesting interpretations, that is, using modern and contemporary visual methods and techniques to present and interpret the Dunhuang in the hearts of modern and contemporary viewers. In the process of our understanding of Dunhuang, a different Dunhuang emerges from the original. In the curatorial process, she was inspired by the reinterpretation of contemporary artists on Dunhuang, organizing and dialoguing the ancient and modern artistic images of Dunhuang through exhibitions and visual methods, which can also be understood as a reconstruction of Dunhuang. In the contemporary art museum, how to reorganize and create an immersive, visual, and physical experience through a spatial method is a challenge and an opportunity.
Audience Exchange
In the subsequent question session, the audience actively asked questions involving the innovation of Dunhuang research, the dramatic stories in Dunhuang murals, and the study of light and shadow in Dunhuang. Professor Wu Hung and the dialogue guests provided in-depth answers and discussions on these issues.
Through an interdisciplinary perspective and emphasis on spatial perception, Professor Wu Hung's lecture not only opened a new window for us to understand Dunhuang but also showed the new vitality of Dunhuang art in contemporary society. His research encourages us to understand and appreciate Dunhuang art from multiple angles and levels to discover its unique artistic value and cultural significance. We also look forward to the Dunhuang Contemporary Art Museum becoming an important platform connecting the past and the present, inheriting culture, promoting the research and exchange of Dunhuang art, and presenting a rich and diverse world of human art and thought.