Ju Ming once said, “Keep [sculpture’s] original state; it is no good if it is deteriorating.”  Such a statement justifies the essence of the conservation of the fine arts.  The exhibition, Conservation for Wooden Sculpture 101, leads the audience to understand the profession of conservation, a profession that combines fine arts and science, from the perspective of a novice.

The notion of naming “101” is borrowing from the American university’s curriculums. It indicates the fundamental and key elements of learning and knowledge.  This exhibition is briefly divided into three sections: an introduction for conservational tools and wooden samples of various diseases, a display area for selected Ju Ming’s wood sculptures that have been conserved, and finally a try-on interactive table where the audiences are encouraged to wear a conservator’s uniform and to touch the lab’s items.  From diagnosing specimens, cleaning, to the color restoration of objects, it reveals tenderness and prudence to the treated work, and stresses a “non-invasive” approach to restore artwork and its age. It is our hope that the audience will gain information and further respect artworks by imitating a professional conservator in his/her work routine. 

Juming Museum has been investing in conservation and its study for a long time. There were 159 conservation projects completed in 2024 that certified the credibility and professionalism of Juming Museum.  In the same year, the Conservation Department at Juming Museum also took on the internal emergent tasks which rescued 139 pieces of artworks affected by Typhoon Krathon. Such a devotional effort not only reinforces the importance of conserving artworks, but also signifies that conservation is counterbalanced against nature and time.

Conservation for Wooden Sculpture 101 is not merely an exhibition for informing a technique, but rather a collective action to honor artworks and resist time-effects. It unveils the tasks conducted by the professionals behind the museum’s operation; and it also delivers an important message that art is not only about creation, but also about protection and care.  Let us together enter the conservation’s domain, and learn about the crucial project where the lifespan of arts is sustained and continued.

Oil painting can be traced back to Europe prior to the 13th century, with Jan Van Eyck (1390-1441) of the Northern Renaissance often credited as a key figure in its development. Since then, oil paint has become a vital medium for Western painters. Yet, due to the difficulty of mastering its technique and its high cost, acrylic paint gradually emerged in the 20th century as a more accessible alternative.

Today, the traditional painting technique, regardless of the media, oil, acrylic, watercolor, etc., is challenged by photography and mixed media, and, more recently, manipulation of computer design programs and AI (Artificial Intelligence).  Can photography surpass the realistic depiction of objects? Can AI fully replace painting techniques or human creativity? This exhibition does not intend to provide the answer, but rather to initiate a dialogue.  A dialogue that hopes to lead the audience to pause and to gaze at the contents and techniques of the paintings.

This exhibition, collaborated with Asia Art Center, showcases sixteen painters from the USA, UK, Israel, China, HK, and Taiwan. Some used oil paints, some are acrylic or mixed media, but their goals unanimously achieve the painterly presentation of tangible things, objects, and intangible attachments. The exhibition is divided into four themes: Sensibility, Culture/ Social Commentary, Memory, and Fantasy. Some artists’ works are loaded with multi-layers implications, so the category is simply to assist the viewers to engage with artworks and artist’s concepts, not to limit the spectrum of artistic expressions. 

Beyond culture, race, gender, and age, the exhibition stresses the universality of human emotions. Through the diverse perspectives of these artists, Inner and Outer Worlds seeks to affirm this shared humanity and to inspire new reflections on art and life.