of the Indo-Asian Journal
and relaxing Christmas season.
Trip
2023
What are the activities of the Society for Indo-Asian Art Berlin (GIAK) ?
The Society for Indo-Asian Art Berlin was founded on 24 April 1993 as a non-profit organisation.
The Society aims to disseminate, deepen and promote the knowledge and understanding of Indian art, which, according to scholarly opinion, also includes the art of South-East and Central Asia. It is therefore here after referred to as Indo-Asian art.
In particular, the GIAK supports the collection of South, South-East and Central Asian art at the Museum of Asian Art, which was founded on 4 December 2006. The museum combines the former Museum of Indian Art and the Museum of East Asian Art and is one of the Berlin State Museums…
The indo-asian journal
The Indo-Asian Journal (IAZ) is an art historical journal with scholarly contributions in German and English. It is edited by the Society for Indo-Asian Art Berlin. Since 2018 the IAZ is published by
EB-Verlag Berlin, Verlag für Wissenschaft und Praxis On the following pages you will find information on the authors of the journals, the style sheet for authors, the tables of contents of the individual issues of the IAZ and how to order the journal.
Events GIAK 2023
The Jour Fixe is a monthly lecture series for members of the Society for Indo-Asian Art Berlin, which takes place every last Thursday at 6 pm. If you are interested,
please contact us by e-mail: E-mail to GIAK .
The Great Departure of Prince Siddhārtha in the Wall Paintings of the Kucha and Turfan Oases in Chinese Central Asia
Meeting point: Museum in Dahlem / Small lecture hall at Takustraße 40. The presentation will focus on a significant event in the life of the Buddha, namely his ``Great Departure`` (leaving home). Five pictorial representations of this event are preserved from pre-Islamic times in Kucha and Turfan located in the Tarim Basin. Some of these paintings are on display in the Humboldt Forum. The discussion will start by interpreting two wall paintings from the Kizil Buddhist caves in Kucha. Then the three wall paintings found among the remains of Buddhist sites in Turfan, which can be attributed to Mahāyāna Buddhism, are reconstructed in their original decorative programme. Unlike their counterparts in Kucha, these paintings feature less emphasis on narrative representation and instead highlight the symbolic significance of great salvation. The artistic depictions of Siddhartha's Great Departure in Kucha were influenced by Zoroastrianism or Manichaeism, which formed a community of faith along the Silk Road, despite few historical records of them existing. The stylised images produced later in Turfan offer additional evidence of parallels with these assorted religions that thrived locally. Ms Fang Wang has a profound commitment to investigating Buddhist art in Central Asia. Upon accomplishing her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Buddhist art history in China, she pursued her doctoral studies at the University of Leipzig concentrating on the artistic depictions of the story of Buddha in Xinjiang. She is nearing the final stages of her dissertation, in which she investigates the life of Buddha depicted in the wall paintings of the staircase cave in Kizil (Cave 110). Her research examines the cultural exchange between India and China, and offers a detailed analysis of the interplay of various elements on the Silk Road.Become a member
As a member of the Society, you support Indo-Asian art and enjoy a number of privileges.
Lectures by eminent scholars and curators, followed by discussions, are regularly organised. Interdisciplinary events are held in collaboration with universities, museums, institutes, learned societies and associations.
Guided tours of the South, South-East and Central Asian art collections open up new perspectives on works of art in discussions with art historians, archaeologists and conservators.
Contact form
Gesellschaft für indo-asiatische Kunst Berlin e.V
c/o Museum für Asiatische Kunst
Kunstsammlung Süd-, Südost- und Zentralasien
Phone.: +49/ (0)30 8301 375
Fax: +49/ (0)30 8301 502
