Culture ministry to hold calligraphy forum at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Taipei, March 4 (CNA) A forum co-organized by Taiwan's Ministry of Culture (MOC) that delves into calligraphy's merits as a writing tool as well as an art form is set to take place this month at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York.

The forum, "Impact and Articulation: Calligraphy as Language and Form," will be held on March 20. It will bring together renowned scholars and curators to discuss the expanded role of calligraphy as a written language, political tool, and source for abstraction, according to the MET's website.

The speakers include Jing Tsu (石靜遠), chair professor of Comparative Literature and East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale University; Joseph Scheier-Dolberg, curator of Chinese Paintings in the MET's Department of Asian Art; and Lesley Ma (馬唯中), curator in the MET's Department of Modern and Contemporary Art.

Presentations by the panelists will offer new perspectives on calligraphy spanning different conceptual frameworks and centuries, enriching participants' understanding of its evolving cultural and artistic significance, the Taipei Cultural Center in New York under the MOC said in a recent statement.

The panelists will delve into the evolution of calligraphy as an artistic medium, its adaptation in different cultural contexts, and its influence on contemporary creative practices, the center said.

"Through insightful discussions, the event aims to highlight how calligraphy continues to be a vibrant and relevant art form, fostering global artistic dialogue," the center added.

Admission is free for the forum but those wishing to attend are asked to register in advance.

In addition to the scheduled discussions, an exhibition showcasing two monumental calligraphy works by Taiwanese artist Tong Yang-Tze (董陽孜) will be held at the MET's Great Hall.

The exhibition, "Great Hall Commission: Tong Yang-Tze, Dialogue," features the two dynamic ink-on-paper compositions embodying the artist's dedication to practicing calligraphy as a living art form that transcends linguistic barriers.

"Tong is one of the most celebrated artists working exclusively in calligraphy today," according to the MET's website.

Tong imparts dimensionality to Chinese characters and pushes the conceptual and compositional boundaries of the art form while remaining dedicated to calligraphy's raison d'être as the art of writing, the MET said.

"Her [Tong's] project is the third in the series of commissions for The Met's Great Hall and the artist's first major project in the United States," the MET's website said of the event.

The exhibition runs until April 8.