“Burma. The art of Sawangwongse Yawnghwe between Burma and Europe”
Sawang's work tells, through symbolic images, the harsh conflict between tyranny and democracy that has afflicted the Burmese people for years. The exhibition will also be an opportunity to admire a selection of works in which the artist compares himself with the European cultural tradition. From 21 September to 3 November 2024
The exhibition, curated by Max Seidel and Serena Calamai, consists of a selection of over sixty works by the artist, some of large dimensions, dedicated to the bitter and interminable conflict between tyranny and democracy that has affected Burma for over half a century. Rather than limiting himself to the simple account of the tragedies that characterize the country's recent history, since his first works Sawang has represented the disasters of war through symbolic images, taking inspiration from Goya. The very biography of the artist, born in the area controlled by the rebels in the Burmese state of Shan, is intertwined with the dramas contained in his works. His grandfather was the first president of Burma after the end of English colonialism, and was killed in a military coup. Following the attack, his father and grandmother founded a resistance movement. Sawang has spent his entire life in political exile, from Thailand to Canada to the Netherlands, where he currently resides. The art of Sawang, active on the international scene with exhibitions in Taiwan, Germany, the United States, Israel and the Netherlands, therefore becomes a witness to the suffering of oppressed peoples, and this exhibition brings together some examples of extraordinary power, in which the author manages to shape the profound historical essence of the Burmese drama in figurative language: on the one hand the peaceful battle of the Buddhist monks, who protest against the dictatorship only by raising their hands in prayer, and on the other the violence of the military junta. MORE INFO
Entrance fee: 5 euros
Reduced ticket (3 euros) for: • holders of the Artsupp Card • holders of the cumulative ticket for the Museum and Archaeological Complex of the Cathedral of Lucca • groups larger than 15 • children under 18 • students of universities, art academies and conservatoires of badge • military and law enforcement with badge.
Free ticket for: • children up to 6 years old • disabled people (and companion) • one companion for each group • students of Tuscan universities with a card • school groups (primary and secondary) • employees and members of the institutional bodies of the Cassa di Foundation Savings from Lucca and their families • teachers • ICOM members • journalists and tourist guides with card.
