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From 29 January to 26 September 2010
MEG | Carl-Vogt
The embodiment of universal compassion, Kannon is the most popular divinity in the Buddhist pantheon. He is venerated in all the countries of the Far East: from Tibet to Japan, in China, Korea, Vietnam and Mongolia, and as far away as Indonesia. This explains why he has so many different denominations in the various Asian languages : Avalokitasvara, Guanyin, Chenrezig, Quan Âm. His name even served as the direct inspiration for a world-renowned camera company.
Statuette Padmapâni Lokeshvara |
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Kannon is invoked to this day, and long pilgrimages are undertaken to receive his protection during life's difficult passages and his guidance at death. Kannon is able to descend to earth in various forms, and is therefore the subject of a particularly rich ritual and popular iconography; his painted or sculpted image is the delight of collectors of Asian art.
The exhibition looks beyond the abundance of highly visible manifestations of the Kannon cult to discern their logic and significance, the better to understand the phenomenon and grasp its values, which continue to be those of a quarter of the world's population.
It starts with some of the MEG's most remarkable objects, immersing visitors in the spiritual dimension of Kannon, protector of the living and guide to the dying. It continues by introducing them to the sophisticated principles of Buddhist iconography, notably through the Japanese religious images collected by well-known anthropologist André Leroi-Gourhan. It ends by inviting visitors to follow in the path of the hoards of pilgrims crowding the temples dedicated to Kannon.
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Le bodhisattva de la compassion : Guanyin
Chine, Hunan, XIIIe siècle
Bois, H 190 cm
Inv. ETHAS 033646
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© 2011 Musée d'ethnographie, Genève |
 
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