Culture Chanel Exhibition Launches In Beijing (Photos)

Traveling Exhibition On View At NAMoC Through December 13

The traveling Culture Chanel exhibition, which swept through Shanghai earlier this year, hit the National Art Museum of China (NAMoC) in Beijing this weekend, and Jing Daily was there to take a peek. Wading through the packed house to gawk at the more than 400 items on display, skillfully organized by curator Jean-Louis Froment, we felt the exhibition was remarkably well done, particularly given that it was something of a commercial enterprise at a Chinese museum. Froment deserves credit for his inspired placing of important historical Chanel relics and the works of art from which the brand has derived inspiration over the decades. We noticed some pieces on show attracting more attention than others, with a selection of scattered cases displaying rare diamond-encrusted Chanel jewelry (perhaps unsurprisingly) proving highly popular with locals.

Occupying the entire third floor of NAMoC, the exhibition also included four rooms that could best be described as “outreach-esque.” These rooms, which added greater depth and nuance to the exhibition, included a screening room; an interactive “touch table” where viewers could view “making-of” videos and past Chanel runway shows; a library of vintage Chanel books and important sketches and books by the likes of Picasso and Alexandre Dumas; and finally a sound room, where attendees could enjoy a selection of sound clips from old French films and pieces of classical music.

Overall, an enjoyable exhibition that manages to spotlight a brand without lionizing it, and takes advantage of the space to impressive effect.

Culture Chanel at the National Art Museum of China (NAMoC)
Now through December 13
1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing
北京市东城区五四大街一号
Website

Zandie Brockett is a curator, consultant + photographer currently based in Beijing. As a recent transplant from the New York art world, she holds a B.A. in Sociology + Photography from Duke University and a Masters from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. Check out Zandie’s blog at www.thezandieproject.com.