Friends of the University of Adelaide Library

The Great Walls of China: an exhibition

The Friends of the University of Adelaide Library invite you to a free public talk by Claire Roberts on
Thursday 5 July 2007 at 1.05pm
Ira Raymond Exhibition Room,
Barr Smith Library, University of Adelaide

The Great Wall of China is the world's largest heritage structure. During the course of its long history, the Great Wall - or rather the many long walls that constitute what we call The Great Wall - has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from a military barrier, built by successive dynasties over more than 2,000 years, into a national icon and one of China's most visited tourist destinations.

In this illustrated talk Claire Roberts, curator of The Great Wall of China exhibition, will discuss the development of the exhibition, the significance of The Great Wall, and tensions that exist between heritage and tourism. The exhibition is currently on show at the Melbourne Museum and closes on 22 July.

Claire Roberts is Senior Curator, Asian decorative arts and design at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney and a Research Fellow in the Division of Pacific and Asian History at the Australian National University. She was educated in Melbourne, and studied Chinese language, painting and art history at the Beijing Foreign Languages Institute and the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, 1979-81. She has a Master of Arts in Chinese language and art history from the University of Melbourne and a PhD in Chinese art history from the Australian National University. She was curator at the Museum of Chinese-Australian History in Melbourne (1986-1988), and since 1988 has been employed at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum as curator of Asian decorative arts and design.

Claire has written widely on Asian art and material culture and curated many exhibitions. Her projects include The Great Wall of China (2006), Other Histories: Guan Wei's fable for a contemporary world (2006), China, China: recent works in porcelain by Ah Xian (2001), Earth, spirit, fire: Korean masterpieces from the Choson dynasty (2000), Rapt in colour: Korean textiles and costumes of the Choson dynasty (1998), Evolution & Revolution: Chinese dress 1700s to 1990s (1997), In Her View: the photographs of Hedda Morrison in China and Sarawak 1933-67 (1993), and Post Mao Product: New Art from China (1992).

Claire was a curatorial adviser to the Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in 1993, 1996 and 1999. She played an active role in the formation of The Asian Arts Society of Australia and is currently a member of the Australia-China Council.

Bookings by Tuesday 3 July to
Email: karen.hickman@adelaide.edu.au
Telephone: 8303 4064

Seating is limited.

Admission is free and open to the public.

Paul Wilkins
Deputy University Librarian
Barr Smith Library