The new exhibition at the Rubin Museum, Death is not the endis a cross-cultural exploration of death and the afterlife through the art of Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity.
Featuring prints, oil paintings, bone ornaments, thangka paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts and ritual objects, the exhibition brings together 58 objects spanning 12 centuries from the Rubin Museum’s collection as well as works of art on loan from private collections and major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum. of Art, the Morgan Library and Museum, the Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp, the Wellcome Collection in London, the Nelson-Atkins Museum in Kansas City, the San Antonio Museum of Art, etc.
Death is not the end invites contemplation of the universal human condition of impermanence and the desire to continue to exist and is organized around three main themes: the Human Condition, or the shared understanding of our mortality in this world; the intermediate states, or the concepts of limbo, purgatory and bardo; and (After) Life, focusing on resurrection, ideas of transformation, and heaven.
By pairing artwork from Christianity – the most familiar cultural setting in the United States – with that of Buddhism, a lesser-known visual culture in the West, we highlight universal common ground and encourage visitor research. when they interact with these various objects. I hope this exhibition will inspire conversations about the sometimes difficult or uncomfortable subject of what comes after life, as well as about respecting different perspectives and approaches.
Elena Pakhoutova, Senior Curator of Himalayan Art
Death is not the end is on view at Rubin Museum in New York until January 14, 2024.
Find out more and plan your visit at rubinmuseum.org.
