At least 300 year old paintings
The exhibition is based on a masterpiece from MAS’s own collection, the Sarvavid Vairocana Mandala. This is a unique series of paintings which are at least 300 years old, all of them separate works of art. The fact that they remained together males them particularly special. Nowhere else in the world has a collection like it; a full series of 54 paintings.
Learn to Meditate
Together, these paintings form a guide to meditation on a mandala, a representation of the cosmos. The belief that the divine Buddha Sarvavid Vairocana is present in the mandala is central. The images depict what is being built in the mind of a meditator, something that is rarely, or never displayed. This exceptional series was made for the teaching of a Chinese Prince. In 2014 the series was the subject of the exhibition ‘The All-Knowing Buddha, A Secret Guide’ at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York, which specialises in Himalayan art. The findings of their experts, including the discovery that some parts of the paintings date back to the 14th Century, are compiled in a catalogue that is also on display in this exhibition. A selection of bronze statues, thanka’s (scroll paintings) and ritual objects help to clarify the content of the paintings in the exhibition.
Mindfulness, yoga and meditation
Through public activities and a contemporary piece of art, the MAS refers to places of silence and the search for peace in our own busy society. Find a wealth of tranquility in Antwerp with the silence app, relate to the ritual of the creation of a colourful sand mandala by Tibetan monks, and sign up for yoga and mindfulness in the MAS. The exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in Tibetan Buddhism, and also to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enjoy tranquility. Tip! The last Wednesday of the month you can visit the exhibition free of charge up to 19:00pm.
You can download the visitors guide for the exhibition
.
