Asian Phantasmagorian Show

July 2, 2018 10:34 PM

Ghosts and Hells: The Underworld in Asian Art Phantasmagoric delicacy marks the best of Enfers et fantômes d’Asie (Ghosts and Hells: The Underworld in Asian Art) at Musée du quai Branly. This sprawling show encompasses a wealth of sepulchral, shrouded spirits meandering Asia’s cultural purview: ranging from shadow puppetry, to ultra gory, Thai horror flick clips, through minimal Yase-otoko Noh masks of emaciated men, and flamboyant Kabuki theatre costumes. And much much more. At the Musée du quai Branly (37 Quai Branly, Paris) through July 15th, 2018.
posted by MovableBookLady (2 comments total)

This looks absolutely fascinating!

Here in Hong Kong it's rather normal to be walking through an older neighbourhood and see shops that sell paper models of goods the deceased will take to the afterlife, for example. I also distinctly remember my first smoke-alarm false alarm caused by the people below me burning hell money in a little brazier in the stairwell.

I wonder how much of this funerary and death-adjacent culture is going to change now that Hong Kong and other high-HDI Asian societies have so many elderly folks. Hong Kong's median age of 44 is one of the highest in the world and I routinely see people well into their 80s and even 90s just sort of out doing the shopping and picking up great-grandchildren from school, or out doing tai chi in the park in the morning. If many of these traditions and artistic themes come from a time when death was so much more prevalent, what happens when death becomes something that seems like it happens on a much more geologic timescale for most people in developed societies?

Thanks for posting!
posted by mdonley at 12:04 AM on July 3, 2018 [1 favorite]

There's more on Hell Money here. Often the notes carry their own images of the afterlife.
posted by Paul Slade at 1:34 AM on July 3, 2018