Art & Music - Brunei Gallery - The SOAS Collections

Celebrating Art and Music: The SOAS Collections was a centenary exhibition held at the Brunei Gallery from April to June 2017, marking 100 years of SOAS as an institution. Drawing upon material from the SOAS collections, it explored and acclaimed the visual and sound arts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, with a particular focus on the role of art and music in acts of celebration — showcasing the rich histories and dynamic contemporary practices of these regions while inquiring into connections between tangible and intangible cultural heritage. The exhibition was a multisensory experience that combined manuscripts, books, paintings, photographs, and three-dimensional objects with sound recordings, films, and other audio-visual displays, many of which were shown to the public for the first time. Curated by Anna Contadini, Head of the School of Arts, it was accompanied by a richly illustrated catalogue featuring twelve essays exploring the context and significance of the diverse exhibits on display.