Between Europe and Asia: Traditional Music and Costumes from Central Asia, Caucasus and the Middle East

The European Continent and Asia are geographically connected. They were the breeding grounds of the oldest civilizations in the world, and their histories and cultures are widely known today. The countries and peoples lying between Europe and Asia, however, have been intertwined with the ancient civilizations throughout their long histories, giving rise to rich cultures of art and music. Recollecting The Silk Road photography exhibition three years ago, the Center for the Arts, in collaboration with the Library and the MTPC, features the lively melodies and dazzling colors from Central Asia, the Caucasus and the Middle East through their traditional musical instruments and costumes in this exhibition. In addition to the physical displays, the exhibition provides brief descriptions of the ethnic groups and their unique musical styles of these three regions, highlighting the diversity of their cultures and customs. Because of this diversity, the exhibition is by no means exhaustive, and we hope to make up for the shortcoming in the future.

During the planning process, we conceived a multimedia exhibition in order to allow visitors to have fun trying the traditional costumes on virtually and participate in the creation of exotic music and color patterns. This interactive experience will be an integral part of the soon-to-be-completed HKUST Shaw Auditorium, and we look forward to bringing more multi-sensory effects to the audience in the new venue.

This exhibition is a major event of HKUST Arts Festival 2021 “Art, Despite the Pandemic”, for details of all the events, please visit https://artsctr.ust.hk/home.

Organizers
HKUST Center for the Arts
HKUST Lee Shau Kee Library
HKUST Media Technology and Publishing Center