From 20th-century China to Melbourne: Celebrating history in Arts West’s object-based learning labs

As time passes, our memories fade and become fragmented, leaving us with tangible objects as the most enduring way to connect with the past.

Located within Arts West's Object-based Learning (OBL) labs, the ‘Learning from the Arts of East Asia’ exhibition embodies this sentiment. It showcases items from three of the University’s collections – the Baillieu Library’s Rare East Asian collection, the University Art Collection, and the School of Culture and Communication’s Visual Cultures Resource Centre Collection, enabling students to engage with 20th-century China in their classes. From art magazine covers to ink and brushes as well as vintage cameras, the exhibition encompasses an extensive range of various objects, offering a unique insight into this period.

The exhibition's curation involved extensive collaboration between students and faculty. Students enrolled in the subject Modern and Contemporary Chinese Art (AHIS20022) taught by Professor Claire Roberts, an art historian and curator with a particular interest in modern and contemporary Chinese art, played a pivotal role in researching a diverse range of historical items. In pairs, they traced the origins of these items and researched their cultural significance.

The project was supervised by Professor Roberts together with subject tutor and Art History PhD student Genevieve Trail. According to Professor Roberts, the responsibilities of the students closely mirrored those of professional curators: They grappled with questions related to ownership and conducted research to confirm the accuracy of related documentation prepared at the time of their creation.

Professor Roberts emphasised the significance of teamwork in the project.

She explained: “We wanted to orchestrate small group learning and encourage cross-cultural conversations between non-native and native Chinese speakers. This approach allowed students to gain insights into translation issues and word choices through interaction with their peers.”

Student viewing the display in the OBL lab. Photo by: Christian Capurro

One of the student volunteers who seized the opportunity to be involved was third-year Bachelor of Arts student Lucinda Papas. "My teammate, Jiahe Yi, and I chose to delve into ceramic statuettes and a small photo album. We meticulously examined these objects, translating available captions and referring to additional resources when needed. With our findings, we crafted 300-word descriptions for each item, which were then incorporated as individual labels in the exhibition," she said.

Meanwhile, another key participant of the project, third-year Bachelor of Arts student Charles Haozhe Wang, took on a different role. Collaborating with fellow student Sophia Kaleski, he conducted research on Model Revolutionary Operas, which were programs initiated by Chairman Mao Zedong's wife, Jiang Qing, to depict the milieu within art and literature circles during the Cultural Revolution. In this process, he was able to directly interact with the various displayed artefacts that were linked to these productions, among them a 1970 version of the revolutionary propaganda ballet, ‘The Red Detachment of Women’, in English and a plastic doll manufactured in Hong Kong with militia garments.

Charles and all the students involved in the research project actively engaged in discussions with Professor Roberts and tutor, Genevieve Trail, to ensure the visual rhythm of objects within the display cabinets in the OBL Lab as part of the curation process. This involved making important decisions regarding the organisation of the objects and utilising relevant, engaging keywords in the object labels to entice viewers.

Ceramics from China, Korea, and Japan on display in the OBL lab. Photo by: Christian Capurro

The project provided all participants with a first-hand glimpse into the world of exhibition curation, offering them valuable insights into their future aspirations.