How do maps contribute to a sense of national and cultural identity? During the first decades of the nineteenth century, China was in a moment of transition, grappling with its geopolitical status as both an ancient and modern nation-state. It was in this moment that two series of large-format maps, one terrestrial and one celestial, were printed in the city of Suzhou. These maps were presented in an extraordinary format, on eight vertical sheets printed in the style of rubbings. Even more strikingly, they were rendered in a rich Prussian blue coloring. The blue maps were more than just visually astonishing. They also captured Chinese ideas about the relationship between terrestrial and celestial space, and provide insight today into how Chinese scholars and artists conceptualized the world around them. This exhibition considers these two blue maps in the context of their production, consumption, and functionality, revealing them as unique objects in the global history of mapmaking.URL: https://www.mocanyc.org/event/heaven-earth-the-blue-maps-of-[...]
