“Beijing Meets Salem”

Among the Peabody Essex Museum’s current exhibitions is Mahjong: Contemporary Chinese Art from the Sigg Collection, which features many artworks from Beijing. It covers the periods from Mao’s Cultural Revolution to the latest Consumer Revolution. I have seen the show and attended two panel discussions on Chinese Contemporary Art. I feel personally connected to these events since I am originally from Beijing and now live in Salem. I grew up in Beijing during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976. The exhibition reminds me somewhat of those fearful moments but makes me laugh at the same time. I enjoyed the painting "Chanel No 5”, which reminds me of my years as a Little Red Guard holding the Little Red Book. It also makes me think of the Chanel poster with Nicole Kidman that I saw at the bus stops in Paris when I was living there during 2007 and 2008. They look quite different, but I guess the fragrance is the same.