Paper Dialogues

Date/Time:
Saturday, May 28, 2022
10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Offer:
General Admission for 2 — This booking gets you General Admission for 2 people at ASI during museum hours. You'll get access to the Paper Dialogues exhibition, plus the historic Turnblad Mansion and other exhibits. Stop by the admission desk with your mobile pass or printed pass to receive admission stickers.

Event Details:

Paper Dialogues: The Dragon and Our Stories

Throughout both Nordic and Chinese history, the dragon looms large, and this February, the American Swedish Institute will host an exhibition that explores the similarities between Nordic and Chinese culture and tradition through an art form that traces its roots back more than 1500 years.

Danish papercut artist Karin Bit Vejle (Bit), and Chinese artist and Professor Xiaoguang Qiao (Professor Qiao), began their cross-cultural collaboration in 2010. Over more than a decade, the partnership between Bit and Professor Qiao grew to become a world-traveling exhibition that explores the intersections of art, culture, and tradition through papercuts that are impressively intricate and at times massive in scale.

?The collaboration has been a learning process. We haven't been able to talk directly to one another, but we have decoded each other and created a different kind of dialogue. I feel that I have seen his heart ? that we look into each other's soul. It has been fantastic to get to know another papercutting artist, a different culture and a different country like this.? ? Bit

Bit and Professor Qiao approach their shared vision through varied styles of presentation. For example, Bit employs lighting and shadow to bring a three-dimensional presence to two-dimensional work mounted between panes of glass, while Professor Qiao's 30-foot papercut dragon winds its way through space, commanding attention, and reverence.

For Paper Dialogues, Bit and Professor Qiao are joined by Layla May Arthur and Emma Reid, artists from Jersey in the British Channel Islands. Their work will be on display throughout Nelson Cultural Center and Turnblad Mansion on the campus of the American Swedish Institute. The exhibition will be accompanied by educational workshops and events that encourage papercut artists of all skills and experiences to join the conversation, and those unfamiliar with the art form to discover something new. The American Swedish Institute is the second stop on the exhibition?s US tour.

Paper Dialogues will be joined on ASI's campus by Thermal, an exhibition of movement, form, and sound featuring the work of local paper artist Kim Heidkamp alongside ARENA Dances performing the work of Mathew Janczewski, and Our Dragon Story, ASI's newest Family Gallery installation designed with local students.

Visitors may recognize Bit's style from her 2014 ASI exhibition, Papercut! The Incredible Psaligraphy of Karen Bit Vejle.

Exhibition Supporters

Paper Dialogues is produced in partnership with ArtHouse Jersey and the Museum for Papirkunst. The exhibition is presented by Fredrikson & Byron. Major support was provided by the Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, Karin Larson, and ASI's members and donors. Additional support was provided by Minnesota Center for Book Arts. The exhibition's media partner is the Star Tribune.

COVID-19 Vaccination and Masking Policy

Please visit asimn.org to learn about ASI's Health & Safety policies. Policies are subject to change.

Location:
American Swedish Institute
2600 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Hours of Operation:
Museum (Turnblad Mansion & Osher Gallery) and Museum Store:
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10 am - 4 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm

FIKA Café:
Monday and Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday: 10 am - 3 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday: 10 am - 4 pm
Lunch Service: 11 am - 3 pm
Counter Service: 10 am - 4 pm, The Counter will offer the beverage menu during non-serving hours.

The Museum, Cafe, and Store are closed New Years Day, 4th of July, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and December 26.

Parking Information:
Free parking is available in our surface parking lot, located at 27th Street and Park Avenue. Accessible parking is available on the northeast side of the parking lot. Free street parking is readily available on Park Avenue, Portland Avenue and 27th Street.

Accessibility Information:
ASI offers accessible parking, restrooms, listening amplification, and elevator service. Manual wheelchairs are available on request. Sign language interpreters can be arranged with notice and certified service animals are welcome. For more information, call 612-871-4907.

Organization Details:

Nearly 90 years ago, a new immigrant to Minnesota had a vision to create a vibrant cultural gathering place. Established in 1929, ASI has evolved into a dynamic arts and cultural center that welcomes all people to gather and share experiences around themes of culture, migration, the environment, and the arts; informed by enduring links to Sweden. From the gallery spaces, featuring local and international exhibitions, to the lively programming set in the historic Turnblad Mansion, to the shop, and award winning restaurant and café – there are many ways to see yourself at ASI and be part of this story.

Reserve a Pass

Offer: General Admission for 2 — This booking gets you General Admission for 2 people at ASI during museum hours. You'll get access to the Paper Dialogues exhibition, plus the historic Turnblad Mansion and other exhibits. Stop by the admission desk with your mobile pass or printed pass to receive admission stickers.

Date/Time: Saturday, May 28, 2022 10:00 am

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