IGNCA organizes ‘Fascinated by the Orient: Life and Works of Sir Marc Aurel Stein’ exhibition

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IGNCA organizes ‘Fascinated by the Orient: Life and Works of Sir Marc Aurel Stein’ exhibition
New Delhi, March 24, 2015: ‘Fascinated by the Orient: Life and Works of Sir Marc Aurel Stein’ opened today at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi. The exhibition, being hosted by IGNCA and The Hungarian Culture Centre in India is a tribute to Stein, a towering name in the field of Indology, archaeology and art history. The exhibition presents around 100 finest photographs taken by him, maps, and manuscripts, which he collected during this expeditions to the Silk Route and Central Asia. This remarkable collection of his work has been sourced exclusively from the Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and other Hungarian collections where it has been preserved.
Shri Salman Haider, Former Indian Foreign Secretary, and Former India’s High Commissioner to London inaugurated the exhibition. Shri Salman Haider commented on the occasion “It’s a pleasure to be a part of this evocative exhibition, which showcases huge cultural diaspora from India. Aurel Stein in one of his memoirs on Central Asian
desert describes how he found a pit, basically rubbish dump, and found great evidence on how people lived in that era. We have had the benefit of being the repository of rich collection of artifacts from Central Asia and I encourage all to see what India possesses.”Dr. Agnes Kelecsenyi, scholar and curator of the exhibition said “Stein was a benefactor of the library and preserved some of the finest artifacts and memoirs of that era. The exhibition has about 10 dedicated boards illustrating the Hungarian interest of the Orient, his family, education background and some of his notable expeditions including the Central Asian, Iranian and the Archaeological Survey of
The purpose of the exhibition is to reach out to the audience who have interest in exploration, archaeology, cross -border culture and to highlight the life and legacy of Aurel Stein who like, Xuanzang- the traveler and scholar travelled through the inhospitable Silk Route. Not many know that the National Museum has preserved around 12000 artifacts depicting the explorations of Stein.
Expressing delight at the occasion Member Secretary, IGNCA Dipali Khanna said, “With this exhibition IGNCA aims to highlight the works of great Sir Aurel Stein, who with his explorations contributed to the Archaeological Survey of India in a big way. I’m sure that his works will not only inspire and influence today’s generation but will also set a benchmark of perfection for future generations to come. And by collaborating with like-minded institutions, IGNCA seeks to enlarge its network and academic interaction.”
About IGNCA:
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, is an academic research institution, dedicated to all forms of art. The arts here are understood to comprise the fields of creative and critical literature, written and oral; the visual arts, ranging from architecture, sculpture, painting and graphics to general material culture, photography and film; the performing arts of music, dance research, publication, training, creative activities and performance, the IGNCA seeks to place the arts within the context of the natural and human environment through and interdisciplinary

approach.

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