Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures: Programs


			PERFORMANCES, DEMONSTRATIONS, & ACTIVITIES \| FAMILY & YOUTH PROGRAMS \| FILMS LECTURES, CLASSES, & WORKSHOPS \| TEACHER WORKSHOP \| SPECIAL EVENTS

	Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul October 24, 2008– January 25, 2009 Lee, Hambrecht, Osher Galleries		PROGRAMS & EVENTS In conjunction with Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul, the Asian Art Museum will present a variety of programs inspired by the exhibition. Scroll down to see the full schedule, or use one of the quick links above.
			PERFORMANCES, DEMONSTRATIONS, & ACTIVITIES AsiaAlive: Digging Archaeology Fridays through Sundays, October 26 through January 25 12:00 noon–4:00 pm North Court Visit “digs” of ancient Afghanistan—join archaeologists from U.C. Berkeley’s Archaeological Research Facility (ARF) to learn how they discover lifestyles of past and present. Go on a field expedition, make an archaeologist’s field journal, ask questions, and find out how you can learn from an ordinary object from the past. To download the Archaeologist's Field Journal before you visit the museum, click here.
			Rumi & Rebab: An Evening of Poetry and Music Featuring Ustad Obaidulla Esar, Homayun Sakhi, and Salar Nadar Thursday, October 30 7:00 pm, Samsung Hall $15 members, $20 general (includes museum admission) Space is limited. Tickets will be available at www.asianart.org and Admissions Desk Ustad Essar, literature scholar and professor from Kabul University, recites the ancient poems of Rumi. He will be accompanied by Homayun Sakhi, master of the Afghan rebab (also known as rubab)--the double-chambered lute that is at the heart of Afghanistan's Pashtun klasik tradition. Salar Nadar will accompany Homayun Sakhi on tabla. Salahuddin Zekria provides translation.
	Photo: International Orphan Care		Knitting, Tea and Conversation Sunday, October 26, November 2, December 7 and January 4 1:00–4:00 pm, Education Resource Center FREE admission Join local members of afghans for Afghans on the first Sunday of every month during the run of the exhibition. Bring your knitting needles and wool yarn, and start (or finish) a project to send to Afghanistan; knowledgeable knitter Chris Motley from ImagiKnit will be on hand to help with projects. Knitting instructor, some needles and yarn generously provided by San Francisco's ImagiKnit. Supplies are limited, so please bring your own materials.
			The Kite-Runner: A Theatrical Reading Thursday, November 20 7:00 pm, Samsung Hall FREE with museum admission Matthew Spangler and student actors from San José State University present a staged reading of The Kite Runner, the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini. The Kite Runner was adapted as a stage play and directed by Professor Spangler as a full-length theatre production at San José State University in March 2007.
			FamILY & Youth PROGRAMS Fall Family Festival: Treasures of Afghanistan Sunday, October 26 10:30 am–4:00 pm Museum-wide FREE with museum admission Families throughout the Bay Area are invited to celebrate the artistic and cultural traditions of Afghanistan and Central Asia at the Asian Art Museum’s Fall Family Festival. An annual museum-wide event during which the cultural and artistic traditions of Asia come alive, the festival celebrates the parent-child relationship with a fun-filled day of engaging programs that promise to delight and excite the imaginations of both young and old.
			Artwork Restorations Sundays, November 2, December 7 and January 4 12:00–4:00 pm, North Court FREE admission made possible by Target. “Restore” an ancient object with representatives from the Association of the Preservation of Afghan Archaeology (APAA) and learn about the organization’s ongoing efforts in Afghanistan.
	Still from FRONTRUNNER. The Buddha Collapsed out of Shame Mir, the boy who plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan. © Phil Grabsky.		free film series Courtesy of National Geographic with the support of the Lee & Gund Foundation Sundays, November 2, December 7, and January 4, 11:00 am and 2:00 pm FREE admission. Samsung Hall. Please arrive early as space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free admission on first Sundays courtesy of Target Stores. For descriptions and updates, please view the expanded film schedule, which is subject to change without notice. All films will be shown on digital video disc (DVD) format. Presented in consultation with Margaret Parsons, Film Curator at the National Gallery of Art with the assistance of Nadia Tarzi, Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology. Offered in conjunction with the San Francisco Public Library's One City Four Films: On Afghanistan series. Sunday, November 2 Lost Treasures of Afghanistan, 11:00 am (Documentary by National Geographic Society, 2006, DVD, 55 minutes) Afghanistan Hidden Treasures, 12:00 PM (Documentary by National Geographic Society, 2008, DVD, 30 minutes) FRONTRUNNER, 2:00 pm (Documentary by Virginia Williams, 2008, DVD, Farsi with English subtitles, 90 minutes) Sunday, December 7 Buddha Collapsed Out of Shame, 11:00 am (Documentary by Hana Makhmalbaf, 2007, DVD, Farsi with subtitles, 81 minutes ) Kandahar, 2:00 pm (Feature film by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 2001, DVD, English, Farsi, Pashtu with subtitles, 85 minutes) Sunday, January 4, 2009 *The Boy Who Plays on the Buddhas of Bamiyan, 11:00 am (Documentary film directed by Phil Grabsky, 2004, DVD, 94 minutes, rated PG) Please note: this film is a replacement for the film originally scheduled, Earth and Ashes, which will not be shown in the series. The Giant Buddhas*, 2:00 pm (Documentary by Christian Frei, 2005, DVD, 95 minutes)
			LECTURES, CLASSES, & WORKSHOPS Lecture: "Hidden Treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan" Saturday, October 25, 2:30 pm Samsung Hall FREE with museum admission Limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis Guest curator Dr. Fredrik Hiebert of the National Geographic Society was present in 2004 when boxes from the National Museum of Afghanistan were opened for the first time in more than two decades. The boxes, kept safe in the basement of the presidential bank vault in Kabul, contained the prized artifacts from the destroyed museum. Thousands of gold and silver items, fragile ancient ivory carvings and imported Greek and Roman trade goods found in Afghanistan were preserved. Fred’s tale of rediscovery is one of both fabulous art from the center of the Silk Road and remarkable courage on the part of modern Afghans to preserve their own cultural heritage. Following the lecture, Dr. Hiebert will sign copies of the exhibition catalogue.
			Afghanistan: The Places in Between A talk by author, diplomat, and NGO executive Rory Stewart Thursday, November 13 Time to be confirmed, Samsung Hall $5 members; $17 general (includes museum admission) This program is sold out. Few Westerners in recent years have explored Afghanistan the way Rory Stewart has. In January 2002, Stewart walked across Afghanistan—surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. Along the way he met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. Stewart will share his insights about contemporary Afghanistan and discuss his current work as Chief Executive of the Turquoise Mountain Foundation, an organization he founded to help restore and rebuild the historic commercial center of Kabul. Stewart's account of his trek across Afghanistan is described in his book, The Places in Between.
			Recovering Afghanistan’s Past: Exhibition Preview and Panel Discussion in Dari Please note changes to this event outlined below Thursday, November 13 10:00 am–9:00 pm Afghanistan exhibition viewing, Ground Floor Galleries 6:00–6:30 pm Rebab music by Aziz Herawi, Samsung Hall 7:00–8:30 pm Panel Discussion in the Afghan language Dari, no English translation, Samsung Hall FREE with museum admission ($5 after 5:00 pm) Space limited for panel discussion. RSVP to (415) 581-3665 or email rsvp@apaa.info. This program kicks off Recovering Afghanistan’s Past, a conference organized in conjunction with the exhibition. Conference participants are invited to hear a short rebab (Afghan lute) concert and to visit the exhibition to study some of the objects that will be discussed during the conference on the Berkeley campus. Please note: Two of our invited speakers—Omara Khan Massoudi, Director General of Museums of Afghanistan and of the National Museum and Kabul Nader Rasouli, Director General of the Archaeology Institute of Afghanistan—are not able to attend this panel discussion or the conference. We regret very much any inconvenience and disappointment this causes. A revised program description follows: Members of the Afghan community are invited to a special panel discussion featuring two of Afghanistan’s most important cultural heritage specialists—Omar Sultan, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture, Afghanistan and Dr. Zemaryalai Tarzi, Director for the Bamiyan Archaeological Mission, President of Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology (APAA) and Professor Emeritus, Strasbourg University, France. This panel discussion is designed as a special outreach event for the Afghan community, and thus the discussion will be conducted in the Afghan language of Dari. No English translation will be provided, however, these same speakers will present in English or with English translation at the Berkeley conference on Friday, November 14 (see below). The conference is sponsored by several University of California Berkeley departments and research units, the Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology, the Society for Asian Art, and the Asian Art Museum.
			Conference at University of California, Berkeley: Recovering Afghanistan's Past Friday, November 14, 9 am to 5 pm Saturday, November 15, 9 am – 3:30 pm Chevron Auditorium, International House University of California, Berkeley FREE admission This conference will focus on Afghanistan’s cultural heritage in its past and present contexts and bring together scholars from various disciplines to address, among others, the following issues: the recovered objects from the National Museum; recent research and preservation/renovation projects; challenges of cultural heritage protection; the complexities of heritage; cultural heritage and nationalism; and cultural heritage and globalization. Click here for a detailed schedule. Sponsored by Center for Buddhist Studies (CBS), Al-Falah Program for Islamic Studies (CMES), Townsend Center for the Humanities, Center for South Asia Studies (CSAS), Institute of Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ISEEES), History of Art Department, Society for Asian Art, Association for the Protection of Afghan Archaeology (APAA), California State University-East Bay. Organized in conjunction with the special exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.
			Afghanistan Today: A Conversation with Mohammad Qayoumi Thursday, December 11 6:00–6:45pm docent tours of the exhibition 7:00–8:30 pm conversation in Samsung Hall FREE with museum admission ($5 after 5 pm). FREE for California State University, East Bay students with valid current student ID. Space on the docent tours and in Samsung Hall is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. In celebration of the special exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul Afghan-born scholar Mohammad H. Qayoumi will discuss the current political and cultural landscape of Afghanistan against the backdrop of the extraordinary exhibition of archaeological treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan, Kabul. Qayoumi is president of California State University, East Bay, where he is also a tenured professor of engineering. Qayoumi holds a PhD in electrical engineering from University of Cincinnati and master’s degrees in nuclear engineering, electrical and computer engineering, as well as an MBA in finance. Qayoumi has published eight books, more than 85 articles, and several chapters in various books, and has served his native country of Afghanistan in various financial capacities. He was the senior advisor to the Minister of Finance of Afghanistan from 2002 to 2005 and served on the board of directors for the Central Bank of Afghanistan from 2004 to 2007. Co-sponsored with California State University, East Bay.
			Community Speakers Program Sunday October 26, November 23, December 28 2:30 pm Education Studios FREE with museum admission Enjoy a lecture presented by one of the museum’s docents on the exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul.
			teacher workshop Teacher Workshop: Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan Sunday, November 9 9:00 am–12:30 pm Education Studios $20 (includes museum admission), pre-registration required Space limited to educators only For more information, e-mail schools@asianart.org or (415) 581-3697 For more than a millennium the trading centers of Afghanistan served as both a cultural hub and connecting point for several countries of Asia and the eastern Mediterranean. Afghanistan’s singular role in this context shaped both its history and its culture. Dr. Forrest McGill, the Asian Art Museum’s chief curator and Wattis Curator of South and Southeast Asian Art, and Dr. Sanjyot Mehendale, lecturer, Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley, will introduce the exhibition Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul and discuss the historical circumstances that produced these exquisite objects influenced by Hellenistic, Indian, Chinese, and Central Asian traditions. This event includes lectures, a docent-led tour of the special exhibition, and light refreshments. Teachers will also receive a special educator packet with content information, a CD of selected images, and suggested activities. This packet is provided to teachers attending the workshop and to teachers bringing their students on the school tour Hidden Treasures of Afghanistan.
			SPECIAL EVENTS Members’ Preview Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul Thursday, October 23, 2008 10:00 am– 9:00 pm See the exhibition before it opens to the public, at this special preview for Asian Art Museum members. Join or renew your museum membership.
			Opening Celebration for Afghanistan Friday, October 24 6:30 pm–9:30 pm FREE to Jade Circle and Avery Brundage Circle members; General $75 For tickets or more information, call (415) 581-3788 Join us for the exhibition's Opening Celebration featuring Afghan food, entertainment, and contemporary fashion from Waheeda's Libas.
			MATCHA: Afghanistan! Thursday, November 6 5 to 9 pm FREE with museum admission ($5 after 5 pm) The grand finale of MATCHA’s third season culminates with music, dance, and a sampling of food from Afghanistan. The evening also features a performance of traditional dance—including the Afghan national dance Attan—by the Bay Area’s own Ballet Afsaneh. Try your hand at making jewelry inspired by the ancient Bactrian gold on view in the exhibition, or mingle on docent tours of the exhibition and of the crossroads of East and West in the galleries.
			This exhibition was organized by the National Geographic Society and the National Gallery of Art in association with the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. This exhibition is supported by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman's Special Award and an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Presentation at the Asian Art Museum is made possible by the Bernard Osher Foundation, the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and Carmen M. Christensen. All of the works are from the National Museum of Afghanistan and are the sole property of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Media sponsors: Artworks (from top): Crown, Tillya Tepe, Tomb VI. 1st c BCE - 1st c CE. Gold and imitation turquoise. National Museum of Afghanistan, 04.40.50. Headdress ornament in the form of a ram, Tillya Tepe, Tomb IV. 1st c BCE - 1st c CE. Gold. National Museum of Afghanistan, 04.40.399. Goblet depicting figures harvesting dates, Begram, Room 10. 1st-2nd c BCE. Glass and paint. National Museum of Afghanistan, 04.4.43. Ornament for the neck of a robe, Tillya Tepe, Tomb V. 1st c BCE-1st c CE. Gold, turquoise, garnet, and pyrite. National Museum of Afghanistan, 04.40.140. Photos © Musée Guimet/Thierry Ollivier.