World’s 1st major exhibition on Lord Vishnu set to open in Nashville

“Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior”, said to be the first major museum exhibition to focus on the Hindu deity Vishnu, is ready to open at Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville (Tennessee, USA) on February 19, according to reports.

Hindus have applauded Frist Center for developing this Hinduism focused exhibition. Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that art had a long and rich tradition in Hinduism and ancient Sanskrit literature talked about religious paintings of deities on wood or cloth. It was a laudable step for Frist Center to provide opportunity to the world to further explore
Hinduism and its concepts, Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, pointed out.
 
Guest curated by Dr. Joan Cummins, Asian Art Curator at Brooklyn Museum (New York, USA), it introduces Vishnu to broader audiences through over 170 sculptures, paintings, prints and textiles created in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, going as far back as third century, and reveals the many ways Vishnu was portrayed and celebrated. It shall reportedly continue at Frist till May 29 and then move to Brooklyn Museum from June 24 to September 18.

According to a release, the first section of the exhibition, ‘Images of Vishnu’, introduces Vishnu in his primary form with subsections dedicated to his attributes, consorts and legends.  The second section, ‘The Avatars of Vishnu’, is devoted to Vishnu’s avatars (incarnations) explored as a group as well as individually.  The third section, ‘Worshiping Vishnu’, explores some of the ways the deity has been venerated over the centuries.  A companion exhibition, “Hindu Home Shrines: Creating Space for Personal Contemplation”, is also being organized.

Vishnu exhibition is sponsored by HCA and TriStar Family of Hospitals and First Tennessee Bank, and supported by National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) (a US federal government agency). Rajan Zed has urged NEA to fund more Hinduism centered art projects so that more Americans could immerse in the rich philosophy Hinduism offered.
 
"We are honored to organize and present Vishnu: Hinduism’s Blue-Skinned Savior, the first major exhibition to explore the Vaishnava tradition in art," said Frist Center Executive Director Dr. Susan H. Edwards.

The Frist Center, whose vision is “to inspire people through art”, has hosted a spectacular array of art from the region, the country, and around the world. William R. Frist is Chairman of Board of Trustees. Vishnu is “preserver” in the Hindu triad with Brahma and Shiva as the aspect of the Supreme. He had ten incarnations to establish dharma (divine law). Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

Source: Press Release