Invited Lectures by Sarah Magnatta
Traditionally, Tibetan artistic depictions of the Dalai Lamas highlighted the lineage of the mast... more Traditionally, Tibetan artistic depictions of the Dalai Lamas highlighted the lineage of the master teacher, emphasizing the legitimacy of the institution’s rule rather than a close likeness of the individual man. Today, an explosion of multifaceted imagery of the current and Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, showcases a recognizable international figure. Different audiences, media, and contexts for his image coincide with the leader’s shifting role in the political, social, and religious spheres. His portrait (and access to that portrait) has changed as well, largely due to the introduction of photography, the internet, and social media. This presentation will explore several images of previous incarnations and the current Dalai Lama, evaluating both intended functions of the imagery as well as audience reception.
Conference Presentations by Sarah Magnatta
Panel Organizer, Museums and Community Conversations, American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting... more Panel Organizer, Museums and Community Conversations, American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting and Museum Expo, Phoenix, AZ, May 6-9
Engaging Himalayan Visual Culture (panel), Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, Himalayan... more Engaging Himalayan Visual Culture (panel), Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies, Himalayan Studies Conference V, Boulder, CO, September 1-4, 2017
How do we acknowledge the role of sacred art or artifacts in a religious tradition while allowing... more How do we acknowledge the role of sacred art or artifacts in a religious tradition while allowing secular visitors to interpret them from different points of view? How do we work with school groups around these objects? What emotions, controversies, or misunderstandings might arise; conversely, what learning opportunities do sacred objects provide?
Panel Co-organizer, Association for Asian Studies Annual Conference, Chicago, IL March 26-29, 2015
Southwest Conference on Asian Studies and Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs, joint conference, ... more Southwest Conference on Asian Studies and Midwest Conference on Asian Affairs, joint conference, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, October 3-5
Publications by Sarah Magnatta
“Disrupted Bodies and Regeneration” in H.G. Masters and Elaine W. Ng, editors, Tales of Muted Sp... more “Disrupted Bodies and Regeneration” in H.G. Masters and Elaine W. Ng, editors, Tales of Muted Spirits, Dispersed Threads, Twisted Shangri-La (catalog for Nepal Pavilion at the Venice Biennale) Hong Kong: Art Asia Pacific
Yeshe: A Journal of Tibetan Literature, Arts and Humanities, 2022
Routledge Handbook of Asian Transnationalism, 2022
Artist Tenzing Rigdol references Tibetan self-immolation in two very different works. The large-s... more Artist Tenzing Rigdol references Tibetan self-immolation in two very different works. The large-scale black-and-white painting Kirti: From the Ashes of Agony (2011) is a narrative of disruption. A self-immolator on the left side (Tibet) causes varied reactions on the right side (exile) of both shock and indifference. In contrast, My World Is in Your Blind Spot (2014)—five brightly-colored collaged panels with silhouettes of buddhas in meditative postures—is a contemplative composition honoring those who sacrificed. This essay examines the two different approaches by Rigdol, an artist navigating self-immolations occurring in Tibet while living in the Tibetan diaspora.
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Invited Lectures by Sarah Magnatta
Conference Presentations by Sarah Magnatta
Publications by Sarah Magnatta
Rauschenberg: Reflections and Ruminations
Published by the Museum of Outdoor Arts in conjunction with its presentation of the exhibition: Rauschenberg: Reflections and Ruminations
Exhibition and catalog produced for the Museum of Outdoor Arts