Today I have the Museum of Contemporary Tibetan Art at Emmen visited.
A little after eleven I arrived at the museum that artist Venerable Tashi Norbu established in 2017. It is the world's first museum dedicated exclusively to Tibetan art.
The reception volunteer had already noticed from my bicycle flags that I was coming by with a 'mission' and called artistic and executive director Tashi Norbu there.
We first took some photos in front of the museum. Then I was given an audio tour that gave detailed explanations of the symbolism of the artworks and the artists' backgrounds. Too bad I can't reproduce this now.
It included many works by Tashi itself.
I took ample time to watch everything carefully and also filmed some of the works.
Tashi Norbu grew up in Tibet. He received training as a traditional Thanka painter. He worked for a time in Dharamsala, India, the home of the Dalai Lama. He painted a Thanka depicting the Dalai Lama, which currently belongs to the collection of the World Museum in Rotterdam.
From a young age, he felt he had the Buddhist path wanted to walk the path and entered a monastery as the eldest son as a monk. Afterwards, he also accompanied his younger brothers to the monastery. The motif of a older monk taking a younger one by the hand holds recur regularly in his work.
Thereafter, Tashi studied contemporary art at the Saint-Lucas institute of fine arts in Ghent. He then worked at the SMAK, the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent, then managed by the Belgian 'art pope' Jan Hoet. Tashi told me that those two years had a great influence on his further artistic development. He also has Belgian citizenship.
In 2017, he founded the Mocta on in Emmen. There he also has his atelier and a meditation room. He guides all kinds of activities there, such as workshops, lectures, seminars, retreats and festivals, always with a spiritual angle.
The museum makes a cooperation between east and west possible. It embraces the West with a message of world peace and harmony and calls for exploring perceptions, feelings and prejudices. Tashi's works deal with human rights in a free world, where people can live together in peace and harmony and with respect for the environment.
When I finished my visit, Tashi did a brief meditation for/with me to wish me prosperity on the continuation of my bike ride(s). For me at least, that works very motivating. Negative experiences on the road slipped away from me. Tashi made a video of the puja meditation for travellers that you can watch below. Close your eyes and get carried away....
Thank you very much - Thuk ye she, Ven. Tashi Norbu!
www.tashinorbu.com — https://www.facebook.com/ltashinorbu - Instagram: @TashiNorbuArt
And herewith also a warm call from me to visit this special museum. It receives only about a thousand visitors a year. That's a pity because you are guaranteed to leave with recharged energy.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
