Il Grande Vuoto at MAO Torino: A Cross-Disciplinary Exhibition Inspired by Buddhist Emptiness

The Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin launches a new phase under director Davide Quadrio with "Il Grande Vuoto – dal suono all’immagine," a cross-disciplinary exhibition exploring Buddhist emptiness. The show features a light installation traversing ritual objects (a Tibetan ceremonial apron made of human bones, 17th–18th c., and a Chinese octagonal pagoda reliquary, 10th–12th c.), leading to a 15th-century Tibetan thangka of Maitreya from the Kagyu school. The final room presents immersive photographs from Paola Pivi's archive depicting tulku (living Buddhas), with a soundscape by Vittorio Montalti and pianist Gloria Campaner. The exhibition includes a film by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam. A performance series opened on June 1 with Hatis Noit, wearing a garment by Maurizio Anzeri made of hair, performing ecstatic vocals. Upcoming events include Amosphère on June 30 and KyoShinDo taiko drummers on September 4.