Exhibition Opening for Harbin, China|PAST/PRESENT

eventually left the home they had created there. In this exhibition, Harbin’s Jewish past is presented in historic photographs and personal stories. In the 1890s, the Trans-Siberian Railway turned the small fishing village in northeastern China into a thriving city, shaped by the interaction of Jews, Russians, Chinese and others. But by the early 1960s, the last Jewish families had left Harbin, leaving behind synagogues, schools, a hospital and more as they immigrated to the United States, Israel and elsewhere. Today, a new appreciation for this history has spurred restoration and commemoration of the Jewish history of Harbin.
Steven Lane, a New York artist, has been making art in Beijing and Harbin since 1985. In Harbin, he often uses the former synagogues as temporary studio spaces. Lane’s art in this exhibition focuses on his painting over and reusing of originals and copies of Chinese newspapers, posters and books from the 1960s, which he purchases from markets in Beijing and Harbin.
This evening reception will mark the opening of the exhibition, and include remarks from Steven Lane and the exhibition curator.