Jawshing Arthur Liou (b.1968) works with photography, video and electronic imaging. Much of the artist’s oeuvre is related to Buddhist concepts of impermanence, and meditations on nature and spirituality. Coping with the loss of his daughter to illness in 2007, Liou turned to a path of spiritual reflection and religious sanctuary.
Kora March 3rd ed. (2012) is a video about kora, a type of pilgrimage and a type of meditation in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Kora is performed by making a walking circumambulation around a temple, stupa or other sacred site, and may be performed while spinning prayer wheels, chanting mantra, counting mala or repeatedly prostrating oneself. The video is made on Mount Kailash, located 900 miles west of Lhasa, considered by many as the most sacred mountain in Asia, and worshipped as the centre of the spiritual realm by four religions – Buddhism, Hinduism, Bön, and Jainism. Pilgrims believe that by circling Mount Kailash by way of an arduous 34 mile-long path, one can cleanse the sins of a lifetime. In summer 2011, Liou embarked on a four-week expedition to western Tibet, including a four-day around Kailash. This video is part of “Cernuschi Video Art #3: Transmissions” at ASIA NOW 2019 in Paris.
