Now on view, Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade takes a deep dive into the links between the opium trade and the Chinese art market between the 18th and 20th centuries. This multifaceted exhibition also considers the part opium played in the discriminatory Chinese Exclusion Act in the United States; turns a critical lens on the role Boston-area collectors played in the opium trade; and traces connections to today’s opioid crisis.

In this video, curator Sarah Laursen introduces the exhibition and reflects on how much she learned about the history of the museums’ collecting practices—and how to move forward.   

Plan your visit today to see this fascinating, thought-provoking exhibition.

Long brown pipe with decorated bowl at one end.

EXHIBITION

Objects of Addiction

Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade is now on view through January 14, 2024. In our calendar, you’ll find several related programs that address how the commodities of opium and Chinese art had profound effects on the global economy, cultural landscape, and education—and in the case of opium, on public health and immigration—that still reverberate today.

WORKSHOP

Healing through Drama Therapy

Join us this Saturday, September 16 to take part in a workshop designed to challenge participants’ ideas about addiction through a drama therapy model. Led by drama therapists Ana Bess Moyer Bell and Amy Lazier of the artist collective 2nd Act.  
 
AT NIGHT

September At Night

Save the date for Harvard Art Museums at Night on Thursday, September 28! Reserve your spot for a free evening to explore our new exhibitions, enjoy a beer from Notch Brewing with friends, or learn more about objects on view in our Spotlight Tours.

A white marble sculpture depicts a woman in a loosely draped garment with eyes closed; she leans heavily on a staff at her right side and her left hand is cupped to her ear.

INDEX

Perspectives in Conservation

Check out this newly published article in Index magazine to learn about the intriguing figure of Nydia, a sculpture representing a heroine from a 19th-century novel. Conservation fellow Adrienne Gendron recently treated the sculpture, and she shares the thoughtful considerations behind her conservation approach. You can visit Nydia, the Blind Flower Girl of Pompeii on Level 2!

LECTURE

Perspectives on the Opioid Crisis in New England

On Sunday, September 24, we invite you to a discussion about the current opioid crisis, featuring specialists in addiction medicine, harm reduction, and public health policy. Admission is free, but seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

TOUR

A Look Within

Join us for a guided tour of the exhibition Seeing in Art and Medicine, on Saturday, September 23, with curators Jen Thum and Laura Muir. They will offer insights about the museums’ medical humanities program for radiologists—on which the exhibition is based—the curatorial process, and what can be gleaned through close looking.