Archival exhibitions: cross-border cultural exchange and collaboration

Abstract

As an effective means of cultural communication and a medium for collaboration and exchange, archival exhibitions have proved a growing phenomenon unique to this industry. Instead of remaining a cultural event, the archival exhibition now serves to promote cross-cultural, cross-border and cross-industry collaboration. Exhibitions connect us to the past and the future, celebrate common values, share experiences, improve the national and urban image and showcase the magnificence of cultural diversity. Shanghai Municipal Archives has been making successful and meaningful attempts in this regard. For example the ‘Chinese Communists in the Eyes of Foreign Journalists’ exhibition demonstrated the significance of sharing archival resources internationally and also made possible our collaboration with the libraries and archival departments of prestigious educational institutions in Europe and America; ‘Rabindranath Tagore in China’ and ‘India-China-India’ revealed overwhelmingly the power of archival cultural com...