Opening August 8, 6 – 8 pm
Join us for an exhibition presenting documentary photographs and videos that portray Tzu Chi’s involvement in the New York area across the decades.
10:30 am- 6 pm
From moments of solace in times of crisis to acts of kindness that bridge divides and collaborations that celebrate shared humanity, these images create a compelling collage, expressing Tzu Chi’s enduring and heartfelt care for humanity in our perpetually changing times.
As Tzu Chi’s altruistic spirit and initiatives have touched the New York community, the city’s resilient inhabitants continually shape and enrich Tzu Chi’s mission. Especially in the face of adversity, New Yorkers exhibit an inner strength and unity that resonate deeply with Tzu Chi’s core principles of compassion and universal love. This exhibition is a tribute to a deeply rooted and ever-growing bond.
“Till Echoes Can Be Heard” also features artwork and projects from several artists. Their creations provide different humanistic perspectives to explore how individuals can embrace goodwill and responsibility and participate in positive social change. At the same time, viewers can meditate on the interconnectedness within the rich yet complex cultural environment of New York, where individuals encounter each other and the times intensely and daily.
Featured works by
Terry Berkowitz’s (“Remains of the Day”) is a meditation on isolation during the pandemic. The artist took nearly 200 photographs during daily walks through mostly deserted streets and parks in New York City and elsewhere. To connect with others during this extraordinary time, she shared an image a day on social media.
Z.Y. (“Here and There”) utilizes an iconic visual symbol for New Yorkers – the MetroCard – as the base for his art. He draws daily life scenes on discarded cards collected all over the city.
Xiang Yang (“Traveling Stools”) creates stools from discarded antique furniture. The transformation of the abandoned objects is an allegory for reincarnation. The work has traveled internationally, with New York as its current stop.
Norah Lin (“Humans of Chinatown”), a New York high school student, features interviews and portraits of older individuals involved in Tzu Chi’s food distributions. The project promotes cultural continuity by preserving a community’s heritage.
Peter Lin (“Original Face”), who participates in and documents Tzu Chi’s disaster relief and community assistance activities, shares photos that zoom directly into the heart, capturing the flow of emotion between Tzu Chi volunteers and care recipients.
Daryn Huang (“The Masked Odyssey”) presents an installation created from now-expired face masks and medical shoe covers garnered to support New York’s needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming them into a testament to suffering and resilience.
Lihua Chen (“Hi Strangers”) uses her new immigrant identity to explore an unfamiliar society. Her art project acts as a communication tool that can break cultural barriers and encourage the kindness of strangers.
Terry Berkowitz’s (“Remains of the Day”) is a meditation on isolation during the pandemic. The artist took nearly 200 photographs during daily walks through mostly deserted streets and parks in New York City and elsewhere. To connect with others during this extraordinary time, she shared an image a day on social media.
Xiang Yang (“Traveling Stools”) creates stools from discarded antique furniture. The transformation of the abandoned objects is an allegory for reincarnation. The work has traveled internationally, with New York as its current stop.
Peter Lin (“Original Face”), who participates in and documents Tzu Chi’s disaster relief and community assistance activities, shares photos that zoom directly into the heart, capturing the flow of emotion between Tzu Chi volunteers and care recipients.
Lihua Chen (“Hi Strangers”) uses her new immigrant identity to explore an unfamiliar society. Her art project acts as a communication tool that can break cultural barriers and encourage the kindness of strangers. uses her new immigrant identity to explore an unfamiliar society. Her art project acts as a communication tool that can break cultural barriers and encourage the kindness of strangers.
Y. (“Here and There”) utilizes an iconic visual symbol for New Yorkers – the MetroCard – as the base for his art. He draws daily life scenes on discarded cards collected all over the city.
Norah Lin (“Humans of Chinatown”), a New York high school student, features interviews and portraits of older individuals involved in Tzu Chi’s food distributions. The project promotes cultural continuity by preserving a community’s heritage.
Daryn Huang (“The Masked Odyssey”) presents an installation created from now-expired face masks and medical shoe covers garnered to support New York’s needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, transforming them into a testament to suffering and resilience.
Collectively, the exhibition’s content and three distinct galleries, “Connection Through Care,” “Clear Sight, New Perspectives,” and “Serving With Compassion: Tzu Chi’s Humanitarian Aid in New York,” explore identity, belonging, and the interaction between different cultures and religions. It reminds us that in today’s diverse society, “compassion” signifies openness and acceptance, and “relief” calls on each individual to speak out in solidarity, promoting individual and societal responsibility within the context of globalization. “Till Echoes Can Be Heard,” the exhibition’s title, asks us to reflect on how if everyone embraced compassion, acted kindly, and collaborated, it would surely generate broader and more profound positive effects.
About Tzu Chi
The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to relieve the suffering of those in need while creating a better world for all through compassion, love, and hope.
Tzu Chi, the Chinese characters in its very name meaning “compassion” and “relief,” began its humble journey in 1966 in Taiwan and expanded to the United States in 1989, when the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation established Tzu Chi USA, its first overseas chapter.
For this global organization dedicated to alleviating suffering and fostering love, New York is a pivotal location for providing community services and humanitarian aid. With its international stature, this city offers an ideal window through which Tzu Chi can convey its belief in “compassion and relief” to the world.
We hope to see you soon.
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