>> CATHY: THE MINNEAPOLIS INSTITUTE OF ART HAS A RENOWNED COLLECTION OF CHINESE BRONZE OBJECTS.

THESE ANCIENT VESSELS WERE USED TO MAKE OFFERINGS TO RELIGIOUS AND ANCESTRAL SPIRITS.

AN IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT AT MIA FEATURES THESE BRONZE ART OBJECTS.

"ETERNAL OFFERINGS" IS THE NAME OF THE INSTALLATION, AND IT OPENS THIS WEEKEND.

JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT "ETERNAL OFFERINGS" IS LOO YOUNG.

HE IS THE CURATOR OF CHINESE ART AT MIA.

SO NICE TO VOLUNTEER YOU HERE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

>> Cathy: THANK YOU.

MIA AS THIS WONDERFUL COLLECTION OF ANCIENT CHINESE ART, THE BRONZE VESSELS.

HOW IN THE WORLD DID IT COME TO MIA?

>> WE ARE SO GRATEFUL THAT ONE OF OUR PATRONS, OUR BENEFACTORS, PILLSBURY, ALFRED PILLSBURY COLLECTED THE CHINESE BRONZES IN BETWEEN 1920 THROUGH TO '50, BEFORE HE DIED.

HE COLLECTED MORE THAN 150 ARCHAIC CHINESE BRONZES.

OF COURSE HE DONATED ALL TO THE MUSEUM.

SO NOW THE COLLECTION OF CHINESE BRONZES, TOP THREE IN THIS COUNTRY.

>> Eric: YOU HAVE THE FELLOW THAT IS PUTTING THE EXHIBIT TOGETHER WITH THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS IS A ACADEMY AWARD WINNER.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

TIM YIP.

HE'S BEST KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE AS A DIRECTOR OF A SETTING, A FELL AME SETTING FOR "CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON," THAT RECEIVED AN ACADEMY WARD.

>> Eric: WE HAVE SOME SLIDES I THINK OF SOME OF THE OBJECTS.

MAYBE YOU CAN COMMENT ON WHAT WE'RE SEEING?

>> SO, YES, THIS IS A FOOT VESSEL THAT DATES TO 11TH CENTURY AROUND.

THAT WAS OF COURSE USED NOT FOR, AS A UTENSIL, BUT RATHER!

A GREAT SIGNIFICANTANCE OF A RITUAL.

THEY ARE CAST AND MAKING OFFERING TO ANCESTRAL SPIRITS.

IN THE CEREMONY.

AND O THAT -- YOU SEE THAT VERY MYSTERIOUS OWRNMENTS ON THE VESSEL, THOSE WERE USED TO HELP TO COMMUNICATE WITH ANCESTRAL SPIRITS.

>> Eric: I SEE.

>> YES.

>> Cathy: IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

>> Eric: A VASE?

OR WHAT'S THIS ONE?

>> THIS IS A WINE VESSEL.

SO A VISITOR WILL SEE A RANGE OF VESSELS IN VARIOUS SHAPES.

EACH FULFILL THEIR FUNCTIONS SERVING AS WATER VESSEL, WINE VESSEL, FOOD VESSEL.

THOSE WERE ON ISPLAYED IN ANCESTRAL TEMPLE OR IN THE SPECIAL CEREMONY.

>> Cathy: WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT THESE ARE BRONZE?

>> WELL, BRONZE THAT, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THE SO-CALLED BRONZE AGE IN CHINA, THERE WAS SEVERAL THOSE YEARS OF SO-CALLED JADE AGE.

BUT THEN THE TASTE, AESTHETIC SHIFTED FROM JADE TO BRONZES.

AND SO THE BRONZE WAS SO VALUED AND TO MAKE VESSELS SERVED AS A OFFERINGS TO -- >> Cathy: NOW, THIS EXHIBIT SOUNDS FANTASTIC BECAUSE IT'S AN IMG PERCENTIVE EXPERIENCE.

IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THAT TO PEOPLE?

>> IN THE ORDINARY SHOW, THE VESSELS WILL BE ORGANIZED CHRONOLOGICALLY, SUPPORTED DI DABBING TICKS AND TICKS LABELINGS, BUT THIS TIME WE WANTED O IMAGINE THESE ANCIENT BRONS AND TRYING TO PUT THEM IN THE ORIGINAL CONTEXTS.

WE SAW THESE BRONZES QUITE OFTEN IN A MUSEUM, BUT THESE ARE DIVORCED FROM THEIR ORIGINAL CONTEXT.

WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE THIS KIND OF IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE, TO HAVE THE VISITORS IN THAT KIND OF CONTEXT TO ENGAGE IN MULTISENSORY KIND OF EXPERIENCE.

>> Eric: IS THIS THE KIND OF EXHIBIT YOU COULD TAKE ON THE ROAD?

I DON'T KNOW, WOULD IT BE SOMETHING THAT IN CHINA OR ASIA WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO FOLKS THERE OR IS THAT IN THE PLAN AT ALL?

>> WELL, IT'S VERY UNIQUE, BECAUSE THE -- IT'S ALL DESIGNED, BASED ON OUR GALLERIES.

SO IT'S NOT THAT EASY BECAUSE THE SPECIAL EXPEDITION SPACE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT MUSEUM.

>> Eric: MUSEUM TO MUSEUM, IT'D BE DIFFERENT.

YEAH, SURE.

>> O IN THIS INSTALLATION, THAT WE HAVE SEVEN GALLERIES, THAT WILL BE USED.

EACH EMBODIES A FACET OF THE RITUAL ENACTED TO HONOR ANCESTRAL SPIRITS.

EACH IS SO DIFFERENT, ALMOST LIKE A FILM SETTING.

I'M SURE YOU WOULD NEVER SEE A STILL LIKE THAT BEFORE.

>> Cathy: IS THIS BECOMING MORE COMMON IN MUSEUM SETTINGS TO ENGAGE MAYBE MORE OF A YOUNGER PATRON PERHAPS?

>> I'M SURE THAT WILL BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE SEE THOSE BRONZES OFTEN IN A MUSEUM SETTING, BUT THEY'RE ALL IN THE BEAUTIFUL SHOWCASES, DETACHED FROM THEIR ORIGINAL CONTEXT.

SO WHAT THEY WERE MADE FOR IN WHAT KIND OF SETTING THEY ARE WERE USED, THAT'S THE SHOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT KIND OF SETTING AND THE ENVIRONMENT FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY AND TO LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.

>> Eric: AND THE DATES AND THE TIBTS TICKETED AND SO FORTH ARE AVAILABLE ON THE MIA WEBSITE.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.