The New Old showcases recent acquisitions at SAAM, most of them Chinese scrolls and pastoral scenes, some dating back to the 17th century. A few cause I-must-be-in-the-wrong-gallery confusion, since The New New is displayed on the other side of the museum entryway. In Sightseeing at Lake Tai (1962), for instance, it takes a few minutes to spot the icon of modernity in a traditional landscapea tiny radio tower in an otherwise rural, bucolic setting. (The Cultural Revolution is only four years off.) Another small vista from 1924 also requires some pondering: Why is it unlike the other works in the room? Its framed, Western style, reflecting Chinas sudden opening to the outside world after the imperial era. But some things never change. A 17th-century calligraphy scroll illustrates a Letter on the controversy over seating protocol at some forgotten imperial outpost; the hierarchies of who sits where will be familiar to anyone accustomed to maneuvering toward the donut box at their weekly office staff meeting. BRIAN MILLER
Wednesdays, Fridays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Starts: Dec. 16. Continues through Nov. 28, 2009
