Perception practices of Mogao cave art: sacral space, mural representation, and modern museum interpretation

Abstract

The article examines the transformation of art perception practices at the Mogao Caves (Dunhuang, Gansu Province) from the sacral-ritual experience of medieval Buddhism to the museum representations of the 20th-21st centuries. The purpose of this study is to reconstruct the diachronic dynamics of these practices. As a result, three modes of perception are identified. The first is defined as sacral-ritual, based on the spectator’s bodily humility and meditative visualization within the architectural space of the cave. The second is characterized as a transitional narrative-aesthetic mode, in which the mural acquires the properties of a readable visual narrative. The third is described as the modern museum-excursion mode, associated with the inclusion of Mogao imagery in museum representations and scenographic contexts. The scientific novelty of the work lies in considering the art of the Mogao Caves not merely as a collection of iconographic and stylistic forms, but as a system of historically changing perception practices. The results highlight a structural rupture between the sacral and modern modes of perceiving the Mogao heritage.

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About this article

Publication history

• Received: June 16, 2026.
• Published: July 28, 2026.

Keywords

• пещеры Могао
• практики восприятия
• иконография летящих апсар
• архитектурное пространство
• музейная репрезентация
• Mogao Caves
• perception practices
• iconography of flying apsaras
• architectural space
• museum representation

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