“A thought-provoking matchup of Buddhist and Christian treatments of death.” - The New York Times

“...a remarkably expansive exhibition in which even the smallest moments reverberate with wit, gravity, and purpose.” - The New York Sun

Death Is Not the End is a cross-cultural exhibition that explores notions of death and afterlife through the art of Tibetan Buddhism and Christianity. During a time of great global turmoil, loss, and uncertainty, the exhibition invites contemplation of the universal human condition of impermanence and the desire to continue to exist.

The exhibition features prints, oil paintings, bone ornaments, thangka paintings, sculptures, illuminated manuscripts, and ritual items, and brings together 58 objects spanning 12 centuries from the Rubin Museum’s collection alongside artworks on loan from private collections and major institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Morgan Library and Museum, Museum aan de Stroom in Antwerp, Wellcome Collection in London, Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, San Antonio Museum of Art, and more.

The exhibition is organized around three major themes: the Human Condition, or the shared understanding of our mortality in this world; States In-Between, or the concepts of limbo, purgatory, and bardo; and (After)life, focusing on resurrection, ideas of transformation, and heaven.

Curated by Elena Pakhoutova

Death Is Not the End is supported by the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, Ellen Bayard Weedon Foundation, Robert Lehman Foundation, and The Prospect Hill Foundation.

The Rubin Museum’s programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of Governor Kathy Hochcul and the New York State Legislature.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Exhibition Date: March 17, 2023 – January 14, 2024

Location: The Rubin Museum of Art

150 West 17th Street

New York, NY 10011

Museum Hours

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: Closed

Wednesday: Closed

Thursday: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM

Saturday/Sunday: 11:00 AM–5:00 PM

Admissions: 

Adults: $19.00

Seniors: $14.00 (Free every first Thursday of the month)

Students: $14.00

Visitors with disabilities: $14.00 (care partner free of charge) 

Children (12 and younger): Free

Members: Free

Every Friday, 6:00–10:00 p.m: Free

Purchase Museum Admission

Reserve Free Friday Night Tickets

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