How are contemporary artists, east and west, conveying and transforming the soul, philosophy and aesthetics of the classical traditions as they create their own work today? How are those traditions being consciously renewed and how do they remain active and alive in the modern world? Which traces of the old ink of centuries past are inspirational still? The Music of Ink was a unique and experimental event at the British Museum in June 2005. It brought together well-known contemporary artists from Beijing, Dublin and London: literary artists Yang Lian and Romesh Gunesekera; visual artists Qu Lei Lei and Denis Brown; and performing artists Zeng Laide and Rohan de Saram The artists were invited to explore the creative links between the classical and the contemporary, both in their own work and with special regard to China. This book will delight readers who are interested in traditional and contemporary art, calligraphy, literature and music.