back in beijing
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Sunday, February 25, 2007
"My love is a 187"
Mark Bradford's work in show at the luggage store gallery, SF
installation by Mickalene Thomas
for more photos see my flickr
heading into the city
oh how I miss the sunny and blue skies of california...especially when driving over the bay bridge from oakland into san francisco. nobody ever really believes me but I really do think the light quality in california is somehow different from anywhere else. It is not just that it is sunny and clear, but there is something distinct about the light--it is strong but not too strong, and lends a distinct quality that exudes a certain kind of sharpness and deep color. I guess living here one gets used to it, but after being away for a long time and coming back it is really noticeable...but of course this is enhanced by the fact that the light quality in beijing is akin to seeing everything through a grey wool blanket due to the pollution.
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Happy New Year! 恭喜发财
It's pig time! Being born in the year of the pig, it is an important year for me...now investing in red socks and underwear to fend off the evil spirits. Let's hope for a good year!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
capital museum beijing
strange mural/diorama type thing inside the Beijing city history section of the Capital Museum
Friday, February 16, 2007
春节 Spring Festival
it's starting to get real quiet around my neighborhood as shops shut down and everyone goes home for the holidays. I myself am boarding a plane in a few hours headed back to SF/Oakland for a week...more to come from that side of the ocean!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
an art-filled saturday
Had a crazy day of art events this past saturday, of those days where you just move with the crowd from one event to another, gossiping and socializing and whatnot. A somewhat typical weekend in the Beijing artworld I suppose. I don't normally do the gossipy name-dropping blogging bit but I will indulge for a moment this time.
It started at 2:30pm with an event to announce/promote/publicize the Shanghai Art Fair which will take place this fall. Held in the LAN, the new Phillippe Starck designed restaurant in Guomao, it was the place to see and be seen. Glasses of wine flowed freely and everywhere little groups of artists, curators, collectors, writers, dealers, etc were tucked away in plush upholstered sofas noshing on pastries or sipping wine surrounded by dim "mood" lighting. It felt like a nightclub except it was 3 in the afternoon. I arrived when they were doing the speeches and announcements but I proceeded to talk and chat with folks I hadn't seen in awhile so I missed most of what was being said. No matter, since most weren't listening anyway. I was invited by Shanghai artist Zhou Tiehai who is involved in the artfair somehow. I am asking him to work on a magazine project I am putting together so I needed to show him a copy of this month's issue of the magazine, but I only managed to grab him for a minute before I was leaving since he was hopping around meeting this person and that person and talking on the phone.
From there Hong Hao, Liu Ding and Carol and I piled into Yu Tianhong's car to head out to 798 to the opening at Long March Space. I texted Rania and Wei to tell them I was on my way and to try to meet there. Again I arrived during the speeches so I missed what that was all about too. I think they were recapping the events at the Yan'an Forum they held last year (and from which the artwork in the show was based). Upon arrival I bumped into Qiu Zhijie who just returned from his solo show in New York and chatted with Colin about museum curating stuff. Qiu gave me a copy of his new catalogue (I helped with some of the translations) and we walked around the show. Most of it was so-so, but I liked Wang Wei's video piece and Yan Lei's installation in the "new" long march gallery space.
Rania and Wei showed up and we tried to hit up Lu Jie for a meeting with The Contractors but it didn't fly so well. I texted Carol and Liu Ding to see if they were ready to move to the next place but they were in a meeting so...with Rania behind the wheel of the Jeep, we headed out to Cao Chang di to the opening at Urs Meile. At Meile there was a solo show by Wang Xingwei, an extremely interesting and talented artist based in Shanghai. I am also talking to him about being in my show and so was curious to see this new work. He had a new body of work that was really fascinating and, in his usual chameleonlike way, looked almost nothing like his previous work. He had also turned a regular painting show into an installation since there were walls put up everywhere so that when you stood and looked at one painting it was not possible to see others in the same room. Brilliantly executed.
I bumped into a fellow Fulbrighter Henri who I hadn't seen since the orientation last June in D.C. and talked for awhile with Li Songsong, Bea Leanza, Nataline, Xie Nanxing, etc. The last opening I went to at Meile was in November when Constantine was here and this time it was much the same: hang out until the crowds have mostly left and then off to dinner at Ai Weiwei's restaurant Qu Na'r. Rania and Wei were headed to a party in Wang Peng's studio in Beigao but I had promised Yu Tianhong, Carol and Liu Ding I would meet up with them at the restaurant so we said our goodbyes.
It was a nice dinner, but it is impossible to eat Chinese food and long narrow table, always passing back and forth, a bit hard to get enough food to eat. Thankfully we were at the end of the table and out of the hubbub but also got shafted on the food tip. Anyway, it was nice to chat with Yu Tianhong and catch up since we had been meaning to meet up for dinner for a long time. It was also great because I finally got to touch base with Ai Weiwei in person about my show too. Around 10pm things were starting to wind down (or up?) as the artist Wang Xingwei was stumbling drunk, nearly passed and with many others not far behind him. I texted Rania and Wei to see if they were up to come back into the city for a mellow drink but I was also super exhausted from all the non-stop socializing and was contemplating heading home. I eventually left the revelers behind at the restaurant and jumped into a taxi...homebound at last.
It started at 2:30pm with an event to announce/promote/publicize the Shanghai Art Fair which will take place this fall. Held in the LAN, the new Phillippe Starck designed restaurant in Guomao, it was the place to see and be seen. Glasses of wine flowed freely and everywhere little groups of artists, curators, collectors, writers, dealers, etc were tucked away in plush upholstered sofas noshing on pastries or sipping wine surrounded by dim "mood" lighting. It felt like a nightclub except it was 3 in the afternoon. I arrived when they were doing the speeches and announcements but I proceeded to talk and chat with folks I hadn't seen in awhile so I missed most of what was being said. No matter, since most weren't listening anyway. I was invited by Shanghai artist Zhou Tiehai who is involved in the artfair somehow. I am asking him to work on a magazine project I am putting together so I needed to show him a copy of this month's issue of the magazine, but I only managed to grab him for a minute before I was leaving since he was hopping around meeting this person and that person and talking on the phone.
From there Hong Hao, Liu Ding and Carol and I piled into Yu Tianhong's car to head out to 798 to the opening at Long March Space. I texted Rania and Wei to tell them I was on my way and to try to meet there. Again I arrived during the speeches so I missed what that was all about too. I think they were recapping the events at the Yan'an Forum they held last year (and from which the artwork in the show was based). Upon arrival I bumped into Qiu Zhijie who just returned from his solo show in New York and chatted with Colin about museum curating stuff. Qiu gave me a copy of his new catalogue (I helped with some of the translations) and we walked around the show. Most of it was so-so, but I liked Wang Wei's video piece and Yan Lei's installation in the "new" long march gallery space.
Rania and Wei showed up and we tried to hit up Lu Jie for a meeting with The Contractors but it didn't fly so well. I texted Carol and Liu Ding to see if they were ready to move to the next place but they were in a meeting so...with Rania behind the wheel of the Jeep, we headed out to Cao Chang di to the opening at Urs Meile. At Meile there was a solo show by Wang Xingwei, an extremely interesting and talented artist based in Shanghai. I am also talking to him about being in my show and so was curious to see this new work. He had a new body of work that was really fascinating and, in his usual chameleonlike way, looked almost nothing like his previous work. He had also turned a regular painting show into an installation since there were walls put up everywhere so that when you stood and looked at one painting it was not possible to see others in the same room. Brilliantly executed.
I bumped into a fellow Fulbrighter Henri who I hadn't seen since the orientation last June in D.C. and talked for awhile with Li Songsong, Bea Leanza, Nataline, Xie Nanxing, etc. The last opening I went to at Meile was in November when Constantine was here and this time it was much the same: hang out until the crowds have mostly left and then off to dinner at Ai Weiwei's restaurant Qu Na'r. Rania and Wei were headed to a party in Wang Peng's studio in Beigao but I had promised Yu Tianhong, Carol and Liu Ding I would meet up with them at the restaurant so we said our goodbyes.
It was a nice dinner, but it is impossible to eat Chinese food and long narrow table, always passing back and forth, a bit hard to get enough food to eat. Thankfully we were at the end of the table and out of the hubbub but also got shafted on the food tip. Anyway, it was nice to chat with Yu Tianhong and catch up since we had been meaning to meet up for dinner for a long time. It was also great because I finally got to touch base with Ai Weiwei in person about my show too. Around 10pm things were starting to wind down (or up?) as the artist Wang Xingwei was stumbling drunk, nearly passed and with many others not far behind him. I texted Rania and Wei to see if they were up to come back into the city for a mellow drink but I was also super exhausted from all the non-stop socializing and was contemplating heading home. I eventually left the revelers behind at the restaurant and jumped into a taxi...homebound at last.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
flea market finds
buddha's hand citron, not really a flea market find but some woman had a whole box of them on the street right outside
my new fave teapot. may not be the most practical design but it looks very cool, very minguo
panjiayuan antique market
cool clocks
the hooded caper strikes again...actually just Wei looking at a camera
Thursday, February 01, 2007
abstrakt office
is it an abstract form of an office or an office of abstraction? aahhh, the fun with signs never ends...
nike art?
notice the "swoop" in the upper right corner...this is the Nike space inside the 798 arts district. one might ask what Nike shoes has to do with having an art space but we all know that 1) Nike is far more than just a shoe company and 2)the pervasiveness of corporate culture into the arts is nothing new. I noticed this space being built over the past months and always wondered what it was, now I know. sort of. I mean it isn't really a proper art space, or an office...maybe more like a showcase or display venue for new products? or a space to hold rave parties? anyway, I guess it is just a way for them to have a marked "presence" in the hip new arts scene
