A trip with my daughter to the Minsheng Museum to see the history of video art in China
Read MoreSome Random Notes on Filmmaking, Art, Music, and Identity
I just watched a great film on that very subject, the Banksy documentary "Exit Through the Gift Shop" about the underground filmmaker Thierry Guetta (if you can call him that--film collector is more accurate) who turned his obsession for filming street artists into a career as a "street artist." I wonder if people who film documentaries about artists aren't themselves aspiring to be the artist in the film. Of course we can all agree that Jia Zhangke is already an accomplished "artist," in that the films he makes have an artistic quality to them.
Read MoreExcavating China's Collective Unconscious: Some Good Contemporary Chinese Art Shows at Shanghai's Moganshan Art District
JJ's show opened on Sept 6 and I was there to witness his performance piece called "water". This involved the projection of several historical photos of famous Chinese political figures, including of course Chairman Mao, on a blank wall while JJ used water and a large brush to paint images on the wall. These images faded along with the projections and were then written over or juxtaposed with each other to form a watery impression of recent Chinese history. He used water as a motif throughout the performance, painting waves and also projecting images of waves on the wall along with the historic figures.
Read MorePlaying with Noise: A Weekend of Art and Rock in Beijing
Beijing is the capital of the PRC. Most folks know the city as the political center of the Chinese world. And of course the seat of the 2008 Olympics. Fewer people living abroad are aware that Beijing is also a leading center of a growing arts and live music culture that is also global in its orientation and scope. This weekend while on a trip to reconnect with bands and other people who appear in my film Down: Indie Rock in the PRC, I also reconnected with the amazing world of art that this city offers.
Read MoreShanghai in May: A Renewed Love Affair with the City
May has arrived in Shanghai, and with it the best weather this city offers. The trees are all in full leafy array. Birds twitter in the parks. The skies are generally sunny, and the air is warm but not yet hot and sultry. A cool breeze blows through the city, keeping the air as clean as a metropolis of 20 million residents could be.
Read MoreTianzifang: A Close Look at Shanghai’s “Creative Art Park”
Shanghai's Taikang Road has become a magnet for art galleries for some time, but I didn’t realize until recently that many of the old rowhouse apartments in the neighborhood between Taikang Road and Jianguo Road have been renovated and turned into shops, galleries, cafes, and restaurants--several hundred and growing.
Read MoreAnother Week of Rock, Art, and Beauty in Beijing
It was another whirlwind week in the dusty capital, folks. Here are some of the highlights.
Read MoreThe Ullens Center and Chinese New Wave Art from the 1980s
Last night I attended the opening party for the new Ullens Center in the 798 Arts District in Beijing. The Ullens Center takes up a large factory space across from the bookstore/cafe Timezone 8. It has been nicely renovated and painted in white. The center functions as a museum and knowledge center for Chinese arts, showcasing the Ullens collection.
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