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Musical diplomacy
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Nov 1, 2008
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Musical diplomacy
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It is said that music is a universal language that transcends
boundaries. For this reason, it has always played an important
role in communication and cultural exchange between
different nations around the world.
One example of this is the weeklong outdoor "Germany
Promenade" music festival to be held this month, which is part
of the friendship-building "Germany and China – Moving Ahead
Together" project.
In August 2007, a series of interactive programs between
the two countries, focusing on areas such as economy, technology,
education and culture, was officially launched in the hope
of increasing mutual understanding and establishing a foundation
for long-term cooperation.
After being successfully held in Nanjing and Chongqing, the
project came to Guangzhou in late September, bringing with it
business opportunities, new concepts and traditional German
culture to the PRD region. For music lovers, it's the chance to
witne ... ... |
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Get that Oriental feeling
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Nov 1, 2008
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Get that Oriental feeling
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"It's fair to say that Trio Tarana is without precedent in the
world of improvised music," says AllAboutJazz.com. And
that's no overstatement as you listen to their creative interpretations
of various Asian musical traditions, which include the
music of Japanese Taiko Drum Ensembles, Afghani folk songs,
Hindu chants and North/South Indian rhythm cycles.
Such diversity benefits greatly from the extensive musical knowledge
of Ravish Momin, percussionist/composer as well as the trio's
soul. Born in India and now living in New York City - the world's
cultural melting pot, Momin had long wanted to create music that
could not only utilize his Indian roots, but also reflect the diverse
influences of the wide range of great musicians he has played with.
Trio Tarana was created in 2003 to accurately mirror Momin's hybrid
identity of music.
With violinist Sam Bardfeld and oud/lute player Brandon Terzic
joining in, the diversity of their music has bee ... ... |
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Let's talk about love
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : By Shane Qin
Nov 1, 2008
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Let’s talk about love
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we all know something about Beijing opera, but what most of
us don't know that it was greatly influenced by the style of
Kunqu opera, which has a much longer history of more than
600 years. Originating in the Kunshan region of Jiangsu Province,
Kunqu opera has a complete system of acting and its own distinctive
tunes. Because of this, it was named as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and
Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO in 2001.
Over centuries, a great many works have been created in the Kunqu
opera repertoire. "The Peach Blossom Fan" written by Kong Shangren
in 1699 is considered one of the best. Set in Nanjing against the backdrop
of the handover of power from the Ming Dynasty to Qing Dynasty,
the play tells the story of the beautiful courtesan Li Xiangjun and the
scholar Hou Fangyu, with a peach blossom folding fan representing the
couple's love and separation – a reflection of dramatic social changes.
To pay homage to t ... ... |
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Outside looking in
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Nov 1, 2008
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Outside looking in
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Let's face it, we all love to look into the lives of
others (hence the popularity of reality shows). And
now, German-Romanian artist Daniel Knorr is inviting people
to have a peek into his own life. But it's nothing like The Truman
Show, as we don't see him, but instead view his existence
through a little LED device. So how does it work then?
In theory, this works by him switching on and off the device,
which is installed on a pedestal, through the Internet or mobile
phone when the artist wakes up or goes to bed. When the
light goes on, we know that he's
awake, and he sleeps with the light off. That's why the show is called
"Awake – Asleep".
"The idea is to materialize my (human) communication with elec-
tronic
systems in public and private places by sending the primitive
message of '1 and 0' from one end to another. The LED device tries
to implement another rhythm into society or the private life of someone
else, according ... ... |
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Nothing sacred
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Oct 29, 2008
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Nothing sacred
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Lacking a high-profile art scene like Beijing or Shanghai,
Shenzhen is not a city where one gets to see celebrated
artists everyday. Therefore, it was quite remarkable to see the
headliners of the Chinese contemporary art world – along with
a number of noted international curators – gather in the city
for the opening ceremony of the OCT Art & Design Gallery in
Nanshan District.
That "China's first design-themed gallery" opened in
Shenzhen reflected the city's leading position in the Chinese
design industry. Its establishment also completed the "art triangle"
of the OCT Group, the Shenzhen-based real estate
behemoth and enthusiastic art promoter. The triangle's other
two points are the He Xiangning Art Museum, which has
developed into a national-standard museum, and the OCT
Contemporary Art Terminal, which features cutting-edge modern
art.
The OCT Art & Design Gallery, focusing on avant garde
design ideas, i ... ... |
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Time for a rethink
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Sep 1, 2008
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elieve it or not, the Guangzhoubased
Guangdong Museum of
Art (GDMoA) is now the biggest
collector of contemporary art in China
(despite the fact that many people still
consider Guangzhou a "cultural desert")
due to the PRD's liberal atmosphere and
open-mindness. And it is the enormous
success of the grand-scale Guangzhou
Triennial that must be thanked for taking
the GDMoA to the top of the Chinese art
scene.
In 2002, the First Guangzhou Triennial
was held by the GDMoA as China's
second greatest contemporary art exhibition
after the Shanghai Biennale.
With little official participation, the
independently financed Guangzhou
Triennial was allowed to be quite a bit
edgier than its Shanghai counterpart.
Entitled "Reinterpretation: A Decade of
Experimental Chinese Art," it made a
striking debut by giving a systematic introduction
to the most significant contemporary
Chinese works created between
... ... |
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Dance with sweat
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : by Shane Qin
Jul 7, 2008
Tags :
art
arts
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With this year's May Day holiday shrunk from a whole week to only 3 days, many events during the period have been more or less affected. Therefore, anxious audiences in Guangzhou might wonder what has happened to the long-awaited Guangdong Modern Dance Festival (GMDF).
"Without the week-long holiday, participants from other parts of China will not be able to travel to Guangzhou. So we have deliberately rescheduled the event to the beginning of the summer holidays," explains Kwong Wailap, the Program Director of GMDF.
As a result, the 5th GMDF, hosted by the Xinghai Performing Arts Development Group and co-organized by some of China's important performance units, is taking place in fervent July for the first time. Hot news for hungry artsy crowds!
Started in 2004 in Guangzhou - the cradle of modern dance in China, this annual stage event has been widely welcomed for its effort in introducing local aud ... ... |
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The power of music
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Jul 7, 2008
Tags :
music
art
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Apparently, China's huge market offers enormous opportunities for Western-style musicals regardless of the language barrier, the country's seemingly underdeveloped facilities and operating systems. It's said that the number of musicals performed in China and their audiences are both on the rise annually.
Commercial success have been made through a non-stop line-up of musical tours in recent years, such as "Mamma Mia", "Cats", as well as "The King and I", "42nd Street" (both shows were rehearsed and debuted in Shenzhen) and a Chinese version of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." presented by Gotham-based Broadway Asia Entertainment.
The Broadway Asia Entertainment (BAE) was created in 2005 by bringing together Broadway Asia Company and the Baruch/Frankel/Routh/Viertel Group. As the world's leading producer behind great shows like "Hairspray", "The Producer" and & ... ... |
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The bearable lightness of being
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Shane Qin
Jun 5, 2008
Tags :
contemporary arts
sculpture
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| When talking about classic Italian sculpture one can easily visualize epic marble statues from ancient Roman times or Michelangelo's majestic 'David' from the Renaissance Period. But, by late 19th century, sculptors in Italy had already began experimenting with new mediums (with aesthetic meanings) in the hope of breaking new ground.
With advanced materials and technologies invented, Italian contemporary sculpture in the past century has gained a kind of revo- lutionary presentation. However, little of it known by the rest of the world because there were so few Italian artists able to hold decent exhibitions outside the country.
To fill the gap, an ongoing exhibition at Shenzhen's He Xiangning Art Museum, entitled "Subtle Energies of Matter – Italian Contemporary Sculpture International Review", offers the public the opportunity to learn about the development of Italian contemporary sculpture.
It showcases altogether 50 works of 31 Ita ... ... |
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Hey superstar Banksy!
Art+Culture / Arts
Written by : Han Ming Jie
Jun 5, 2008
Tags :
arts
graffiti
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| If you're British, or if you have lived in Great Britain at some point over the past 10 years, then you'll know all about Banksy.
For the rest, however, the name Banksy may well be meaningless or, at best, vaguely associated with the post-pop-art world.
In that case, let us fill you in. Banksy is the undisputed hero of the graffiti art scene. But we're not talking handles' sprayed on carriages or Day-Glo collages daubed under bridges. Banksy's graffiti art is somethng else altogether – it stops you on the street and makes you think. It's also startlingly fresh. And best of all, it's ickedly devilish in its execution.
We'd like to tell you his real name. We'd even love to show you a picture of him on this page. But the truth is, obody really knows his real name, much less what he looks like. Banksy is an artist's mystery. But it's all for a purpose. Being, technically, a criminal – "a defacer of public property" – is one way of putting it, but Bank ... ... |
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