140sqm - Actual Visit!

I was able to go again and actually see the exhibit at 140sqm (http://www.140sqm.com/index.asp) (Knowing the location a bit better and actually going earlier in the day). This post goes on to detail my thoughts about it. As a side note, I decided to walk to People's Square after going to the exhibit, it took me a few hours as I was taking my time but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was nice to be able to get a better feel for the city. In any case, on with 140sqm!

The day that I ended up going was Sunday, March 9th. The exhibition was by an artist called Roland Fischer. My first notice of the place was simply how small the exhibition space was. I did really like it though, it was small, but well kept and in a neat area of town as well as being inside an incredibly cool building. Fischer puts people in almost all of his art and that was something I noticed fairly quickly as well. I wasn't too fond of the photos of women in water (pictures of their shoulders and head above the water) for any particular reason. I can see shooting for the natural beauty of women but I wasn't drawn to them for any real reason. Fischer also employed masses of people to create things such as a star, or simply in some cases as just a mass body of people in no particular shape. I did find the pieces with the headshots of soldiers to be intriguing, it was interesting to see this almost wall full of photos of soldiers. I also noticed that accompanying each photo was their actual name (or what I believed to be their actual name), so not only did these people all look the same at first glance because of their uniforms - but if you were to look further you would notice that they all had their own nuances and own identities. I did also find the pieces about architecture repetition to be pretty neat, it was interesting that they were buildings from all around the world (Didn't find the selection to be amazing, but I did find them appealing).

That pretty much makes up what I thought of 140sqm, it was a relatively small space and I tried to extend my visit for as long as I could, but I got antsy and ended up leaving after about 25 minutes. Overall, I'm impressed more by the location of the exhibit then the exhibit itself however, I did find the pieces to be intriguing and at least worth a look.

My attempt to go to the 140sqm gallery

Alright so I got the email Saturday about our assignment and how we had to go to either the 140sqm gallery or the Bund 18 Creative Center one. Only problem was I didn't know where I was going. So I went and asked Steven at the academic building, that was somewhat helpful but I still had no idea. So then I emailed our professor and she said that the travel was part of the adventure (to which I'm not surprised about at all, as it should be). By this point it was Tuesday and I was speaking to a friend of mine who had been here last semester and pointed out that I should try using Smartshanghai to map out where these places were. I was able to track down the website for the Bund 18 place (wasn't hard at all). So I eventually obtained the locations for these two places leading into Tuesday evening and I called the Bund 18 place to find out what time they closed but no answer so I ended up trying this again on Wednesday to find out they were open from 11am to 6pm. However, on Wednesday we have our 2 credit required class in the afternoon (which of course slightly late). But anyway by the time I left, I wasn't sure if I would make it for 6pm place. So I went to go to the 140sqm (Supposedly open till 7pm).

What that leads to is the first time that I traveled the world of the Shanghai subway system alone, I do have to say it was as much of a breeze as possible. With it being around 5pm and fairly dense it wasn't all that bad. I went to Zhong Shan park and took the 2 out to People's Square where I could transfer to the 1 to take that to Chang Su Lu. I did run into a few people who I believe were from England heading to the L.A. Galaxy football [soccer] game and chatted with them for a bit. After heading out of the subway stop I was able to get my bearings and find Baoqing lu and head down over to Fuxing lu. I found 1331 Fuxing lu but it was but another apartment building, this one was different though - the area was lit lowly and the place looked pretty much like a house. There were mail boxes inside and a dark corridor leading to an elevator. Being by myself, I was a bit unsure so I went to the Coldwell banker next door, asked them where 1331 fuxing zhong lu was and they pointed to the direction of the apartment building I had just come from. So I went back and happened to catch someone going in, asked them the same question (it happens that this person spoke English, that gave me a nice sigh of relief). So I treaded up to room 26 and saw a sign for 140sqm to the left. Then saw a sign for it, but what of course the lights were off. I did hear something from behind the door so I knocked a bit but to no avail. It looks as if they closed up shop a bit early that day (The website says they are open until 7 and I was there a bit after six). I will attempt my endeavor again on Friday and hope to obtain better results!

Although the best part may be that on the way back. I ended up speaking briefly to a Chinese man in the Subway, then talking to a lawyer from California that works here in Shanghai. But beyond that I went to grab a bite to eat for dinner and after that on my way out there was a English speaking person having trouble ordering. He explained that he wanted to have a beer while he was waiting for take out and it was great to be able to help both sides and order for him in Chinese and make the whole matter simpler. I felt fairly accomplished even though it's simple Chinese, but being able to help out just made me feel pretty good!

(Oh and if you're wondering why I didn't want to simply take a taxi, it's cause taxi's ruin all the fun. How the heck would I know where things were if I took taxi's all the time.)

Openings (1 March)

Opening: 4 -7 pm, Saturday,1st March, 2008
Roland Fischer's The Chinese Pool Portraits
www.140sqm.com
140sqm gallery
Fuxing zhong lu 1331,
near fenyang lu
room 26,200031

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Opening: 6pm, Saturday,1st March, 2008
Qiu Anxiong
at Bund 18 Creative Center
Bund 18, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Lu

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Jian Jun Zhang & Barbara show due to open Sept 4 at 140 Sq Meter

Alternative Landscape
New works by Zhang Jian-Jun and Barbara Edelstein
9.04 – 10.31. 2007
Opening: Wednesday, 2pm-6pm, 5th September, 2007
140sqm Gallery 1331 fuxing zhong lu 26 room ，near fenyang lu

this Sunday

Hi everyone,

on 5pm, 3rd June, this Sunday, 140 sq meter team is holding a
presentation from Lijiang Studio in the gallery. they will introduce
their studio, and few artists, who do residency programme there will
present their works . So, if you are free, come around...

www.lijiangstudio.org/
Lijiang Studio is a new international artists residency in the
mountains of NW Yunnan Province, China.

Defne