Bizart this Fall

9月SEPTEMBER 2007

2007皮埃.埃尔创作奖提名展
2007 Pierre Huber Creation Prize
Nominees Exhibition
Opening: September 4th, 2007, Tuesday 18:30
Press Conference: September 4th, 2007, Tuesday 19:00
Exhibition dates: September 5th to 10th, 2007, from 11:00 to 18:00

Organizer: China Art Academy
Co-organizer: New Media Art Department, China Art Academy
Venue: BizArt Art Center
Nominated artists:
Dong Dayuan, Jiang Zhuyun, Lu Yang, Shi Chuan, Wang Xin, Ma Xiaoxiao,
Sun Huiyuan, Xiao Yuankun

About Pierre Huber New Media Art Creation Prize and Fund

On September 7th, 2006, Mr. Pierre Huber met with the students of the
New Media Art Deparment of the China Art Academy and inquired about the
education situation.
In view of stimulating New Media Art Creation, education and diffusion,
as well as encouraging and supporting creative activities of the new
media art students, Mr. Pierre Huber founded the "Pierre Huber" New
Media Art Creation Prize and Fund.

The grant will finance a small management group in charge of
supervising the use of the fund, and formulate a regulation system.

Part of the grant will fund the "Pierre Huber New Media Art Creation
Prize" to support over the years the creativity of outstanding
students. Three prizes will be awarded to the students.
Fund will also be used to support students' creativity: students will
directly submit their project which will be examinated and subsidized
by the management group. At last, part of the grant will finance
studies of prominent new media art students with family difficulties.
Reward process will be composed of two phases: first, teachers will
nominate skillful students, who will participate to an exhibition. The
second phase will be the final selection by a jury made of renowned
curators and artists.
Jury will be composed of five members selected each year from a list,
members will change from a year to another.

Jury members list:
Beijing: Fei Dawei, Pili, Karen Smith, Wang Gongxin, Lu Jie
Shanghai: Zhang Qing, Zhou Tiehai, Xu Zhen, Yang Zhenzhong, Lorenz
Helbling, Chen Jieyang, Lin Shumin, Yang Fudong
Guangzhou: Huang Zhuan
Abroad: Hou Hanru (U.S.A., France, China), Hans Ulrich-Obrist (U.S.A.,
France), Barbara London (U.S.A.), Zheng Shengtian (Canada), Yves
Aupetitallot (France), Zhang Ga (U.S.A., China).

韩国艺术家朴芝恩和中国艺术家李平虎的展览
Exhibition of Jee Eun Park (Korea) and Li Pinghu (China)

Opening: September 14th, 2007, Friday (18:30)
Exhibition Dates: September 15th � September 28th, 2007 (11:00 � 18:00)

Exhibition of the artworks produced by Korean artist, Jee Eun Park,
during her residency in BizArt and the works produced by Chinese
artist, Li Pinghu, during his residency in Ssamzie Space, Seoul. The
exhibition will be held in September in BizArt for one week.

10月October 2007
仔细想想，昨天你究竟干嘛去了？ -- 施勇个展
Let's think, where have you been yesterday? --Shi Yong's solo
exhibition

开幕时间：2007年10月12日，星期五 (18：30)
展览时间：2007年10月13日-10月22日 （11：00 � 18：00）

Opening: October 12nd, 2007, Friday (18:30)
Exhibition Dates: October 13rd �October 22nd, 2007 (11:00 � 18:00)

往事 � 被遗忘的时光
6位印尼艺术家阐释的印尼历史， 1930-1960
The Past - The Forgotten Time
Six Indonesian artists interpret Indonesian history, 1930 - 1960

Opening: October 25th, 2007, Thursday (18:30)
Exhibition Dates: October 26th � November 11st, 2007 (11:00 � 18:00)

Introduction:
This exhibition represents a variety of perspectives focusing on the
struggle of "Becoming Indonesia" during the period between 1930 and
1960. Personal stories mixed with formal facts to indicate how the
colonial situation became a major part in the attempt to formulate an
Indonesian identity. Beginning with the visual forms produced by these
artists, we learn to remember and reflect on the past and, together,
oppose forgetting.

"It’s all right" in Hangzhou-opening December 15

Organizer: China Academy of Art, New Media Department
Co-organizer: Shanghai BizArt Art Center
Opening: December 15th, 2006, from 17:00 to 20:00

Curators: Geng Jianyi, Fan Li, Shen Ligong, Yang Zhenzhong, Xu Zhen
Participating artists:

Chen Xiaoyun, Chu Yun, Cui Shaohan, Feng Chen, Fei Pingguo, Geng Jianyi, He An, Huang Kui, Jiang Zhuyun, Jin Feng, Jin Feng (lao), Kan Xuan, Li Wen, Liu Wei, Peng Yun, Shao Yi, Shen Ligong, Shi Qing, Shi Yong, Sun Huiyuan, Sun Xun, Wang Xiaofeng, Wang Xin, Wu Juehui, Xu Zhen, Yang Lu, Yang Qingqing, Yang Zhenzhong, Zhang Ding, Zhang Ruyu, Zhang Lehua, Zhang Liaoyuan, Zhang Moyi, Zhang Peili, Zhang Xutao, Zhang Qing, Zheng Guogu, Zhong Su, Zhu Yu, Zhu Yun

Venue opening hours: December 16th to 20th, 2006
Everyday from 10:00 a.m. to 17:00
Venue: Hu Qing Tang Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine
No. 95, Da Jin Xiang, Qing He Fang, West Lake District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province
(Factory at the back of the group of ancient houses, at the feet of the mountain Wushan)
Website: http://www.nma.com.cn/nqnp/

The idea of organizing the contemporary art exhibition, "It’s all right", was suddenly decided as we found the perfect exhibition venue: an old factory of the Hu Qing Yu Tang Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine about to be demolished in the town center. The new media art department of the China Art Academy and BizArt Art Center took this decision in July and maintained the same dynamic attitude since then: from the concept of the show to its accomplishment, although the whole process lasted six months only. This wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of each of the participants. The main problem the exhibition has to face now is the unforeseeable elements. The new media art department of the China Art Academy and BizArt Art Center always focused on each artist’s progression in the production of their works. Each show include some risks: it is sometime uncertain for the artists themselves to know what the last shape of their works will be as they enter the exhibition room. The artworks projects were severely selected on the basis of various criteria of quality: the selection was sometime cruel to the point that it nearly violated art rules. This constitutes a particular aspect of this exhibition that can be seen before its opening. Here again, each artist showed their understanding and their responsibility sense when collaborating. This conscientious attitude exceeded all our expectations. Until now, the exhibition’s process and preparation was fully synchronized, which reveals the efforts of each of its participant.

Hyper Design: Awareness of the Mind

The Shanghai Biennale is my first experience visiting an art exhibition, which is ingeniously named Hyper Design in Shanghai. As a modern city that has shown to the world the rapid growth of the Chinese economy and social infrastructure, Shanghai is a city that incorporates Western modernity, witnessed in the rapidly expanding consumer culture and the towering skyscrapers of glass and steel. Transcending modernity and the culture of global market force, Chinese heritage roots deeply in every individual, from filial piety to the adherence of tradition and culture. Shanghai itself is a strong justification of hyper design, as Curator Zhang Qing would say, “sheji refers to something planned or intended in the Chinese context.” The “sheji” of Shanghai is a clear indication that China has meticulously planned and directed development in Shanghai to create the image of inspiration and awe. The 2006 Shanghai Biennale is a perfect compliment of Shanghai in the aesthetic perspective and field. Through the talent and creativity of the curatorial team, the composition and “sheji” of the Shanghai Biennale Hyper Design 2006 incorporates the artistic ingenuity of many artists from across China and the world. The combination of aesthetic visionaries amplifies their individuality in a modern world that also reflects the globalization and unity of the world. Shanghai Biennale is truly a hyper design—an ascension and empowerment of human intellect.

The first pieces to attract my attention are the works titled “A Brand New Game” by Chan Yau Kin of Hong Kong. At first glance, from less than an arm’s length away, the material Chan uses to create his works were the collected brands of consumed articles of the two rivaling corporations: Coca Cola and Pepsi. Looking at each individual label, I get the feeling that individual demands and mass production formulate the society that we exist in. As there is both Coca Cola and Pepsi, it is shown through the individual logos that people all have their own individual preferences and will not all submit to the same demand and supply. It is this individualism and choice that fuels contemporary global market and society. Seeing all these labels from up close gives the viewer the perspective that our world is now gradually uniting together through the progress and creation of corporations that manufacture and develop items that strive to improve human living standards and satisfaction.

At first, though amazed by the creativity, devotion, and effort Chan committed to his artwork, my mind did not comprehend the deeper theme and intentions of the artist. Compared to the Biennale theme and backdrop of many aesthetically and intellectually inspiring works that illustrate our world by perplexing the mind and elevating it beyond basic comprehension—the essence of Hyper Design—I could not grasp the motif of the artworks. However, as I stepped back and observed Chan’s pieces from a distance, amazement and admiration flushed through my entire body. Facing me, instead of a congregation and combination of thousands of individual labels, are two giant logos that are all too familiar to my eyes. On the one side, there’s “Coke: Dare for more,” and on the other side, “Pepsi: It’s the real thing.” Comparing the two pieces, I could sense the contrast and compliment these two pieces create and the heavy impact and implication they construct. Through the difference in perception and optical illusion, Chan creates two vastly contrasting visual images in each piece: one of the individualistic microcosm and one of the unified and generalized macrocosm. In his artwork, Chan focuses on the business world as it presents very many representations and reflections of generalized social actions and patterns. By comparing the two large logos, we see that they are collages of their rival’s logos. This shows not only that each brand name attempts to establish itself in the world with a unique identity, they nevertheless shares many similarities and objectives.

Curator Zhang Qing’s words resonated in my mind, as he said that sheji “manifests human desires, as well as intellect and spirituality….It is noteworthy that design has brought about self-realization and self-restraint.” Reflecting upon Zhang Qing’s words, I believe that through aesthetics, Chan accurately portrays contemporary commercialism as having met the interests of individuals through manifestation in the production of a variety of consumer products—soft drinks—and by comparing the example of two brands that advocate their individualism and distinctive characteristics but ultimately share the same objectives and qualities.

Chan’s “A Brand New Game” exemplify the Biennale’s Hyper Design theme by presenting to his audience artwork that manifests human intellect with the intention to convey self-realization and self-restraint in a expanding world of uniformity in which individuality and competition with the intent of improvement has been lost and bringing awareness to the viewers.