With summer’s passing, tis the season to harvest all things intriguing as China’s autumn art fairs shift into full gear. Right on the heels of ArtBeijing, Shanghai’s premier modern art show, SHContemporary, kicks off on September 10. The show, which runs until the 13th, will feature 150 invited galleries from around the world.

However, patrons of the arts will not be privy to a certain “moving” installation as it appears to have gotten under the skin, so to speak, of the event’s organizers. Wim Delvoye’s tattooed pigs have been deemed, apparently, porcus non grata. What, might one ask, has the Belgian born artist done to raise the ire of SHContemporary? Who can say as speculation runs rampant as to why the pigs, which feature Louis Vuitton logos, Walt Disney characters as well as other motifs, are no longer welcome. Not only has SHContemporary’s spokeman, Gu Zihua, refused comment, but also the Xin Beijing Gallery, which represents Delvoye’s works in China, has not stated whether they believe the ban was imposed by the government. The only thing the Xin Beijing Gallery would comment on is their plan to collect the 18,000 RMB in costs incurred from their participation in SHContemporary.

Maybe the ban has nothing to do with sinister motives so much as it has something to do with an entirely mundane reason. As the saying goes, “it’s the economy, stupid.” According to Bloomberg, “price gains in works by Liu Xiaodong and other Chinese contemporary artists have slowed and auction sales have shrunk as a drop in China’s equities erased $2.3 trillion in market value this year.” Hmm, but are pigs really so expensive that they warrant a ban? I guess their rider must have been great enough to rival even the most maniacal diva, J.Lo.

Image: Art Net

The city is certainly buzzing with artistic energy as of late. From the Chanel Mobile Art Container to the Hong Kong Art Walk, every week has seen some illuminating activity hit the S.A.R. one after another, and helping to keep the ennui at bay this week is the 32nd Hong Kong Film Festival. This year’s festival, which started on Monday and runs until April 6, continues to round up the best of global cinema and pack it all into a three week orgy of lights, camera, and action. Hey, now that Client-9 has lots of free time on his hands, this is probably the best place to escape as he’ll have over 300 films from 46 countries to focus on rather than a failed career.

In addition to the movies, there will also be tributes to Edward Yang, the late great Taiwanese director of such notable hits like Yi Yi which garnered him the best director award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, and Eric Tsang. Although, there is some wariness over the fact that corporations are watering down the film festival again as sponsor Giordano is offering a 25% discount on items purchased upon presentation of a film festival ticket, it still has heart. According to Mike Chan Kwok-wai, an avid film buff who has attended the event 10 years in a row, “the festival has grown into a big- scale event which has become slightly commercialized,” but “on the plus side, it encourages movie- lovers.” Whatever your feelings, it is still a good way to escape the haze and while the time away, but hurry as tickets go fast. To book online, just swing on over to Urbtix.

Image: And The Spring Comes

It’s that time of year to eat, drink, and be merry. The 8th annual Hong Kong Art Walk is almost upon us.  From tomorrow, participants will be able to nibble delights and enjoy the fruits of many an artists’ labor as they walk or stumble,  as the case may be, from Central to Sheung Wan to Happy Valley and more, all in the name of charity.  As the largest charity art event in Hong Kong, this year sees an increase in participation of galleries from 50 to 55, and there is an extra bonus as installation displays, video and more of the ilk will be displayed on the street as one traverses galleries.  Proceeds from the Art Walk will go to SoCO, a non-profit whose mission is to “establish an equal society and to build a strong power base for the people”. Now, that’s hot.

For more information on where you can purchase tickets, please visit the Hong Kong Art Walk site: http://www.hongkongartwalk.com/2008/tickets.html

Image: Hong Kong Art Walk

Well, the French have something else to complain about as China is now the world’s 3rd largest art market behind the U.S. and the U.K. According to Arton, one of China’s largest online art houses,  “in the international rankings by sale proceeds, France, which is usually up in third place behind the United States and the United Kingdom, was deposed this year by China, thanks to the dynamism of a number of international auction houses.” Interestingly enough, of the 35 most expensive contemporary artists in the market today, 15 of those are Chinese. Looks like everything’s coming up China.

Why Wal–Mart is Not A Fashion Haven: Reason # 157

Wal – Mart, best known for their low prices, have something new for Spring 08: killer clothes, literally. According to the Guangdong Administration for Industry and Commerce, “40% of knitted garments sold within the province are unqualified, and some garments sold in Trust-Mart and Wal-Mart contain carcinogenic dyes”. Clothing was tested and failed safety standards in several major cities including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shantou and Zhanjiang. The garments were found to contain, among other things, aromatic amine which may cause cancer. All dangerous products have been ordered to be removed and punishments will ensue. Let this be a lesson to parents, if you don’t tell your kids about Wal-Mart, they’ll just learn about it on the streets.

Girl Gone Wild

Well, it looks as if the list of shunned personalities is growing. First it was Steven Spielberg, then Edison Chen, and now Tang Wei is feeling the sting from Beijing. Who you say? Why the girl who got down and dirty with Tony Leung in Lust, Caution. Although a censored version of the film was given the seal of approval, according to The Guardian, “the government has reportedly banned broadcasters and newspapers from showing or printing images of Tang.” Although no explanation has been given for the random ban which occurred last Thursday, rumors have it that officials found the movie too unpatriotic. Uh oh, looks like Tang’s next movie better be about the Long March so she can get back her endorsement deals.

Image: France Diplomatie

“Wow, the nerve! Where did she get the courage to do this? Weirdo!”

“I like Bjork, it’s OK for her to have a different point of view, but for her to do this is disrespectful to fans here - very selfish of her.”

“Those who put on the show should be severely fined and not allowed to bring this kind of trash in for performances.”

“If she really did this, then this woman really makes people throw up.”

“Bjork behaved like an angry young person, acting in an underhand manner, not like Brad Pitt and Richard Gere, who are better known Free Tibet supporters.”

In response to not only the politically charged situation in China but also ramifications stemming from her comments about Kosovo at a different concert, according to the San Francisco Gate, Bjork goes on the record to say the following:

I would like to put importance on that I am not a politician, I am first and last a musician and, as such, I feel my duty to try to express the whole range of human emotions. The urge for declaring independence is just one of them but an important one that we all feel at some times in our lives. This song was written more with the personal in mind but the fact that it has translated to its broadest meaning, the struggle of a suppressed nation, gives me much pleasure.I would like to wish all individuals and nations good luck in their battle for independence.”

Well, we all make mistakes. Like they say, forgive and forget. Perhaps Bjork was so jetlagged that she thought she was at the CHiE! exhibition? See below.

Image: Penitent….maybe

The first joint exhibition by Para/Site Art Space and the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s Curatorial Training Programme, CHiE! - Culture Seiges Politics, opens March 15 and runs until April 13.  The exhibition is part of a seven month program designed to help participants navigate the international art scene and to develop a perspective with which to help shape the art world. Produced in conjunction with CHiE, a network of individuals and activist organizations, this show explores cultural politics in Hong Kong. According to Para/Site, “as the common saying in China goes, Government has its policies and we have our counter strategies, now that Hong Kong has been under Chinese rule for ten years, it seems that we rely ever more so on these words of wisdom to face our daily challenges.” Now that’s something to mull over. If you would love a day of political intrigue, hop the MTR and stop off at the following locale:

Hall B, Osage Kwun Tong
5/F, Kian Dai Industrial Building
73-75 Hung To Road
Kwun Tong, Kowloon

Image: CHiE!

Not only is the economic surge here putting more red paper in pockets, it is also resurrecting a love for all things intrinsically Chinese, and it makes perfect sense. The Olympics are hot, the economy is hot, art is hot, so, on the “all things hot barometer”, native inspired clothing is the next logical point. This isn’t the first time, however, that the qipao tried to bring sexy back. Previous efforts to market the idiosyncratic cut didn’t fare so well as Gucci and Armani can testify to when, in 2003, they debuted collections of Chinese-themed couture that created a stir around the world but was met with resistance in China as their lines and other clothing designed with overt Chinese characteristics were labeled as something that only foreigners would wear. To overcome this hurdle, designers and brands had to appropriate cultural norms into fabrics with a fresh outlook. One interesting case study is the story of Hong Kong based Shanghai Tang. According to the Wall Street Journal:

The quintessential Chinese luxury brand was launched in 1994 as a custom-tailoring business in Hong Kong. In 1996, the store began to make ready-to-wear fashions — traditional Chinese styles in brightly colored silks — to appeal to well-heeled, mostly Western, tourists. But when the company opened a New York boutique in 1997, its array of clothes and knickknacks smacked of costumery and worse, tchotchkes one could buy in Chinatown. The store struggled — less than two years after it opened, it moved to a much smaller space. The company learned it had to evolve to stay relevant to modern tastes.

“Quintessential Chinese luxury brand” may be a slightly loose interpretation by the Journal as a majority share of Shanghai Tang was bought by power-house Richemont in 1998, and the creative director who eventually shook things up and brought the brand into the forefront is Singaporean-American, Joanne Ooi. Not to be pedantic, of course, it is a turn around that serves as a statistically interesting bit of trend-forecasting for the modern qipao as, according to the chairman of the board of Shanghai Tang, Raphael le Masne de Chermont, “about 40% to 45% of its shoppers world-wide are ethnic Chinese” whereas Chinese buyers in 2002 only figured at 20%. That’s fair enough as one can see that wearing this culture based couture is a fine line as you either end up looking like you stepped out of the pages of Vogue or you end up looking like you’ve dressed up a bit too early for Halloween. As always, subtlety is key. So how does the woman on the street tell if she’s committed a faux pas? A good litmus test for those who want to brave a nouveau qipao come Spring/Summer is to hang around a Chinese restaurant, and, if someone asks you about their reservations, that just might be the hint you need.

Image: Shanghai Tang and not Shanghai Tang

Cai Guo Qiang meet Frank Lloyd Wright

Absolute power may corrupt absolutely, but often times power is of great necessity. Such is the thought that Thomas Krens, now former director of the Guggenheim in New York, must have had when Cai Guo Qiang was invited to put on a retrospective at Frank Lloyd Wright’s last masterpiece. The museum was transformed into something reminiscent of a Universal Studio’s tour as action and the consequences therein seem to be the underlying theme. As the first showing of its kind for a Chinese artist at this institution, the Guggenheim is a natural choice for Cai Guo Qiang as the spirit of the place is in the same avant-garde vein as his art. Although the New York Times branded the show as “crowd-pleasing, easily deciphered if not terribly original art”, let us not forget that, as we reported during last November’s Christie’s auction, this is the same man that broke records for Chinese contemporary art when his gunpowder and ink set went for $74.2 million HKD. So what can one expect from the show which runs until May 28? Some cars being thrown around, lots of gunpowder, and maybe even a boat. Yep, just like I called it, it’s a total studio tour.

Crouching Tiger, Funky Terminal

Beijing’s latest feat in time for the Olympics, the Titan terminal, is now open for business. This dragon shaped amalgamation of glass and steel, designed by the crème de la crème of British architects, Lord Foster, made its debut last week. According to The Shanghai Daily, “the terminal, the world’s biggest of its kind, is designed to evoke Chinese icons. The building’s deep red pillars and 360,000-square-meter gold roof represent the capital’s Forbidden City and a flying dragon.” Convenience was also a key concern when designing the latest addition to the airport. In addition to a high-speed train that can take passengers downtown in 15 minutes, there are numerous restaurants to fit both your palette and your time, a number of shops to load up on duty free purchases, and “a state-of-the-art system that can handle 19,800 bags per hour”. Now that’s better than a kick in the face.

Peking Opera 101

Students returning to class last week found something new on their school schedule. In addition to the 3 R’s, there was a P. That P is for Peking Opera. With the influx of outside influences becoming exponential, the central government has decided to shore up China’s education system by adding opera classes that protect Chinese culture and traditions. However, not everyone is embracing the new curriculum with open arms. “In a survey by Netease, a news portal in China, nearly 70 percent of respondents were against the project.” Some parents also feel that students in China are already under tremendous pressure, and having Peking Opera will only take time away from other substantial subjects like math. There’s also the idea circulating that Peking Opera shouldn’t be nationwide as there are many forms of local music that deserve attention as well. According to Yuan Li, a researcher with the China Institute of Art, “it may be good for Beijing kids to learn Peking Opera, but is it fit for a Tong nationality kid in the remote Guizhou province?” Hmm, chalk this one up to the waiting game. Only time will tell if this new initiative burns bright or fades away.

Image: Head On by Cai Guo Qiang

Beijing May Hate Steven Spielberg, But What They Hate More Are Children’s Cartoons. I’m Talking to You, Spongebob.

In times like this, it’s comforting to know wisdom can come from the strangest of places. For example, take salt, according to Morton’s, “when it rains it pours.” Such can be said for Hollywood right now. Domestically they have lost millions in the writer’s strike, and, internationally, China has to add insult to injury as not only is Steven Spielberg persona non grata on the mainland, but Beijing’s also gotta lash out at the smallest of victims, the children. In a move that is protectionism at its finest, according to Reuters, “from May 1, foreign cartoons would be prohibited from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on local channels” and stations must also “observe a daily broadcast ratio of 7:3 for Chinese-made cartoons versus foreign cartoons.” Interesting, but did Whitney Houston not teach us that “the children are the future?” How will they get their Foster’s fix now? I guess it will be off to the dvd guy on the street corner.

Don’t Look Back in Anger

Well, there’s not much more to say about this story other than goodbye Edison Chen, we barely knew thee. Yes, the king is dead, long live the king. With the whole sex scandal reaching threat level Severe, or Red, Edison has decided to call it quits “indefinitely”. Oh well, what’s Hong Kong’s loss could be Hollywood’s gain. Edison, do the smart thing, seriously; just pack it all up, head for the West Coast and get your own reality television show on E!, Fox, or, heck, any channel as all the networks love reality TV. It worked for Kim Kardashian, and it could work for you too.

Museums Free to the Public

Come March, not only will the birds be in the air but, hopefully, the public museums will be filled to capacity. In order to further enrich the soul, the government has decided to make all state-owned museums free to the public. According to the Ministry of Culture and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, “seven provinces have been chosen to pilot the program before it is applied nationwide.” That’s pretty sweet, and what’s even sweeter is that the Ministry of Finance will foot the bill for this enrichening initiative.

This section will strive to bring you short sweet facts, digestible in 30 seconds, related to all forms of art, and fun to bring up in random conversations with strangers if you’re so inclined.

It looks like China can carve another notch in its belt o’ accomplishments. Long before discovering America, the Chinese were busy perfecting printing techniques. The world’s earliest sample of a dated printed book, The Diamond Sutra, was found in 1907 in one of the caves near Dunhuang in northwest China. Sixteen feet in length, this book, published in 868 AD, is a Buddhist sermon that receives its title from the teaching within. Apparently it’s so good that it, according to translations, “will cut like a diamond blade through worldly illusion to illuminate what is real and everlasting”. That’s quite impressive as, chronologically speaking, this was long before Johannes Gutenberg was even a glint in his great great granddaddy’s eye.

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Image: Right reading