http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Red Gate Gallery, Beijing, China Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:33:36 +0100 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://sites.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 It's a while off yet, but there seems to be a lot of preparation to sort already - passports, visas, vaccination, flights etc. I have started learning Mandarin which is as difficult as I thought - Zai jiang [good bye]. I never realised Cantonese was a dialect of Mandarin rather than a language in its own right.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 In preparation for the residency, I am collecting as many stories about singing insects as I can, and would appreciate all contributions from you wonderful and avid blog readers. Please access info and a form from the link below and pass it on to anyone interested - thanks very much! http://www.ciclover.com/docs/singing%20insects%20story%20form.doc... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 It seems odd for a blog that there are no options for user feedback - oh well, it is certainly good to be in an arts context on this blog. I am, however, interested in feedback so do send any comments to info[at]ciclover[dot]com.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Apparently during the Han Dynasty of China [206BC-AD220] both jade and cicadas were seen as protection for the deceased during the afterlife. Amongst other things, cicadas made of jade were placed on the tongue of the body. I wonder if this physical placement was intended to assist the vocal capacity of the spirit in the afterlife through the song of the cicada. [Mind you, the song of the cicada is not vocal. All these insects sing via mechanical production. Crickets sing via the rubbing of body parts, or stridulation and cicadas use the tymbals, organs specially for the job].... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Thinking about the business card - highly regarded in Asian countries, and I want to have some of my info in Chinese on the card. Have looked up my surname in the very useful online Chinese dictionary at yellowbridge.com and have found a direct translation for the word 'clover': In pinyin this is mu [fourth tone] and the entomology of the character is described as grass [Kang Xi radical 140] which is the top section of the character, plus the bottom section of the character describing eye, look, see, division, topic.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The etymology of traditional Chinese characters is very revealing - here is the background to 'cicada'. The character is pronounced 'chan' [second tone] or 'shan' [second tone]. The left half of the character provides the meaning, while the right half provides the sound. The left half is defined as 'insects, worms' and is KangXi radical number 142. The right half is defined as 'single, individual, lonely, lone'. The right half of the character is further divided into top half and bottom half. The top half represents the mouth radical repeated twice and is defined as 'mouth, open end, entrance, gate' - this part is presumably emphasising the song of the cicada. Below the two mouths are four squares sitting on top of a cross. The four squares represent the radical that is defined as 'field, arable land, cultivated' and the lower radical, the cross, represents 'ten, tenth, complete, perfect'. Source - English Chinese dictionary at yellowbridge.com... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 I have been in touch with a lot of new acquaintances through eLists with which I am registered [such as Sonic Arts Network, Phonography.org, Rhizome, Fibreculture etc]. I mentioned this project and I have had a lot of interesting responses - from artists doing similar projects or who just have an interest in the ideas. I have also found out a fair amount about what is going on in Beijing in this area - mostly sound oriented. I have a subscription to Art Asia Pacific mag which is also proving very interesting.Starting to think about the reality of negotiating the project. I have a partner and a 12 year old son who will both be coming to Beijing during September - it will be the longest time I will have been apart from my son, 5 weeks. These things cannot be underestimated, of course. My partner Cameron will come for 3 weeks, while Jake will stay on for 7 and return with me - the staggered approach. Cameron is a sculptor, and between us I am sometimes amazed that we can both maintain our practices and bring up Jake and pay off a mortgage. Mind you, living in Melbourne enables this without doubt. We could not live like this in London - which I miss a lot pretty frequently, even after all this time. Cameron is from Melbourne and we met when I first came here on a residency through Gertrude Contemporary Artist Spaces in the early 90s.To add to everything I have a small show just before I leave, which is good timing in many ways, but challenging in others. The image here is based on a cicada common to Melbourne and Sydney suburbs, the greengrocer [cyclochila australasiae], and the image will form a frieze in the gallery following the mathematical form of traditional friezes as internal decorative architectural elements.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 I continue to feel ambivalent towards China - which is one of the reasons I am going there. There are a lot of reports in the Western media, but how much of the information is true, and how much information is left out or not known, 'lost in translation' [no reference to that rather feeble film].Currently here in Melbourne all is a flutter with the impending visit of the Dalai Lama. If there is one person in the world that upsets people in power it is this gentle Tibetan man. Just today, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, John So, a popular man of Chinese heritage, has been forced by other members of the council to invite the Dalai Lama to visit the Melbourne Town Hall. Councillor So is aligned with Melbourne's Chinese, business community and had tried to ensure no councillors would meet the spiritual leader. The prime minister of Australia, John Howard, and the opposition leader, Kevin Rudd, have both been giving out mixed messages about whether they will, whether they won't, meet the Dalai Lama. Everyone is terrified of a Chinese economic backlash if they officially acknowledge him.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Starting to gear up for a small show - installation - here in Melbourne at Austral Avenue, an artist run initiative, during the month before I leave for Beijing [July]. A timely show in many ways, but stressful too - it comes down four days before I fly out. Good to get the exposure for the work just before the residency however. Jane O'Neill who runs the space is a multi-skilled arts practitioner/curator/arts worker. The space is an unassuming one in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, run from one of the front rooms in her house, but Jane has built up an impressive reputation over the 18 months or so of the space. Hooray for artist run initiatives that truly support innovative practice and give artists an opportunity to show their work with no strings attached. Jane also writes a good article about each artists' work that she exhibits.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The show is up and the opening was yesterday and went pretty well - a relief. Now to concentrate on preparations for China - leaving in about two and a half weeks.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 This image is the template of the frieze element of the show at Austral Avenue. Last day is tomorrow and take down on Sun 29th. It seems to have gone well, a good opening plus a good review which has meant more visitors over the fortnight, great. Though rather close to departure for China for comfort, it's good to be leaving on a positive note artistically.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Finally made it to Beijing, 9 hours to Hong Kong, and 3 hours to Beijing. Managed to write some thoughts for Uwe Koch's Berlin project Takatako while in transit [see www.takatako.de].Brian Wallace the director of Red Gate Gallery picked me up from the airport with Zhen who does the driving for the gallery [difficult to negotiate if you are not a local]. Right hand drive. Beijing is a boom town - the airport was re-built only 5 years ago to allow for all the extra traffic, but it has already outgrown itself. There is Olympics fever here and the day it starts is an auspicious day as it must be for the Chinese - 08.08.08. The main stadium, aka the birds nest, is on the north sida of the city. An artist with Red Gate Zhou Jun has done some interesting photographic work about it. This afternoon is an opening at the gallery of Zheng Xuewu's work and here I will meet everyone. Afterwards a meal for about 40 of us - no problem for restaurants here. Apparently there are about 5 or 6 new residents at this time, so it will be interesting to meet everyone.Have already found the cicadas singing [it is hot and humid] - outside the flat and also in 'Exquisite Park' [Tuan Jie Hu Park] nearby. Outside the park about 30 orange dragonflies were flying around - couldn't work out why. Along the street where my flat is located a fruit and veg market operates between 6am and 10am everyday - so handy, and great to be in the middle of things. Have to get up to speed with some basic Chinese again - Ni Hao [hello] Xie xie [thank you] zai jiang [good bye] etc etc Havn't seen many foreigners about this part of the city.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The gallery is located in one of the 8 watchtowers that used to exist along the outer city wall of Beijing. It is the only one left, and is quite amazing to see. Built during the Ming period [1500s - pretty recent by Chinese standards]. Last night went out to Bei Gao which is a whole area of studios of local and visiting artists out to the north west of the city towards the airport - an absolute rabbit warren and easy to get lost. Even the taxi drivers had trouble both ways. Met quite a few artists again and we were looking at Madeline Churchill's drawings that tie up her time here. She returns to the UK tonight. Afterwards we ate at Ta Dong a local ecological restaurant that grows all its own fruit and vegetables in a mini-ecosystem that is the restaurant - you actually eat amongst the growing trees and bushes. Amazing. During the hot evenings I have been going back to the Tuanjiehu Park where many people spend their time. There was a performance of dancing/movement to traditional Chinese drumming. The instruments were a drum, two cymbals and a Chinese sounding metal cymbal - don't know its name. Men played the instruments and women danced with two red fans each. The dance snaked around a smallish paved area at the South entrance to the park for about 20 minutes at a time. It seemed to be a community activity and everyone was enjoying participating or watching. Also people were painting Chinese characters on the pavement with 2' long brushes water - calligraphy perhaps. Still have not found out what this is in relation to.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 On Thursday the 9th did a huge explore on foot and found my way to the centre, discovering streets, hutongs, buses and the underground en route. Bright sunny day, hot and humid as usual, but had not counted on such a bright sun and got sunburnt [it has been low cloud and smog until now]. Apparently the Government has taken one million cars off the road to reduce pollution as a practice run for the Olympics next year. Must be working...Did various recordings en route of the crickets and cicadas, the songs are loud and pervasive, just the right time of year. Found my way into the Workers Stadium on Gongrentiyuchang Beilu - see the pic. Ended up in JingShan Park which is the mount north of The Forbidden City where 3 pagodas containing 3 buddhas [only one remaining] poured beneficence over the inhabitants of the city [presumably] in days of yore. Lots of singing insect action, fantastic, and also as in most parks here, music and singing taking place as well. Many of my recordings here have people singing and playing, which is why I find field recording is so interesting - the element of chance that you have no control over. I have heard at least 3 types of cicada so far, and more types of crickets. Another artist Denise Keele-Bedford said that the tailors up towards the China Art Gallery had singing crickets in cages to entice custom - in the traditional way - but unfortunately no more. I am hoping to get to the Natural History Museum and ask an entomologist to listen to and identify them for me at some point. Will have to ask Kelly to help. She is a student of Indian Literature who is the translator for us Red Gate artists.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Just read about Ai Wei Wei's - the Chinese artist responsible for the design of the Birds Nest aka the Olympic Stadium - disgust with the already intense Olympic propaganda and that he will boycott the opening next year. See link belowhttp://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2144692,00.html ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Got to the Forbidden City today - truly amazing to see, as amazing as Angkor in Cambodia; in the same vein, sumptuous design and colour and layout, so lovely to walk around and just be in such an ancient and highly refined cultural space. Lots of tourists but is so enormous you can find quiet spots quite easily - and would need several trips really. Huge grandiose spaces plus intimate/domestic small spots for wells and such like, all built with the same amazing attention to detail. The place is covered in glazed tiling.Also Tian'anmen Square - which is really just an expanse of concrete pavement with Mao's mausoleum planted slap bang in the alignment of the Forbidden City's gates, a bad feng shui spot apparently. Didnt go in, it is shut till 20th Sept, so could go with Cameron and Jake if we want to see a waxy embalmed Mao! Apparently his request was cremation. The Vietnamese embalmers of Ho Chi Minh gave tips on Mao's preservation apparently. No reference to the 1989 massacre of course, the 20 year anniversary of which will come hot on the heels of the Olympics.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The other day got to 798, a huge and active place full of lots of galleries, towards the north west of the city – on the way to Bei Gao and all the artists’ villages out that way. Met Eileen Zhang and Tiger [who had helped me set up ADSL for the mac in the flat] at 798/Red Gate. The show there is Jiang Weitao’s abstract paintings – interesting work that he names ‘Art Documents’. In the catalogue Tally Beck, the manager of 798/Red Gate, discusses Chinese and Western abstract traditions, which is very interesting [my background is as an abstract painter]. Chinese abstraction emerges from the “philosophical link between Chinese calligraphy, painting and poetry. This trinity of expression, known as san jue, or the ‘three perfect things’ is a concept acknowledged…as one of the keys to understanding Chinese artists’ approach to abstraction” [Tally Beck – The Harmonic Abstraction of Jiang Weitao – catalogue essay]. Also found the Long March Space, which has some great acoustics and is a great looking space. Did a number of recordings here – the cicadas were top volume – deafening. At least two types singing. Before I got any further I bumped into Denise with Qu Zi Jian, an engineer here for a few days from down south near Hong Kong, and Sun Yu Ming, an artist who has settled here in Beijing to promote his career. Denise has some Chinese and Qu Zi Jian has some English, but Sun Yu Ming and I do not have either so we had some laughs communicating via drawing in my sketch book, not to mention the obligatory Tsing Tao beer.Also got to the Natural History Museum the other day, in the pursuit of local cicadas and crickets. Kind of disappointing really, though a fair few specimens, hard to tell if they were local. Will try to contact an entomologist via this institution who could identify the species in my recordings. Came across my first experience of the wholesale destruction of parts of Beijing that we hear about – it was quite horrific. I was looking for Qianmen Dajie, a shopping street south of Tian’anmen Square and all that was left was rubble surrounded by billboards – shocking! I followed the crowd past this and found some hutong still in existence but surrounded by rubble on each side with the constant tap tap tapping of the manual destruction of all the buildings around. What happens to the people whose businesses are destroyed? Presumably they are ‘relocated’ but I can’t imagine there is a lot of compensation handed out.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Along Tuenjiehu Lu, the main street near my flat, sometimes large sometimes small groups of old and young men play mahjong. There seem to be regular pick ups of street hawkers by the cops here too. Today I saw a group of tree fellers cycling the parts of the tree away on their tricycles-come-carts – four of them, each carrying a large weighty stump of tree and branches. A lot of work is still done manually, without the use of large machines. In a tourist office in Sanlitun, I asked about sightseeing tour information – but none to be had! No bus map either. In a local hotel, quite small, no English was spoken, and the only tour information was in Chinese. I am getting more reluctant to use the taxi drivers here as they do not know locations much out of their own experience – maps and written instructions in Chinese are of little help, so you have to rely on your wits. Sometimes you simply have to get out of the taxi and hope the next driver knows more, or phone a friend on your mobile who speaks Chinese and ask them to help….People tend to stare around here at Tuanjiehu but I find a big smile and Ni Hao goes a long way and people grin back. I am quite surprised that this is happening in the capital city. Some people even push their kids towards me so they can photograph us together – and some kids rightly protest!... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Meeting up for a meal tonight in Sanlitun with other resident artists – Laurens Tan and Julie Bartholomew [both from Australia], Yam Lau from Canada and Denise once more. Tomorrow Laurens and I are going to check out the Toy Museum aka the Beijing Museum of Folk Customs along Chaoyangmenwai Dajie where Julie says she has seen cricket cages on display.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Dong Yue Temple and Museum of Folk CustomsWent to the Museum of Folk Customs behind Dong Yue Temple with Laurens and Yam, and also met Christophe and Ise [filmmakers from Paris] and two of their students from Tianjin. Lots of interesting cricket paraphernalia although not much info in English or Chinese. Amazing gourds the acoustics of which are perfected for amplifying the cricket singing inside. Also fighting arenas and pocket cricket containers. These finely crafted wooden cricket containers were so like mobile phones or ipods in terms of size and portability it was uncanny. Nathaniel Mann in the UK passed on an undergrad essay he wrote drawing comparisons between ipods and singing pet crickets and he was certainly on to something. Other items which interested me were the pigeon whistles. These create a particular tone [or maybe song] as a result of the wind passing through them when the pigeons fly.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 North West of the Forbidden CityHaving checked out the Gulou or Drum Tower from the 15th century Ming period [though not the original building] north of the Forbidden City [the original time keeping device], I wandered around the hutong on the hunt for some cricket culture. Not much luck - some say it is too warm at the moment. I did hear two crickets in one house that were certainly pets, which were singing together. I made a recording of them. Interesting to record in a public thoroughfare. Most people were mildly curious and even quite interested when I gestured to the sounds and showed images of crickets. One man told me the crickets are known as ‘guo guo’ – a local name maybe, couldn’t find it in the dictionary. Hope to find insect markets at some point. I have found out about a cricket fighting association which I will look into but am really interested in the singing not the fighting.Came across a lot more of the hutong destruction on this walk [and completely lost my sense of direction].  Some hutong are still inhabited amongst all the rubble, with radios playing and sounds of cooking indoors. Twice I was told not to take photos.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 798 Dashanzi Art DistrictWent to 798 again with Julie and Yam yesterday and some openings were on. Saw the Long March space plus Platform China’s 798 branch. We are all starting to talk about group shows/collaborations and the viability of applying for shows here. Apparently 798 has become an 'established' art scene now, and the cutting edge stuff is further out NW towards Bei Gao.Tony Trembath was at the Japanese meal in the evening – just arrived. The meal was a Red Gate farewell for Isaac [Parker] who returns to Hawaii on Mon. Tonight a group of us are having a laptop show-and-tell at some bar in Sanlitun the name of which I have now forgotten.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Guoguo’erKelly came to help me search out scientists for identification of the insects in my recordings. It seems that most people are away as this is the summer vacation here in China. May have to wait till early Sept. She tells me ‘guoguo’ means cricket, and I have since found out that it is probably referring to Gampsocleis gratiosa. In Pinyin [Romanised Chinese] this is listed as guoguo’er and I have found references to it in English as a katydid or long horn grasshopper or even a bushcricket. This is the one commonly sold in Northern China and they are kept as pets for their singing. It is carnivorous and will eat prey larger than itself. I have also now noticed the singing of a cricket outside the front of these flats. The singing is certainly coming from a window and not outdoors, so I will keep an eye/ear out.Refs*http://www.bolingo.org/cricket/crickets_nametable.htm *http://www.cyberbee.net/~huang/pub/insect.html *http://pisum.bionet.nsc.ru/kosterin/miscel/gratiosa.htm*http://www.yellowbridge.com/language/wordsearch.php?searchMode=C&word=???&select=whole&search=Search... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 A bright clear hot day very like days during the southern Australian summer – but thankfully much more humid, which suits me even with all the sweating! I am still teaching during my residency – I teach online p/t at Swinburne University in Melbourne – and this makes things extremely flexible. I am actually enjoying having this commitment and structure as it can be daunting at times to be in a new place/culture without any of the familiar supports.I have noticed the labourers working on the myriad building sites around the city live in tents on the pavement outside – hardly full of home comforts. The other night I was walking along Sanlitun Lu, a rather touristy street full of noisy bars on one side and darkened tents on the other with labourers presumably trying to get some sleep before an early start. Work starts early and finishes late for these workers. There are few safety harnesses, either, for those clambering up high along the bamboo scaffolding.I have managed to get in touch with Professor Ai-Ping Liang at the Institute of Zoology who can identify my insect recordings for me on Friday, which is great. There has been discussion afoot with Laurens, Yam, Christophe, Ise and I working collaboratively on a project after the laptop night on Sunday. It is hard to know how to approach it as Yam leaves on Friday, Ise leaves on Sunday, and Christophe is based in Tianjin anyway. Laurens has suggested a response to the Dong Yue Temple as a first step, which is where we all met for the first time,... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Water CalligraphyMet a young woman called Xie Chun Mei in Tuanjiehu Park. She was eager to practice her English which she had a pretty good grasp of I thought. I learnt some numbers and a few taxi directions – but the pronunciation is so difficult to get right.On the way out of the park the water calligraphers were back practising. I think they start around 430pm each day for a few hours. It seems to be only men who do this. They walk backwards as they write, in the traditional top to bottom format of Chinese writing. One man uses two brushes and can write different characters at the same time. There are generally quite a number of appreciative bystanders watching. They seemed pleased I was interested and happy for me to take photos. Angela Zito who was in this flat before me was researching this practice for her project here.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Today I spent a very interesting and rewarding morning with Professor Ai-Ping Liang, Vice Chair of the Division of Systematic & Evolutionary Zoology at the Institute of Zoology in the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He kindly agreed to listen to my recordings and identify the insects singing. There were mainly instances of the common Beijing cicadas, ie Cryptotympana Atrata [Hei Za Chan in pinyin – noisy black cicada] and Platypleura Kaempferi [Hui Gu - dedicated cicada]. Ai-Ping emphasised that these were his rough translations of the Chinese. He is not entirely sure about the crickets, and his colleague, a cricket specialist, Liu Chun Xiang is currently on a field trip so he suggested returning soon to meet her. He also suggested returning to look at the insect collection they have on campus – I am interested in high resolution images of these insects as well. Ai-Ping mentioned MS Moulds, the Australian expert on cicadas, whose book I own and refer to frequently.Ai-Ping offered to take me to lunch, which was very good, and then to take me to the Bird’s Nest and Ice Cube [or is it the Water Cube – anyway the Olympic stadiums]. I had asked about them as I knew the Institute of Zoology was fairly nearby. It is not easy access to the Olympic Park at the moment as it is basically a building site, but Ai-Ping talked to the guard on duty and in we went. Quite amazing to see these buildings, and pretty close up too. They look quite astounding and are a great feat of engineering and design, great. Again, the workers live on site amongst the heat and dust – though not in tents here but pre-fab units.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Platform China, Caochangdi VillageFound my way to Platform China an art space in Caochangdi Village today. Rather difficult to find [which doesn’t surprise me anymore] – further NE than 798 towards Bei Gao. From four lane expressways to wandering down lanes with high grasses either side, you suddenly find yourself faced with a large and impressive contemporary art space [or two]. Chatted with Xian Lei, the project manager, who kindly showed me around the space. The show on at the moment is Xu Ruotao – abstract paintings, quite interesting – working with digital and manual techniques. Platform China is more of an institute, Lei told me, rather than just a gallery. This village is where the cutting edge spaces are now located, with 798 being rather commercial these days in contrast. I asked about different media and she said they are interested in other art forms, and have shown a lot of video in particular, and plan to set up a Chinese video art library. I asked about the apparent absence of women in the Chinese contemporary art scene, and she said that, yes of course there are many female artists but often their work is not up to standard or tends to be about gender issues, which can get repetitive. This isn’t a terribly good explanation I don’t think, but of course things do get lost in translation, so it can be hard to tell. So far, there does seem to be a lot of evidence of [a] painting being the preferred medium [the most commercial of media, of course, a tradition that the West may just have shaken off by now] and [b] the idea of the ‘male’ ‘genius’, which seems to have a considerable hold over things.Lei was on her way to an opening at the 798 site of Platform China and invited me along. The show opening was ‘Water Division’ by Jin Shan, some video and photographic work [not painting!]. The work was interesting, experimental but narrative performance work and seemed to be considering the influence of the West on China via religion and various philosophical texts. The photographs were stills of the performance/s. Unfortunately the sound of the two videos noticeably interrupted each other, a faux pas when presenting any kind of work with sound.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Laurens had his opening at Imagine Gallery, Bei Gao, yesterday [Sunday]. Interesting, highly polished work that looks at toys and gaming and global influences on local culture. For this show, he has done some work in 3d software inspired by the Beng Beng, the illegal taxis here in Beijing that are peddled by the owner [some have motor power]. He has also been looking at local traditional toys, which are likely to be less popular these days as kids, here as everywhere, have so much choice now. While much of the work is presented as 2d digital imaging plus an animation, he has cast some of his Beng Beng interpretations in reality [based on the 3d manipulations] and is hoping to realise a life size functioning version in the future.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Shilihe Market, cricket sectionWow, hit the singing insect jackpot today [Tues], which was great. Kelly, the Red Gate translator came with me to Shilihe Market [which I had not been able to find on my own] and here amongst the imitation Qing buildings were all the cricket sellers and buyers. All sizes of insects were for sale, in small what looked like adapted tins cans with lids. Groups of men gathered around them and poked at the creatures inside to hear their songs. One group of men were encouraging two crickets to fight. The paraphernalia associated with cricket rearing is really quite exquisite and detailed – I bought myself one clay cricket pot. There are what look like paint brushes with about 3 hairs at the end which are unceremoniously poked at the cricket to encourage a song. There is food plus tiny ceramic patterned food bowls to eat from – similar in size to doll’s house objects. I considered buying one, but their life span is 100 days, longer than I will be here in Beijing now. This is longer than they generally live for. The idea of having a pet cricket is to still hear their song during autumn and even early winter - a gesture that prolongs the sounds of summer. I must say that there is not much consideration of the need for leaves or soil or anything natural in these set-ups. Probably not much fun for the pet cricket. Kelly told me that in her opinion it is only ‘old Beijing men’ who are interested in these creatures, no one younger, and I don’t think it was the highlight of her week to go there with me! There were a few women selling the creatures, and also some younger men listening and buying. The crickets I identified with Kelly's help were the qu qu – the dark coloured fighting crickets [Velarifictorus asperses], the guo guo – which are katydids and big [Gampsocleis gratiosa], and also the zhu ling – the bamboo bell [Oecanthus longicauda].... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 More images from Shilihe... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 I have learnt the value the Chinese place on luck and numbers/numerology at a basic level. I bought a SIM card the other day for 180 yuan, but it only had 50 yuan credit on it. I asked Kelly why, and she said I had chosen some very lucky numbers, which were 8696. So, I certainly learnt something there!I am looking into the possibilities of exhibiting here. The reality of managing this before I leave is of course rather slim, but you never know. China Platform and the Long March seem to have spaces for experimental projects, so they could be an option.I am now waiting for a call from my mother in London. We are 8 hours ahead in Beijing. I have not sorted out the phone card for international landline calls yet, so I wait at this end. As I wrote to my sister a few weeks ago, I have found it remarkably easy to settle in here. I have been planning this for some years and I suppose that makes a difference. Also the home sickness thing - well I often get that in Melbourne for London still, it does not get easier the longer I am in Melbourne, so I am no stranger to it. But here in Beijing, it sorts of breaks up the dual thing between London and Melbourne and seems easier in some ways...a neutral space you might say. Nice!... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Self-seeding plantsHave been doing some rough graphite rubbings of self-seeded plants in and around Beijing. It would be good to get some of these identified – some are offspring of huge ancient trees, while some are seeds on the wind landing and putting down roots where possible. It is quite likely many of these plants are classified as weeds here in Beijing, but one person’s weed is another person’s exotic plant. These plants will be fairly speedily removed during the vigorous sweeping that takes place across Beijing on a regular basis. These plants are another example of R-select species - R for Rapid. These species – animal, bacteria or plant – experience rapid growth, fast reproduction, short life, and tend to be undervalued by humans. The insects I have been looking at are also R-select species.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Tourist ArtHave been having a few discussions about tourist art. As an artist visiting another country/culture it is very easy to fall into the trap of producing tourist art. The overwhelming experience can tempt you in this direction, but it is important to keep these responses private not public! I have seen this kind of work shown in galleries several times [not only in China but Australia as well] and it is very bland and superficial for local populations. While responding to the experience is important, having a solid direction and intent assists with avoiding this pitfall! [With any luck I am avoiding it myself…]AndThe ingenuity evident on every street corner is great. People adapt their vehicles [bicycles, beng beng, motorbikes etc] to the job required. The sense of community in Tuanjiehu Park continues to entice me to visit most warm evenings. Never have I experienced such a gentle and unthreatening feeling amongst so many people crowded into one place – it is lovely and addictive.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Shilihe MarketReturned to Shilihe for the insects again during Thursday afternoon. I thought the warmer time of day would bring more insect sellers and more singing from the insects – and yes, indeed it was the case. Sellers brought some huge bundles of cages of the guoguo'er [which is definitely the katydid Gampsocleis gratiosa, as confirmed by a cricket expert from the Institute of Zoology, Dr Liu Chun-Xiang, the next day]. The singing was deafening – an amazing sound – really too loud to do a decent recording. Though it is an incredible experience, it is better to record just a few, or one, insect at a time. My equipment could not effectively capture the surround sound or top volume nature of the experience. As you stand surrounded by the singing the experience becomes a physical vibration as your body resonates to the sound waves. Not unlike the experience beside one of the huge dub sound systems during the Notting Hill Carnival, where the sound is felt as much as heard. The insects are much higher in pitch though, with no bass element. I find it constantly surprising that such small creatures can produce such a loud sound – and these aren’t even cicadas, which are the loudest of all insects.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Dr Liu, Chun-XiangThe next day I had an appointment with Dr Liu, Chun-XIang, a colleague of Prof Liang, Ai-Ping’s. She is a cricket expert and listened to a number of my cricket recordings. Both she and Ai-Ping were reluctant to identifiy the creatures just by their singing, which is an interesting point. She has asked for an audio cd of them to take to some other colleagues to verify. I think this reluctance illustrates the absolute accuracy that scientists demand, and also, surprisingly perhaps, a comparative lack of interest in the songs these insects make. I am assuming that every species has a distinct song of course.Like Ai-Ping, she was lovely to talk to and very generous with her time. She was very pleased I was so interested in her specialist area. She showed me photographs of a recent field trip she made to the western China – Xinjiang province. This is high land, 4000 metres above sea level, and she was exploring the Nalati grassland. The local people live in what look like yurts, those lovely circular structures, and Chun-Xiang stayed in one herself. She collects insects at night by suspending a large light from a free-standing ladder, and hanging a white sheet nearby. The insects are attracted to the light and tend to land on the white sheet. This is how she collects specimens for identification. During this trip she thinks she has found at least 4 new species.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Cameron and Jake arrive tonight, so the second phase of my residency will begin! You may notice a new blog on the list from another Red Gate artist - Cathy Busby. She is a Canadian artist and has decided to blog on this site too. We are living in close proximity in Tuanjiehu and are both here till the end of October. Incidentally, I can now pronounce Tuanjiehu well enough so that taxi drivers understand what I am saying and do not need to look at a map - a great achievement!... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Institute of ZoologyCam and Jake came with me for a second visit to see Dr Liu this morning. Dr Liu had a number of specimens for me to photograph including gampsocleis gratiosa [guo guo’er]. Ai_ping sent over specimens of cryptotympana atrata [hei za chan] and platypleura kaempferi [hui gu]. Good to see what these creatures look like – particularly the cicadas, which I have not been able to spot in the parks. It is a shame that the colours of the insects do not preserve well in collections, however – the guo guo’er was a dark brown rather than the vibrant green of a living one. Cam helped set up and take the photographs in Dr Liu’s lab. Dr Liu then showed us some of the collection they have housed there. It is a brand new storage system with huge cabinets on rollers with geared handles for easy manoeuvring. Again, she was very generous with her time and took us for a tasty Chinese lunch afterwards – very kind.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The cicadas - cryptotympana atrata [hei za chan] and platypleura kaempferi [hui gu].... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Talking to locals in Tuanjiehu ParkI decided to try to find out what local people think of crickets and cicadas. I asked Kelly [Song Nan is her Chinese name] to translate a few basic questions and photocopied sheets of these to hand out in Tuanjiehu Park. I did this for a couple of hours today armed with clipboards, stools and pens. It was quite successful and I am eager to find out what people have written. I was doing this close to the water calligraphers, who were interested in what I was up to. One water calligrapher, one of the teachers, was telling me a lot in Chinese which I could not understand, of course, but then a younger man, Min, who has been studying water calligraphy at the park for 2 years, helped to translate. One of the questions I asked was whether there was a correlation between insect song [or natural sounds in general] and Chinese music. The teacher said there definitely was, and that I should look at poetry from the Tang Dynasty, which illustrates this well.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Mu Tian Yu - The Great Wall of ChinaOf course we had to see the Great Wall. Mr Shen, who drives for Brian and Red Gate, took us there and back. A great experience, up in the high hills that are to the north of Beijing. Lovely, clear moist air, bird and insect song. Hard climbing at times – high steps in some places and tiny low ones in others. We got there before the crowds and walked to a tip beyond the ‘official’ tourist route. Did a recording from this spot. The mist was thick and the hills were just visible as fading grey outlines receding in the distance.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Overnight Train to Xi’anWe are off on the night train to Xi’an in a few hours. A 13 hour journey. I managed to get us soft sleepers rather than hard sleepers or soft/hard seats [which don’t sound much fun!] There are many variables when travelling by train including train speed. Also, you can only book a one-way ticket, and you can only book up to 5 days in advance. As a foreigner it is extremely difficult to know how to book what you want, so you need to have local contacts who can book for you. Again Denise, who seems to be a font of wisdom, had this info. Xi’an is where the terracotta army was discovered during the early 1970s, so it will be very interesting. I read a great review in the Guardian Online of the 20 or so terracotta soldiers that are currently on loan to the British Museum. http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/visualart/story/0,,2162551,00.html Unfortunately I will be out of town for the Beijing Art Fair [20th-23rd Sept] and also the opening of the DIAF – Dangdai International Art Festival.Cameron, Jake and I have just registered ourselves at the cop shop. Apparently, this is something we should have done within 24 hours of arrival, but we had no knowledge of it. Cathy [Busby] got spot-checked by the cops yesterday while walking along Tuanjiehu Lu, which I think was somewhat alarming for her. Anyway, the process was fairly informal in the end and now we are all legally ‘here’ so mei wenti [no problem].... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Xi’an [the definition is 'west', 'safe place'] and Xianyang ['sunshine']We arrived in Xi’an early, and Daoxuan picked us up and ferried us to Xianyang, about 20 minutes down the road by car. During our stay we met up with Geoff Hogg and the RMIT Masters in Public Art students who were coincidentally in Xianyang at the same time. Cameron came with Geoff and RMIT in 2000 and constructed a pebble and stone mosaic with the students from that year in Wei Bin Park, Xianyang. We went to look at this mosaic to see how it was faring. The locals were using the stones for foot massage! The largest stones and pebbles were all rubbed smooth and glossy from this constant attention! The mosaic was in great shape, all stones remaining firmly in place. It was good to see it used as part of the daily activities of the park goers.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Agricultural FestivalOne of our visits was to the Agricultural Festival, a harvest festival held at the mausoleum of one of the Emperors high in the hills north east of XIanyang [I fear I have forgotten which Emperor]. Amazingly enough, we were the guests of honour for this opening. Many of the local people had never seen foreigners before, so we were of great interest to them. Many people crowded around us staring, but as always the crowds were gentle and completely unthreatening. The sky was clear and the sun was hot. The air was fresh and pungent.Of course, the harvest was particularly evident here in rural China. All along the streets and lanes corn [maize] was growing in endless fields, and was cut and dried in the sun along every street and lane. Apples were the next most prolific produce followed closely by sweet potatoes.We had some lovely meals during this trip, all organised by Daoxuan. Frequently lunches were in what seemed like villagers’ homes and the food was wonderful. The dishes seemed more varied and interesting than our experience so far in Beijing, and being vegetarian was no problem at all with Dao’s myriad choice of dishes. We had a lot of vegetable dumplings [my favourite and hard to ask for without language], some wonderful aubergine preparations, green beans, chilli tofu hotpots, noodle soups and so on and so on. This is the best Chinese food I have ever tasted, and what’s more it is so healthy. I always feel good when I eat Chinese food. Chinese tea [cha – where ‘a cuppa char’ so obviously comes from] is served at every meal.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Harvest time in rural China... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The Terracotta Army at Li ShanWe visited the Terracotta Army at Li Shan [Li Mountain]. The modelling of these soldiers is exquisite. It is quite astounding to see so many 2000 year old sculptures of such a high standard and in such good repair in one place. One of the most impressive things about these works is the fact that the museum is built around the archaeological dig, rather than the objects being shipped hundreds of miles away to some established museum in the capital. The dig is still active of course, and will be for many, many years. There are still many warriors that have not yet been unearthed and this raw element adds a real dynamic to the experience. We were shown around the site by Daoxuan’s daughter and Mr Zhang, one of the museum managers. The warriors are part of the army of Emperor Qin, the first emperor [259-210 BC]. His mausoleum is about a mile away from where the army was found. The mausoleum is dug into the ground with the soil forming a large mound above ground equal to the unearthed space below. Many such burial mounds pepper the landscape in this part of Shaanxi Province [Xi’an is the ancient capital of China, and is in fact the geographical centre of the Middle Kingdom]. These mounds reminded me of ancient long barrows/barrow mounds, the Neolithic tombs that are still evident across Britain [although these date from around 2000 BC].... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Xi’an City WallThe city wall of Xi’an is fully restored and it is possible to cycle the 12km around the city on this wall, which we did on our last afternoon here.Found some crickets singing outside shops in Xi’an, the traditional way of enticing people in to come and buy. Also, outside vault number 1 of the terracotta army Cam came across a dead cicada on the ground. It looks like a cryptotympana atrata, one of the big ones, but I can’t be sure yet. Hoping to make a high res scan of it as I doubt I will be able to take it into Australia.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Golden Week – Full Moon Festival and National DayHere are images of the unidentified cicada found near Vault 1 of the Terracotta Army in Xi’an. I have managed to photograph and scan this cicada [thanks to Brian and Hong Mei at Red Gate]. Scans are more interesting photographic images, I find, because of their limited depth of field and the effects this limitation has on the image. This is the advantage of finding dead insects over using insects from scientific/museum collections. The difficulty is that it is hard to find dead insects in good nick. A local artist, Huang Xu, has used the scanner to great effect in his ‘Plastic Bag’ series, which was shown at Li Gang’s Pickled Art Factory this month. I contacted Ai-Ping by email and will wait for his identification expertise. He is very busy at the moment, particularly because of Golden Week, which starts on Monday 1st October – National Day. This week – Golden Week - is a holiday for all. Last week also had the Full Moon Festival on 25th September, which is the traditional mid-Autumn festival. This festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, and is around the time of the autumn equinox. This celebration can be traced as far back as to the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties [2000 BC – 1066 BC]. National Day is a far more recent celebration, and every 19 years it falls on the same day as Full Moon Festival. National Day celebrates the founding of the People’s Republic of China as announced by Mao Zedong on 1st October 1949 on the Gate of Heavenly Peace in Tian’anmen Square.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Tuanjiehu Park Cricket Interviews Day 2This morning I conducted some more interviews. Again, pretty successful, but I miss out on a lot of chat and discussion. Rather than asking Kelly to translate during the interviews, I have decided that next Saturday I will bring the minidisk and microphone and record the discussions for later translation. I like the idea of capturing these discussions occurring in the context of all the activities in the park and without much input from me. Having the conversations translated at the time would probably halt the flow of exchange. The park is still the focus of much activity, but not to the same extent as in the heat of summer. Evenings are much quieter now, as the cool sets in. Days are still warm with alternate sun/cloud.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Yannick Dauby in TaiwanI have been in touch with Yannick Dauby again, a French sound artist who I met through the phonography.org elist. He is giving a sound talk at the Taipei Artists Village any day now. He also has a great interest in singing insects. He gave me a link to a cricket concert that occurred in Shanghai on the Full Moon Festival. I don’t think there has been an equivalent here in Beijing. I have, however, found out about a cricket culture talk that is taking place at the Chinese Culture Club next Sunday.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Mr Xia TongTomorrow Cam returns to Melbourne. Mr Shen will drive us all to the airport to say farewell. Cam has had a great experience in Tuanjiehu Park just as I have. He linked up with Mr. Xia Tong, a saxophone player. Cam is a musician [as well as an artist] and plays both saxophone and clarinet, and brought his clarinet to Beijing. They have not had much language in common other than music. Cam has learnt a traditional Chinese song from Mr Xia called ‘Jasmine’, while he taught Mr Xia “Kookaburra sits in the old Gum Tree’. Jake and I met Mr Xia last night and we listened to the two songs. Mr Xia visits the park every weekday between 3pm and 6pm to practice.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 798 DashanziIn an hour or so we are off to 798 Dashanzi to check out the Dashanzi International Art Festival. We will catch up with Cathy [Busby] and Garry [Kennedy] there, who are both finalising their publications with Ren Yanyan at Two Lines Gallery. They are participating in Li Gang’s next group show at the Pickled Art Factory, which opens on 10th October. It sounds like the process is going well, which is not surprising to me. Ren Yanyan helped produce the postcards for me last month and they are top quality. I have just heard from Laurens and he is going to link up with us all later as well.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Continuing thoughtsSo, the research now has a number of strands. The audio recordings are my direct, empirical experience ‘in the field’ [or rather in the parks of Beijing…] where the crickets and cicadas are singing in public spaces. These recordings frequently contain music and singing by locals as well. I wonder how influential the sound of the insects is on the music played. Professor Ai-Ping Liang and Dr Chun-Xiang Liu provide identification and scientific expertise, but are not particularly acquainted in the cultural context of these species. Looking at the insect markets illustrates the activities of those who are heavily involved in cricket culture, or who would like to be. They confirm a continued existence of this historical/traditional human-insect relationship. The interviews will provide a response from the general population. It will be interesting to see how much people know, or want to know, about singing insects and how far an interest in these creatures penetrates the broader population.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 National Day fervour... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Velocity UKOne of the recordings has been selected for inclusion in Velocity – Festival of Digital Culture in Lancashire, UK. The work will be available as a podcast within a group of selected sound works designed to be heard during a train journey around the Morecambe Bay area. The selection will be available from 25th October at http://www.folly.co.uk/ The work is entitled Jing Shan Park 01 [detail]. - A group of women gather under the trees of Jing Shan Park, central Beijing, to sing together in the afternoon heat. Using pre-recorded instrumentation from traditional songs and microphones to amplify their voices, the women attract an appreciative audience. High above in the trees and competing for sonic attention are two groups of cicadas. These cicadas are common in Beijing and are known locally as hei za chan [roughly, black noisy cicada] and hui gu [roughly, dedicated group of insects] -I was particularly interested in including work from Beijing in this exhibition as a small form of acknowledgement of the tragedy that struck there in 2004, where 23 Chinese cockle pickers were killed in the fast morning tide and quicksands. See the Guardian link at http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2106950,00.html... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 20th Anniversary of the Beijing Cricket Tournament, Bao Guo Si Temple continuedThe back room is where the assessment for fighting fitness takes place.There was a lot of photographing and videoing taking place by everyone, locals and foreigners alike. We were the only group of foreigners attending, and I noticed our presence was documented almost as much as the fights themselves.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 20th Anniversary of the Beijing Cricket Tournament, Bao Guo Si Temple continuedThe best singers according to Mr Feng and Mr ZhaoI managed to ask some information about the singing attributes of the crickets, and apparently the four best singers or chirping insects are the guo guo’er [gampsocleis gratiosa], the youhulu [gryllus mitratus or oily calabash], the jinzhong [trujalia family or golden bell -green- ] and also xi shuai. I must have got this last one wrong as this is the generic name for ‘cricket’ in Chinese.Xi'an CicadaAi-Ping contacted me and said that the cicada from Xi’an is the common cryptotympana atrata once again.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Sunday morning - Traditional Chinese MedicineI went to the local doctors today and it was not just a medical experience but a cultural one! And local - it was just around the corner. Tuanjiehu has a great many resources. This particular centre was huge and obviously long-standing. It was richly painted in the traditional Chinese manner on both ceiling and walls, in a similar vein to the renovations of the temples and tombs around the city. Two marble statues of the fathers of Chinese medicine [I assume] flanked a stuffed peacock in the main area. A small wooden bridge traversed a pond full of goldfish and a woman was playing a traditional stringed instrument. It was very busy but I was shepherded carefully through the system by a helpful young assistant. About 10 assistants prepared the herbs for the medicines from two long walls of wooden drawers floor to ceiling. 6 assistants helped point patients in the right direction and several cashiers took money. Upstairs the doctors had their rooms where they could attend to about 6 patients at a time. There must have been about 10-12 doctors working this morning. My assistant took me up to see Dr Meng [pronounced Mung] who had some English. He suggested herbs and acupuncture. He was emphatic when assuring me about the sterility of the needles for acupuncture even though I had not queried this. The acupuncture lasted about 15 minutes. I took the option for the herbs to be boiled for me and each dose was packaged in one small sealed bag, two per day. I had to return to pick them up in the afternoon and they were still hot – and don’t taste too bad. I have had Chinese medicine in both Australia and the UK, and I am pleased to have finally had the treatment in its place of origin. Dr Meng suggested I return next Sunday morning for a follow up.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 IncidentallyThe temperature is significantly cooler now – a max of 19’ according to the papers and when the famous Beijing wind blows if feels much colder.AndThe fares on the Beijing subway have gone down in price! From 3 yuan to a flat fare of 2 yuan [which is about 35 cents AU or 10p]. This is a government incentive to encourage people to use public transport rather than drive cars. Car ownership is increasing apace here. I can’t believe other cities have not used this device to encourage public transport use. The two cities I know well – London and Melbourne – have never reduced fares.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 209 shortsA bit late to mention this really but one of the recordings I made at Shilihe insect market [Cricket Sale, Shilihe] will be broadcast on 209 Radio, Cambridge, UK between 30th September and 13th October. Radio 209 can be found on 105 FM and broadcasts full time to Cambridge City. This programme focuses on sound works made to a specific time of 2’09” and is curated by Kirsten Lavers. There are 14 works in this particular slot and they will be played between programmes throughout each day during that period.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Beijing Ancient ObservatoryThe Beijing ancient observatory was easy to get to on the subway – at Jianguomen. A lovely and surprisingly peaceful place to visit even though it is now surrounded by large freeways. It was particularly interesting to look at the sundials and gnomons below the observatory tower in the garden as I have done some installation work inspired by the movement of the earth around the sun when I first arrived in Australia. This was a very effective way to get some orientation in a different location and, specifically, hemisphere.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Beijing Ancient ObservatoryFurther images... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Cathy and Garry’s opening at Pickled Art Centre, Bei GaoBoth Cathy and Garry have produced very interesting shows based on their experiences during the residency here in Beijing. They have made the work in an impressively short time. Both their practices respond primarily to the socio-political experiences of ordinary people at the hands of those in power.Garry’s work looks at the banners that were used as a form of military organization by the Manchu leader Nurhachi from the beginning of the Qing Dynasty [1600s].Cathy’s work responds to the street culture that she has observed around Tuanjiehu, where we live, and 798, the arts precinct. She has used t-shirts [worn by ordinary people out and about that incorporate the English language] as the basis of her enquiry. The work reveals how [predominantly] younger people are responding to the rapid and extensive changes that they [and China as a whole] are experiencing as capitalism gains a stronger grip on the country each day.See Cathy's blog here on this site - Cathy Busby, Red Gate Gallery, Beijing... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 More interviews Saturday morningI conducted more interviews in Tuanjiehu Park this morning. It was rather cold and grey, and then started raining quite heavily, but the curiosity and warmth of the locals meant I completed another 15 or so. I also recorded some of the conversations and discussion that took place. A group of women were very enthusiastic, talked about the insects, and taught me some Chinese words. They all wanted a postcard [I hand out postcards of my work as a ‘thank you’. My name and website are on the back as a kind of legitimation of the enquiry.] Unfortunately the minidisk ran out of batteries at this stage so I did not capture any of this! Ah well, c’est la vie.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Siri Hermansen at China Platform, CaochangdiCathy, Garry, Jake and I went over to Siri’s today. Siri [Siri Hermansen] is a Norwegian artist and is the current resident with China Platform. Xian Lei introduced us a few weeks ago, and we all get on well. Siri said she would show us around the Caochangdi area, as it can be very difficult to find the art galleries around there. She showed us Three Shadows Photography Centre [designed by Ai Wei Wei] which I had come across previously. Also Gallery Urs Meile which is one of the movers and shakers in Beijing and represents some major Chinese artists [no current exhibition unfortunately]. This gallery was also designed by Ai Wei Wei. Siri then took us to Universal Studios Beijing, which we would never have found ourselves and the show was Qiu Anxiong’s ‘Staring into Amnesia’. This was a very interesting work that showed spliced Chinese documentary and film with sound through the windows of an old [50s?] train carriage.All these contemporary galleries, cavernous and impressive, suddenly appear out of a dustbowl of unsealed roads, digging and building work. Caochangdi is a small, poor village in NE Beijing yet is in the midst of huge change as the art scene moves in in a serious way. This of course will change the dynamic of the area, and Caochangdi will start to become highly desirable.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Military MuseumWe went to the Military Museum today, over in the West of Beijing, easily accessible by the underground which is handy. I don’t tend to visit these places, although I do love a big museum with large displays. Jake can be interested up to a point, and it can be revealing to see how different countries display their military might, past and present. I think so far Vietnam has been the country with the least concern for the sensibilities of visitors, local or foreign. This museum was really a propaganda forum [aren’t they all?] to illustrate the great achievements of China [Zhong Guo]. Some of the painted backdrops are intriguing and are intended to place the machines in a specific context – see images. Quite effective really. There are also quite a few silk banners, which reminded me of the military nature of Garry’s work at Pickled Art Factory. These banners seem to be rewards to certain battalions for great achievements, as far as I could tell.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Morning MarketHave taken some 200 images of the morning market outside the flat. These can form a kind of animation that I am fond of doing in Director. I take the photos using a stills camera and tripod. Cross-fading the static images in Director creates the effect of slowing life down while highlighting the mechanics of the moving image, and is somehow more interesting than using straightforward video footage.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Translations from KellyI have the translations of the Tuanjiehu Park interviews back from Kelly, which is great news. It is interesting reading indeed. Here is an example of one - 1. What do cricket and cicada songs mean to you?It means summer. In the hot and tiring summer, their singing makes people feel peaceful.2. Have you ever had a cricket as a pet? Or do you know any friends or family who have owned crickets? If so, can you tell me about it.When I was young I raised crickets. Some can sing, some can’t. I forget from which part of their body is how we can tell. I used to catch cicadas pupae in small holes under the tree. Then put it in a box made of window screen. After they lose their ecdysis, some can sing. Moreover, their body was light green, which is very interesting.3. Do you think there is a connection between these insect songs and Chinese music?Yes, there should exist some connections between them. There are some poems about cicadas in Chinese poetry. Here is a poem written by Yu Shinan, a poet from the Tang Dynasty.The Cicada by Yu Shinan: Drunk with fresh dew, your trill will flow From 'mid the sparse parasol trees. Rising high, far your voice will go, Not on the wings of autumn breeze... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Some interesting artworks... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 and a few more.No image but Koh San Keum's work at C5Art, Sanlitun is really worth a look [Korean Project].... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Can’t seem to stop writing this blog tonight.... We are having a farewell bbq come show-and-tell night at Bei Gao on Tuesday 23rd. Quite a number of us are coming to the end of our residencies at the end of the month, so this is a night for us all to get together. We have decided to show some work in one of the empty studios.I have found it incredibly useful keeping this blog – more useful than I expected. It takes quite a bit of time and effort, but is a great way of keeping an eye on how things are developing – not to mention keeping things organised. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 The Dalai LamaThere has been a bit of hullabaloo recently that I have not mentioned. The Chinese Government was furious about the US giving the Dalai Lama a congressional medal. Here in Beijing the English tv channel CCTV9 reported the event as one-sidedly as any of the Chinese channels. Here are a few notes taken from the report: - For the Chinese Government, the Dalai Lama represents a ‘political issue’ not a spiritual or cultural one or one about human rights.- The issue is part of internal affairs and other nations are advised not to meddle.- The Dalai Lama wants to retain feudalism in Tibet, whereas under China’s rule Tibet now sees rapid development. - The new railway has had a profound impact that is not harming the environment.- Extensive rights of autonomy are granted to Tibet. The Dalai Lama does not admit this.- He is good at persuading Westerners but he cannot ‘fool’ the Chinese or Tibetans.- The Dalai Lama is requested to abandon his ‘political’ stand. There is of course no footage of the Dalai Lama so from this report no one can judge for themselves. 17th Communist Party CongressThe 17th Communist Party congress also took place last week. Although it rather seemed like another load of propaganda [‘Socialism with Chinese characteristics’ was a phrase heard repeatedly], the congress was reported in detail with various grass roots stories that made a lot of sense. There seems to be a real concern for equality according to the Marxist tradition. There were several reports from the countryside about party members [commonly village elders] implementing party policy at every level – ie making sure everyone in poor villages in particular, had enough food, medical assistance, jobs, education etc. In these stories the village elders happened to be incredibly committed women. I also noted that most members of the new Communist Party of China [CPC} central committee members were ethnic Han, with backgrounds in engineering. All were men – and interestingly gender is included in the descriptive blurb about each member. They were all of a vintage that meant they joined the party around the mid 60s, just before the Cultural Revolution. I wonder what parts they played during that period.I must say from an outsider’s point of view people on the street display a general sense of contentment. There is little if no aggression. People seem gentle with each other as well and there being a general feeling of support and understanding. While the Chinese language can sound very sharp and gutteral at times, arguments are rarely occurring. When I conduct the interviews in the park, people come up to each other and peer over shoulders [seriously invading each others’ space we Westerners would call it] and contribute comments. No one minds and in fact many seem grateful for the input and discussions often follow. At first I thought people knew each other but this is not the case. Nobody actually knows each other but all are respectful and interested.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Some modes of transport in Beijing... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 And just a few more... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 Cathy and Garry made a great find the other day. Through serendipity they discovered an artists’ 'village’ of 2000 out to the east of Beijing [Bei Gao and Caochangdi are to the north east]. There was also a huge exhibition space called Song Zhuang Art Centre. They found the work of one artist Wang Jinsong here. His work is featured on one of the t-shirts that Cathy photographed for her exhibition. One of his works depicts 100 photographs of the Chinese character for ‘demolition [of a building]’ [see image] that is sprayed on buildings about to be demolished. With so much demolition taking place in Beijing, this character has a sense of great foreboding for an area. I know Cathy is going to talk more about their visit so check her blog on this site for more info [Cathy Busby].Oh and I see Frieze’s Jorg Heiser has been here and done a recent city report on China.http://www.frieze.com/comment/article/china/... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243 A few final thoughtsThis is going to be my last post on this blog. Thanks to everyone who has made my residency here possible, in particular Brian Wallace, Red Gate’s director. Thanks Brian, it has been a great experience. China is changing so much and everyone is talking about China. In the West we tend to talk about China from a superior point of view in an attempt to rationalize what most see as a threat. I feel privileged to have spent this time here, seeing things from a slightly different angle but always, of course, as an outsider. The experience highlights how important it is to differentiate between official representatives of nations [governments] and the people themselves.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/384243