ARTISTS TALKING

# 16 [11 August 2007]

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 below
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2144692,00.html

# 15 [11 August 2007]

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.

# 14 [8 August 2007]

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.

# 13 [4 August 2007]

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.

# 12 [28 July 2007]

# 11 [27 July 2007]

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.

# 10 [15 July 2007]

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.

# 9 [4 June 2007]

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.

# 8 [30 May 2007]

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.

# 7 [21 May 2007]

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.