2011

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Andr Rogger \ Curator of Credit Suisse Art Collection \ Gallery Director and Curator, REDCAT, US .

Fu Xiaodong

Han Zhiyan

Hu Fang

Ji Shaofeng

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REDCAT Gallery

Karen . Smith

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Li Gongming

Li Xiaoqian

Dr.Urs Buchmann

\ Collector

Li Zhenhua

Ma Zhian

Nan Nan

Sheng Wei

Tang Xin

\ Curator and Critic

Tian Feiyu

Wang Chunchen

Wang Jing

Yang Wei

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Yao Jiashan

Yun Chea Gab

Zhu Zhu

Zuo Jing

\ Director of Today Art Museum

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CREDIT SUISSE TODAY ART AWARD 2011

EditorialPublisher , Editor-in-chef / Harry Liu Executive Editor / Echo Gu Senior Editor / Gareth Rees, Justas Karciauskas, Ya Gao, Rui Han, Mei Li, Fan Zhang, Jingwei Zhang Translator / Yan Chen, Shoran Jiang, Gwen Liao, Siqi Lin, Xin Ya, Wei Yang, Chang Yu Visual Director / Hao Qu Design Director for English Part/ Xianghui Ye Design Director for Chinese Part / Ye Li Graphic Designer / Xiaodan Gao, Luming Xu, Qian Xu, Lu Zhang Marketing Director / Ying He

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ISSUE 02 201037 Camden High street, NW1 7JE, London, UK www.artgap.org info@artgap.org ISSN 7889-2357

Cai Guoqiangs Art Work

ContributorsAnders, Anthony banks, Ellen, Jas, Sajid Rizvi, Guocheng Chen, Yixin Chen, Yu Chen, Mengdan Cheng, Junxia Cui, Ning Duo, Peiyuan Jiang, Jing Gao, Peng Gao, Xiaohui Guo, Ying Li, Bingqing Li, Siqi Lin, Gwen Liao, Xueyang Song, Jing Wang, Eva Xie, Ke Xu, Bing Yan, Shiyang Yang, Jingyi Yu, Bingbing Zhao, Yuling Zhong

CONTENTS

UK002 Contributors

INFORMATION004 City Spy

HOT TOPIC028 087 Frieze is Struggling to be an Art Complex Abbey Road

ARTGAP NEWS084 Artgap Lunch Party

CHINA147 Contributors

FEATURECover Story 022 007 014 016 019 026 045 046 048 052 054 064 074 076 078 Sun Flower Seeds, Ai Weiwei Street Performance as a Life: Street Performers in London Its a challenge, its fun If I Could Choose Again, I Would Still Choose in the UK I Never Get Cold Down Here Private Maps of V&A London Fashion Week London, the Best Place for New Talents Jimmy Choo: If It weren't for London I Wouldn't be Here Today. Jas Sehmbi: I believe in the power of the spirit A Day in the Life of John Walford The London Design Festival The Map of Classical Music in London The Worlds Greatest Classical Musical Festival Touching Sound: the Concert of the Great Western Railway Band Art Portrait 032 040 042 060 070 072 080 058 062 Peiyuan Jiang Heart lingers in London Wu Guanzhong in Conversation with Sajid Rizvi The Reinvigorating Eect of Art and Culture on Cities and Public Spaces D&AD Transforming Creativity The View on The Streets The Girl Can Not be Dened Fashion X Architecture When Merlin Becomes a Legend: the development of the cultural creative industries of British TV series Private View Column Feature

INFORMATION145 City Spy

HOT TOPIC143 141 137 Age with Fading Aura Who Cheats Your Eyes Art, Take Me Home

FEATURECover Story 095 Music 135 133 091 129 121 109 117 103 Memory of Shanghai, Map of Music Nothing Can Stop Me from Pursuing Freedom Next Stop, London Reshaping the History All Together Travelling with Toys Modern Wonderland in Art Gallery Explore The Beauty Of Traditional Crafts Blooming Stories, Boundless Spring, A Dialogue with Zhou Chunya City Seen Cai Guoqiang Talks about Peasant Artists

Inside Observer Collector Crossover

Dialogue

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Recent Events

ARTGAP Recommended

3rd Beijing Int'l Youth Drama Crossover: China Songzhuang Cuba, Avant-garde Bejing, 2010 Special Exhibition of Ming Arts and Culture Festival in Time :25/9/2010 30/11/2010 D y n a s t y Yo n g l e X u a n d e Festival Venue: Xindong Cheng Space for Heritage Beijing Time: 6/9/2010-26/9/2010Venue: Beijing One of the highlights of the units was the first pay tribute to the master of Pinter plays unit. Art director Meng Jinghui said, young people can be often sparked by the works of masters. From the last two outstanding young theater director Shao Ze Hui, Pei Kui Shan, Ji Pei, Jian Jun were re-interpretation of the well-known British theater master, Nobel Prize winner Harold Pinter. Some of the greatesr pinters works are: Moonlight, Home, Free Food Lift, Betrayal. During the festival, there were script reading activities, which are the theme of four parts of a play. By the way, Pay tribute to the master, create the future from 2010 Beijing International Youth Theatre Festival began to do so. Time: 10/9/2010 10/10/2010 Venue: Songzhuang Beijing Contemporary Art I Curator: Xindong Cheng Time : 26/9/2010-26/12/2010 Venue : The Palace Museum

2010 6/9/2010-26/9/2010 . 2010

The Sixth China Art Festival Songzhuang culture was a grand opening on the international art gallery in Songzhuang in September 10, 2010, which lasted one month. Federation of British creativity, Dr.John Yier Sen attended the opening ceremony. The festivals theme of cross, the aim is global and region through the border crossing, culture and industry boundaries, the lines between creativity and daily life, between government and society, and between the various categories of cultural and creative boundaries for the development of Chinese art and culture of new ideas. Creative arts festival takes place in fourteen countries, including the sixteen arts institutions of foreign exhibition, and the art of the twelve provinces of community development. There are galleries from the structure and composition of several arts outreach Songzhuang Window and readymade village of more than ten blocks.

This world-premiere event marks the first time that a complete showing of Cuban contemporary art has been exhibited outside of Cuba. The comprehensive introduction of works by 30 representative Cuban contemporary artists painting, sculpture, installation, video and photography - provides a complete outline of Cuban contemporary art from the 1960s up to the present day. The show unveils to the present-day world a new contemporary art force that is at once vivid and brimming with vitality! Renowned Cuban artists and critics as well as official and nongovernmental delegates from the art museum and Ministry of Culture, among other entities, came especially for the occasion and attend the opening ceremonies. Distinguished guests of honor enjoyed a feast of Cuban contemporary art.

2010 : 25/9/2010 30/11/2010

10/9/2010 10/10/2010 60

The Ming Dynasty Yongle Xuande Heritage is to be exhibited at Beijing Palace Museum. This special exhibition was opened in September. President of the Taipei National Palace Museum Zhou Gongxin attended the opening ceremony. And also will be carried out in the hall at the Meridian Gate of the Yongle Xuande Heritage Special Exhibition openning on September 26. The exhibition period of three months, a total release of 150 pieces (sets) of cultural relics and is divided into eight parts, as follows: Painting articles, Jade articles, Gold articles, Porcelain articles, Lacquer articles, Buddhist statues articles, Enamel articles, Xuande furnace articles. The selected artifacts are covered by the Palace Museum during the Cultural Relics in Tibet; they show the different artifacts in the essence of that period. It only has 77 national-level culture relics, the number of primary and secondary artifacts accounted for 85% of the total number of exhibits. This is the first time in history the National Palace Museum will be announced during the Ming Dynasty artifacts ever to be concentrated display.

: 26/9/2010-26/12/2010 9 9 26 3 150 ( ) 8 77 85%

145City Spy

Yang Shaobin: Blue RoomTim: 25/9/2010-12/11/2010 Venue: UCCA Middle Room Yang Shaobin is an artist famous for his unique abstract paintings. Last September, he transformed UCCA's Middle Room into a monochromatic sea of true blue landscapes and portraits inspired by global climate change. Centered around the themes of "invisible" violence and confrontation, these paintings saturate the room with uncertainty. The artist covered two opposing walls with 38 portraits of people (both well-known and anonymous) and two adjacent walls with deep blue landscapes of infinity. All of these slowly draw the viewer into acknowledging the immeasurable and violent uncertainty of this Blue Room.

19/9/2010-19/11/2010 OCT

: 25/9/2010-12/11/2010 : UCCA 38

Global Museum Curators will be gathered in November in ShanghaiTime: 7/11/2010 13/11/2010 Venue: Shanghai 6-day International Council of Museums Conference and the 22nd session of the 25th plenary meeting was opened at the Shanghai World Expo on November 7, 2010. It came from more than 100 countries on five continents and more than 1,900 museum curators, cultural heritage experts, and museum experts, all gathered in Shanghai. Let museum dedicated to social harmony as its theme, to carry out multi-level, multi-angle and multi-disciplinary discussion. In addition, the assembly was held during the 3-day The 22nd Conference of the International Association for Exhibition

Ink Alchemy: Gu Wenda Experimental Ink ExhibitionTime: 19/9/2010-19/11/2010 Venue: He Xiangning Art Museum & OCTContemporary Art Terminal Curator: Zhuan Huang Ink alchemy is a reference to Chinese experimental ink painting, intended to emphasize the peculiarity and unpredictability of the process of ink painting experiments in combining multiple elements of ancient and contemporary culture, and to allude to the cyclical transcendent properties of this process. The question of ink painting has played an irreplaceable historical role. The unique value of the question of ink painting as a local, comprehensive resource was especially relevant in the historical process of Chinese contemporary arts formation of unique cultural concepts, image logic and aesthetic character. This exhibition of Gu Wendas experimental ink art provided an artistic case study for this topic from these fields of vision.

11 7/11/2010 13/11/2010 2010 11 7 6 22 25 100 1800 3 22

Writer: Yang Eei ( Beijing) Translated by: Mia ( Australia

143Hot Topic

Cosplay Cosplay Costume playCosplay Artgap This is about a Cosplay photo exhibition held in China. The three photographers are from different countries and districts. Curator Gu Zheng said that the word cosplay is a Japanese style English word that has combined and shortened from the words "Costume" and "Play". Cosplay is a comprehensive action art using many kinds of measures. However, Lingling Chong, an editor of Artgap, sees the current living status of the youths who grow up in the society with abundant material from the photos. They are lacking the sense of value and try to realize their expectations through fictitious characters, behind which the photographer exposes the darkness.

cosplay 17/ 9 /2010 8/10/2010 50 7 106 Links: Exhibition: China CosplayJoint Exhibition of Daniele Matteo, Zeng Han, Yang Changhong Curator: Gu Zheng Date: 17 Sept. 2010 - 8 Oct. 2010 Venue: epSITE Shanghai (Room 106, Building 7, No. 50 Moganshan Rd., Shanghai)

The purpose of photography is not to keep the existing mark for the objects photographed but make them live in photos. At the early stages of photographys development, the technical constraints made people photographing in long exposure. It seemed that the darkness entices them to settle down in images. The aura suddenly vanishes at the moment that the shutter is pressed. In this fantasticality that is interlaced by space-time, we gaze at the multiple memories rising from the same image. So photography was once called soul-stealing technique. Since then, the inviolable aura has been not so inviolable. Photography went deep to the inside of objects and recorded the reunited mirror. In the exhibition, Zeng Han and Yang Changhongs series which is named Soul Stealer tries to seek the ancient image memory through the lens and also catch the youngest image in modern life. "Soul stealing" is called an ancient witchery of China. It is said that once a child is scared and his soul gets lost, it cannot go back to the child until the elder shouts his name at the place where the child was scared. It seems that the photography awakened the ancient souls one by one through the lens. The ignored history then recurs. Going back to the real life from old days, among the exhibited works, Zeng Han and Yang Changhong aim their lens at the young people of Shenzhen, which is the youngest city of China. These young people are also drama actors, which have a new name as Cosplay: dressing themselves as Japanese and Korean cartoon characters they are fond of and trying to bring the fictive soul into real life. They make props and costumes by themselves. Once made up and dressed, this kind of group Cosplay activity gets the people away from the real life temporally and parasitize themselves in the fictive cartoon world. Being present in the landscape with the dress of cartoon characters, the photography shows these young peoples unique living status between fiction and real life at the moment that the shutter is pressed. In the eyes of Daniele Matteo, another photographer who is a foreigner living in China for many years, the Cosplay seems to imply a kind of worrying delusion under the clamour. He let the young people stop performing Cosplay and try their best to show their realities. He goes deep inside of these young people with lens and makes them throw away the Cosplay gaudery, tear up the cover of fictive soul and face the inability and inquietude under the so-called uniqueness and avant-garde. The camera calls soul for these young people and arouses their soul which used to get lost in real life. Ancient soul coming across modern soul, deeply sleeping memory coexisting with lost character, this is the modern society status of China reflected by photography. Traditional sense of value has already been ignored in the society with expanding material, and the young people who grow up in the society with abundant material cannot find their value but try to realize their expectation to life through fictive characters. So photography not only arouses the objects soul but also exposes the darkness behind. Photography shortens the distance between the object and the viewer. It releases the objects from aura. In this age with fading aura, photography lets us see the truth directly. Thus, there is a gazing space consisting of the objects, photos and viewers. When these young people who play Cosplay project their souls on the cartoon characters, are we, the viewers, also trying to find our lost souls through the photos?

Soul Stealer Cosplay Cosplay Cosplay Cosplay Cosplay Cosplay

Writer: Lingling Chong Photographer: Zeng Han By Courtesy Of: Zeng Han

OPoptical artCarlos Cruz-Dez 87 Carlos It is Op artist ("OP",after "optical art") Carlos Cruz-Dezs works displayed in China for the first time. The artist who is 87 years old this year has not come to Guangdong Museum of Art. His son, Carlos, brought his fathers representative works: three interactive spaces for experience, to the audiences of China. The exhibition that makes the audiences feel the artists colour research resulting in participation and interaction has become a hot topic in town.

Writer: Lingling Chong

Carlos Cruz-Dez Cruz Cruz

141Hot Topic

unicolour space to feel a moment of tranquility. Cruz covers the three spaces, respectively in red, green and blue colours artificially, so that people will feel like in a unicolour environment when entered the room. Our spoiled eyes which get used to colourful environment will be confused suddenly, but when the eyes are slowly soaked in the unicolour space, you will find a layer of breeze in front of your eyes, it blows away the colour, leaving only the white, pure white space. At this time, colour has been raised to a philosophical level and pure white has become the world's essence. The complicated life and rich colours cheat our eyes hardly. Color, free from any constraints, can be naturally extended in the space. If you think that the colour is only capable of such static points, then you are wrong again. The colour can interfere with our sense of the colour and space through the viewers movment. In the work of colour interference, there was a sphere in a room, when static and dynamic colour lines are projected onto the object and people, the colour lines will change the visual state of the object being projected. If you focus your eyes on the shadow on the wall, there will be another illusion that the direction of movement is opposite to the direction of colour line. When more and more colour lines are projected, a number of colours that do not exist will appear. We would go into a fictitious space from a two-dimensional state. As a dynamic artist, Cruzs art rewrite humans perception of colour. The acquisition of this knowledge must be generated from the interaction between human and work. Color is projected into the environment and creats a wonderful space, people experience it and get an opportunity to think about it while sensing and gaining a resonance of emotion. The bond between the audience and the art work is not established randomly. All of Cruzs works are carefully designed; sensitive elements are only added in when colour combinations are selected. Creating rationally and expressing emotionally, is Cruz's aesthetic pursuit.

Cruz Cruz Cruz Cruz

How many colors you can tell? Red, blue, green, yellow, white ... So what is red, what is blue? Apple peel is red, the sky is blue. So, red is equal to apple, blue is equal to the sky? We live in a colorful world from when we were born. We get used to define and memorize different colors through the relationship between shape and colour when our eyes could distinguish different colors. But obviously, apple does not mean red, the sky is not equal to blue, the relationship between shape and color is fragile and unreliable. So what is color in the end? Colour is a liquid? Gas? Or solid? You can find answers to questions on colour in Carlos Cruz-Dezs new exhibition - colour penetration. In Cruz's eyes, colour is a visual effect of light. It is real, independent and unstable. It exists in space and time, but is not attached to any natural objects. Humans eyes also have special reaction to colours complementarities. I believe that we all have had this experience: if we stare at red pictures for a long time, we will see green when we turn to white objects. Similarly, if the picture is blue, we will see it as yellow, but in fact, the green and yellow colours are only the illusion. In the bathroom of color, (color induction) , Cruz cuts the plastic curtains into strips and circles an independent space, people can see complementary colors that do not actually exist on the white wall through the gaps between the strips. Unknowingly, between seeing and not seeing, we were fooled by colour. Come on, lets go into a

Curator LIU Duanling Guangdong Museum of Art 11/9/2010 31/10/2010 Links Exhibition: Penetrated Color-Cruz-Dezs Interactive Experience Space Curator: Liu Duanling Venue: Guangdong Museum of Art Date: 11 Sept.2010- 31 Oct.2010

Writer: Lingling Chong

Artgap

At the Taipei Biennial 2010, Hong Kong artist Bai Shuangquan proposed Bring the art home project, during the project, any audience can invite and bring him home. Through this project, Bai wanted to ask members about why people do not like to communicate with strangers. But from this project, Artgap editor Zhong yuling will ask: does the audience come to an exhibition; for the unique works, for the great artists or for participation with creativity. When the audience and artists exchange roles, what will happen?

9 7 Tirdad Zolghadr 2008

Bai Shuangquan is a young Hong Kong artist. When he was thinking about the relations between the artists and the audience, he started a new project called Bring the art home. Bai Shuangquan always uses simple methods of expression, at Taipei Biennial he just sat quietly in the lobby of the art gallery, and beside him, there was a Slogan Bring the art home, and every day, asked an audience member to bring him to his/her home. This simple project aims to build up a moving relationship between the artist and audience. Artist, Audience, Strangers, Going home the core of these four key words is trust. Bai had been to a design student's home and they talked about art, life and dream. Also, he had been with a group of volunteers to the house to visit the elderly homes, and another day, a German who is a fluent Chinese speaker, invited him to his home. After that, Bai invited the German to play his role in the gallery and communicate with the audiences. Of course, some times there was no one to invite him home. Bais project reminds us to reflect on our social life: why we do not like to communicating with the strangers; why we always feel lonely; why we have ambitions but no one knows. Highly developed society forces people to keep busy hurrying to survive, which leads to a lack of communication and causes the estrangement between the people. Back to the mind of the rethinking of the Biennial, art works, artists and the definition of the art is bringing the art into the life and to ask the essence of the human society. At least, Bai Shuangquans project successfully reached its pre-set intention.

138Hot Topic

137Music

Memory of Shanghai, Map of Music

Writer: Eheart Chen By Courtesy Of Eheart Chen

Eheart Chen Once upon a Time in Magic City 80 Artgap

Musician Eheart Chen from Shanghai released his personal album "Once Once upon a Time in Magic City" this year, which was inspired by his experience as a young person when different streets and buildings left lots of memories to him. Music critic Sun Mengjin said: "The genre is very 80's when British synthesizer-pop was popular". Shooting for the album cover and inner pages, Eheart Chen paid visits to the places where he had been frequently when he was young. He also wrote for ArtGap specially to describe the Shanghai and those old times in his memory. 383 383 1957 4 1 80 1971 George C. Scott

64 Fendi 30 80 Spa CPI IMAX Once Upon A Time In Magic City Wuyuan Road Rhythm Nation Jane, Love

Once Upon A Time In Shanghai . , Midnight, Shanghai Tango

2010 Once Upon A Time In Magic City Jane, Love : Http://Www.Myspace.Com/Eheartmusic Http://Www.Douban.Com/Artist/Eheart/ : Http://Www.Youtube.Com/User/Eheart Twitter Http://Twitter.Com/Eheart_Chen Facebook Http://Www.Facebook.Com/Pages/Eheart/61220702716

1995 Freebirds 2 103.7 2004 3 EP Sunshine MV

company is located in an alley in Changle Road; his company is called "Yuefeng." Mr. Qiu looked like his father very much. He was very polite and told me the story about the old artist and helped me polish my lyrics. At last, he presented me with Qiu YueFengs photo as the album cover. Fortunately, on the thirtieth anniversary Qiu Yuefengs death, the song "Jane Love" was listed in East Storm List (Dongfang Fengyun Bang). The moist air of Shanghai is full of Jane and love.

No. 64 Yan'an Road, Shanghai Children's Palace It was the palace of my youth and a palace full of laughter. As a child, I was here to join the Young Pioneers: I vowed with my fist solemnly and seriously in this auditorium, as if we really would do as Pioneers sang: as the communist successors, we will inherit the glorious tradition of revolutionary predecessors and march toward the victory bravely. At that time, I went to the Children's Palace every weekend to learn calligraphy, but often secretly skipped classes to play the game machines. I also took out coins from the saving pot and bought my favorite snack figs from the store in the Children's Palace. I have watched a lot of movies in the old cinema of Children's Palace, and sometimes I could watch shadow plays and children's plays including Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince." But now the old cinema has also been removed. The last time Ive been here was for Italian brand Fendis fashion shows. Media and fashion people with gorgeous dresses were all around without any simple joy of childhood. The old house on Hengshan Road When I was a child, my house was moved from the alley of Wuyuan Road to the second floor of that old house. Across the street there was the office of "Audio & Video World" magazine, where used to be the Record Factory of China. I went across a flood of bicycles to go to school every morning and get to the opposite of the road. I could hear sounds of a variety of musical instruments and records. The students went to school together singing the song of "Gourd Brothers... When I was a Child, I liked to read magazines and listen to old vinyl record of Shanghai in 30s in Audio & Video World office which was at the opposite of my house.There used to be a painting wall, the only one in Shanghai, ideal for evening walks, but then it was completely removed as the municipal green construction was carried out. In winter and summer vacations, I liked watching TV at home most. From the Black-and-White TV set made in Czech Republic to the Venus color TV set made in China then to Panasonic VCR, I watched "Sherlock Holmes." The people who lived downstairs were the teachers who worked in the Cultural Affairs Bureau. I listened to Pingtan, storytelling, funny plays and comic dialogues and

No.383 Yongjia Road, where used to be Shanghai Film Dubbing Studio No. 383 Yongjia Road is now owned by The Cultural Inspection Brigade, and previously was owned by Shanghai Film Dubbing Studio (established on April 1, 1957). At that time, all foreign films would be redubbed by the actors of the studio before opening to public. No version with original language would be played. In 1980s, I used to go there and watch foreign films that were previewed internally. Voice actors were the most unique "movie stars" at that time, they created many vivid foreign characters using their voice and brought them to our ears and brought us to the strange exotic culture far away. Among those voice actors, I was especially impressed by Qiu Yuefengs voice- deep, cold and full of charm. The first time I heard his voice was in the "Monkey King", the character he played was the fearless Monkey King. He has high-brows and deep eyes, which makes his appearance quite westernized, he had played a foreign boss in a film called "coral die off the island" as a guest actor. The most famous dubbing work of Qiu Yuefeng is Jane Eyre, version 1971. To Chinese audiences, his voice is equal to George C. Scott on the screen.I put this experience of growing up watching dubbed films into my song "Jane, love" and put it into my recording. In order to produce this track, I had specially visited Qiu Yuefengs son Qiu Bichang. His

talked about cultural phenomenon that aroused society debates such as popular singers and hot movies when we enjoyed the cool summer night. Shanghai in 1980s had a slower pace of life, therefore the cultural atmosphere was really good. This time, I visited the old house to take pictures but found that it was "Cheng Ming Ming's Natural Beauty Spa Beauty Center" now. Once When the fig's price is changed to 1 yuan a pack from 0.1 yuan bag after a round of CPI growths; When the movie ticket's price is changed to dozens of RMB yuan, even hundreds of RMB yuan like IMAX from dozens of cents; When the house's prices are changed to several thousand even tens of thousands a square meter from free welfare distribution, which makes local people gradually move to the suburbs from the downtown; Perhaps the only thing to be treasured forever is the beautiful simplicity and dream we used to have in heart when we were children of Shanghai. Once Upon A Time In Magic City to my endearing Shanghai. French version of Wuyuan Road, to the roads of childhood, Rhythm Nation, to Audio & Video World, Jane & Love, to Qiu Yuefeng and dubbed movie, Once Upon A Time In Shanghai, to old Shanghai movie, Midnight, Shanghai Tango, to the re-born magic city Shanghai

Authors Background Eheart Chen: He is an independent music & video man who lives in Shanghai. In 1995, he formed the band Freebirds and made two albums as a bass player and singer. He used to work as a music editor of 103-7 of Shanghai East Radio Station. Since 2004, he has published three independent popular electronic music EPs: "Wuyuan Road", "Once" and "Sunshine", which newly deconstructed the post-modern city life in Shanghai. He also directed MVs for many songs such as Wuyuan Road in person. In 2010, he re-arranged and recorded all of his works and put them into a concept album Once Upon A Time In Magic City to recall the life stories of 1980s and 1990s in Shanghai. In the sleeve notes of the record, he also presented hand-drawn pictures and a group of photos of Shanghai streets and alleys. The album was published by Shanghai Corporation of China Record recently. Jane & Love, which is made to memorize Qiu Yuefeng and dubbed movie, was cited in East Storm List. Music websites : Http://Www.Myspace.Com/Eheartmusic Http://Www.Douban.Com/Artist/Eheart/ Video websites : Http://Www.Youtube.Com/User/Eheart Twitter Http://Twitter.Com/Eheart_Chen Facebook Http://Www.Facebook.Com/Pages/Eheart/61220702716

134Music

Nothing can stop me from pursuing freedom Writer: Yu Jingyi Photographer: Yu Jingyi

80 90 3001002002

Music(History) on the Jiqing Street With the reform and opening up of the Chinese market from the 1980s, job occupations have shifted from national allocation to individual choice. A group of people who have commercial awareness resigned and began to start their own businesses. They rented stores and sold local delicacies of Wuhan: ducks neck, hot-dry noodles, Doupi, stinky tofu, marinatingthis street has gradually become a night market famous for its Wuhan delicacies. A group of Anhui artists are also attracted to this place. The artists on Jiqing street assembled at the initial stage because of the gourmet night market. This civil society which was spontaneously formed at the early 1990s has over 300 artists at its heyday. However, because of its fluidity and small amount of consumers, there are less than 100 artists now. In order to standardize management of Jiqing street, Management council for artists has been established by local street government to protect the safety of businessmen, artists and consumers. On Jiqing street ,you can enjoy performance of various kinds, from across the country and the world. From the local Chu opera to our national treasure-Peking opera, from rock and pop music to folk music, the performances by sachs, guitar, urhu or bamboo flute have satisfied visitors from all parts of the world. There are also performances of distinct local interests such as dialect talking, song and dance duet, Sichuan face changing show, Shannxi folk songs and so on for you to choose. Leather shoe scratchers, portrait painters and flower girls have also added folk customs to this street.

132City Seen Artgap Jiqing street is a gourmet street in Wuhan. This place attracts large amount of street artists who have strong desire for pursuing art. They attach their street side music performances to restaurants on this street, and are wandering on the edge between life and survival. Yu Jingyi, journalist of Art Gap in Wuhan has interviewed a band of two brothers.

131City Seen

JEEP 1993 ,

2011

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Sachs king Ive interviewed a band of brothers who play sachs and guitar, and they have an interesting name Sachs King. Liu Yu, the guitar player, wears a pair of black-framed glasses, sleeveless garment with JEEP on it and jeans, sitting quietly in front of me. He is playing his guitar softly and sentimentally. However, the gentle-looking Sachs King on Jiqing street-Liu Zhiyong asks me about my purpose. Liu Yu and Liu Zhiyong are cousins, Yu is elder brother, Yong is younger brother. They are the natives of Jiangxi province. In 1993, Liu Zhiyong came to Wuhan alone. After graduating from art school, he came to Jiqing street as an artist to earn a living for his parents and sisters. About 10 years later, his brother who graduated from the department of Chinese of Normal College and liked singing, also came to this street. They formed a band called Sachs King and began to perform. A few years later, Liu Zhiyong has settled down here in Wuhan. He said without hesitation that he stayed here because he couldt leave this place. So many years of life in Wuhan has brought him a deep sentiment and fond memories which he cant let go. For Yong, here is the very beginning of his life and he has spent many years of life on this street. Sitting beside him, Liu Yu lowered his head to play guitar seeming to help reviewing the passing stories. We are talking about the past times with the accompaniment of guitar. Art Gap: Can you afford a normal spending by working as artists? Yong: Of course. According to charging standards of management organization, all performances are 10RMB each. On average, we can earn 5000 to6000 RMB a month. But in high seasons, we earn even more.

Art Gap: In spite of earning a living, do you have other reasons for being artists? Yu: Yes. The desire of freedom. As I dont like to be controlled, live an artist living made me feel that people have rights to choose their own way of life. Another reason is my personal pursue for art. We are different from many other street side artists as we take the path of academism. Those interested in academic performance will like us so much while others wont even let us perform. We often introduce the meaning, content of the song before our singing. Perhaps some visitors thoroughly dislike this style, but we still insist on our route and style. It doesnt matter that not all the people like us. If I feel that they dont understand me, I choose not to act and earn money. I will never betray myself. Art Gap: Do you have any further plan about future? Will you continue to work as artists? Sachs king: Yes, we will. The newly built Jiqing gourmet street will be opened in May next year, and we hope the management organization will give an even clearer explanation on the scope of various artists to make a more reasonable urban environment. We will continue to give performances for all consumers, old and new. Postscript: Liu Yu who has a strong sense of rebel tell me that he is pisce, and I begin to understand his persistent pursue for art as well as his love and desire for freedom. Just as a rock singer Xu Wei sings that Nothing can stop me from pursuing freedom. He keeps repeating his faith to me. Some people live for life, and some live for survives. Perhaps in their eyes, they rely on both of them and can not divide them very clearly. However, we can still find out their most sincere souls through their music. Maybe they are the purest artists of all.

Reshaping the History All Together

Writer: Yang Shiyang

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Foreword: "Reshaping the History" is a huge exhibition that collects the Chinese contemporary artists new works from 2000 to 2009. More than 200 artists have participated in this exhibition which cost eighteen million RMB. During the preparation stage of this exhibition, the main curator Lu Peng was called by the industry as "contesting for the right of speech with enclosing". Lu Peng had candidly expressed his thought to the contributing art reporter Yang Shiyang of Artgap.

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In the large exhibition hall, Lu Peng, two other curators, Zhu Zhu and Gao Qianhui from Taiwan, divide the exhibition space into four parts, which are corresponding to the people who have fame and success, young artists who are walking in the upward access, ink & wash and Taiwan artists. Objectively speaking, the exhibition is a continuation of Lu Pengs previous experience. Every ten years, he will write a history of art to summarize the past. At the end of 1989, he wrote the "History of Modern Art: 1979-1989". In 1999, he did the same thing. And this time is still as before. The only difference is that in the first two decades, the contemporary art had no money, right, fame or profit. We were all brothers and were united for warmness and struggled for poor freedom from the system with our fists. Suddenly, the capitalism ripped the iron curtain a hole, the contemporary art turned around and was filled with sense of power and interests, everything became an activity with a purpose. Lu Peng exhibited the works of the first decade of 21st century according to his own standard, what if its not a rushing to the hill top in other peoples eyes? Recently, Lu Peng has sadly found that none of the young generation of critics exactly understood what he calls "the legitimacy of contemporary art". They forget or do not want to understand the extrusion that the period of 1980s had on contemporary art and the suppression at the expression of freedom. Until now, even if contemporary art has entered into the "National Conference Center" such a symbolic place it still not completely desensitized. Art Gap: When you select artists and works, whats your requirement for them? Whats the standard? Lu Peng: It comes with many years of experience in this field: knowledge experience and sensory experience. I prompt them to bring new works. I am avoiding the symbols that are familiar to me, and they brought new works here spontaneously. I didnt ask for them deliberately. Artgap: Some people have been criticizing the successful artists for not changing. Do you have such feeling when you select works? Lu Peng: People always hope that the change in the arts should be subversive. This is the impression brought by modern revolution. In fact, there are not so many subversive changes in daily life. If an artist makes subversive changes, it is OK, if not, we can examine the differences in his works. Artgap: But some artists repeat themselves, is it true? Lu Peng: Yes, its true. But there are several reasons. I believe that there is a market reason, some people want to buy and they draw. But there are

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Lu Peng: Its nonsense. How can such a thing happen? Some people say that there is foreign support for political pop. In early 90s, Wang Guangyi did those drawings for art and his own personal reasons Who knew foreigner at that time? No one have never seen one. Artgap: Talking about successful artists, did the changes surprised you or disappointed you? Lu Peng: If we have to score it. 70 points. Not very high. Artgap: you have enough ambition in this exhibition, it is said to be an enclosure activity? Lu Peng: Saying that I snatched the right to speak is the thinking habit of this circle. It is OK. You can also do the enclosure if you have the ability to. I think it is better to speak in this way.Yes I did the enclosure, what is the result? Lets discuss this issue. I know about art world after so many years being in this field. Generally speaking, art is a battlefield. Academy becomes a pretext to criticize others. If you really criticized others, the negative action will become your purpose. Yesterday we made a joke in our small group. They said that they wished my exhibition to fail, but looking at the scene, they think it wont fail, it is OK. They are a little bit disappointed. I think the battlefield has an irrational nature. But it will naturally settle down and the saying of arena will disappear. I dont mind if you say that I am doing the enclosure. We could discuss it on the desk if you are brave enough. Artgap: You held this exhibition with the purpose of writing art history of the first decade of the 21st century. So many people think that if someone enters into the exhibition, he enters the art history,and if you are not elected to the exhibition, you are abandoned. Is it a illusion?You once said that art history is not a Hall of Fame but a problem history, but doesnt this exhibition exactly look like the Hall of Fame? Lu Peng: It is an illusion certainly. How can it be so serious? Why not entering the exhibition implies not getting into the art history? You can only say that you will have more possibilities to be examined by art history if you entered the Exhibition. Entering this exhibition is a bad thing. If some of the artists consider this exhibition a Hall of Fame, it is his psychological feelings. There will be thousands of art varieties come out every day, I just chose one of them as a representative and leave others behind. In this sense, the power is in the hands of writers. I do not care about whether the contemporary history written is right or wrong, what I care about is that the views of the contemporary era would be expressed. Right or wrong is the thing for later generation to judge. Of course, as an art historian, everyone would hope that his judgment is right.

other reasons, e.g. the Art Gallery wants to buy their works for a permanent collection and hopes to have such a variety. Artists will satisfy this requirement, hoping that this thing will be collected by the Art Gallery. I think this is proper. This is somewhat contrary to the creation. But this is not a big issue. The issue is, when we observe him, does he still work on his creative works? If yes, it is understandable for them to do some other tasks at the same time. Of course another reason is the artists personal feeling. They like expressing a series and hope to accomplish such a feeling through various perspectives, this is also proper. Criticizing it, we can say that the artists should not repeat their works. Creation is our expectation. On the other hand, we have to understand why they would like to do that. Artgap: Some people say that some of the repeated and successful works are conspiracy organized by some western funds which choose to support the works with ideological color.

Artgap: There is no Cai Guoqiang in your selection. It seems that he is the only one of the big artists who is not in this exhibition? Lu Peng: Cai Guoqiang's "Rent Collection Courtyard" and "Borrow Arrows with Thatched" are good. However i think that his works after 2000, especially the fireworks, I do not think they are arts. This is my expression of attitude. Foreign counties are very fond of him but I do not want such an artist. You cannot say that all the works in my exhibition are much better than Cai Guoqiangs. It is OK for someone to have a different opinion.

Artgap: You have chosen almost all of the famous artists to participate in your exhibition. It is an ambition to present panoramic views. Do you hope that this exhibition have relationship with the art developing history of the past twenty years? For example, the particular document part, although they are new works, they are about the Eighth Five-Year period or artists of that period. Lu Peng: Collecting all around helps me with writing art history, it has nothing to do with letting others see how neat the exhibition is. Yes, there is definitely a context for art. I have a feeling that young generation of critics always consider the Eighth Five-Year have no value but just a simple imitation. The 90s is a period having several thoughts that are in collusion with Western world. Today is the era of people who was born in 1970s and 1980s. This is a misjudgment caused by life instinct. The Eighth Five-Year had imitation, but we have to research why there was imitation. If imitation in style is nonsense, then all ideological arts after Cuchamp shall be eliminated because they are all imitations. Artgap: There was a debate regarding the complete legality of Contemporary Art last year. What did you mean by complete legality? Some people say that it means officially recognized, and collected by the National Gallery? Lu Peng: What is official recognition? They didnt understand the complete legality I said even the young critics seminar was held two days before. Isnt it simple? Contemporary art is only protected by legal review but not protected by other review system. Didnt Stars fight for freedom in those years? What we are painting should not be controlled. Nowadays, a lot of people think that some things that happened in the past are just exaggerated by us, they are

not so serious. So I ask them to have more lessons and see what is called "spiritual pollution cleaning" campaign. Today, we have more freedom, but the underlying problem is not resolved, there is no feeling of security. Artgap: Last year, Institute of Contemporary Art was set in China and some artists such as Wang Guangyi was elected as academician. Do you still think this is a good thing? If the National Art Gallery collected the contemporary art works, how this would impact the prospects for contemporary art? Lu Peng: Contemporary Art Institute shows the space for contemporary art is widened. In fact, it is a freak. But after all, it raises problems for discussion of how the next step should be taken to treat contemporary art, we still have to support. National Art Gallery collects one third of the works in my exhibition? It is impossible. The whole authority system and interest is involved. So we can say that the market brings opportunities for contemporary art. Artgap: You never reject the market. The works in this exhibition are for sale, right? If you are concerned with selling, some people will doubt that you take into account both academic and the market aspects, how do you respond? You have mentioned earlier that the market saved contemporary art of China. Lu Peng: who would dare to stand up and say what the contemporary art will be like if there is no market? The works in this exhibition can be sold. I definitely do not avoid this point. I said that I would work as an agent for artists. It is very normal to have exchange in the market. The relationship between market and academy is very simple, the only issue is priority. The standard I applied in choosing works is in accordance with academic standard, I do not know who will buy them. I would sell as long as there is a market. Lots of money is spent on some of the installations and photos in this exhibition, but possibly they cannot be sold out for a penny. Artgap: The name of this exhibition is exaggerated, Reshaping the History, who would be the subject of this phrase? Lu Peng: It is a bit exaggerated. Originally it was called Manufacturing the History. However in order to avoid duplication, we change it to Reshaping the History. I do not care about the name. It can be changed to something else. But I am dealing with art history, so I hope it is related to history. It should be interpreted as we all have to think about the issue of reshaping the history through this exhibition. The subject should be all of us.

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Travelling with Toys Writer: Fan Zhang By Courtesy Of: Guoqing Li

Artgap This is a new generation of Chinese collectors of the most distinctive one. Him a popular science magazine editor in chief, his collection of toys, the way he treats his collection is take them out to see the world, and even the toy instead of themselves, Everywhere attractions, are all peers take a toy, according to tourist standards. Toy collectors Li Guoqing Zhang Fan on Artgap edit with a toy about how he is traveling to Beijings big pants, Londons Tower Bridge into the background of board travel toy.

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important thing that he thinks of is the design style and when he sees the toys first, nothing is more important than heart tempting . In traditional concepts, the standard collection process is buying the collections, taking them home, keeping them well and waiting for appreciation. But facing the lovely toy, who would have the heart to buy it from thousands of miles away and just resell it for higher price? Li Guoqing began to try to travel with the toys: I really like them, so I hope they can breathe and see the world in which they exist and enjoy the times. I let them leave frozen memories in different landmarks or landscapes. Tokyo, Barcelona, Hong Kong, London, Pattaya, Huangshan, Lijiang, Harbin ... Toys I have been here pictures in the famous or non-famous landmarks record the places he has been for these years like the tickets. From the initial accident, unconscious behavior of image capturing, to becoming a way of life gradually, traveling with toys has been blended into Li Guoqings life of journey. In the scenery, the toys represent me; in the lens, I observe the world where the toys are in with my own eyes, at the end of every trip, when looking at the pictures in computer of the toys on the road, Li Guoqing can recall his footprints that he had left in different places. At these moments, photography is not only an elegant art, but also a record of daily life which is a real world pieced together from tiny details. Toy is a collection, that is true, but first it is a toy, the fun of collecting toys will be missing if the toys are sealed up and shelved forever. With such a pure mind, Li Guoqing has travelled with toys again and again. Perhaps the toys will get dirty or damaged, because of the rushing journey, but it is just these imperfections that constitute a perfect life. Artgap: Do you have any special experience of collecting toys? Li Guoqing: Yoshitomo Naras Sleepless Night, whose price have reached 120,000 Hong Kong dollars in Sothebya of Paris and the Autumn Fair of Taipei, the pre-sale price was 7500 Hong Kong dollars at Hong Kong Superman toy store. I missed that chance due to some non-inevitable reason and then its prices have been raised for many times when I found it again. Fortunately, I grasped the chance that time. Artgap: Among all of the toys in your collection, your favorite is...? Li Guoqing: In fact, every collection I bought is my favorite, the only difference is some are my favorites of today, some are my favorites of tomorrow, and some were favorites of past or future. Today, the No 1 on my favorites list is 400% BE @ RBRICK of a band Sex Pistols. In this morning, at the other side of Millennium Palace, when I put him out for taking pictures, it was blown to the ground and broke one of its arms just at the moment I press the shutter ... thank God for saving the Queen! Artgap: what experiences you would like to share with primary toy collectors? Li Guoqing: Do not hesitate once you come across a toy that you like it at your first sight. Do not care about price, look, time or place. Because it is possibly the only chance you meet with them in your whole life.

Although being the most famous toy collectors in China, it has been not a very long time since Li Guoqing started collecting toys. Around 2002, when he worked in the media, his colleagues did a topic of Hong Kong vinyl toy, and only after that he began to pay attention to these toys for adults. Prior to this, like most of the people who know nothing about it, Li Guoqing also thought that only kids will love these small furnishings. Starting from choosing the works made by his most favorite artists and buying no more than ten collections a year, to he gradually became and went to crazy state with no principles; he finally became the main manager of PlayGround (a popular shop in Guangzhou) from a simple buyer. He made the toy collection as a career. He loves it and lives on it. Li Guoqings selection criteria on toy collection include the designers reputation, brand and production quality and output restrictions, etc. Just like the collection of other fields, the abovementioned perspectives basically decide the value of space of the toy collection. Comparing these standards, the most

Explore The Beauty Of Traditional Crafts"Protection and Development of the Chinese Ethnic Culture" is the co-sponsored project by United Nations Development Programme and Chinese musician Dadawa. The fashion editor Li Bingqing at "Modern Weekly" Shanghai Branch participated in the project called "Show The World". She went to the remote Guizhou Province to widen the knowledge of the local traditional crafts such as Hmong silver jewellery, embroidery, batik, etc. She said it was an amazing "treasure-hunting trip" because having not witnessed working process done by the craftsmen, she would never believe there was such exquisite craftsmanship undiscovered in the mountains, and she would also like to know whether Chinese traditional handicraft skills can keep the pace together with the Chinese fashion which is still in its starting-up phase. Can Chinese traditional handicraft skills develop further, even to become the strong enhancer for the Chinese fashion? Show The World As a fashion editor of "Modern Weekly", I participated in this project, and went to Guizhou Province with the invited experts and designers. We hold the same purpose, that is, to search and to sense physically and mentally, to discover and explore the possibility of combining Hmong traditional crafts with modern fashion elements. Hmong has its own language but no written characters. They use embroidery, batik, silver to record history and culture of a nation and then they wear them as clothes, which has been passing on from generation to generation. This grand fashion show was just an attempt. First we invited local Hmong residents to be our model, all of which was improvisation and completely unpredictable. Unexpectedly, the colour of Herms shirt blended in with that of the Hmong grand dress, and only the pure Silver Coronet, which had been passed on for three generations, can go with the finery of high-level hand-stitching embroidery of CHANEL "Paris-Shanghai" series. We cannot help gasping with admiration at stunning effects of the harmonious reconciliation of East and West, old and new. As long as it is the real "charm", regardless of differences between the appearance or background, they are bound to be able to mentally communicate with each other. It is hoped that the world can "witness" the Hmong traditional craft and that someone can instill them with a more modern spirit, letting them be reborn and regenerated. Herms CHANELParis-Shanghai

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The story of two silversmithsShi Dong Town is famous as a region of origin of silver in the Southeastern part of Guizhou Province. We visited the Tong Long Village where there are forty or fifty households producing silver jewellery among sixty families. Wu Shuigen is one of the most famous silversmiths. Tong Long Village is the same as other Hmong villages where most of the old huts are empty, but no trace of the young as they have gone to work away from home, leaving only children as the elderly peoples companions. Wu Shuigen built a new brick house where the hall was densely covered with awards and photos, which he won in the competitions organised by the province in the past several years. The Silver Cup for the competition called "Colorful Guizhou" was also designatedly produced by him. What he has been doing for years is getting up at 6 every morning and working until 1 oclock next morning, during which he uses, on an average, 200 kilograms of silver. Wu Shuigens studio is very shabby and small, filled with delicate semi-finished drawbenching silver jewellery. Hmong minority ethnic group lives along the Wujiang River and Qingshuijiang River in Southeast of Guizhou Province. Each branch of the silver costume styles along each river has their own characteristics. Shi Dong Town silver jewellery is famous for "drawbenching". The solid block of silver is melted, drawbenched in the dry iron socket, hammered, and finally calcined. "Drawbenching" is the most basic fundamental technique, but most laborious. The traditional practice goes like this: first to sharpen the front of rough silver strips, then to penetrate them through the mould. Next pull out the other side of the strips with tongs. It requires to repeate procedures described above so that it can meet the specifications standard. In recent years, this process has been completed by machines, which is more efficient and economical. What we mentioned above is just preparation. However, the key to drawbenching silver jewellery is the final assembling by the silversmith. A silversmith has a great sense of vision-their sharp eyes, and magic hands. A pair of tweezers are needed to form a variety of shapes with tight lines and delicately elegant style. A two-centimetre wide bracelet connects two pieces of pattern, "Butterfly Mama" and "Ji Ling Bird" shaped like a deep hollow relief carving. After the shape forming, the next challenge is welding. For example, a 1 cm in diameter small butterfly has a round head less than 3 mm in diameter, laden with two small silver beads above used as three-dimensional eyes. The solder powder needs to be the exact amount, neither too much nor too little. At first, welding is completed by blowing the solder powder through the bamboo stick. If it is a bigger piece of silver jewellery, the silversmith will suffer a hoarse throat the next morning. Then the foot-driven pump was invented. In recent years, muskets save a lot of work. Wu Shuigen used to complete only one dragon necklace completed in a week, but now, with the new technology, at least 6 necklaces can be done. Wu Shuigen is the 8th generation in the Wu family to do silver jewellery. For earlier generations, only boys in this family could be taught the skills, and not girls. Wu shuigen broke the rules by teaching his daughter Wu Chunxiu, who became the 9thgeneration descendant. His technique is wellrenownedly good, so the villagers come to him to learn. He accepted seven or eight apprentices. His son Wu Xiaodong studies in the senior grade at the best high school in the Southeast of Guizhou Province, who learned the silversmith's craft as a child but stopped learning as he was growing up. Wu Shuigen does not suggest that his son inherit the family business, saying " few people here have the opportunity to study, I really hope he can go away from home to broaden his horizon. His daughter Wu Chunxiu is one of the most beautiful girls in the town, famous for her good silver embroidery craft. Whats more, her father is the first-class silversmith; therefore, for her, the "Sister Festival" tour party is a big opportunity of exhibiting. Wu Chunxiu would wear her dragon collar, which was passed to her mother by Chunxius grandmother from a mother's side, and his father made silver hat, silver bracelets and necklaces for her, even the four corners of her handkerchief was decorated with silver. All of these are quite luxurious since the value is more than 60,000 RMB while other girls is worth 20,000. Yang Kaili, Wu Shuigens son-in-law, who can speak better Chinese Mandarin, was employed in the catering and entertainment business. He learned silver jewellery craft from Wu Shuigen as well as operating some business. A small room in the house has been converted to be the counter selling silver bracelets, earrings, rings, silver hats and locking collars, and everything you can think of. From November to next February and March it is considered as the peak period of silver jewellery sales, making the annual revenue of 20,000 or 30,000 RMB. registered a company last year called " Guizhou Taijiang Wu Shuigen National Silver". But the logo of the company has not been designed, only engraved " Wu Shuigen" (his name) in larger silver jewellery products. "Our stuff is more expensive than others, but others have recognized our technology is better.

Hmong silver jewellery is basically some fixed patterns, while no model can be referred to. It all depends on the silversmith to design or to draw patterns. We improved many traditional patterns trying to make them look more lively and modern. As soon as the design is released, it is copied or imitated. Indeed, once we got the idea or design, there is nothing we cannot do. " However, Wu Shuigen has not tended to develop his business in other places. "The main customers are the local Hmong people. We also have customers from Beijing, Shanghai who come to customize some small pieces of products like pendants or bracelets. But the whole set of Hmong silver jewellery is our main products. We have to work from morning till night, with products in short supply and constant order. " After the interview, Wu Shuigen went into his studio to start his work of today. Apart from Shi Dong, Lei Shan Mountain is considered to be the most famous original manufacturing region of silver jewellery in the Southeastern part of Guizhou Province. We attended the worship ceremony in the famous village of traditional silversmiths and other village

called Linen Material Village, which is not far on the other side of the hill well known for silversmiths. "But the worship must be for our ancestors", Li Zhengwen said quite proudly, " It monopolises 70% of silver carving jewellry. Whenever there is the drum festival, all come to worship for silver jewellery." Lei Shan Mountains main businesses focus on silver sculpture, which is different from that of Shi Dong. Silver bullion is melted and poured into the mould; after the preliminary shaping it is carefully tapped for the final shape. As for the precision, it is all up to the silversmith's gestures and thoughts. The basic process is divided into silver moltening, beating, slicing, moulding, seal cutting, weaving, cleaning, assembly, and most complex procedure takes more than 120 steps for making a silver hat. Li Zhengwens daughter had her silver hat made when she was only 12 years old, which will be worn in her wedding. It is decorated with a sixty 3D silver flowers, full of different flowers, birds, fishes and insects carving. It took him 10 days, while for an ordinary silver hat it only takes him one day.

Li Zhengwen is the 7th generation in the silversmith family. He began learning silver jewellery skills after graduating from high school, which started much later than an average person does. In the 27th day of his apprenticeship, he started his silver jewellery career, which almost broke a record. "I learned the most basic things, kind of stealing the ideas and methods of my master. I once did experiments for five days and nights without any sleep: I melted things, built things, and then melted them again, back and forth, until I was satisfied. " Li Zhengwen is now one of the best silversmiths in Lei Shan Mountain. All the awards and certificates he won are on display in his new house, including Vice President of Silversmith Association", "First Folk Silversmith in Lei Shan Mountain County","Representative Successor of Hmong silver production techniques of Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage"and so on. The key to making excellent carved silver jewellery is the mould. The mould is made of resin. Potash, mercury, bluestone and honey are melted down to soft materials.Then it is poured into a hard tin mould to reshape. Mould shapes are passed down from

ancestors or are newly created by a silversmith. Li Zhengwen has been collecting various moulds throughout his life. He said all the patterns are in his mind. "Even if there is a change, it cannot be too far away from the traditional. Other designs can just be deployed as reference. It would not be Hmong silver jewellery if there was too much exotic style. One of the most difficult works is ox horn. It is true that Hmong worship dragon, but ox horn absorbs the essence of the dragon. Women living along Xijiang River wear carved silver horns when they dress up. Li Zhengwen asked his second son Li Jiansong, who studies at a university in Zunyi, to learn the craft during his summer vacation. "But whether or not he will inherit the family business has not yet been decided." Li Jiansongs skills improved by leaps and bounds. Sometimes a silversmith with many years experiences comes to Li Zhengwen for instruction and finds out that the fledgling Li Jiansong grasps much more solid skills than himself. "In the future if he does not learn from me, he can also find another master. However, it takes time to make smooth lines or to come up with some good designs. " There is a newly constructed street called Silversmith Street in the county of Lei Shan Mountain. Although the carved wooden doors still have distributing fragrance of new wood, Li Zhengwen has decided to open his new stores here. "Probably it will take about one or two years to develop into a larger scale. And the government here also hopes 'Silversmith Village' can gain more attention." While Li Zhengwen was bending the silver bar on the wooden pier empty-handed, he said, "These manufacturering approaches were passed down from my ancestors and been efficiently applied till today. We want to develop other products, but the number of orders from my customers is increasing and products have been in short supply in Lei Shan Mountain. We do not know how to be different and how to do bigger businesses. "

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PlanningYe Xiaowei / The author / interview Li Bingqing PhotographerJasper James Photographer AssistantDaniel OConnor StyleYu-Jin Chong / Hair / MakeupColin Translation: Victoria Yu

Amazing embroideryWe went to the village famous for the "thread splitting embroidery" called Shuangjing Village in Shibing County. When we asked Yi Laoxin, the provincial heritage successor, to comment on the high-level hand-stitching embroidery of CHANEL "Paris-Shanghai" series, she, with smiles, said the cortical embroidery requires very basic skills. She could split one thread into 14 threads emptyhanded; she improvises with colour design of the embroidery; she can infill modern elements into traditional dragon, phoenix and butterfly patterns by using her pin. There are five or six women like her in the village with superb embroidery techniques, who work for Yang Jianhong, who operates the Hmong and Dong minority ethnic group dress Museum. These women earn the annual income of 10,000 Yuan, which is higher compared with local income of 3,000-4,000 RMB on average. Surprisingly, these ladies are paid such low income compared with craftsmen in other countries whose skill is as excellent as theirs. We also visited the provincial tin embroidery successor Ms San Jiu in Jianhe County. The production process includes weaving and adding the tin and many more procedures. It takes a top embroidery lady 3 months to finish just the front of costume (30X 15 cm in circumference) which is only sold for 400 RMB. Either "bridge pattern" representing safety or "Sister patterns" representing friendship is abstract three-dimensional pattern. If either of them were sewed as the sleeve edge or turned into a handbag, the work certainly would cost a fortune.

To avoid ending up being a "museum"This Guizhou trip opened our outlook and offered many new ideas to the Chinese designers who experienced the whole journey as well. Professor Li Wei from Tsinghua Academy of Fine Arts said: "Their technology is not maintained by government protection, but by proper commercial promotion or brand operation. Even some tertiary institutions and enterprises can contribute to the protection of this specific culture. Some day there will be more vitality. Hmong clothing, silver patterns can have a more systematic study. Try to simplify the highly enriched totem in a more modern style, from complicated to simple, enabling more people from different cultural backgrounds to accept it, and it will enrich our fashion philosophy. "To retain the essence of tradition, but also to innovate constantly. The traditional arts and crafts should fit the new era in order to avoid being a" museum" in the end. Traditional crafts always seem to face the dilemma: the protection of traditional crafts and traditional craftsmens survival. "Traditional" means devoting time and effort in some exquisite and unique design which can not be mechanized in mass production, hence quality could not meet the standards. It would be very easy to lose the core brand value of the traditional crafts, if there were no long-term and constructive development approach or enough healthy, and mature system to maintain it. In China, we have seen many such examples: blindly and violently "developing" a certain type of traditional crafts always ended up grabbing the superficial element but not obtaining the slightest of tradition. In the end, the essence of tradition became roughly manufactured souvenirs at a tourist attraction. Cloisonne is such a case. Su Zhou Embroidery also has been striving to maintain its traditional values, but unfortunately it is too highbrow to be popular. Most Su Zhou Embroidery products now are used as folding screens or handkerchiefs. They are like time capsules to be shelved, and the craftsmen's social status and economic status are completely unable to be proportional to the wisdom and labour they devoted. The journey in Guizhou Province is just the beginning and my report is just an introduction of this amazing area. Perhaps it would be a little tacky with an ending like best wishes, but it is our sincere hope that Hmong people and many other traditional craftsmen can also perform on the world fashion stage, so that the world once again can be shocked by Chinese magic. We hope that this wish will be realised soon.

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Modern Wonderland in Art Gallery

Writer: Duo Ning By Courtesy Of: Ullens Center for Contemporary Art

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815252010 300T AA On 15 Aug. 2010, fashion designer Zhang Da held No Boundary Fall/Winter Fashion Show in Ullens Center for Contemporary Art of Beijing with 25 sets of new looks. He asked his friends to be the guest models. There was no traditional T platform on the 300 m2 show place and the audience area and the performance area were nearly mixed. After the show, the dresses will be on sale in the art shop of Ullens. This form is not so common in China. Zhang Das old friend Duo Ning, an architect who graduated from AA, had an interview with him.

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Artgap: Why dont you often do fashion show? Artgap Zhang Da: The direct reason is that fashion show needs lots of money for place renting, model selection, as well as dress making. Our studio is very small and there have to be a certain purpose if we put so much money into a fashion show. There is no purchasing mechanism for fashion show in China. Basically, our show is made for media. Media is of course an important channel to popularize brands. However, if we spend lots of money on fashion show in a limited capital condition and there are no buyers or orders, I would rather put the money into product making and make the product better. So I seldom hold fashion shows, this might be the main reason. Artgap: Could you tell us about the dresses you prepared for Ullens? Zhang Da: Compared to my previous designs, my design is more sensitive this time. I started from image which interested me, instead of starting from an abstract concept I set in the past. The outfits have three kinds of resource: common peoples Chinese costumes; work clothes (Chinas, other countries, Blue Collars, labourers) and a funny and cool style that combines common wearable material in China and something very odd. The first reason I like work clothes is that they are concrete. They are born out of necessity. There is a feeling of being needed. Work clothes impressed people with burliness, reliability, cheap, labor, modesty, simplicity and a subversion to fashion. The second reason is that DANDY, IT GIRL style is so popular recently, but I would rather go in a different direction: stupid and stiff. Artgap: It seems that the material you used in your show in 2006 was very abstract and there were a lot of composite material, however the clothes you designed this time are more concrete and daily: IKEA, fabric bag, country cloth. Why do you make such changes?

Zhang Da: The material I used in the show of 2006 was kind of abstractive indeed. I was much fonder of abstractive things at that time. The materials I used this time are very concrete. They are the materials that are really used for work clothes: IKEA calico; calico that is still used in the countries, etc. There are more reasons, first, I want to use color in the clothes; second, I want to find floral print. However, my output is small and I cannot customize my own pattern unless I use slitting print or computer print. So I have to find suitable material in the market. I am always fond of North European style material of IKEA. But they are specially designed for decorative cloth and the proportion will be inappropriate if some of the patterns are used on clothes. The calico is purchased from market directly and not customized, the patterns are very folk. The two kinds of patterns are very different from each other, however the point that is both of them are odd and have an intensive contrast. The floral cloth is more secular. I like the oddness and secularity. I have always been fond of chaos, city folk style, cheap, sloppy, strong, unruly, mussy things and something that is a little bit stupid, direct and cool. Artgap: You seem to be a very contradictory man. For example, you had a lot of designs coming from concept in earlier years, then you suddenly made more casual and more diverse works. I always have a feeling that youve been switched between abandoning visual taste and indulging visual feast. Is it true? Zhang Da: indeed, I am a contradictory, complex and radical man. My early designs were notional indeed and I will still do such designs even though the design this time is concrete and sensitive. Abandoning visual taste and indulging in visual feast really exist in my works. I think that I am vacillating between the two. Perhaps I am a little bit radical. Haha, or am I seeking for a balance unwittingly? My understanding of these two contradictory directions came from a series of changes. I went to a fashion design field from studying drawings. This background makes me start from visual thinking and judging. As my understanding to articles is improving and learning to different designing concepts, I began to focus on things behind vision and started to think about the relationship between the two. The costume look is a very important visual part. I hope that I can focus on both essence and good looks. It is not easy, however I think I can make it happen. Artgap: Your design mainly focuses on womens dress. However there is no obvious female characteristic. Are you designing for costumes only for women? May I know what drives you to design? Zhang Da: I myself have also been experienced a lot of changes. During my period as a student, I thought that costumes can be a carrier for expressing personal idea and attitude, this is more like art. I wanted to study drawings initially, so sometimes I take fashion as a medium to express my own idea. Of course I like pretty girls; this is also the reason why I stayed in this field and why I am making womens dresses. I like women and I respect them, however I sometimes make mischief or even defiance (I mean on design). Comparing to those feminine and sexy dresses for women, my design for women is not so feminine indeed. Perhaps the reason is that people like different kinds of girls. I like the girls who have clear self-awareness and aware their existence; they are strong-minded and active; they do not take themselves as objects to be viewed by man; they are willing to accept different things; they are curious and have sense of sports. They are not iron girls but sensitive, sexy and charming.

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: Victoria Yu

Writer: Qi Lan Pictures by Courtesy of: Art China Magazine Translated by: Victoria Yu

Blooming Stories, Boundless Spring : A Dialogue with Zhou Chunya80 Back in the 1980s of last century, Mr. Zhou Chunya, a contemporary artist from Sichuan Province in China, got his Master's Degree at Experiment Art Department, Kassel Academy of Fine Arts, Germany. He is considered to be the pioneer and representative of the Contemporary Chinese Painting. Also, he is the first contemporary artist participating in international art exhibitions on behalf of China. His works focus on the artistic expression and humanity exploration, which have been regarded as the treasure by collectors and art galleries both at home and abroad. This year, he held his '1971 - 2010 Forty Years Retrospective Review of Zhou Chunya' in Shanghai Art Gallery.

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ArtGap: Share with us something about your Forty Years Retrospective Review in Shanghai Art Gallery this year. Zhou Chunya: This exhibition is my retrospection of my forty years in my art career. The exhibition features my works from 1971 to 2010, and my earliest painting work was the one finished in the rural areas in the 1970s. I had started to go to Tibet to paint since 1980. Throughout the whole period of 1980s I was searching for materials in Tibet. Paintings were rarely finished or published during these two decades. Now whenever I occasionally happen to find some of my works from that period at some collectors or the auction, there is always a strange feeling in my mind - how could I possibly paint like that? Very excited though, it felt like they were painted by another person. In the pre-exhibition, some artists and young people saw those paintings and said there was a sort of Soviet style, at which I was not surprised because they were finished during that period of time and were inevitably influenced by the ideology of that time. I find it very interesting. Artgap: Why did you go to Germany? Zhou: I always wanted to go further away from China to explore the outside world. I went abroad many years earlier than many artists did. But unlike some people who stick to their styles and original subjects not allowing any changes after going abroad, I was different. I visited every museum and art gallery learning about Western art, including the development of new art. At that time I was literally getting to know and willing to understand others - in fact, this is helped for me to know more about myself. I just observed what other people were doing. Gradually I was idealising what I should do in my career. Artgap: Were you excited or kind of upset? Zhou: Excited. I was never upset. On the contrary, those works inspired

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me offering me the impulse or wisdom to create as an artist from Orient. I also found there were more opportunities and a bigger stage for artists who went abroad.

Artgap: You dont seem to like worshipping anyone. Zhou: I have never had an idol. I just like a certain artist - no, not even an artist, I just like one specific painting of the artist. But soon my attention will be transferred to another piece of his work. I do not have idols, but I have been wondering what kind of person Zhou Chunya is. I like Kokoschka, Baselitz, Kieffer because their works are very powerful, straightforward, and they are perseverant in their belief of art, while I despise some foreign artists who become very popular in China. I just despise them no matter how much money they have made after going to China. Artgap: "Green Dog", which was created during 2001 and 2005, has got some flavour of violence and anti-aesthetics. Does it in a way show us your self-confidence? Zhou: I do not deliberately show my self-confidence. I keep a pretty low profile; Im very humble in an academic area. In fact, I am not in an outgoing and confident state when I paint. On the contrary, when I paint, I am very hesitant about the shapes, colours, and layout or composition. I am not very self-confident and very often Im just curious and like to question a lot of things. Well, Im very stubborn sticking to my own style. My principle is that I might not be a better artist than others, but I am a unique one.

Artgap: We can sense there is some sort of moderate violence in your work, which is in your innate artistic style. There seems to be some moderate resistance and invasion. Zhou: Moderate violence! Marvellous! I am so with you. My work is about my understanding and pursuit of beauty. Things I drew are most beautiful things, like peaches, dogs and stones. They are all beautiful to me. Many people dont know why I put so many tank models in the studio. Well, there are two reasons. One is because it is my hobby. When I was little I liked to collect tank toys. Another reason is that when I painted peaches for example, there should be something violent or tough around me so that it could remind me not to create something ordinary or tacky, beautiful though. The general aesthetic concept has a great impact on artists, but I have to resist this shallow temptation. Thats why there are some confrontational or aggressive factors in my works. This is a type of power which is full of contradictions and conflicts. It is not a simple statement of a beautiful image, but an explanation of the definition of beauty by the contradiction and the conflicting style. My painting works are created in this sense. I am not quite interested in the straightforward expression of the concept. There is no visual appeal of the concept because concept is the specialty of theorists. If this is all about concept expression, then artists would be redundant. I always stick to visual form and language studies, particularly the study of expression of objects, which always takes me a lot of time to research in depth. Of course, I also focus on direct rhetoric, especially the rich and sensitive language which is difficult to deal with because there is sometimes is a paradox. The works created in the early 1990 also emphasized more on the concept, but the figure of speech was not excluded. So concept and skills could be balanced or exist at the same time, but the language and emotions were relatively static and restrained.

Artgap: Who are those artists that you are interested, in in terms of their state of mind when they create?

Zhou: I went to the West several decades ago, and I found those outstanding Western artists were actually very modest, down-to-earth, and perseverant, who were quite similar to the painters in ancient China. They mainly painted people or things around them, which were their major focus. My experience of going abroad benefited me a lot, offering me tremendous inspiration. But when I realised there was one art form that I had not understood, I was very deeply disappointed about it. That was the traditional Chinese art, so after Perhaps it is because of these character traits of not being radical enough but more soft. However, I believe that as long as language of art is artistic, other going back to China I began learning traditional art since the early 1990s. features are allowed to be mentioned. Qi: There are no elements in your creation or painting works which contradict mainstream, political or ideological issues. Is it the principle that you stick to? Zhou: I havent thought about contradictions. I do not think someone or some force can stop or restrain my thoughts and creativity. I believe nothing in the world can go against the trend of history and the essential nature of art because these can not be changed. I like putting thoughts into practice. Art is about final products rather than just claiming that you are full of ideas and talents. And art means you actually can make a difference. I think this is also something I was born with. I do not like rivalry or violence subconsciously and consciously. In fact, when I was young, I really wished I could be like those artists who were good at painting those historical events or mainstream subjects. They exerted magnificent influence. This was not my style unfortunately. I even had consulted my classmates about whether I should follow this style. Later on I found that I was really incompetent at such style, so I started seeking ways to express myself, most importantly, ways that suited me. So if I am really forced to think about contradictions, I would controlled by my imaginary rival and eventually forget who I am. I would end up losing all the enthusiasm or creativity in art. If I did work something out, that would not be the painting that the real me would create.

Artgap: Such sentiments may be originated from your individual heroism subconsciously. You are not subjected to group or unity? Zhou: Any artist has in fact individual heroism! In art world, I appreciate individual heroism. If individual creativity is not allowed in art but only group or unity, I would rather go do other jobs. This weird way of thinking would kill me. I remember you wrote in your article that Individuality of artists can enlighten us what art is really about and can be the sublimation of art, while monotonous art style cannot represent individuality of artists. Artgap: Since 2008, you have been involved in philanthropy, public affairs. Do they disturb your life? Or have a negative impact on your creations? Zhou: I think the biggest impact is taking up my time and energy. However, it reaches some consensus with my artistic ideas. Charity is not for critical artists because all they want to do is provocative and confrontational things. Charity is constructive, supportive and devoted work. I painted peaches. Thats because I pay attention to nature, human nature, love, and sex. Actually, I pay attention to inherent human nature. This would lead me to think that there are many people who need my help in this world. More