WAY

WAY
Alfred Vaagsvold
Experimental works showing works in progress

Exhibition opening: 2009/09/28, Monday, 20:00
Exhibition duration: 2009/09/28—-10/27
Gallery opening time: 10:00–22:00(Tue-Sat), 17:00-22:00(Mon)
Curator: Luo Fei
Co-curator: Tian Yao
Performance artist for the opening: Luo Fei
Painting presentation for the opening: He Libin
Music: Huang Shan
Graphic Designer: Du Ning
Host by: TCG Nordica
Support: The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affaires, ArtsNordica
Address: xibalu 101, Kunming, Yunnan, China
Tel: +86-871-4114692
Website: www.tcgnordica.com
Email: info@tcgnordica.com

Artist Statement

“As an artist in postmodern times I work with multiple media forms.
My last exhibition in Mumbai, India, January this year, included paintings; in Maison de Norvége, Paris, May, it was paintings and sculptures,and as a participant in the Summer Exhibition in Seljord 09, Norway, I show an outdoors installation made of earth and clothes.

In 2003 I was invited artist to TCG Nordica in Kunming. In a groupshow together with artists from Denmark and Norway, I exhibited sculptures and installations made of painted polyurethane foam together with roses. This was made on the spot as art in progress, exhibited during the visiting time. The installations was about the idea of birth, life and death.

Now I am very honoured to come back to TCG Nordica for a solo show.
This time I want to continue the ideas from my first show in Kunming.
I want to work out the exhibition during the stay in Folk studio, all made in China. I like to work in the pressure of time. In this experimental works, a lot can happen.The title of the exhibition, WAY, is open for many interpretations.

My installations are all actions and reactions related to things happening in society. The sculptures are studies and new creations of forms. They are influenced by the statement of Hans Arp:”We do not wish to imitate nature, we do not wish to reproduce, we want to produce… We want to produce directly, not indirectly. Since there is not a trace of abstraction in this art, we call it concrete art.”

This is also what I aim for in my paintings, and I am asking if it is possible not to see any abstractions or figurations in this expressive way of painting. If the paintings are gestures, movements, calligraphic strokes, they could also have a symbolic meaning, a stroke of life and hope.”

Alfred Vaagsvold, 2009

Live video:

Video link: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/xrCU5BBoE1E/ Read more

Cecilia Jansson’s Workshop at Yunan Arts University

Swedish artist, Örebro Art School Teacher Cecilia Jansson had her Artist-in-residence program at TCG Nordica from 2009/8/6 to 10/30, during her stay, she cooperated with Yunnan Arts University students for 2 weeks, and then had their open studio exhibition on the 18th of Sep.

Introduction to the Open Studio Exhibition
by Cecilia Jansson

TCG Nordica’s residence artist Cecilia Jansson cooperated with Sculpture Studio of Fine Art Collage of Yunnan Art Institute’s students for three weeks, on the 18th of September, she hold an opening studio exhibition with all students, all students and teachers gave Cecilia and this cooperation with very high appreciation.

All human are not artists but all artists are human. That is maybe the only thing artists through history have in common.

There are no such things as famous animal artists or art exhibitions for cats. Why? Because art is depending on the ability, and will, to understand symbols. I am fascinated by how we give different values to symbols to be able to communicate. All human societies are depending on these common symbols to function. Some symbols have become universal. We have for example given gold a high value compared to iron. That is something we learn to understand, an animal does not.

The focus in this workshop has been to explore some of these symbols and use them to describe ourselves. One of the tasks I gave my students was to make a self portrait without drawing their face. From these self portraits they took some symbols and put them together in an enormous drawing. What happened then was that their drawings began to communicate with the symbols surrounding them and their value changed. The following days, we continued to draw, putting in pictures that we thought should be there for different reasons. We had to “read” the drawing to be able to develop it.

The choice of material and scale is of big importance in all artworks. I choose the cheapest paper and charcoal and a monumental scale. Change one of these conditions to something else, and the reading of the work would be completely different.

I hope you will enjoy this exhibition and I want to encourage you to talk to the students or the other visitors about the drawing and give them your personal interpretation, and listen to their, that is the purpose of this show!

want to thank Yunnan Arts Institute and TCG Nordica for making this workshop possible. And of course, thank all the students, you have been working hard and it has been a pleasure to see your development.

By Cecilia Jansson

Master class with Christian Studler

Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Time: September 18, 2009 at 7pm: Yunnan Arts Institute, Music Conservatory, Room 501 (only students)
September 19, 2009 at 8pm: TCG Nordica
Price: 30Yuan/ person
Tickets presell only 25RMB Reserve two hours in advance
Presell address TCG Nordica in Kunming LOFT; MaiTian bookstore (Next to Paul’s store on WenLin street; 1895 Movie Bar( On the Night Market of KunDu ); Isaac bookstore( Chun Yuan Xiao Qu ).
Christian Studler (Switzerland)
He has been a solo flutist in the prestigious Bern Symphony Orchestra since 1979, and Studler has worked with several conductors like Marcello Viotti, Okko Kamu and Edmond de Stoutz. He himself conducts lessons, as a professor at the well recognized Bern Music University.
The Kunming Second International Music Week in November, 2008, the flutist Christian Studler (Switzerland) brought us a wonderful flute playing. A year later he is coming to Kunming again with a full love of China, Yunnan Arts Institute will cooperate with TCG Nordica to have some flute master classes in YAI for Prof. Studler and also Prof. Studler will hold a concert with the students form YAI at TCGNordica on September 19, you are welcome to come.

welcome party for Scandinavian students

Time: Sat, 12th of September 8pm
Address: TCG Nordica in Kunming LOFT
ADMISSION FREE
Introducing the new Scandinavian group! We welcome you to our first performance at TCG Nordica. It will be an evening of music, dancing and various other art forms. And meet us!