Monthly Program Of 2011 December

Fri – Sat 2-3, TCG Nordica The 8th Annual Christmas Fair
2nd, 5-9pm
3rd, 10am – 6pm

Mon 5, English Corner – Nobel Etiquette
Fri 9, “Four Season – Summer” Felmale Exhibition. part 1
Sat 10, Charity Concert

Mon 12, English Corner – Christmas Cerebration
Sat 17, Lucia Buffet & Concert
Buffet 5:30-7:30pm
Concert 8:00pm

Mon 19, English Corner
Sat – Sun 24-25, Christmas Banquet & Concert
Banquet 6:00pm
Concert 8:00pm

Mon 26, English Corner – Dance Night
Fri 30, “Four Season – Summer” Felmale Exhibition. part 2
Sat 31, New Year Banquet & Concert
Banquet 6pm
Concert 8pm

Activities begin at 8PM unless marked otherwise

For detail Info please look at “stage event” or “gallery event”

Portraits of Power Mao Xuhui

INTERVIEW BY ANDREW COHEN(ArtAsiaPacific) FROM MAR/APR 2011

Via: ArtAsiaPacific

Mao Xuhui, the idealistic leader of the mid-1980s Southwest Art Group, which included Zhang Xiaogang and Pan Dehai, has never strayed far from Kunming and Gui Mountain in Yunnan province, the wellspring of his creativity. ArtAsiaPacific contributor Andrew Cohen spoke with the artist about his life and work in a series of conversations that took place in Mao’s studio in Kunming’s Chuang Ku (“creative loft”) quarter and also over dinner at the Yuan Sheng Studio’s café, which is run by Mao’s wife, Liu Xiaojin.

How do you choose the subjects for your paintings?

I paint primarily from my daily life—my feelings are my source of creativity. Painting from emotions and sentiment as opposed to concepts is something that is particularly applicable to painters and artists from the southwestern region, including Yunnan and Sichuan provinces.

Over your career your style has moved from the tormented brushstrokes in your earlier paintings to the thinner layers and more serene renderings in your later canvases. What is the correlation between this stylistic change and your personal emotions?

I think of myself as a fragmented person with many styles. As a younger man I was more extroverted, but recently I’ve became more introverted. Also, from 1982 to 1993 I drank a lot. I had health problems, so I stopped. As my lifestyle changed, my painting style changed as well. This is the price we all paid for the dynamic and passionate 1980s. [He smiles as he pours a round of Pu-erh tea.] If we had met in the 1980s, I would definitely have offered you alcohol instead of tea!

What were you like in the dynamic and passionate 1980s?

I had long hair, wore jeans, drank a lot and was a rebellious youth who debated philosophical issues. I read a lot of Western philosophy and literature because it was a period when China was opening up, making a lot of translations available. I read various Hermann Hesse novels, Proust, Kafka and Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises (1926)—books about existentialism, the search for the self. I was listening to a lot of Stravinsky. We couldn’t access most rock. We got a lot of folk music, like the Carpenters. And for some reason we got to listen to Pink Floyd—my favorite album of theirs was The Wall (1979).

Zhang Xiaogang and I often hung out listening to the same music. We first met in 1976 [at the end of the Cultural Revolution of 1966–76], when I was “sent down” to do labor in the countryside. Zhang had also been sent down to the same village. We clicked intellectually.

What art were you exposed to in the 1980s?

In 1982 a German Expressionist exhibit was held at the Cultural Palace of Nationalities in Beijing. My classmates and I took a train to Beijing for three days and three nights. We were such eager students that we noted down the colors of each painting in the margins of the black-and-white catalog.

I consider myself a student of German Expressionism. That exhibition liberated me. In the academy we were always taught to paint technically, and in particular styles. When I saw the garish use of thick paint and heavy shapes in that work, I realized that I could paint how I felt. In 1983 there was also an Edvard Munch exhibition that came to Kunming—this also had a big effect on me.

Read more: http://artasiapacific.com/Magazine/72/PortraitsOfPower

An Interview with Gao Xiang

An Interview with Gao Xiang on Art

Interviewer：Zou Yuejin (Professor of China Central Academy of Fine Arts)
Interviewee：Gao Xiang
Date：June 20，2007
Venue：College of Humanities，China Central Academy of Fine Arts

Zou Yuejin (Zou hereinafter)：To fit to the theme of“Animal Instinct?”that I had chosen for“China Arts”，I have adopted a series of works which you had created and are related with animals．I’m just wondering when，for example，you had begun to create these works and what is the major incentive for such creation?

Gao Xiang(Gao hereinafter)：Such works had been created since 2002，which had something to do with the position of men and women in my heart and what they impressed me．At the beginning，the image was composed of woman of large size and man of small size．Horse，then，had been added to my works since 2003，which most likely reflects its affinity to me，subconsciously．I personally have a fantastic perception on horse，as if a sense of mystery and complexity is embedded in the creature．It would be interesting，in my opinion，that horse be included in my series“Wh0 is the Doll?”．Until 2005，horse had gradually become the major figure of my works，with scene of a small man and one or more horses in the image．

Zou：To be exactly，the works with horses had been created since 2003?

Gao：Yes．But I did not yet have a clear image in my mind at the time when l was creating these two series．I made it just because it was pleasant to me I gradually transferred from“Wh0 is the Doll?”series to“The dreams?”series since the time passes by，with much more complex ideas and thoughts in my mind．The former one expresses my psychological perception on men and women，while the latter has something to do with my internal experience．

Zou：In the studies on the pre-historical grotto fresco，some scholars had found that the animals that had been mostly frequently painted are horses and oxen．They concluded that these two animals were in fact symbols that represent male and female sexes，which could also be related with some primal wizardries and rituals．It is special in Freud’s theory of dream interpretation to make argument on the significance of animal in a dream from the perspective of gender．I presume，therefore，that it might have something to do with your non-consciousness when figure of woman has been gradually weakened，while horse has turned to be main subject in the image you created．As you have just said，“Who is the Doll?”series expresses your perception on sex and gender from the perspective of real life，while“The dreams?”series has something to do with the exposure of your non-consciousness．I would say that continuity exists in the context of gender in both of your series.

Gao：It is not clear in my own mind and it is just a perceptional need．What you have just said is most likely true．

Zou：Horse has occupied a great area in your“The Dreams?”series，while the figure of man is quite small in size，which can also be seen in“Who is the Doll?”in which there is a similarity between the size of woman and that of man．Would I be able to say that horse，in your own mind，would represent maternity and an object you could rely on？I’m just wondering whether horse has had brought you some other impacts in your life，for example，whether you know some girls whose animal sign is horse?

Gao：Possibly！But I really do not know whether it is driven by non-consciousness．

Zou：It is not non-consciousness if you know it．

Gao：I have．However a clear view on the artistic direction I would follow．I was used to think that horse sometimes Was the outstretch of myself，but sometimes not．It seems to have its own life other than me．The small figure in the image represents myself, who has different relations with horse in different images，sometimes interdependent and sometimes in conflict．

Zou：I would say that horse bears a great weight of your sensibilities，at least unconsciously．Love and dislike…but in general，you are dependent on it and admire it．

Gao：Quite true．I myself really intend to express my sensibilities and conceptions through symbolization．

Zou：With which issues of gender did your intended expression have relations when you were painting“Who is the Doll?”

Gao：What I was thinking about at that time is that I wanted to experience the psychological imbalance of social position of men and women from a fair-minded perspective．I was very happy in the process of expressing such imbalance．However, some foreign viewers had not got accustomed to it psychologically when my works were exhibited abroad，for they thought such type of painting was a challenge to their vision．

Zou：Does it have something to do with your own life experience?

Gao：More or less．For example，I feel that marriage is very different from when you were falling in love with somebody．

Zou：In your image，women are large and men are small，does it mean to express your cognition on the status of men or raise a question：Who is the Doll?

Gao：It is a perplexity for me，too．I am intending to raise a question to every one，especially to myself．

Zou：I should say that women you painted are very pretty,who seems to be able to turn men into doll．More complex questions are perhaps behind the question of who is the doll．As you have known，feminism and feministic painting started at the mid-90′s in China，so has your artistic thought been affected by such trend or developed completely from your own experience?

Gao：80％ is based on my own life experience，I’d say．And the cultural background you just mentioned has indirect impact as well．

Zou：Male artists are in a male-centered position．However, you seemed to have expressed something else in a very implicative manner．In the specific social structure and family structure，a man may be likely unable to be in possession of male-centered power recognized by the society, so he would become psychologically complicated．Therefore，your painting is unique and interesting since you have thought and expressed such an issue from the perspective of power of two genders．In“Who is the Doll?”series，you had paid much attention to the psychological reflection of gender relations in the external society, and it changed in“The dream”series，in which you paid much attention to the internal spirit of yourself or something related to non-consciousness．

Gao：In“The Dream”series，my psychological changes in different times，would make the relationship between man and horse in the image change．

Zou：Is it required by expression or by composition to paint two horses?

Gao：Both．From the perspective of composition，two horses are stronger；from the perspective of expression，horse may be gentle or atrocious，which is similar in human．In my opinion，horse is extension of my soul and has something off emale identity in it implicitly, perhaps just as you have said．

Zou：The paintings with two horses appear quiet and integral．Is it so for all of your works?

Gao：It seems so．I could feel a sense of poetry in the painting in this way．

Zou：What is the relationship between the representation of tranquility and boldness and your life experience? Over looking，for example．

Gao：Appearance of overlooking has been frequendy seen in my paintings．It represents my expectation for the future，but meanwhile with a sense of uneasiness．

Zou：In the art history, the typical works representing dream is super-realism of Dali．But you do it in a more classic way, paying much attention to brushwork．It is neither dassic true-life nor pure abstract，but it is integral．The scale between horse and man would bring viewers a strange sense of modernity．Of course，it is relevant to the theme of dream you want to express．

Gao：Adoption of artistic skill is related to my own personality and the object I want to express．It will be a deviation from my pursuit for dream iftrue-life skill is strongly applied；while it will not have me moved iftrue-life skill is not applied at all，for it is not realistic．

Zou：When has glass installation begun? I regard that contemplation on space，environment，material and significance is the most valuable thing in these works．

Gao：It can be dated back to 2000，when I had made several pieces of glass installation-ancient furniture of Ming and Qing Dynasty style．Moreover, I am very interested in the theme of space and the title of my Ph．D dissertation is“A Contemplation on Space”．Through using organic glass and multi-element materials in my exploration on the space change，I hope it can bring some new possibilities to both artistic language and spirit．

Zou：Have you ever thought about using classic Chinese gardening technique to express space，for example，through borrowed scenery with windows and gates?

Gao：Yes，I have．I have been inspired by the technique of borrowed scenery since I had read a great number of gardening painting albums．Aside from it，however, contemplation on combination of painting and environment has come into being in my mind．

Zou：There are two ways：one is to make a frame around installation works，incorporating the natural or artificial environment into the image of the installation．By doing so，environment becomes scenery of the image and it will change with the change of visual angle．The other is to make the painting and environment as one，without frame．Which one do you prefer?

Gao：At the beginning，I used flame iust as a support for my works．Then I used floor screen，which means that the works could stand without support．And then roundness is adopted，able to make the works and environment as one．You could say that I’d prefer tlle latter．Or to be more specific，I’d prefer the technique that combines dassic borrowed scenery and contemporary concept of background adaptation．

Zou：One more question：since your works can become a part of any space，which effect do you expect to see，incidental effect arising from the entrance of the works into space or the inevitable effect you expect．The latter is environment-sensitive．Such as Henry Moore，who thinks that his sculpture would produce a better effect when it is located at an environment without too complicated background，like in a meadow．

Gao：I anlthelatter．

Zou：Now we come to the third main question．It is obvious that your works feature strong brushwork, with firm classic foundation．However, your installation is relatively contemporary．How do you understand the combination of brushwork and installation in your creation?

Gao：I am an artist who attach great attention to tradition．It is my intention to combine them，whatever they are Western or Chinese．However I do not hope to achieve this through movement and patch-up of traditional symbols，but through natural spiritual combination．I just have attempted to combine brushwork and public art or installation in most recent years．

Zou：In my point of view, the original significance of the painting is no more there when brushwork becomes a part of your installation works，i．e．it is conceptionized and modernized．In general，your installation mainly expresses your perception on the life experience in modern times and it is the most successful area in your attempt．Art itselfwould，in my opinion，be powerful only when one should respect his own life experience．

Gao：That’s right．

Zou：How do you think about some art styles that are popular nowadays?

Gao：I appreciate the art styles that would maintain independence and attach attention and focus to contemporary times and self internal experience of life．

Zou：Very nice!

Gao Xiang

Resume
Gaoxiang teached in Yunnan Art lnstitute from 1994. In 2008, he received Ph.D of Fine Arts in China Central Academy of Fine Arts. His Ph.D Dissertation tation researched Italian master Giorgio Morandi’s Art.

Gao Xiang’s art works has received Excellent Prize in The Third Young Artists‘ Exhibition of China China National Museum of Fine Arts. His works focuse on how to use elements of Chinese Traditional Painting into Contemporary painting. He has been invited to show his work and participate art projects in China, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Korea, Thailand, Cambodia, America, France and Belgium.

Choiced Exhibition and Art projects

2011
Distance – China and Norway Art Exhibition White Box Art Museum in Beijing and VEST-AGDER FYLKESMUSEU Norway
Art love Life Yue Art Museum Beijing
Resonance Douai City Culture Center France

2010
Aggregate Perspective-China International Young Artists Exhibition Korean Cultural Center Beijing
Summer Exhibition Boaigate Gallery Belgium
Young force-Art Exhibition HuanTie Time Art Museum Beijing
Autumn Salon Paris France

2009
Societe National Des Beaux-Arts Salon 2009, Carrouse Louvre Museum Paris France
Other Modernisms–Modern Oil Painting Invitation Exhibition Yuan Art Center Beijing
Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition Dongxi Gallery Oslo Norway
Contemplation Orient New Age Gallery798 Beijing
From Nature to Mind – A Joint Exhibition From New Intellectual Artists China National Museum of Fine Arts BeiJing
Overlooking—Spirit of Academic China Century Museum Beijing
Open Art2009 Exhibition Örebro Konsthall City Art Gallery Örebro Sweden
The Dreams? Kapitan Gallery Örebro Sweden
Mind of Being University Gallery of Missouri-Columbia Columbia USA
LingSheng—Chinese Critics Recommand Exhibition Beijing Contemporary Art Museum Beijing
French National Salon Exhibiton Louvre Museum Paris France

2008
Chinese Contemporary Art Document Exhibition YongHe Art Museum and The Wall Art Museum Beijing
Open Art 2008 Exhibition Örebro Konsthall City Art Gallery Örebro Sweden
After Culture – Exhibition of Chinese Contemporary Painting Yuan Art Center Beijing
The Third Young Artists‘ Exhibition of China China National Museum of Fine Arts BeiJing

2007
Return Back to Painting Danish Art Exchange Beijing
Fusion and Creation — The 2007 Academic Invitational Exhibition of
Chinese Oil Painting Masterpieces Capital Museum Bejing
The Dreams? International Art City Paris France

2006
Self-Made Generation—2005 A Retrospective of New Chinese Painting
ShangHai Zendai Museum of Fine Arts Shanghai
Dreams of the Doll? Green T.House Gallery Beijing
Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition International Canvas Art Gallery
Amsterdam Holland

2005
Folk—05 International Visual Art Exhibition Gallery Lista Fyr Kristiansand Norway
The Influence Exhibition Silk Gallery Harnosand Sweden

2004
Asian Contemporary Art Exhibition Gwangju National Museum of Fine Arts Gwangju
Korea
The Mekong Project—Artist’s Residency Program Phnom Penh Cambodia

2003
The Third Oil Painting Exhibition of China China National Museum of Fine Arts BeiJing
The Mekong Project—Artists ‘ Residency Program Chiang Mai University Art Museum ChiangMai Thailand

2002
Chinese Contemporary Art Exhibition International Canvas Art Gallery Amsterdam Holland

2001
China Oil Painting Exhibition of Research & Surpass China National Museum of Fine Arts Beijing.

1999
Graduation Works Exhibition of Master Degree Class of Oil Painting of China Central Academy of Fine Arts China National Museum of Fine Arts BeiJing

Art Appreciation Night: The Work of Yoshitomo Nara

Art Appreciation Night: The Work of Yoshitomo Nara

Time：Wednesday, 2011.11.23，8PM
Location：TCG Nordica/ Xi Ba Road, no.101, Loft
(西坝路101号云南白药厂旁昆明市机模厂内创库)
Cost：Free

Through an open presentation and discussion style format, we hope to partake in art, meet new friends, and deepen our understanding of a specific artist. The first artist we have chosen is Yoshitomo Nara, a Japanese artist known for his paintings of adorable, yet threatening children. After watching a documentary, we will open the floor to anyone who wishes to present their paintings, music, written comments, or other artistic/academic responses to Nara’s work.

Schedule:
8PM – 9PM: Documentary Screening
9PM – 10PM: Free Discussion

For more information about Nara, see this review of his work:
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/07.21.04/nara-0430.html

Eurhythmic Method Workshop

Date: Nov 25 2011 Friday 7pm
ADD：Xi Ba Road No.101 Loft TCG Nordica
Price: 25RMB Booking needed, via 15288405910.(Nina)

Ticket Sales Location:
TCG Nordica Tel:4114691 4114692 Mai Tian Bookstore (Wen Lin Street) Yi Sa Bookstore (Chun Yuan Xiao Qu) San Lou (Xi Chang Road)

Helena Berggren is a Swedish artist and teacher who has been working with creativity and improvisation for almost 10 years.
Educated in performing arts in Sweden, China and Vietnam, she has toured many parts of the world giving performances and workshops, for example China, Cambodia, Israel and Scandinavia.
Helena has a unique method of combining different artforms and creative expressions with a focus on personal development and group dynamics.
Based on the belief that we learn through our bodies
she will give you an opportunity to a holistic experience through movement and interaction with yourself and others.

The workshop will include both an introduction, practical participation and discussions but most of all a challenge of both mind and body. Participants must agree to be open to movement, interaction with others and keep a focused mind. No prior experience is required.
After the workshop there will be an open discussion about the artist´s work and her method and theory.

Welcome to an evening were Helena Berggren will use her understanding of the Advent message to shape an experience that every participant will have a part in creating.
This event requires a calm environment, for adults only, thanks.

A movie night that will move you!

Date: 7.30 pm to 10 pm Date: November 19 2011 Saturday
Add: TCG Nordica -Free entrance-

This Saturday night it is Movie night at Nordica! We start this event a little earlier than usual to watch “Dead Poets Society” and have some time to discuss the movie afterwards. The film will be shown in its original language English and have Chinese subtitles. “Dead Poets Society” is and award winning drama film starring John Williams and a bunch of other talented actors. It is set in 1959 and followa a group of students at the conservative and aristrocatic boarding school Welton Academy. Their lifes are set by non-arguable rules, but the possebilities of life will soon be taught to them through poetry by their new and inspiering english teacher. Be prepared for a lot of dramatic changes, humour, sadness, friendship, love and exellent poetry. “Dead Poets Society is without a doubt a movie you should have seen at least once in your life and it is recommended to all kind of viewers. This will be a very interesting and cosy evening so be sure to come! Entrance is free and our cafe is of course open!

The Sunflower Percussion Band Live Show

Date: Nov 26 Saturday 2011 8pm
Add:Xi Ba Road No.1o1 Loft TCG Nordica

Ticket in Advance: 30RMB
Ticket at door:35RMB

Ticket Sales Location
TCG Nordica Tel:4114691 4114692
Mai Tian Bookstore (Wen Lin Street)
Yi Sa Bookstore (Chun Yuan Xiao Qu )
San Lou (Xi Chang Road)

The Sunflower Percussion Band combines the most ancient musical styles with the most varied types of percussion instruments. In this way, they touch the hearts of their audiences with vibrant and fantastical melodies. Every beat awakens millennia old resonances, and the voices of years past.Welcome to join the concert on Nov 26 2011, 8pm at TCG Nordica.

About the Sunflower Percussion Band：
Sunflowers are known for their connotations of youthful energy and, with their collection of seeds, are sometimes used as a metaphor for a school. Taking their name from the famous flower, the Sunflower Percussion Band hopes to adapt the metaphor of the sunflower to their music. Just as the sunflower is a unified collection of seeds, so does the Sunflower Percussion Band form a complete structure that can provide vivid images of the same caliber as the sunflower.

The Sunflower Percussion Band originates from the Yunnan University of Art Department of Music. The members formed the group as students, but now hold official posts at the university. In the course of their studies, they had contact with a wide range of countries and musical styles, and their repertoire spans from traditional Chinese works to contemporary compositions. In December 2005 the group organized musical development conference at the Yunnan University of Music which was well received by critics. Shortly thereafter, the Sunflower Percussions Band became active members of the world music scene. In addition to their adaptations, they also write many original works. Their goal is to explore many musical styles and let audiences everywhere sample the varieties of percussion music.

Live pictures

Music evening-Li Tieqiao’s live show

Time: 8 pm, 7th of Nov, 2011 (Free Entrance)
Add: TCG Nordica, Xibalu 101, Kunming
Tel: 0871-4114691,4114692

Li Tieqiao is a Chinese composer, saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist and curator based in Beijing. He is an extended techniques player and an outstanding experimentalist. In his improvisation he bravely experiment in search for a new expression between the boarders of jazz, rock and electronic noise.

Born in the Hunan province in 1973, Li Tieqiao first learned to play the Bamboo Flute as a child, before picking up the Trombone at the age of 17 . It wasn’t until 22 he decided on the Saxophone as his primary tool of expression.

Li Tieqiao have only received very limited musical training and thus his musical techniques, his improvise techniques and use of electronics should be considered as self studied.

Before starting out as a full time improviser and experimentalist, Tieqiao was a member of member of Chinese folk/rock/jazz/experimental bands including Glorious Pharmacy, Ping Pong Band, Beautiful melon 9+2 Improvisation Ensemble.

From 2005 to 2007 Tieqiao lived in Oslo, where he interacted with a number of Norwegian musicians. During his time in Norway he actively explored the Experimental and improvisation scene in Norway. During the two years he organized and participated in more than 50 concerts and played with more than 80 musicians, including Paal Nilssen-Love, Ingebrigt Harker Flaten, Maja Ratkje, Ketil Gutvik, Rolf-Erik Nystrom etc. It was also in this period he started to experience with electronic effects and saxophone solo.

In September 2007 he returned to Beijing where he has become one of the most important persons in the rapidly expanding scene for experimental and improvised music in China. Besides performing live, Tieqiao is also actively nurturing China’s fledgling Avant-garde scene. In March 2007, he was the maincurator behind, “Sally Can’t Dance”, a festival of experimental sounds held in Beijing. Moreover, as the initiator and organizer of the Beijing Free Improvisation Alliance he is a serious collaborator to the free improvisation scene in China. In addition to this he is actively cooperation with experimental dance groups in developing a new expression combining improvised music and dance. Lately his music has also been used in feature films. Furthermore, he is one of the founders of Sound of East: Sino-International Cultural Exchange Company.

2009 December Li Tieqiao was invited to participate to represent Chinese contemporary music at the Europalia Festival 2009 inBelgium. In connection to this he also made a tour in Germany where he, among others, performed together with Peter Brotzmann in Wuppertal.

Li Tieqiao has been performing at a number of festivals in China and abroad including Organ 2 (Norway), Early Wind (Germany), Midi Music festival (China), Sally Can’t Dance(China) , 2pi (China) ,
Notch(China),Europalia Festival(Belgium)

Live show

Lori Rhoden (USA) – Piano Concert and Piano Teaching Workshop at TCG Nordica

Lori Rhoden, an accomplished piano professor from the States, will be doing a piano recital on Nov 13 (Sunday) at 8pm at TCG Nordica, Xi Ba Lu 101/LOFT. Her program title is “Developing Expressive Piano Performance” and concert program includes works by Granados, Liszt, Debussy.
Her visit also includes a free piano pedagogy workshop on Nov 18 (Friday) from 2pm to 5pm at TCG Nordica. The workshop is designed for piano teachers and those interested in piano pedagogy. The workshop is arranged in cooperation with the Yunnan Music Education Association Piano Music Education Department.
Concert tickets are 50rmb at the door or 45rmb if purchased beforehand. Please purchase concert tickets at TCG Nordica (tel. 4114691, 4114692), Mai Tian Bookstore (Wen Lin Street), Yi Sa Bookstore (Chun Yuan Xiao Qu), San Lou (Xi Chang Road). Come to enjoy a wonderful performance and attend the workshop to learn more about how to teach piano!

Live pictures