Jonathan Aumen

American artist Jonathan Aumen moved to Beijing with his family when he was 8 years old, from 1988 to 1998.  He was invited as residence artist by TCG Nordica. He will live and work in Kunming from July 2011 to 2012.  He is now working on his upcoming exhibition at TCG Nordica on February 25′th 2012.  His inspiration for the show was an article about the cell and how its complexity is very similar to a city.  His show will have many paintings of kunming that are painted through the lense of this scientific truth.

Jonathan Aumen（加里森）
Contact: jonathanaumen@yahoo.com

Education

Privately Tutored, 1993-1999
Central Academy of Fine Arts , Beijing, China
• Professor Yang Zhenwu(杨振武教授)

skills

• Mandarin Chinese- Native level speaking ability with
extensive knowledge of Chinese culture

artist experience

Exhibitions
2002 Anderson County Annual 26th Juried Show, Anderson, NC
2002 Center of the Arts Annual Art Exhibition, Belton, NC
2007 Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth VA
2008 Wall Fine Art, Norfolk, VA

Awards
South Carolina State Fair-Printmaking 1st Place 2002
South Carolina State Fair-Mixed Media 2nd Place 2002

Commissions
Drug Enforcement Administration-Guatemala City County Office 2009
Designed badge for special operations unit
Over 100 individual commissions

stage Artist-In-Residence (AIR) Program

TCG Nordica stage Artist-In-Residence (AIR) Program: Performing Artists
Cultural center, unique artists, non-profit, low cost, inspiration
Note about legality and responsibility of performing

TCG Nordica is an international culture center featuring a performance stage, art gallery and restaurant. We are located in Kunming, China, a city of six million that serves as a cultural hub for artists throughout South West China. As a visiting artist, you will have the unique opportunity to meet with local artists from a variety of cultural traditions and backgrounds. Here you can draw inspiration from a city that is constantly renewing itself. Please note that at current exchange rates, you will most likely not make a significant profit from your activities here if you change your CNY into Euros or dollars. However, for the same reason that it is unfavorable to turn CNY into foreign currency, it is very favorable to turn foreign currency into CNY. You will find that the cost of living and travel here is very affordable, and that the experience will have great personal value to you, even if it does not earn you a significant profit.

A Note on Chinese Law: There are laws in China which limit the ways in which foreign artists can perform, but we can help you safely and legally navigate this system.

TCG Nordica’s Performance Artists in Residence Programs:
1, TCG Nordica sponsorship; the Artist(s) in Residence agrees to give three concerts/performance, one workshop or lecture over a two week duration. TCG Nordica agrees to cover their accommodation and some pocket money. The income from all activities will go to TCG Nordica, and you must inform us if you plan to play at other venues.

2, Performance Artist, the artist agrees to pay his/her costs of staying (see separate document), TCG Nordica will offer a formal invitation for fundraising; AIR is supposed to give one concert/performance, one workshop or a lecture at TCG Nordica in the duration of one month. All income will be shared with TCG Nordica 50%-50% after TCG Nordica is compensated for costs incurred during the performance. Guest room payment to be paid in advance.

Note: Both programs require a 500 CNY administration fee to be paid in cash upon arrival.

What we offer

1. Opportunities to meet with other artists and visit art institutions and theaters

2. Help to find a translator to accompany you at other times (note that translator service will then be charged by the hour)

3. Kunming and Yunnan orientation

4. Arrival pick-up, Kunming police registration (Separate charge)

5. Wireless Internet availability at TCG Nordica and at our guest flat

6. Culture Tourism (travels) in Yunnan province and help with arranging flight ticket within China (Separate charge)

7. Rehearsal and practice space (according to the availability)

8. Possibility to have concerts in other venues

9. Assistance making CD records, poster, flyer design (Separate charge)

10. Opportunities to meet with local professionals in traditional Chinese art forms such as calligraphy, tea ceremony, wood printing, paper cutting, and traditional instruments. (separate charge)

11. Welcome dinner or feast

12. TCG Nordica has the equipment listed below. There are also a number of companies that rent instruments which we can recommend to you.

Professional quality grand piano (Schonbrunn) and congos.
We have a guitar and bass but they are not professional quality. You can use them to practice, but we recommend that you bring your own instruments or rent them for performances.

Stage Information please check website for details:
(http://www.tcgnordica.com/stage). Those who are interested in applying, please send an e-mail to Stage Manager Nina Cheng (ninacheng@tcgnordica.com)

Share Art Together With Tone Leksbø

Date: 2011.9.2 7:30pm
Place: TCG Nordica (Xiba Road no.101/loft)
Free
Tel: 4114692

Norwegian Artist Tone Leksbø will hold a lecture at 2 Sep, talk about her art and those stories behind her exhibition “Changing Places”. Welcome to join us！

More Info about “Changing Places”

Linda Spåman and Her Art

Presentation: Linda Spåman and her ART!

Date: 29th of Aug, Monday
Entrance: 5 RMB
Place: TCG Nordica UP Gallery (Xiba Road No.101/Loft)
Tel: 0871-4114692

TCG Nordica residence artist Linda Spåman will host the English corner on Monday 20:00, 29th of August. We invite you come to share with Swedish illustrator Linda’s art together!

Artist summer in Kunming: Linda Spåman
Artist Linda Spåman is the Swedish Västra Götaland scholarhip holder of 2011, and is already in Kunming, working in the TCG Nordica guest studio…
In collaboration with Västra Götaland (VG), ArtsNordica has been running an Artist in Residence program since 2002. The 2011 VG scholarship holder, artist Linda Spåman, stays in Kunming from June 11 to September 1, and works in the guest studio.

During her time in Kunming, Linda Spåman has an exchange with Chinese female artist Bai Xuejuan, VG’s Chinese counterpart scholarship holder of 2011.

The annual Västra Götaland scholarship goes to an artist who is from or connected to the Västra Götaland region (Sweden). Read more about the Västra Götaland Scholarship Programme and previous scholarship holders here:
Västra Götaland Regionen AiR
…or go straight to Västra Götaland’s homepage to learn more and for contact information to Dan Fröberg, responsible for the programme:
Västra Götaland Region International AIR Programme

Changing places

Changing places

Norwegian Artist Tone Leksbø Solo Exhibition

Opening: 30/ Jul/ 2011, 8pm
Duration: 30/ Jul – 3/ Sept
Gallery Opening Time: 11am – 10pm, Close on Sunday
Place: TCG Nordica, Xiba Road NO.101/LOFT
Tel: 4114692

Norwegian artist Tone Leksbø, TCG Nordica’s artist in residency from 9th of Jul 2011 to 13th of Sept 2011, will have her solo exhibition ”Changing Places” on 30th of Jul 2011 at TCG Nordica gallery. This exhibition is composed of various art forms including installation, photography and video, etc. Tone travels a lot and tries to express inspirations that collected from the changing of places and spaces. Tone had joined TCG Nordica’s Chinese culture course in Kunming from 2006 to 2007, some of the work were made at that time, and means a lot to her.

Tone Leksbø’s residence supported by Oslo city council.

Changing places
A contemporary art exhibition by Norwegian artist Tone Leksbø

As an artist who has spent much time travelling the world, Norwegian contemporary artist Tone Leksbø is interested in the concept of changing places. The ancient Greek philosopher Heraklit said that you can’t step twice into the same river. Likewise, you can’t come back a second time to the same place. Both you and the place itself have changed since last time you were there.
This is a truth especially true regarding China, including Kunming, where old buildings are tore down and new ones erected every second. Kunming is changing, as China is changing from day to day. The rapidly growing Chinese economy, which is about to turn China into the world’s greatest superpower, is also a symbol for a growing worldwide consumer culture. Almost all countries in the world buy goods from China, ranging from food and electronics to clothes and toys.
As the growing economy is good for China, the worldwide consumer culture is still questionable. In one of the main works in her exhibition, Tone Leksbø asks what will happen to all the toys after they’ve been played with a couple of times. The changing process from new and colorful toy to filthy garbage is often very fast. The dumped doll and thrown away teddy bear symbolize a lost generation, to which happiness and innocence fades all too quickly.
In her work, Leksbø also plays with materiality. The lost objects, once so familiar, are found and presented not in the children’s room, but in the art gallery. The changed place makes us see the objects in a changed light. To some extent, Leksbø draws inspiration from the Afro-American artist Marita Dingus and here transformations of thrash into art.
In another work, Leksbø also combines a playful and an existential view, making the audience interact with her art. Photographs taken in different places such as Mali (Africa), Norway (Europe) and China (Asia) covering big «dices», make us think about the shifting nature of progress. Europe has had it’s time of economical and political dominance. Asia is just about to take over. Could there once be a time also for Africa? It is up to each visitor to «roll the dice», or mount the boxes according to the visitor’s own preferences.
The work also reflects on the fact that the artist’s homeland, Norway, fifty years ago was one of the poorest in Europe. Then Norway found oil, which changed it into the richest country in the world. Fifty years from now, the oil will probably be gone. Will Norway once again be thrown back in poverty?
Another work, a collage of photographs showing photographers, discusses the idea of fixing a person, a situation or a place into a two-dimensional representation. Still playful, with a humorous meta-aspect, Leksbø shows us amateur photographers from all over the world, taking pictures of whatever may have awakened their interest. Focusing on the act of photography itself, Leksbø adds a new thought to what establishes a picture. Herein also lies a hidden critique of her self. What do the artist really do when she takes a photo?
Like her other interactive work, Leksbø also invites the audience to take part in the act of photography. In a separate work, «Changing faces», anonymous face shapes cover the wall. By using a polaroid camera, the spectator is encouraged to take a photo of his own face and put it up on the wall, covering one the face shapes.
Beside other interesting photography works, the artist also exhibits three videos. One shows the changing conditions for the animals in Kunming Zoo. Another gives time to what Kunming is especially renowned for – the flowers. In the shortest of them, Leksbø brings the voice of a minority Chinese woman from Yunnan back to Norway – as we can hear the woman’s spellbinding singing overdubbing an airport express ride into Oslo. With the video now being shown in Kunming, Leksbø finds yet another way to the exhibition’s main theme, changing places.
Step into the gallery now. As Heraklit told us: It will never be the same ever again.

Written by Alf Walgermo

 

photos from the opening

 

Artist CV

Tone Leksbø
Oslo, Norway
Female artist, born 1981
Blog: http://toneleksboe.posterous.com/

Exhibitions
08-09.11 «Changing places», solo exhibition, TCG Nordica, Kunming, China

10.09 «Herremenn», exhibition and video installation, cooperation with Maria Sundby, UKS (Young artists’ association), Oslo, Norway

10.08-11.08 «The Wealth and Poverty of Nations», solo exhibition, Lyngdal Kultursenter, Lyngdal, Norway

07.08 Outdoor project «Liket på kaia», cooperation with Maria Sundby, Svolvær, Norway

11.07 «Blendverk», solo exhibition, Galleri Kiellands Fabrikker, Tøyen, Oslo, Norway

06.05 Bachelor exhibition, The National College of Art and Design, Seilduken, Oslo, Norway

Bibliography
Mona Larsen, «Byoriginaler i fredete hus», Dagsavisen 23.10.09: http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article447479.ece
Maren Thorsen Blekestad, «Halléns hemmelighet», Østkantavisa 23.10.09: http://www.ostkantavisa.no/kultur/hallens-hemmelighet-1.4989386
Morten Michelsen Berg, «Liket var ikke dødt», TV2 Nyhetene, 22.07.08: http://www.tv2nyhetene.no/innenriks/liket-var-ikke-doedt-2083469.html

Gabrielle Graatrud, «Kulturkanal fra opera til Skrik», Aftenposten 30.11.07; http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/oslo/article2115911.ece

Studies
08.08-06.09 Pedagogics (art), art teacher, adjunct, Telemark College University
08.07-12.07 Spanish, University of Oslo
08.06-06.07 «Culture course in China», Hyllie Park FHS, TCG Nordica, Kunming, China
01.06-06.06 Psychology (1 year course), University of Oslo
08.02-06.05 Bachelor in Fine Arts, The National College of Art and Design
01.02-06.02 Philosophy and methodic, University of Oslo

Work
08.09-07.11 Art teacher, Øraker skole, Oslo
08.06-06.07 Voluntary work at the gallery of TCG Nordica, Kunming

Scholarships
2010 Oslo city’s cultural exchange scholarship
2008 Bildende kunstneres vederlagsfond, Maria Sundby and
Tone Leksbø
2005 Lyngdal city’s cultural scholarship
2003 Margit og Karl Kvaviks legat, Lyngdal

Bai Xuejuan to Sweden

AiR: Bai Xuejuan to Sweden

Bai Xuejuan, Yi People, China, works as an artist in residence in the Nordic Water Colour Museum’s studio from 1 Feb – 30 April, 2011.

The West Götaland Region Scholarship to invite a Chinese artist to the Nordic Water Colour Museum outside Göteborg, Sweden, has in 2010 been given to Ms. Bai Xuejuan. She will stay in Sweden from 1 February to 30 April, 2011.

Bai Xuejuan is a Yi people, she graduated from Yunnan Arts University, a member of Yunnan Artists Association. Her major is in oil painting, but she also works with watercolor, and she developed her watercolor project during she stayed in Sweden.

Bai Xuejuan’s studio in Nordic Watercolor Museum

Bai Xuejuan

Name: Bai Xuejuan. Yi People. Yunnan Institute of the Arts graduate. Yunnan Artists Association.

Blog:
http://blog.artintern.net/blogs/index/baixuejuan

Exhibition:
In 1997, oil painting, “Yi female triple” to participate in graduation exhibition in Kunming.
In 2003, the oil painting “roommate” was selected Third China Oil Painting Exhibition of Yunnan.
In 2005, the oil painting “pet series one two three” to participate in Yunnan Institute of the Arts Exhibition.
Writing a thesis “of Chinese contemporary oil painting of women.”
In 2005, the oil painting “floating fish” was chosen to build the water Yunnan Artists Association Art Exhibition and won the third prize. In 2006, the painting “Sunflowers” “Red Plant” State of the First Women’s Art Exhibition Red River.
In 2007, Art about Art District, Beijing Beijing 99 of 99 tents dream of arts activities.
In 2008, the Kunming Loft Nordica “consolidated” exhibition.
In 2008, the Beijing Art District, the second about 99 of 99 tents dream arts activities.
In 2009, the “plateau” campaign in Yunnan Province Art Exhibition.
February 2009 Chinese art in action. Our lives: 50 artists – Baixue Juan Solo Exhibition.
March 2009， “Flower Season” – Yunnan Art Museum Exhibition of Women Painters.
March 2009.，Kunming 99 Art Space, “we create” female contemporary art exhibition.
January 2010， Kunming Jinding “consolidated” 2009 exhibition.
March 2010， “Four Seasons * Spring” Art Exhibition of Female.
September 2010， TV Tower Art Exhibition – Exhibition of Young Artists Yunnan Songzhuang +

Collection:
2005 “floating fish people” section of Yunnan Artists Association exhibition collection of Confucius.
2008 “lotus position two” private collection of artists in Kunming.
2009 “in the upstream end of the fish series” Kunming collectors collection.
2009 “Landscape Series of fish fish” Yunnan Nationalities Museum.
2010 “lotus position three” Shandong collectors collection.
2010 “Landscape 16″ Shandong collectors collection.
2010 “Fish Series gaffe of the fish” Kunming collectors collection.
2010 “Old Lake”, “Yi women and three feeling” old collectors collection.

Lovisa Henoch: The World Is Yours

The World Is Yours
TCG Nordica residence artist Lovisa Henoch’s workshop & exhibition

Exhibition time: 20:00, Monday, 24th of January 2011
Add: Up Gallery space, TCG Nordica, Xibalu 101, Kunming

Swedish artist Lovisa Henoch had her residence program from 12th of Nov. 2010 to 25th of Jan. 2011 at TCG Nordica gallery in Kunming. She developed her art project about travelling, used sketches and diary to present travel, thoughts and stories. Lovisa presented a lecture for the students of Wenhua Collage of Yunnan Arts University on 15th of Dec. 2010 at TCG Nordica, the topic is Education in Sweden and her own art project, the students liked it very much.
On this exhibition and workshop, she would like to share the works and stories with local people, just the day before she lives. We are pleased to invite you to attend exhibition, free entrance, and you will get an art cake from the artist!

Artist statement: The World Is Yours

Before I went to Kunming as artist in residence at TCG Nordica I was a little nerves to go by myself and a friend text message me the world is yours to make me feel better. This sentence was staying in my mind and I was thinking that it was quite vulgar in a way and was telling something about have lucky many young people are from the west world.

Now I been in Kunming for two month and during my stay I met many young people that travel around in China. In Kunming they stay for a couple of days and stays at youth hostels as the Hump or the Cloudlands and go and visit the Green Lake Park and the Bamboo temple. The must there after travel south to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam. Last year I did a trip like this, travelling around in China with train and documented my trip by making drawings and writing travel journal. On this trip I really felt that I was getting perspective on my life and saw new possibilities. I started to believe that all people where ment to be nomad at least for a period in their lives. But the truth is that there’s only a small group of people that have the privilege to be able to have this kind of lifestyle.

My project is based on my split thoughts around the backpacking culture. And in a way I see it as a represent for the western cultures view of the importance of founding your self and always try to make personal progress.

Photos from the opening:

Michaela Peterson: “THE UNINTENTIONAL”

THE UNINTENTIONAL
Works in progress by Michaela Peterson(Swedish Artist)

Opening Time: 2010/Aug/21, 15：00
Exhibition Duration: 2010/Aug/21–Aug/28
Gallery Opening time: 11:00–22:00, Closed on Sunday
Tel: 0871-4114692
Website: www.tcgnordica.com

Texts from the artist:

Most of my works has its origin in the idea of “the unintentional”.
Things, that are meant to be something else, spaces left over , words, meant in one way, but saying something else as well, and so on.
Things that nobody pays attention to, fascinates me, and I like to use it in my works.

My material is often things in our surroundings used every day.
During my stay in China I have looked for material I normally don’t use in Sweden. So for example ricepaper, Chinese ink and everyday things.
The beauty in every day life. A tribute to weekday things.

One part of the exhibition is titled ”Phrasebook”
It contents six works made by waterprint on paper.
The texts comes from a phrasebook. the kind of dictionary with short phrases you need as a help on a journey in a foreign country.
I find the texts beautiful in a common and poetic way
The texts are in English and Chinese as I would need them here in China.

Thanks to the staff of Nordica for all your help and kind patience when answering my many questions

–

Artist Michaela Peterson is the Swedish Västra Götaland scholarhip holder of 2010, and is already in Kunming, working in the TCG Nordica guest studio…
In collaboration with Västra Götaland (VG), ArtsNordica has been running an Artist in Residence program since 2002. The 2010 VG scholarship holder, artist Michaela Peterson, stays in Kunming from June 2 to August 31, and works in the guest studio. Read more…

AiR: Lina Baeckström in Kunming

Swedish artist Lina Baeckström was invited to live and work in Kunming for one month, here is the introduction from the artist:

I was TCG Nordica’s Artist in Residence during the month of April this year, but my journey began back in 2007. For one year the city of Kunming in southwest China was the place I called home. I was one of the culture course students and also a volunteer in Nordica’s Art Gallery. Through my work in the gallery I had the opportunity to meet many great artists and see a lot of art, both local and foreign.

Two years later I returned to China to start working as an artist myself. In March 2010 I arrived in Beijing and during two weeks I explored the famous 798 art district which gave me a fantastic insight into contemporary Chinese art. Some of the photos I took near the art district are currently showing on the island of Gotland in Sweden where I have my very first photo exhibition called “751”.

As an artist in residence in Kunming I worked mainly with photography. My idea was to materialize my impressions of the Chinese society, with focus on allocation of power and Chinese history. I built different settings out of red and yellow LEGO that were photographed towards a blue background. Some settings were built with a specific place in mind like the Forbidden City; others were models after my perception of circumstances in the country in general. During my AIR month I gave a talk at English Corner in Nordica on the subject: “my 798 experience” and showed all my photos from Beijing and artefacts I bought in 798. While in Kunming I also had the opportunity to go to an art community in western Kunming to visit some artist studios and see their art. Having lived in USA, Sweden, UK and China I’ve come to realise how different our perspectives of the world can be depending on where we grow up. To incorporate this idea into the project I bought big round lanterns that symbolize different worlds once painted on. Working as an artist in residence I learned a lot about the various aspects of the life of an artist. The journey from idea to finished art work can truly be a magnificent roller coaster.

Lina Baeckström

AiR: Michaela Peterson

Artist summer in Kunming: Michaela Peterson

Artist Michaela Peterson is the Swedish Västra Götaland scholarhip holder of 2010, and is already in Kunming, working in the TCG Nordica guest studio…

In collaboration with Västra Götaland (VG), ArtsNordica has been running an Artist in Residence program since 2002. The 2010 VG scholarship holder, artist Michaela Peterson, stays in Kunming from June 2 to August 31, and works in the guest studio.

During her time in Kunming, Michaela Peterson has an exchange with Chinese female artist Xu Yun, VG’s Chinese counterpart scholarship holder of 2010. Click here to read more about Xu Yun.

Michaela Peterson will also hold a workshop at TCG Nordica, where she will present her artworks as well as teach art students the technique of making watermark on paper.

The annual Västra Götaland scholarship goes to an artist who is from or connected to the Västra Götaland region (Sweden). Read more about the Västra Götaland Scholarship Programme and previous scholarship holders here:
Västra Götaland Regionen AiR

…or go straight to Västra Götaland’s homepage to learn more and for contact information to Dan Fröberg, responsible for the programme:
Västra Götaland Region International AIR Programme

Photos from TCG Nordica’s guest studio, of Michaela Peterson and her work, summer 2010.

Workshop:

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