Bookseller and maker killed by books

Law Chi Wah, a well known independent book store owner in Hong Kong, was killed by the collapsing book boxes in his small warehouse before Lunar New Years. His body was found two weeks later, already rotten. Douban (zh) has set up a special page for this book martyr. His friends and acquaintances set up a blog (zh) in memory of him and his book store.

from >Oiwan
Mr Law Chi Wah was also an important publisher for HK literary works and cultural critics. His death is symbolic and Kafkaesque.

The 6th Annual Chinese Internet Research Conference will be held 13-14 June 2008.

The conference :
When: June 13-14, 2008
Where: University of Hong Kong
The conference theme, “China and the Internet: Myths and Realities,” calls attention to scholarly work that helps to separate fact from fiction about the Internet in China. Does the Internet bring more democracy to the country? Is there freedom of expression on the Internet? Does the Internet foster greater integration of China and its diaspora? Do the Chinese use the Internet for entertainment only?

Call for proposal/paper deadlines:
We welcome proposals for presentations from all disciplines. Proposals can be submitted in Chinese or English. Kindly be reminded the deadline for submission of your proposal is coming up on 1 March 2008 and conference participants are encouraged to submit full papers by 10 May 2008. Graduate students may submit papers for the Annual Best Graduate Student Paper Award. Proposals are also due 1 March, 2008, with full papers due by 10 May 2008. For futher details about submissions, please visit this weblink

Digital Artists' Handbook

The Digital Artists Handbook is an up to date, reliable and accessible source of information that introduces you to different tools, resources and ways of working related to digital art.

The goal of the Handbook is to be a signpost, a source of practical information and content that bridges the gap between new users and the platforms and resources that are available, but not always very accessible. The Handbook will be slowly filled with articles written by invited artists and specialists, talking about their tools and ways of working. Some articles are introductions to tools, others are descriptions of methodologies, concepts and technologies.

When discussing software, the focus of this Handbook is on Free/Libre Open Source Software. The Handbook aims to give artists information about the available tools but also about the practicalities related to Free Software and Open Content, such as collaborative development and licenses. All this to facilitate exchange between artists, to take away some of the fears when it comes to open content licenses, sharing code, and to give a perspective on various ways of working and collaborating.

The digital artist handbook is brought to you by folly and has developed out of ongoing consultation with artists working with technology, which has shown a need for removing the barriers for artists to use digital tools. The project is supported by Arts Council England.

From August 2007 until January 2008, the editors of the Handbook were Marloes de Valk and Aymeric Mansoux of GOTO10.

Dwnload PDF

Internet Pornography, Global Networks, and Cyberidentities

Dear all:

In these times of heightened sex/porn scandals and haphazard legislation, we are conducting a research project entitled:

"Internet Pornography, Global Networks, and Cyberidentities"

http://enweb.cityu.edu.hk/netporn

We would appreciate it very much if you and your friends could fill out our online survey about Internet behaviors in relation to adult contents. This study is conducted by Mike Yao, Katrien Jacobs, and Wan-Ying Lin at City University of Hong Kong and the results are purely for academic purposes. All responses to this survey will be kept confidential. Your name or identity will not be linked in any way to the research data. The survey will take you no more than 15 minutes and your participation in this survey is completely voluntary.

http://enweb.cityu.edu.hk/netporn/survey.html

Your help is of course greatly appreciated. If you have any questions regarding your participation in this study, please do contact me.

Thanks!

Katrien

Expenditure" - the 2008 Busan Biennale will take place this September bringing approximately 200 artworks from 30 countries

The 2008 Busan Biennale unfolds at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, Gwangalli Beach, and APEC Naru Park between September 6th to November 15th under the theme of "Expenditure." Made up of the Contemporary Art Exhibition, the Sea Art Festival, and the Busan Sculpture Project, the 2008 Busan Biennale will exhibit a distinctive philosophy of "expenditure" and a vivid scene of contemporary art through a variety of artworks including paintings, photographs, videos, installations, outdoor sculptures, etc.

The theme of the 2008 Busan Biennale, "Expenditure," was borrowed from Georges Bataille's discussion. Since it means consumption, release, and exhaustion, and extends into extravagance and reckless expenditure, "expenditure" is a concept contrary to goal-oriented, power-oriented, and phallic economic concepts, such as production, moderation, accumulation, acquisition, regime, control, etc. Though it has political and economic implications, it also has a great deal of implications for the perspectives of aesthetics and cultural criticism. Bataille pointed out that all studies had pursued to understand a society or a culture through the lens of production and accumulation and this had been an attempt to look at the whole from a part of a society or a culture, leading to a half-baked interpretation. According to Bataille, a complete discussion could be produced when we look at a society or a culture through the lenses of spending, consumption, exhaustion, etc., or concepts that are the antipodes of production, accumulation, acquisition, control, etc., that is, concepts employed in existing discussion methods. He asserted that, after all, culture had been maintained through activities deemed meaningless, such as releasing and consuming what was produced and accumulated.

The 2008 Busan Biennale attempts to reinterpret the trends of contemporary art as the aesthetics of "expenditure" through a microscopic lens, as well as to interpret "expenditure" through a macroscopic lens from the perspectives of cultural theories. Differentiating itself from existing biennales, which focus on exhibiting latest art trends "with speed" and "in abundance," the 2008 Busan Biennale seeks to illuminate and predict the latest directions of contemporary art, from paintings to sculptures to videos, under the theme of "expenditure," employing thorough analyses and maintaining critical views.

First, the Contemporary Art Exhibition will unfold at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, Busan Yachting Center, and other places, under the direction of Kim Won-bang, a professor at Hongik University and art critic, exhibiting some 120 works of 100 artists from 20 countries. The Contemporary Art Exhibition, whose theme is "Expenditure, Art, Culture," presents the driver of today's cultural activities through the concept of expenditure, shifting directions from existing production-oriented and appearance-centered values to the disintegration of supernatural values and power of culture.

The Sea Art Festival will be hosted in the Gwangalli Beach, nearby shopping centers, Samik Leports Town, Geumnyeonsan Subway Station, etc. under the direction of Jeon Seung-bo, an independent curator. Some 60 artists from 20 countries will participate in the Festival with 70 artworks. The Sea Art Festival, whose theme is "Voyage Without Boundaries," seems to be in line with the theme of the biennale, "Expenditure," in that the Festival embraces contradiction and paradox as the essence of life, addressing formation and creation.

The Busan Sculpture Project, which is headed by a sculptor Yi Jeong-hyeong, is hosted in APEC Naru Park, inviting 20 works of 20 artists from 15 countries. The theme of the Busan Sculpture Project, "Avant Garden," combined "Avant" from avant-garde with "Garden," which indicates a more private space than a park. Thus, "Avant Garden" implies the intention of transforming everyday spaces into creative ones by combining epistemological and aesthetic notions with ordinary parks.

Busan Biennale Organizing Committee
23rd Floor, Busan City Hall
Yeonsan 5-dong
Yeonje-gu
Busan Metropolitan City
Tel. 82-51-888-6691~9 / Fax 82-51-888-6693
bbiennale@paran.com

Ascii art MTV from Beck

10 Most power people in China Art World 2007

2007艺术权力榜 影响中国当代艺术10人榜单
1. 方力钧Fang Lijun :Artist
2. 艾未未Ai Wei Wei : Artist
3. 尤伦斯夫妇Mr and Mrs Ullens : Collector收藏家、Ullens Foundation尤伦斯基金会、Ullens Art Centre尤伦斯艺术中心创始人
4. 陈东升:collector 收藏家泰康人寿保险股份有限公司董事长
5. 蔡国强Cai Guo-Qiang: Artist
6. 范迪安 : Director of China Museum Of Art, Curator中国美术馆馆长、策展人
7. 李达 : CEO Auction House北京保利国际拍卖有限公司总经理
8. 尹在甲 :Director of Korean Arario gallery 阿拉里奥艺术空间总监
9. 陈丹青 : artist, intellectual知识分子、艺术家
10. 皮埃尔·胡伯(pierre huber): collector收藏家、Director of Shanghai Art Fair上海当代艺博会总监, Art & Public Gallery owner, art& public画廊主人
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CHANEL CONTEMPORARY ART CONTAINER BY ZAHA HADID

One of the most enjoyable part of being a curator for me is the design of the space and the walk through experience. I am so amazed that there will be a soundwalk in this much anticipating monumental art project. Although I had a similar idea before but it was banned due to infringing other exhibited space.

MOBILE ART is a traveling exhibition devised as a three-dimensional film and presented in a futuristic pavilion specially created by the architect Zaha Hadid.

The creative concept of MOBILE ART is the result of an aesthetic experiment conducted over the last two years in which the values and visual language of CHANEL confronted those of some twenty contemporary artists from all geographic and generational origins.

Invited to visit Mademoiselle Chanel's Parisian apartment, rue Cambon, and the workshops where the CHANEL handbags are made, these artists were given complete freedom to create artworks inspired by the elements that create the identity of CHANEL's emblematic accessory, the quilted bag.

All means of expression currently being used in contemporary art will be represented: installation, sculpture, photography, video, sound etc...

MOBILE ART is not so much an exhibition to be visited as a landscape to wander through in a completely new way: to experience the artists' installations, visitors equipped with a MP3 player must let themselves be guided mentally and physically by a soundtrack created by the label "Soundwalk" in collaboration with each of the artists. This soundtrack mixes the original music of a diverse range of artists with voice and ambient sound effects.

MOBILE ART is above all a new form of artistic expression, an unique experience, combining architecture, art, sound creation and fashion.

For more information, please visit www.chanel-mobileart.com

VENUE:
Star Ferry Car Park – Central, Hong Kong

EXHIBITION PERIOD:
27 February – 5 April, 2008

Curating new media art ?

Recently asked by a number of people about curating art, I find the topic was raised due to the demanding need of art programming in Hong Kong and there are some very interesting perspectives raised on the topics in the "International symposium on curating new media art" in March 2006

And this discussion two years ago will be particularly interesting to my fellow academia friends.

Paul Domela opened the floor for discussions by provoking Inke with the question: Should there be a separate discipline of new media curating? Yes and no, maintained Inke true to her talk’s dialectics. Curating media art as a field doesn’t make sense because curating in any field of contemporary art is essentially the same, yet the richness of activities and formats in media art make it possible to reflect on the way technology impacts on society. Pierre-Yves also chipped in by asserting that neither is media art dead (as prompted by Trebor) nor is the museum concerned solely with dead art. It is the role of the museum to ask (and try to answer) questions about how to present and preserve media art.

Amanda McDonald Crowley raised the issue of which institutions are actually collecting new media art? Just a handful: ZKM, Karlsruhe; Ars Electornica Centre, Linz and ICC, Tokyo which is closing down its collecting programme. Charlie Gere seconded Amanda’s statement by reminiscing about his father who was a ‘Keeper’ of art in a museum, alluding to the traditional custodial role for curators in museums. Charlie also talked about his own involvement in Cache, a project for preservation of early computer art. Museums involved were Science Museum, Victoria & Albert but NOT the likes of Tate – a reminder that there are issues around the status of this practice as art.

Inke also stated that museums only present a tip of the iceberg, for example video art is one section of media art which has made it into the institution as it works primarily visually. But what about the 85% of the media art iceberg which doesn’t make it into the museum? Different institutions are perhaps necessary, smaller, working more flexibly, and focusing on temporary projects. Alongside, broadening of the appeal and impact of the small field of new media was another strategy discussed. For me this is a clear case of a deja-vu as the issue of small-scale vs. large institutions and their role in fostering visibility and status for media art practices was widely debated in the Curating New Media Seminar at the BALTIC, Gateshead five years ago.

A question from the audience suggested that this is perhaps a problem of the white cube rather than media art as such. However, we still seem to be struggling with viable models of how to mediate or curate that which is not visible. In response, Inke referred to Makrolab as a successful interface for the immaterial information sphere; in materialising the data which normally remains invisible; as a mobile research area for the activities which are going on including performative texts and communication streams from satellites.

Sarah Cook and Pierre-Yves rounded off the discussion with the observation that more and more new galleries and museums seem to have no remit to collect: including the soon to open MOMA Brussels. It may come down to individuals donating or loaning their private collections to museums, as happened for example to certain past movements in art, such as Fluxus and mail art.

I noticed that in the discussion Tokyo ICC may have closed the acquisition but the space was reopened in June 2006.

A new MBA

Design is the future of business so the California Collage of Arts decided to start this new program: MBA in Design Strategy. The first class start in Fall 2008.

The innovative MBA in Design Strategy, which will enroll its first class of students in fall 2008, unites the studies of design, finance, and organizational management in a unique curriculum aimed at providing students with tools and strategies to address today's complex and interconnected market. The program's approach encompasses performance, strategy, innovation, and the encouragement of meaningful, sustainable social change.

I think the Chinese University MA program on cultural management should start thinking about a MBA.

Education is biggest business of all.

Ecodesign in cscout

I am looking for technology that carries the green philosophy. I heard from different people that it is also a discussion among green conscious designers now. I have this clipping that is half year ago.

Ecodesign is an approach to design considering the impact of the product on the environment. Ideally this encompasses the types of materials used, manufacturing, use and disposal.

Trend Description
The Industrial Design Society of America (IDSA) and co-sponsor Business Week just wrapped up the 2007 International Design Excellence Awards, recognizing international designers in categories such as Environments, Business and Industrial Products, Consumer Products, Ecodesign, Furniture, Medical & Scientific among many others. The winning designs are as impressive as they are varied. Here is a brief glimpse at just a couple of the noteworthy designs.

Other eco building reports from China
An Interview with Green Builder George Bialecki
Beijing's eco-buildings start to take shape

CREATIVE BIOTECHNOLOGY: A USER'S MANUAL -

I do not like biology but I like biotechnology. Here is my long favorite artist book commissioned by Locus+.

Biotechnology promises to impact upon virtually every aspect of our lives, and yet the methods, techniques, and practices of biotech often remain closed off from the public, making it hard to understand exactly what it is and how it will impact our broader understanding of biology, politics, and culture. Biotech Hobbyism seeks to counteract this sense of alienation and fuel this curiosity through promoting an understanding of the means, what’s and where for’s of biotech.
Having worked with Locus+ to develop a series of prototype kits, the Biotech Hobbyist kits have been transformed into a publication in the form of a 'users manual'. In keeping with the open ethos of Biotech Hobbyist, these manuals will also exist in the format of an e-book that can be freely accessed via the Web
Includes commissioned texts by Denna Jones & Heath Bunting.