I love "A -GLow-Glow"

We will stay till lights go out. BRAVO ! Microwave ! TED and UVA. Love You.

Blue Man Group looks for CD

Are you interested?

Location: New York

Title: Creative Director, Research & Development

Status: Full-time/Regular



Blue Man Productions, best known for Blue Man Group, is looking for a seasoned Creative Director of Research & Development to conceive and design concepts in all creative areas, including: sets & scenery; props; instruments; gadgets; special effects; graphics and other cool,inspiring new stuff. The Creative Director will be able to solve creative problems through innovation and creativity. Reporting to the Senior GM/Production, he or she will oversee and direct the work of the creative teams: Associate Creative Directors; R&D members; outside Creative Contractors & Consultants. He or she will ensure that as new projects are developed, their progress is continuously communicated to the CCO & Creative Directors, and that creative feedback is effectively communicated and applied to the projects teams.



Responsibilities:

* Ensure that Blue Man Group values and artistic vision are understood and supported across the organization.
* Understand, articulate and build upon the evolving Blue Man visual aesthetic
* Partner with the CCO and Creative Directors to conceive, articulate, iterate & execute creative concepts in all areas: sets and scenery; props; instruments; gadgets; special effects; graphics, etc.
* Provide leadership for research and development; produce and communicate design ideas.
* Oversee and/or assist with the execution of design and research ideas as directed by the Senior GM/Production.



Requirements:

* Minimum 7+ years leadership experience in creative, collaborative environments required.
* Minimum 5+ years experience in fields of special effects, production design, special events or magic industry strongly preferred.
* Proven track record of leadership in large scale design and concept execution.
* Fluency in production and communication of design ideas, including: development of models; sourcing materials and fabrications; producing drawings and models.
* Excellent communication skills.



To be considered, please submit your resume and web links of your work with the title "Creative Director of R&D" in the subject line to hr@blueman.com

Please do not mail any materials to us at this time.

International Conference on Pervasive Computing

Pervasive Persuasive Technology and Environmental Sustainability to be held at the 6th International Conference on Pervasive Computing, May 19th, 2008, Sydney, Australia

http://www.urbaninformatics.net/green/

Environmental sustainability and climate change are issues which must no longer be ignored by anyone, any industry or any academic community. The pervasive technology, ubiquitous computing and HCI community is slowly waking up to these global concerns. The Nobel Peace Price 2007 was awarded to Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change”. The citation highlights the urgency of the fact that information and awareness around causes and implications are necessary but not sufficient to combat climate change. Action is required.

The key theme of this workshop around environmental sustainability will be addressed threefold:

1. Providing people with environmental data and educational information – via mass communications such as film, TV and print and new media, or micro communications such as pervasive sensor networks (cf. Participatory Urbanism and Ergo at urban-atmospheres.net; real-time Rome at senseable.mit.edu; biomapping.net; placeengine.com) – may not trigger sufficient motivation to get people to change their habits towards a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle. This workshop seeks to develop a better understanding how to go beyond just informing and into motivating and encouraging action and change.

2. Pervasiveness can easily turn invasive. It has already caused negative consequences in biological settings (e.g., algae in lakes and oceans, kudzu vine in the southeastern US, rabbits and cane toads in Australia). Pervasive can be a dangerous term when the ecological impacts are disregarded. Pervasive technology is no different. In order to avoid further serious damage to the environment, this workshop aims to lay the foundations to start re-considering the impact of pervasive technology from an ecological perspective.

3. Addressing the 21st century Digital Divide: The mass uptake of pervasive technology brings about digitally networked and augmented societies; however, access is still not universal. Castells and others use the notion of the ‘digital divide’ to account for those whose voices are not heard by this technology. Initially, the divide was seen only between the first and third worlds and then between urban and rural, but with today’s near ubiquitous coverage, the digital divide between humans and the environment needs to be addressed. Virtual environments could give the natural world an opportunity to ‘speak’. How can we address imbalances? For example, sensors embedded in the environment could allow creeks and rivers to blog their own pollution levels, local parks can upload images of native bird life. Can the process of ‘blogging sensor data’ (sensorbase.org) assist us in becoming more aware of the needs of nature? How can we avoid the downsides?

Further information is available at
http://www.urbaninformatics.net/green/

Marcus Foth, Queensland University of Technology
Christine Satchell, Queensland University of Technology
Eric Paulos, Intel Research Berkeley
Tom Igoe, Interactive Telecommunications Program, Tisch School of the Arts, New York
Carlo Ratti, SENSEable City Laboratory, MIT

Accepted position papers

Notes on the Political Image: Pervasive Computing, Modeling Assemblage, and Ecological Governance
Benjamin H. Bratton 1, Natalie Jeremijenko 2
1 University of California, Los Angeles, USA
2 New York University, USA

The Potential of UbiComp Technologies to Determine the Carbon Footprints of Products
Ali Dada 1,3, Thorsten Staake 2, Elgar Fleisch 1,2
1 Institute of Technology Management (ITEM-HSG), University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
2 Information Management, ETH Zürich, Switzerland
3 SAP Research CEC St. Gallen, Switzerland

Towards Participatory Design of Ambient Persuasive Technology
Janet Davis
Department of Computer Science, Grinnell College, USA

Motivating Environmentally Sustainable Behavior Changes with a Virtual Polar Bear
Tawanna Dillahunt, Geof Becker, Jennifer Mankoff, Robert Kraut
Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA

Points of Persuasion: Strategic Essentialism and Environmental Sustainability
Paul Dourish
Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences, University of California, Irvine, USA

Understanding motivation and enabling action towards change
Penny Hagen, Duncan Underwood
digitaleskimo.net, Surry Hills, NSW, Australia

The New Well-Tempered Environment: Tuning Buildings and Cities
Dan Hill, Duncan Wilson
arup.com, London, UK, and Sydney, Australia

Promoting Environmentally Sustainable Behaviors Using Social Marketing in Emerging Persuasive Technologies
Omar Khan, John Canny
Berkeley Institute of Design, Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley, USA

Context-Aware Pervasive Persuasive Systems for Managing Water and Energy Usage, and CO2 Emissions: Multi-Levelled Policies, Goals, and an Expert Systems Shell Approach
Seng W. Loke, Jugdutt Singh, Hai Le
La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia

Using persuasive technology to encourage sustainable behavior
Cees Midden, Teddy McCalley, Jaap Ham, Ruud Zaalberg
Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

Participate: Producing a Mass Scale Environmental Campaign for Pervasive Technology
Mark Paxton
Mixed Reality Lab, University of Nottingham, UK

The Design of Imprint: "Walk the Walk" and Other Lessons
Zachary Pousman, Hafez Rouzati, Katie Collins, John Stasko
Graphics, Visualization & Usability Center, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, USA

Understanding and Influencing Spatio-Temporal Visitor Movement in National Parks Based on Static and Dynamic Sensor Data
Katja Schechtner, Helmut Schrom-Feiertag
arsenal.ac.at, Vienna, Austria

TerraPed: A Design Concept for Sustainability
Jennifer Stein
School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

Challenging Comfort & Cleanliness Norms through Interactive In-Home Feedback Systems
Yolande Strengers
School of Global Studies, Social Science and Planning, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia

Taking the Guesswork out of Environmentally Sustainable Lifestyles
Ronak Sutaria 1, Aalok Deshmukh 2
1 urbansensors.com, San Francisco, USA
2 Rocky Mountain Institute, Boulder, CO, USA

EcoIsland: A System for Persuading Users to Reduce CO2 Emissions
Chihiro Takayama 1, Vili Lehdonvirta 2
1 Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
2 Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, Finland

Overlapping with Intersections- A Glow Glow

「燈陸．亞高高」聲光互動媒體藝術展將於4月11日隆重揭幕! 來自英國的United Visual Artists及本地LED藝術家Teddy Lo將分別透過作品VOLUME 及稀孔(PHAEODARIA)，為你帶來聽覺及視覺的獨特體驗!! 所有工作坊及座談會報名名額已滿，多謝各位支持!!

* www.microwavefest.net/aglowglow *

日期：2008年4月11至20日
地點︰尖沙咀星光大道及香港藝術館外圍
開放時間：
7:30pm – 11pm（2008年4月11日）
11am – 11pm （2008年4月12至20日）
* 為配合「幻彩詠香江」，展覽於每天8pm-8:30pm暫停運作
* 免費入場

=====================================

“A-Glow-Glow” Macro Interactive Media Arts Exhibition is going to kick off on 11th Apr!! Starring “VOLUME” by United Visual Artists(London) and PHAEODARIA by Teddy Lo(Hong Kong), the two macro interactive media artworks about light, sound, and frequencies will bring you the exceptional audio and visual experiences! RESERVATIONS FOR WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS ARE ALL FULL!!! Thanks so much for your great SUPPORT!! Don’t miss the exhibition!

* www.microwavefest.net/aglowglow *

Venue: the Avenue of Stars & outside Hong Kong Museum of Art, Tsim Sha Tsui
Date: 11-20 April, 2008
Time:
7:30 pm – 11:00 pm (11 April, 2008)
11:00 am – 11:00 pm (12-20 April, 2008)
* Closed daily at 8-8:30pm due to the Symphony of Lights
* FREE ADMISSION

INTERSECTIONS. 9 artists from 3 places@Gallery Benten 17

INTERSECTIONS. 9 artists from 3 places
Opening Time and Place Date: Friday, April 11, 2008
Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Location: 12 Shing Wong Street
Gallery Benten 17 announces INTERSECTIONS, an inter-cultural art project featuring 9 emerging artists, 3 each from Hong Kong, Japan and Korea.

ARTISTS:
Kwong Yin Brian Hung, Hong Kong
Kira Kim, Korea
Hyungmin Moon, Korea
Yoh Nagao, Japan
Phoebe Junghee Shin, Korea
Yuko Tanaka, Japan
Ali Wong, Hong Kong
Seiji Yonehara, Japan
Samson Young, Hong Kong

INTERSECTIONS attempts to interpret the traditional, cultural and technological influences which are crucial for understanding today’s globalised societies, where identities and social relations are constantly being challenged. This exhibition facilitates the crossing of these paths to allow new connections to be made.

This is the inaugural launch of what will be an annual event featuring artists from these three locations.

www.benten17.com

Tickets are now selling fast for ART HK 08

I heard so many people said they missed Channel Mobile Art because they tickets were ran out. Have you visited Sotheby's 2008 Spring Exhibitions and Auctions at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre? Don't miss the next big art event in May:

The organisers are pleased to announce the list of 100 leading galleries from around the world who will exhibit at the HKCEC from 14 – 18 May.

See the full list of participating galleries at www.hongkongartfair.com and make sure you book your tickets before 7 May to enjoy 20% discount – HK$120 per person.

High-profile works up for sale include Andy Warhol’s 1962 Avanti Cars from Ben Brown Fine Arts, London worth an estimated HK$29million, Nue aux Bras Elevés from Max Lang, New York and a Damien Hirst offered by Seomi & Tuus, Seoul. Peres Projects from Los Angeles will be exhibiting a solo show of work by controversial artist Terence Koh.

There will also be plenty to offer for those new to buying art and many galleries will be exhibiting accessibly priced works from emerging talent as well as limited editioned works from more famous names.

In addition to the buying and selling, at the heart of the Fair is an exhibition featuring Hong Kong’s most exciting emerging artistic talent. Mirage, curated by Sabrina Fung, who was also responsible for the Hong Kong Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2005, looks at the play between illusion and imagination through large-scale installations, videos, sculpture and other works. Featured artists include Homan Ho, Catherine Y M Lee, Esther L M Yip and Wong Chung Yu.

Asia Art Archive (AAA), the non-profit arts education centre dedicated to visual art from the region, is running an education programme during the Fair. ‘Hong Kong Conversations’ is a series of talks by a group of renowned collectors, artists and experts that will include Honorary Patron of the Fair, Sir David Tang. Other speakers include influential Hong Kong-based Swiss collector, Monique Burger, Tobias Berger of Para/Site Art Space, young Hong Kong artists Lam Tung Pang and Chow Chunfai and Elaine Ng, editor of contemporary art magazine ArtAsiaPacific.

Finally, ART HK is pleased to announce its association with SHIFTING SITES: Cultural Desire and the Museum, a one day conference organized by Asia Art Archive and the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Cultural and Religious Studies which will be held on Saturday 17 May, International Museum Day. A satellite event to the Fair, the conference will address the growing trend among governments, notably in Asia, to allocate major resources towards creating one-stop cultural districts and question whether such fabricated districts can hold their own against the vibrancy of long-established art scenes in cities like London and New York. Speakers include Sheena Wagstaff, Chief Curator of the Tate Modern and Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator of Tokyo’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The conference is supported by the Home Affairs Bureau of the Government of the HKSAR and open to the public.

SAN JOSE TO WELCOME WORLD TO 2ND BIENNIAL 01SJ ARTS FESTIVAL, JUNE 4-8

There is a very interesting call for proposal from this project- Climate Clock Global Initiative.

The Climate Clock Global Initiative is seeking ideas from artist-led teams to create a major artwork entitled Climate Clock, which will measure changes in greenhouse gas levels, and be the first in a series of global projects calling attention to climate change. Climate Clock will be an instrument of long-term measurement and will collect data for 100 years. The artwork will be located in downtown San Jose, California, Silicon Valley’s city center, and will be a collaboration between an artist-led team composed of artists, international and Silicon Valley engineers and other creative professionals who are working with climate measurement and data visualization. It is anticipated that the budget for the construction of Climate Clock will be between $5 and $15 million, depending upon the scope of the final proposal.

And I had been to their first 01 Sj Art Festival in 2006. I am amazed by the momentum of the creativity in art and technology in Sj- Capital of Silicon Valley.


01SJ is North America’s largest festival of digital arts and will showcase more the 100 projects.

To feature new works from an international roster of artists and performers at the cross-section of contemporary art, technology, and culture, the five-day Festival will incorporate exhibitions, films, concerts, performances, happenings, and nightlife occurring throughout downtown San Jose’s parks, public streets, museums, theaters, and clubs.

In its second biennial manifestation, the 01SJ Festival is becoming a signature event for San Jose and all of Silicon Valley as an international gathering for the arts and culture that embraces cutting edge innovation, technology and expression.

According to San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed, “01SJ demonstrates to the world the magic that can happen when art and technology intersect,” said Reed. “Throughout history, strong, vital cities have developed a sense of place through creativity. 01SJ highlights the creativity and innovation that are the hallmark of our city and region.”

ZER01, the organization producing the 01SJ festival, and its partners and sponsors see Silicon Valley’s largest city as the natural venue for this Global Festival of Art on the Edge.

“As the creators of 01SJ, ZER01 is pleased the Festival continues to evolve as an international event,” said Andy Cunningham, founder of ZER01. “When art is combined with technology, it magnifies the creativity of both sides—creating a window into the future of what’s possible with both art and technology. Because San Jose is the epicenter for digital technology, it is the perfect place to have this festival and is now a key stop on the global cultural circuit,” said Cunningham.

Fresh from a successful run at the Tribeca Film Festival, Paul D. Miller, AKA DJ Spooky, the New York-based hip-hop recording and multi-media artist, will present his next major work, Terra Nova: The Antarctic Suite, an acoustic portrait of a rapidly changing continent. It transforms Miller’s encounter with the harsh, dynamic landscape into multimedia portraits with music composed from the different geographies that make up the land mass.

World-renowned Australian artist Craig Walsh has been commissioned to create the third City Hall Rotunda lighting for 01SJ. At the first Biennial 01SJ festival, Akira Hasegawa presented the first Rotunda lighting, Digital Kakejiku. Camille Utterback’s interactive Abundance project was presented in September 2007.

Other artists whose works will be showcased include: Cory Arcangel, Jim Campbell, Bruce Charlesworth, Daryl Cloran, Paul DeMarinis, DJ Spooky AKA Paul D. Miller, Anita Doron, Toni Dove, R. Luke DuBois, Kota Ezawa, Daniel Faust, Free Soil (Amy Franceschini, Corrine Matesich, Nis Romer, Stijn Schiffeleers, Adam Wight), Jason Freeman, Genevieve Grieves, Mateo Guez, David Haines, Joyce Hinterding, Shih Chieh Huang, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Jane Marsching, Jennifer + Kevin McCoy, Mongrel (Graham Harwood, Richard Wright, Matsuko Yokokoji), Adam Nash, Ed Osborn, Qiu Zhijie, Red 76 (Sam Gould), Favianna Rodriguez, Rova, Eddo Stern, Lían Amaris Sifuentes, Piotr Szyhalski, Terreform (Mitchell Joachim), Rubén Ortiz Torres, Craig Walsh, Marina Zurkow.

For more information about 01SJ and the nearly 100 projects to be featured at the Festival, please visit, www.01sj.org.

Tickets
Tickets to the festival are available at www.01sj.org/tickets. Passes are $15; Early bird specials – 20% discount or 2fer ticket offers are available now through April 15.

About 01SJ A Global Festival of Art on the Edge

01SJ is North America’s newest and largest festival of digital arts, and a great deal more. From a hip-hop, multi-media meditation on Antarctica to robot art, from conversations with artificial intelligence to operatic performances of Google headlines about the environment, from avant-garde cinema to new musical forms – more than 100 projects will be featured at 01SJ. Festival organizers expect it to be a perspective-altering experience that entertains, enlightens, educates, and involves attendees in a new understanding of our changing world.

01SJ is made possible in large part through major sponsorships from two visionary companies: Adobe Systems and Cisco Systems, as well as the City of San Jose. Other leading sponsors include 1st ACT Silicon Valley, the David and Lucille Packard Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, GlobalFluency, Hotel Montgomery, the James Irvine Foundation and Liquid Agency, as well as SAP Labs U.S., the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Morgan Family Foundation, Nancy Mueller and Robert Fox, Australian Visual Board, Salas O’Brien Engineers, DMNA, DLA Piper, Delgadillo & Associates Inc., Metro News, McKenzie Event Management, Fry’s Electronics, and Theater Publications.

The Festival is produced by ZER01and is affiliated with the City of San Jose, Montalvo Art Center - Artist Residency, San Jose Convention and Visitors Bureau, San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose State University - CADRE Laboratory for New Media, The Tech Museum of Innovation, and Camera 12. More than 40 other organizations and institutions are involved in the Festival production.

Many of the works featured at the festival will be exhibited at museums and art galleries throughout the city’s downtown area during the summer months of 2008.

ABOUT THE CITY OF SAN JOSE

From its founding in 1777 as California's first city, San Jose has been a leader, driven by its spirit of innovation. Today, San Jose stands as the largest city in Northern California and the Capital of Silicon Valley—the world's leading center of innovation. The city, the 10th largest in the U.S., is committed to remaining a top-ranked place to do business, work, live, play and learn. For more information, visit, www.sanjoseca.gov

I have heard about Kitchen Budapest

I always compare the new media art development in developed country and a little behind cities. Can Budapest compare to HK? Will our telecom company sponsor a new media art space ? I envy what I read.

The Right and Wrong way to confess your sin publicly

I usually do not want to deal with human / moral issues in my blog but this is really an exception.

2008 is a special year that my friend told me is old/ lost friends return and forgiveness. I already want to say hi to so many of them :)

Another good show in Art Statement

Tomorrow, The HK & Shenzhen Bi-city Biennial of Urbanism/ Architecture will be the last day. While you are in Central, you can also visit Art Statements to see the show.

Win an Exclusive Weekend Break in Manchester (Just Closed)

Can't believe that I missed the deadline :(

Asia Triennial Manchester (ATM08) opens 5 April -1 June 2008 in Manchester and is conceived by Shisha, the UK’s premier international agency for contemporary South Asian crafts and visual arts, in partnership with Castlefield Gallery, Chinese Arts Centre, Cornerhouse, The International 3, Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester Metropolitan University.
ATM08 is a new international festival featuring some of the best contemporary visual artists from Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. The programme includes:

• new exciting and challenging exhibitions of artwork that
• hasn’t been seen in the UK before
• stunning new commissions reflecting Manchester
• innovative international artists’ residencies
• surprising performances

Exploring the theme of ‘protest’ in its widest sense, ATM08 presents a range of views and perspectives on Asia and Manchester in the 21st century - echoing Manchester’s radical political and social history, reflecting new artistic practice and seeking resonances between Manchester and Asia. Through a framework devised by Shisha, each of the partner venues has used the theme as a starting point to create their own individual exhibitions and residencies.

by Kong Kee
EXTRA : Kongkee (Hong Kong)
Breathe Artist in Residency

Thursday 1 May - Sunday 29 June
Open Studio Thursday 26 - Sunday 29 June

Hong Kong comic artist Kongkee explores his interest in social interactions and sense of place through his striking comic style drawings and animations. For his residency at Chinese Arts Centre as part of ATM08 and Tatton Park Biennial 2008, Kongkee will work with Manchester s elderly Chinese community inviting them to share their perceptions of the city. Using his findings, Kongkee will create new works documenting his journey through the real and imagined Manchester.

ART HK 08

This news about HK Art Fair is posted last month.I am a bit disappointed to see the small list of exhibitors but really look foreward to the show curated by Sabrina Fung.

Hong Kong, Monday 4 February 2008 - On the 14-18 May 2008, Hong Kong will host its first truly international public art fair in a decade. ART HK 08 will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and will firmly establish Hong Kong's position as the centre of the art market in Asia.

ART HK 08 will showcase 80 of the world's leading contemporary and modern art galleries and exhibit works for sale as varied as Picasso, Warhol, Zhang Xiaogang, Xu Bing and Damien Hirst. Household names will sit alongside the stars of the current Chinese art scene as well as many emerging and exciting new artists from across the world, some that have never before been shown in Asia.

ART HK 08 is set to become a major fixture on the international art calendar. The event is well placed to attract not just Western collectors seeking Asian art but also Asian collectors seeking blue chip and emerging Western art, for which there is a growing demand. ART HK 08 is open to the public and welcomes browsers, first time buyers and serious collectors with a range of pieces to suit all budgets.

ART HK 08 has a strict exhibitor application policy to ensure the quality of the event and has an impressive advisory committee of art world luminaries led by Charles Merewether who was Curator and Creative Director of the Biennale of Sydney in 2006.

ART HK 08 is delighted to announce the support of Sir David Tang who has been named as Honorary Patron of the Fair. Commenting on his involvement he said; "I am delighted to be Patron - to stress the importance of visual art in our lives".

The gallery heavyweights who have already made it through the vetting process include Max Lang, New York; Yvon Lambert, Paris/NY; Galerie Eva Presenhuber, Zurich; Marlborough Fine Art, Albion and Bernard Jacobson, London; Pekin Fine Arts, Galleri Faurschou and Michael Schultz Gallery, Beijing; East Link, Shanghai; Hanart and 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong; Kukje, PKM and Gallery Hyundai, Korea; Ota Fine Arts, Roentgenwerke and Nanzuka Underground from Tokyo.

Hong Kong is the third largest art market in the world after New York and London by auction turnover. Hong Kong's status as a freeport also gives it a clear advantage over many other locations in Asia with no tax on the import or export of art, unlike mainland China which has a punitive tax of 34%. It is also positioned in the heart of Asia, within easy reach of not only mainland China but also the seasoned art collectors of Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Japan, all of which ART HK 08 is seeking to attract.

Charles Merewether, Chairman of the Advisory Group commented; "Art fairs have become a barometer of current trends and have increasingly set the pace as to what is valued in both modern and contemporary art. They have become a vital meeting place for galleries, dealers, curators, artists, academics, collectors and as much as an opportunity for those who have a passion to see art from around the world. With the advent of ART HK 08, Hong Kong is once again firmly establishing itself as the centre of the art market in the region and the crossroads of exchange between the countries of Asia, Western Europe and the Americas."

Magnus Renfrew, Fair Director of ART HK 08 commented; "ART HK 08 is a very timely event. Hong Kong is currently going through a cultural renaissance with significant central funding in the arts to support the sustainable development of the city. ART HK 08 is a major cultural step forward for Hong Kong and will be one of the most significant arts events to ever take place in the SAR."

In addition to the buying and selling that will go on at the Fair, the event will also be an important catalyst for increasing interest and enriching knowledge of the visual arts in Hong Kong. There will be an impressive line up of installations and features, including a curated exhibition of often overlooked Hong Kong artists' led by Sabrina Fung, curator of the Hong Kong Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2005.

The Fair will also include a comprehensive education programme including a programme of talks run by of the Asia Art Archive, the non-profit research centre in Hong Kong dedicated to visual art from the region.

Magnus Renfrew's role as Fair Director follows a year running celebrated art patron Pearl Lam's gallery Contrasts in Shanghai. Renfrew was also instrumental in bringing to fruition the highly successful first London sale of Contemporary Asian Art at Bonhams in June 2006.

ART HK 08 is a collaboration between Single Market Events, the organisers of London Fashion Week and The British International Motor Show; Will Ramsay, CEO of the PULSE Contemporary Art Fairs and Andry Montgomery who has been hosting exhibitions in Hong Kong and China for twenty years.

To find out more or register for ART HK 08 please visit www. hongkongartfair.com

-ends-

For further press information please contact Impact Asia:
Tel: + 852 25211498
Sarah Woodhouse
sarah@impactasia.com
Erica Siu
erica@impactasia.com


NOTES TO EDITORS

A list of galleries and images are available on request.

Fair Dates
Wednesday 14 May: Invitation only. VIP Preview and Vernissage (Press Welcome)
Thursday 15 – Sunday 18 May: General Public


Asian Arts Fairs Ltd is collaboration between:
• Single Market Events – this leading independent events company is responsible for high profile events such as London Fashion Week and The British International Motor Show
• Will Ramsay – CEO of PULSE Contemporary Art Fairs in New York, Miami and London
• Andry Montgomery Ltd – a global pioneer of international exhibitions that has built a strong reputation in China and Hong Kong over the last twenty years
• Magnus Renfrew - Fair Director. Previously: Manager and Head of Exhibitions for Contrasts Gallery, Shanghai; London-based Modern and Contemporary Art Specialist with Bonhams Auctioneers
• Stephanie Dieckvoss - Fair Director (Europe). Previously Fair Manager Frieze Art Fair, with over 10 years experience in the contemporary art world. Worked for galleries internationally including Galerie Karsten Greve Cologne, Paris, St Moritz, and Gagosian Gallery New York.
• Dr Charles Merewether - Chairman of the Advisory Group, has just been appointed Deputy Director, Cultural District for the Tourist Development and Investment Company, Abu Dhabi. An art historian, writer and curator, Charles was previously Consultant for the Emirates Foundation in the UAE and Artistic Director and Curator of the 2006 Sydney Biennale. He is currently writing a book on the cultural history of looting, and another on Postwar photography in Japan and preparing an exhibition on Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.
The Advisory Group includes: Mary Dinaburg (Founder and Director Dinaburg Arts LLC, Co-founder Fortune Cookie Projects), Philip Dodd (ex Director of Institute of Contemporary Art, London and currently Creative Director of the China Now Festival, UK 2008), Elaine W. Ng (Editor of Art Asia Pacific), Howard Rutkowski (Co-founder Fortune Cookie Projects) and Will Ramsay (CEO of Pulse Contemporary Art Fairs), Jean-Marc Decrop (Collector of Contemporary Chinese Art).
Fair Partners include:
• Asia Art Archive
• ArtAsiaPacific
• Turon Travel
• Quintessentially
• Hong Kong Tatler
• ART Map and AM Post

(information provided by the pr company)

"40+4, Art is not enough! Not enough!"

China!China!China!!!
Chinese contemporary art beyond the global market.
21.03.08- 04.05.08
Opening: March 20th 2008

Daily: 10,00 - 20,00
Thursday: 10.00 - 23.00
Closed Monday

INFO
Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi
www.palazzostrozzi.org

Artists: Cao Fei, Chu Yun, Duan Jianyu, Huang Kui, Kan Xuan, Lothar Spree, Lu Chunsheng, Pak Sheung-Chuen, Ren, Quinga, Shen Shaomin, TsengYu-Chin, Wang Yu Yang, Wu Ershan, Xu Tan, Yang Fudong, Yang jiang group, Zhao Liang

Curated by: Zhang Wei (Guangzhou), Li Zhenhua (Beijing) e Davide Quadrio (Shanghai)

This is a crucial moment in China’s search for cultural identity as it strives to reconcile the weight of tradition, a troubled recent socio -political history and the rapid entry into the western-style global economy. The most visionary contemporary art in China attempts to shape the future in the light of the past... In a very short space of time China is experiencing a process that in Western culture evolved slowly over centuries. But just as the Florentine Renaissance of the fifteenth century led to the emergence of the city by its use of culture as a vital channel of communication modern China is investing extensively in the development of a cultural infrastructure and in its promotion abroad.

The exhibition presents a lively interchange between the curators’ three sections, representing three distinct but complementary attitudes and perceptions.

Zhang Wei, the curator from Guangzhou, in “Throwing Dice”, brings together artists of different backgrounds, training and modes of expression. Zhang Wei presents individual visions of human existence in a fragmented and constantly changing world. The videos of Kan Xuan, Pak Sheung Chuen and Yang Fudong (acclaimed in the most recent Venice Biennale), digital animations by Cao Fei (also present at the Biennale), technological installations by Chu Yun, and paintings by Duan Jianyu offer individual stories that engage the spectator in the exploration of a shared existential landscape and in the constant tension between the world of dreams and of reality.

The installation in the section by Davide Quadrio, a curator in Shanghai for the last 15 years, “Art is not enough, not enough!,” is produced by the CCCS where it will be given its world premiere. The multimedia installation draws on interviews made by the curator with forty artists in Shanghai, who consider questions about the role of the artist, their relationship with the external world, the social consequences of their work and the international market’s effect on traditional modes of artistic production.. This presentation offers a dynamic anthropological insight into the urban panorama of modern Shanghai. (see below for details)

Questions of geo-political identity and cultural relativism are the focus of “Multi-Archeology”, the section curated by Li Zhenhua. Installations by the Mongolian artists Wu Ershan and Ren Qinga, highlight the often conflictual relations between the different cultural groups in China today and pose questions about the undermining of the individual in the face of social upheaval.
Both installations, created especially for the exhibition in Florence, take as their theme the human condition in the face of an uncertain future.
The art video by Zhao Liang and Shen Shaomin documents the situation on the Chinese border with North Korea and Russia. An analysis of the consequences of the Mongolian invasion by Genghis Khan on Asiatic culture is compared to the impact of modern globalisation, in the constant cultural interchange between East and West.


"40+4, Art is not enough! Not enough!"

Concept by Davide Quadrio and Lothar Spree

Interviews by Davide Quadrio and Xu Jie

Questions by: Lothar Spree, Davide Quadrio, Zhu Xiaowen, Huang Kui, Li Xuehui, Zhang Enli, Xu Jie.

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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