Beijing Summer Art School

Day 20: The last visit: The Summer Palace

2011-08-16T07:24:00.000-07:00

And we ended the trip with a BANG.
Today we visited the Summer Palace and did the last minute gift shopping.
The Summer Palace had a beautiful ambiance with exquisite views and architecture - although unfortunately it was too big to visit all of it in the time we had. Charlotte x

Calligraphy with water on the pavement outside the summer palace

Elaine, Pauline and Charlotte

Isn't it beautiful!

We have had a great time in Beijing

hose are the same Lotus flowers we ate for diner last night!

Day 19: Peking Duck! with the amazing Sharon and Methmn

2011-08-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

As a celebration meal we went to a Peking Duck restaurant where they first serve the skin, then the meat and then fry the bones...interesting

one duck later

The amazing Sharon, who helped us get to know Beijing as an art students who needs materials and printing yesterday, hope to see you at Chelsea

The magnificent Methmn who we can't wait to welcome to London and show her the ropes like she did for us in Beijing

Day 18: Finally the opening night of our exhibition 'Eleven' !!!

2011-08-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

The exhibition is all ready to open, we have our dresses on and we are to present to CAFA students about our work and and how our ideas developed during our time in Beijing.

Before the exhibition we go for a pre-opening vegetable sandwich to celebrate!


All of us present our work to a an audience : Josceline has made a zine entitled 'BEANS' inspired by the crickets that are kept as children's toys/pets in Beijing

one of Josceline's original drawings

Helen in mid flow, talking about he work made from incense

a close up

some work of Helen's creations

and again

Lou Lou discusses her work entitled

the piece is made entirely from cotton buds or Q-tips and

Elaine discusses her thoughts around the absolute and balance,Elaine has also worked hard to get the image professionally mounted and hung

The exhibition in full swing

Kirsty and her ever changing painting

Kirsty's painting is in the form of a stop frame animation of her adding and taking away

Here's Keri discussing her new Beijing influenced font and the 6 seals/chops she has had carved with the font saying some very English works like Golly and Blimey!

CAFA students discussing Keri's work

Karyna talking about her hand cut paper cubes with the light shining through the plastic to create visible mist

Karyna's work in placed in two location in the gallery

Meghan had created an instillation of her garment inspired by the hutongs with elements of the hutong in the exhibition

here you can see the photo shoot she styled of her garment back in the hutongs where she had taken her inspiration

Paulina presented her process with a series of images, her garment had taken on many different forms during it's creation and this presentation captured this

Charlotte had created her work on the streets of Beijing in the Hutongs and presented this with a montage of images highlighting the cast plaster works with bright colours

One of Karen's photographs of people with their cherished objects

DOING THE SIGNATURE 11 POSE (the whole group)

Post private view party!!!!!

Day 17: Intalling the work in the Gallery

2011-08-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Today is the day where people get into their zone and start to put their work in the space, there is always an element of the unknown at is stage, how will it work in the space?

Helen begins her intricate instillation

Taking shape

thinking about where the posters should go, we have just realised they are sticky back, cool

not quite there yet, we re waiting of Kirsty's digital projector to turn this into a projection room for her work

By the end of the day it is taking shape, private view tomorrow

Lou Lou's piece made it in one piece!

So tonight's diner is cook it yourself! There was no English menu so Helen was invited into the kitchen to choose what to cook. Then the two broths arrive are placed on the stove in the middle and off you go Hot Pot!

We kept losing things and finding things in the broth

very yummy!

Day 16: Getting ready for the exhibition

2011-08-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Today we said goodbye to our studio at BIFT (Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology) cleared up on the 9th floor and loaded up the bus with out work ready to take to 798, quite a big day!!! Here you can see the poster for the show : we are ready:

Keri worked hard to design this poster in consultation with the group. The concept being that there are 11 of us and this is the known symbol for 11 we are all pleased with it and glad Keri is part of the 11, We have printed some A1 posters and A6 flyers

The BIFT building in all it's glory

Meghan packing up

Those IKEA chairs get everywhere

Methmn wondering how we re going to move Lou Lou's work

The Gallery owner and Ella from the UAL offices

Images of the gallery from the outside

and the inside (by the way this is not our work , his is before we have removed it!

Lots of potential


this is the sign for one ceramic street, right around the corner from UCCA (which by the way have amazing toilets)

We have found our favourite local restaurant here are some of our favourite dishes

straw tofu and celery

The number one favourite spinach and peanuts and when we order 3 all the waitresses laugh

Kung Po chicken

Tofu with a dipping sauce

demolishing it

and it's gone

Day 14 Yonghe Temple, a Vegetarian Restaurant and Tea

2011-08-16T07:15:00.000-07:00

Today some of us visited the largest and best-preserved lamasery in Beijing, the colours, the incense, the atmosphere are all very special and make this a busy yet calm space in Beijing consisting of the Hall of Everlasting Blessings, Hall of the Dharma Wheel and the Pavilion of Infinite Happiness. To round the day off we also ate at a vegetarian buffet restaurant with tofu meat in all shapes, colours, flavours and textures, everyone was pleasantly surprised until the meat ball in grass juice appeared!

The entrance gate to the Lama Temple

Inside the temple

some details

three incense are light

Tea is served: A few people went on to enjoy tea

Tucking in at the Buddhist vegetarian restaurant to round the day off

no-one could quite come to terms wit the vegetarian meat ball in grass!

Day 15 The Raising of the flag in Tiananmen Square

2011-08-14T22:03:00.000-07:00

A Couple of us set our alarms for 5.30am and went to Tiananmen Square to watch the rising of the flag

For some silly reason because it was super early in the morning we just thought there wouldn't b tat many people there......silly

It was hazy at this early hour and so many people

the traffic is stopped and in front of the Chairman Mao image and the gates to the Forbidden City everyone is getting ready

Then it begins

and a little more

and there is almost is.....

Day 11: We walked the Great Wall of China!

2011-08-04T23:16:00.013-07:00

We woke up on day eleven knowing we were in for a long day. We started off the morning with a trip to the Great Wall in Badaling. After reaching our goal peaks in the scorching heat, we made a very frightening descend, realizing how high up we really were. We ate a well deserved lunch and headed off to the Ming Tombs, where China's finest Emperor's are laid to rest with their most prized possessions. The tombs wre dark and dreary but a cool break from the rising temperatures outside. Once we saw all we could see there, we moved on to our final destination at the Ming Tombs avenue. Where large stone creatures line the walkway to the tombs, protecting the past Emperors in the afterlife. The day was a great break from the hustle bustle of the busy city, but by the end of the night we were all ready for our beds. -Elaine & Meghan

All of us ready to climb The Great Wall of China.

Todays' goal peak!

Finally made it to the top!

The group who made it to the eighth tower.

Day 9 & 10 Visits to artists' studios and project work.

2011-08-04T23:10:00.001-07:00

Day 9 and 10 were spent further developing our work for the exhibition. To help and inspire us we visited some local designers in their studio to see how they worked.

Mr Xiao Yong was kind enough to show us round his studio and show us his some of his work past and present. Mr Yong was the designer of the Olympic medals for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

After the visit to Mr Yong we popped round the corner to lemonista studios where Mr Feng Yan the CEO of lemonista and tutor at CAFA showed us around.

Mr Yan demonstrated some of the many apps that the company designs, from the beginning conception, to the illustration, animation, programming and product testing, it all happens under one roof.

Then it was back to the studio for some project development.

Paulina's work is coming along nicely.

The exhibition is beginning to take shape.

Elaine

Day 8: Lost in the Forbidden City

2011-08-03T02:39:00.001-07:00

Lying in the heart of the Beijing, the Forbidden City is it's finest monument. The central halls with their wealth of imperial pomp, may be the most magnificent buildings, but only the side rooms, with their display of the more intimate accouterments of court life can bring you back in centuries and make you feel the real energy of the time.

It was forbidden to enter the city without the permission of the emperor. However in the 21st century anyone can enjoy the beauty of the halls.

In order to learn bits of history of the Forbidden City, we got electronic guides. However we all met unaccepted technical problems but luckily we managed to deal with this issues.

Almost every colour and image in the palace is richly symbolic. Yellow was an imperial colour. Purple symbolized joy.

The sign of the emperor was the dragon. You can see it on almost every building. The numbers 9 & 5 can be found all over the complex. 9 represents luck and associates with male energy while 5 - harmony and balance.

The Emperor's gardens; The place that everyone enjoyed. The green trees and nice shaped rocks made a lovely combination.

At the end of our day we met a cool Chinese boy - Sam. He spoke awesome English and was very friendly. We all had a lovely chat with him, and hope to see him in England one day...

Paulina and Karyna xx

We're all dying...

2011-07-31T02:37:00.023-07:00

We started the day unusually early today and while we were walking along the main street we saw the huge crowd of people doing some kind of the morning gymnastics. They were so relaxed and happy that we were actually jealous and thought that we might join them some day.

Some of us went to the the flee market today...

...while the more panicked (!) few decided to have our first studio day... enjoying, (or not so much) one of our hottest days...

Doing like the locals traveling for the first time on public transport...boiling!
...surprisingly, transport to the studio was slightly more complicated- 2 suitcases of bricks/tiles, 2 wholesaler packets of cotton buds, a lap top and polystyrene...where's the taxi?!

...stocked up with materials but we're always on the look out

We arrived at the market at 9ish...early for us but everything was already in action when we got there. Presented with so many interesting things, it was hard deciding which to buy. It was fun trying to haggle down the prices which seemed extortionate- though nothings expensive here anyway!!
Finally down to work...I seem to be obsessed with cleaning...(must admit I got some funny looks at the pharmacy)...while Kirsty is making a mess in her stock motion animation
The mannequin and the model! Both ready for working...

Fanny and Methman keeping the energy up

Karen returns and saves the day!!

Chinglish...but also a room at our studio...obviously a dangerous place, advised not to enter!!

At the market place you can find pretty much anything you can think of. The ghosts of the past are flying in the air and the atmosphere is very mysterious.
Loulou & Karyna xx

Day Five: Rain Rain, Go Away

2011-07-31T01:32:00.011-07:00

Today we awoke to heavy rain fall and severe thunderstorms so we had to slightly adjust our itinerary, putting off the Great Wall for a day with better weather. With the rain making it difficult to gather materials for the exhibition, we stayed in, having group discussions and brainstorms about project plans. Once the weather cleared up we all gathered to pick a restaurant for dinner. The sun began to set and we found ourselves immersed with great food, great people, and great lanterns!
-Meghan Paplauskas

Capital Museum plus other stuff...

2011-07-30T03:09:00.095-07:00

The day started with a visit to the Capital Museum which opened in 2006. The building designed by Jean Marie Duthilleul and Kai Cui was really impressive.

Security was pretty tight! We had to drink our water in front of the guards to prove it was safe.

There was a special exhibition of furniture from the Ming Dynasty. The furniture was mostly made from Huang Hua Li - a type of wood that doesn't attract insects and so keeps well.

Lunch time! Some of us tried Ma la tang. After selecting fresh vegetables, meat and noodles, we watched as the cook prepared the dish by submerging in boiling stock and then adding spice to taste.

Yummy...

Back at the museum, although filled with Chinese objects, it was us that were becoming the star attraction. Here is the famous Charlotte!

Soaking up some of the history.

Kirsty and LouLou checking out the exhibition space in the 798 District. It's a quirky gallery and it's just around the corner from UCCA.


Something I came across whilst on the hunt for materials in a huge commodity market on the outskirts of the city.

Bye for now Paulina and Helen x

Day 4: In the studio

2011-07-28T05:44:00.014-07:00

Now that we have had some time to settle in, we are starting to think about developing our ideas for the exhibition. We started today by discussing the photos we took in the hutongs to give each other an idea of what we are interested in and what has inspired us so far.

Elaine and Paulina talking about their photos. Elaine is interested in the idea of the human hand on the urban environment - she was also one of the only people to use black and white photos so far.

One of our challenges is to find the materials we need - we had a brainstorm to think about what media we would be using, and where we could find it. While some of us will only need to visit wusidaije, where there are lots of art shops, others will need more exotic items. Helen, Louisa and Paulina went to find wholesale markets to search for their materials.

The view from our studio on the 9th floor - the temperature reached 37 degrees at its highest today.

Karyna discussing her ideas with Karen. At the moment she is thinking about layering and cutting away to reveal what is underneath, with a view to potentially designing a wallpaper installation.

Above, some of Karyna's initial ideas and experiments.

After seeing crickets and grasshoppers in tiny cages around central Beijing, I was inspired to create a character design based on the insects. Here is my initial prototype for a paper doll, experimenting with Chinese newspaper for the wings and to act as a balance to allow the doll to stand.

Elaine's first experiment with the idea of balance, using items from around the studio and nearby supermarkets.

And finally - a face from above!

By Josceline

Day 3: Beijing Fine Art Academy

2011-07-27T05:00:00.005-07:00

Today we were fortunate enough to attend a guided tour of the current exhibition of artist Qi Baishi given by the curator Mr. Ma. This was followed by an afternoon of tutoring by a painter from the Academy, Mr Yao. We all got to try our hand at Chinese brush work techniques which was relaxing, but much more complex than Mr Yao made it look!

A reconstruction of Qi Baishi's workspace, complete with some of his actual equipment. He is one of the most famous Chinese artists, known for his radical approach towards the traditional brush painting method. The paintings were about capturing the 'spirit' of nature rather than its literal reperesentation.

Mr Yao demonstrated two styles of calligraphy - Caishu (slow) and Xingshu (fast).

Here is some detail from one of his paintings - "Pure Water and Fishes"

Detail of the ink and water container.

Mr. Yao's homemade wide brush. Brushes are made from a mixture of real animal hair - including wolf, pig and sheep but also can be synthetic.

"Lotus in the Rain"

Mr. Yao shows us how it's done...

...Karen the course leader has her turn.

Here we all our with our finished (!) pieces.

'Chinglish' photo of the day :)

Zai jian! Helen and Keri

Day 2: 798艺术区 Art District

2011-07-26T09:14:00.000-07:00

The 798 District was once an old munitions factory and is now a 'creative district' teaming with art galleries, design studios, fashion studios and boutique shops and cafes.

The work of Tatsuo Miyajima exhibited at UCCA

with Elaine in front to give the scale

faces

You can't see everything in one day at 798, here we are resting in the '798 Space', one of (what we think is) over 100 galleries

love this as a studio!

The Pace Building, with an amazing exhibition of Yue Minjun's work (sorry no photos allowed)

more more more

Club sandwich anyone!

The work of Ma Qiusha at UCCA, these are containers of her grandfathers beard trimming

there's little things like this everywhere

The work of Song Dong exhibited at UCCA

Day one: Hutong Photography Project

2011-07-25T08:01:00.001-07:00

After lunch at BIFT we got back in the minibus (3rd time lucky!) and took a walk around the Hutongs North and South of Gulou East Street

The Hutong 100-to-10 image project: results to be uploaded tomorrow

Helen, Keri, Paulina, Charlotte, Elaine and Karyna & Josceline peeping from behind

We walked for 3 and a half hours meeting people who live in the hutongs, talking to them through our interpreters about their children, their day their vegetables, their dogs and their pet crickets and

Karyna, Methmn, Sharon, Meghan, Helen, Elaine, Keri, Paulina, Josceline and Charlotte

The vegetables were so GREEN!

Helen as on the look out and thought she had found for some interesting materials to work with

Day one: Learning some basics at our studio at BIFT

2011-07-25T07:05:00.001-07:00

Practicing basic Mandarin at BIFT (the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology):
You try to say: Qing wèn zài nǎlǐ Xiè xiè without laughing......
We are now all fluent thanks to our amazing teachers Methmn, Fanny & Sharon

Elaine discussing the history of the Hutongs or is she practicing her Xiè xiè's


Helen says 11!

chopstick happy!

2011-07-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

The first evening of the Summer School we ran along Nan Lou Gu Xiang in the heavy rain to a restaurant with a metal roof.... and tried our chopstick skills. Here's the carnage!

Summer School Welcome Event

2011-07-21T23:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday 24th July 18.00 in the hotel reception