ARTISTS TALKING

# 13 [22 February 2010]

Time is slipping away 

So I am now back at the studios and have had a clear out in the space to focus on the objects and the final performance for the end of my residency. I am torn between two spaces the studio and the landing area, the studio is more appealing as it is cleaner and less cluttered although the landing area is more of a risk and I will need more support to install the work. The landing area is a larger space with a higher ceiling which would give the ladder more breathing room but I am not sure how or were to project the video. I feel I want to show both the video and do the performance in the same space and not split the work into different areas. I really need to find more bunting, I know I could try and make it myself but I like to use found objects in my work as this ties in with the place that they are from. When I was waiting for my connecting flight at Hong Kong airport I filmed a plane being prepared it was fascinating to me see how much work goes into this process. I was having a coffee and the window overlooked the area were the plane was and I filmed it by resting my camera on my laptop bag as I didn't have a tripod. As it was being filmed through the glass there is a slight reflection and I have speeded the film up to emphasize the carefully orchestrated performance. The sound on the film is not so good but I may take the sound off and keep it purely visual.

I have found here in Chongqing and on my visits to different places the way people stack, order and display their goods really interesting. When we visited the old town in Chengdu up in the mountains I photographed a gap in-between two buildings were someone had stacked a variety of objects in a particular way. When I took this photograph people wanted to see what I was photographing and I think people thought it was unusual for someone to take a picture of such a thing. Over the New Year period we visited Ren Qian's family and on the ground floor of the property they let the space out to an artist who is a sculptor. I found the way the objects were naturally placed in the space like an art installation and I could imagine seeing this in a gallery. This has got me thinking about context and how we read work as art if it is placed in a gallery or part of an exhibition or event. I showed a young girl Din Din Cat she was 18 and another local artist my work on my website and they found it confusing and difficult to understand it as art. Referring to context beyond the site and placement of art it just revealed to me how, education, travel, social and political influences in our everyday lives effect how we see art.

# 12 [19 February 2010]

Happy New Year 

As it has been Chinese New Year I have been away for the past five days visiting Yan Yans family and friends whom have been very hospitable. It has been strange though arriving and working for a week and then being away, although what a wonderful experience to be in China at this time of the year. I have eaten some amazing food, the chicken is very good here and I have tried new foods such as pig’s lip and ear, which is like chewy bacon. In most of the restaurants we have visited in the different places we have been there is usually a big pot simmering away in the middle of the table with lots of stock and spices with a choice of meat and fish. After we have eaten the meat you then add vegetables and along the way drink the soup, which is really tasty. My favourite drink here has been a nutty milk, sometimes peanut last night it was walnut and is normally warmed up and is sweet if a hotpot is too spicy the milk can calm the chilli down in your mouth. In Long Quan Yi I stayed at Yan Yans sisters flat which was really nice and funny as we both couldn't speak each other’s languages so there was a lot of body language and laughter. With not being able to speak Mandarin when we have visited different people sometimes I have felt a bit like a tourist attraction, which can be looked at and not spoken too. At the dinner table if there are more than 4 people I loose track of what is being said and on occasion have felt like I am not there. However all this aside everyone has made me feel very welcome and I wouldn't have changed a thing about my experiences so far.

When we were away I did get to meet and interview Zhou Bin a Live Artist who lives in Chengdu. We visited his studio and when we arrived he set off a belt of firecrackers, which were so loud. We then had tea, which his wife made, and I was fascinated with the process of how she was making it, I can really appreciate the process as art. Yan Yan helped translate for me and I interviewed Zhou about his time in Manchester for the Vital event in 2007 and I got a chance to talk to him about my work. We could see similarities and distinct differences in our work for example durational performance is very popular in Chinese Live Art and using irony and humour are more English traits.

We go back to Chongqing today and I am looking forward to picking up my sound blocking headphones and planning ahead for this performance. During my stay here the Shanghai Expo is being heavily advertised with the strap line, ‘Better Life, Better People’ this also reminds me of the Beijing Olympics slogan ‘One World, One Dream, I find these messages very 'utopian'. Expo has a green theme which I find very contradictory for example what about the pollution which will be created by the traveling participants and visitors, and then what will happen to the site when Expo is finished? I am thinking about incorporating some of these cheesy strap lines into my performance, I could use them in a banner of some sort, maybe on some ribbon. I have found China to be very Chinese lots of places I have been to are very westernized, although China retains a strong identity. There can be no ‘One World, One Dream’ as we are so different which is a good thing, who wants to live in a world of sameness? It would be a pretty boring place.

# 11 [11 February 2010]

Meeting New Artists

I have been introduced to some really interesting artists some have studios at 501 or in the local area others are here just for the New Year holidays. I met Zhou Yumei an installation and performance artist who has a studio in Beijing and we talked to each other about our work (Http://blog.sina.com.cn/zhouyumei). Although there is the obvious language difference the Internet helps to look at images of work and we could understand basic art terms. Mao Yan yang has a studio here at 501 and he paints, Mao has done the residency at the Chinese Arts Centre in Manchester, which I had seen so this gave me some reference to his work (www.maoyanyang.com). He kindly documented my performance and has told me about his experience about temporarily living in Manchester; I hope to interview him after the New Year. I was lucky to meet the artist Ren Qian his practice involves video, photography and performance, when he showed me his work I recognised his ‘Water’ works were he collected bottles of water from different rivers over a period of 10 years. We went to his studio and Chloe and myself interviewed him about his experience of working in London. I was overwhelmed by Ren’s work especially making it over a ten-year period. This has got me thinking about my work and how my pieces are very short and temporary, it seems that durational performance work in China is popular.

All the artists I have met have been very friendly and are eager to hear about my work. I can feel quite shy talking about my work, as I like to just show it rather than talk about it. Yan Yan is eager for me to do an artist talk at the studios which I would like to do but I am worried how much will get lost in translation. Were do I start with my talk? Recently I have turned artist talks into performances, however I feel on this occasion this is not appropriate. Interviewing and talking to the artists here will help me structure my presentation and I will discuss this further with Yan Yan. I feel a little nervous as I am still very much an early career artist and my work has significantly changed since 2007 with more of a focus on performance. The event I plan to have at 501 will be a new experience for me as I have either collaborated with other people or have been part of a group event. I would prefer to do a talk about what I have done rather than discuss my old work, as this will be easier to translate in real time, although Yan Yan thinks I should do the talk at a different time. I’m not so sure I think combining the two would be better and the audience will get more of an understanding about the work.

I have been giving serious thought as to where I will show my work, as I don't feel that the studio is the right space for me. I really like the entrance to the 501 studios and the landing area on the first floor, which my studio is next to. I am drawn to these spaces as they are in-between and dark which is ideal for using lights and my disco ball. A young boy called Dou Dou has been practising playing the piano in the studio and I would like to do a performance with him for my final showing. He plays very well, although I found it more interesting when he tried to remember different melodies, creating a broken soundtrack. Since I have been here, listening to my music has been a great comfort and a motivator to work in the studio and I would like to combine Dou’s piano playing with my own recital of broken western pop songs. My aim is to create an ‘International Performance’, which continues my enquiry into the meaning of the word ‘International’. I have also been developing the Chinese medicine illustration into a moving slideshow with the image sliding across and off the edge of the screen. 

# 10 [8 February 2010]

International Cleaner

The main street, which the studios are on, is so busy with so much activity happening will anyone notice if I did a performance? Does it matter if there is an audience? There is always a market on along the main street, people eat overlooking or sitting on the pavements, I even saw two people playing badminton outside a shop. In England I feel street life is very controlled and sanitized with activity restricted to inside shops, shopping centres, and organised events. I know people say that this is because of our weather however it is cold in Chongqing but this doesn't stop the hustle and bustle of the streets. Along the road there are lots of benches, which are always being used, I really like the design of them as the seating is close to the ground. This has sparked off an idea to do a performance using the benches, I like the idea of cleaning them.

Last night we went into the centre of town and we did some shopping in a large store, where I bought some props. I bought some cleaning products, plastic stool and plastic sleeves. In the studio today I have been experimenting with laying out the cleaning products and I just couldn't help but put on my fancy dress flight hat. I am going to call myself ‘International Cleaner’ and clean the benches, Chloe will video it for me. I would like to video inside the International Festival of Art and get a tour of the exhibition with someone translating for me. The advertising signs for the Festival are basic with white Chinese symbol on a red background. I would like to make flyers that are designed in the same style as the Festival advertising with the symbol for power and hand these out in the street to passers by.

I performed my first intervention ‘International Cleaner’ on the street and I was a little nervous as I just kept thinking no one would notice what I was doing. I was wrong my cleaning ritual drew the public in and people stayed to the end of the performance. The piece lasted about 20 minutes and viewers commented ‘is this art?’ which for me is the biggest compliment. My intention with the ‘International Cleaner’ sign was to subtly critique the opening of the ‘International Art Festival’ and question the meaning of the word ‘International’. There is something ridiculous about using the words ‘cleaner’ & ‘International’ together as we only usually associate this term with high culture, business and travel. This performance exposes how the word is selectively used to promote/advertise products. As a foreign artist I felt that the act of cleaning the benches was also a personal offering to the public.

# 9 [5 February 2010]

New Arrival

So many hours later I arrive in Chongqing and am met at the airport by Yan Yan and Chloe. We drove through lots of traffic, as it was the rush hour, the yellow taxis drive like England cab drivers, aggressively. I dumped my stuff off at the flat and then we went for dinner. We had a big hot pot of spicy prawns, tofu and vegetables, which was delicious although I found it difficult to get the prawns head and legs off with my chopsticks. It took me a while to get off to sleep, as I was cold but slept in til 11am. Went to the studio for the first time today and took along the few things I had bought with me, it was nice to lay my things out and start getting a feel for the space. 

Speaking to Yan Yan it seems with the Chinese New Year celebrations the gallery will be used for a planned event so it is likely now that I will be showing my work in the studio or in another space of my choosing. This has taken a little bit of the pressure off and has got me thinking about starting some smaller projects which I can complete back in the UK. For example I would like to interview some of the artists who have already done international residencies to hear about their experiences. The audio files could be linked to a website or simply put onto a CD, sharing information in this way is important to me and I do see it as an artwork. We went for lunch and I had some dry spicy noodles, I really need to learn some more basic Mandarin, as I don't feel confident ordering food. 

I am not being stared at as much as I thought, however when I speak I am aware that people take more notice of me. I feel that I would still like to do a performance in the street or on public transport using my voice as this draws people’s attention. At lunch today Yan Yan pointed out a sign, which is advertising a government organised International Festival of Art, which only has Chinese artists in. The word ‘International’ is used in the UK for artists who are not from the country giving the impression that the work is somehow better or more insightful than a local/regional artist work. However the Chinese version is the opposite of this, which is saying that Chinese artists are International.            

# 8 [29 January 2010]

3 days to go before I depart

I am half way through my packing and keep looking at all the other stuff that still needs to go into my suitcase. Today I am hoping to borrow an Edi role, which is a really high quality digital sound recorder, which I am looking forward to experimenting with in China. Yesterday I bought a disco ball just a small one; I like the idea of using the disco ball to change the look and feel of an environment simply with light, mirrors and movement. I have been learning a little Mandarin by listening to CD’s, which I have really enjoyed which is unusual for me as I find learning languages difficult. However Mandarin is a fascinating sounding language and I feel like I am learning sounds like music rather than words which for me makes it unique.

I play the CD with the speaker behind my chair, close my eyes and relax into imitating the sounds as it travels through my body. This has got me thinking about how we learn and how by making the process more physical can help people engage with it on a deeper level and hopefully retain information for longer. I have just had a look at this website (http://www.learning-styles-online.com/style/physical-bodily-kinesthetic//) I am a physical learner which explains why I don't like sitting and listening to lectures and talks for long periods of time. I remember a programme on TV, which was a documentary about how a teacher taught a struggling group of kids English by exiting the classroom and working with the children in a park. Both the teacher and the children used more physical movements and gestures in the teacher/learning experience.

To improve my Mandarin I will be going to Mandarin Corner at the Chinese Arts Centre, which starts at 1.30pm this Saturday. This will be an opportunity to speak to people and test out what I have already learnt (http://www.chinese-arts-centre.org/). I hope to continue publishing my blog whilst I am in China twice a week. If I am struggling with Internet access I may have to combine my posts into one long entry.  

# 7 [26 January 2010]

Round table discussion at the Chinese Arts Centre

I attended the round table discussion at the Chinese Arts Centre, which involved some of the current exhibiting artists in the Negotiable Values exhibition Rachel Goodyear and one half of Conroy/Sanderson, Yan Yan the Director of the 501 Artspace and Ying Kwok curator of the Chinese Arts Centre (www.chinese-arts-centre.org) were also present. The starting point for the show was for the artists ‘”to create works in response to the idea of ethics and moral choices.” Yan Yan goes onto say that “the exhibition brings together artists’ works which explore the notion of advancement and raises the question about the price of progress.” I don’t want to give too much away about the exhibition as you should really try and see it however the inclusion of Rachel’s work really added something else to her pieces and the exhibition, how power struggles are not only a local concern but an international issue. This show emphasizes the importance of context and how this can add to the reading of an artwork. For example the background information behind the show, how the work is hung and the place were it is shown.

I got to meet some of the other artists who are due to go to Chongqing and Phil Davenport who has just recently come back. He had an exhibition of his work in a local teahouse, which I was really pleased to hear that someone was showing work outside of the gallery (http://tony-trehy.blogspot.com/2009/12/speak-is-co...). We went for a coffee, as I was eager to ask lots of questions about his experience. I had underestimated how important it is to have these conversations as it really helped me feel less anxious about going. To be able to let someone know how I was feeling and be told that this is natural was what I needed to hear from someone who has been through the same experience. I asked Phil about simple things such as money to take, how he travelled around he even drew me a small map. It was a chance to ask him about how he felt when he first got there and the development of his work during the residency.

Only one week to go before I depart. I am starting to gather my things together and still adding to the never-ending list of stuff to take. 

# 6 [22 January 2010]

Taking a risk

I have been thinking a lot recently about what risks I am prepared to take in my intervention work in a different country and what the consequences of my actions may be. In the UK I do sense a little danger when I do things in public or in a professional situation were there are a certain set of assumptions and rules placed on how we should behave. I can see the potential of having a studio of my own in China to make work in and having a private, controlled space to invite audiences into. Now I know I am going to contradict myself here but for me there is something about that unpredictability of the outdoors, the risk of mis-behaving in a professional situation that makes me feel alive and an intense temporary connection with people.

In December I was invited to give a performance lecture at the Chinese Arts Centre to an invited audience who were participating in a short course run by Kai-Oi Jay Yung, Cornerhouse: The Art of Social Engagement. Ying Mei Duan the resident artist had been collaborating with different people and artists whom performed individual pieces in different parts of the gallery space (http://www.yingmei-art.com/en/). I was in the basement and set the space up like an official artist talk, although I turned the expectations onto the audience by making them carry out a series of actions exercising my temporary control over them. I ended the talk by playing an intro to a song, speaking over the top of it about the choice we all have, whether to stay or to leave, then I just walk out of the room, leaving the audience wondering if I will come back.

I went to the Negotiable Values exhibition last night at the Chinese Arts Centre (http://www.chinese-arts-centre.org/). Jamie Lau is showing work as part of his Whisper residency and I was really impressed with the amount of work he had made in just 2 weeks. This has got me starting to feel a little nervous about filling a gallery space, as I am not an object-based artist. There is an opportunity today to talk about the residency with Yan Yan the director of 501 Artspace as he has co-curated the Negotiable Values show. There will be a round table discussion about the current exhibition and a chance to talk about Chongqing. 

# 5 [19 January 2010]

A space for exchange

I want to set-up a show and tell style workshop at the 501 studio space as a way of sharing work and ideas. Newworknetwork recently held a workshop at the Wunderbar Festival in Newcastle called Tit 4 Tat, This 4 That, which looked fun and informal. Looking at the video clips from the day people were sharing all kinds of skills such as drumming, using the voice, making paper cranes to more unusual skills like how to balance an umbrella on one foot. One artist said that attending the workshop was “an opportunity to learn new skills from other artists.” Video clips from the Tit 4 Tat workshop can be seen on the Wunderbar website. (www.wunderbarfestival.co.uk/media?video_id=7758982).

Following on from Clare’s comments noted in my previous post she raised concerns about engaging with people in a foreign country which has got me thinking about socially engaged practice and what this actually means. In some ways my practice could be labelled as this, although I do shy away from this term as I feel it gives the impression that I want to solve peoples problems with an art project, which I don't. Of course there are different levels of engagement and as my work develops I am starting to see two sides to my practice. On one hand I work with groups of people either initiating projects or developing pieces with my peers. On the other I like to question the rules of engagement with a more antagonistic approach towards the audience in my solo work.

Both sides seem opposed, although for me I need them both to understand what one is and what the other is not. Engaging with another person could be as subtle as a glance across a room, or a full on parade through the streets with floats and bunting. I do find it challenging putting my practice into words and I am finding writing this blog a good short format to structure my thought process. I found this page on the Live Art Development Agency website called, Can we talk about practice? By Barby Asante which I found a useful read (www.thisisliveart.co.uk/projects/small_talk/small_...). 

# 4 [15 January 2010]

The Study Room

I managed to get my train down to London with no cancellations or delays, which I was pleased about. I used the study room at the Live Art Development Agency to research video documentation of artists who have made live art/performance work in China (www.thisisliveart.co.uk). In the study room there are a series of study guides to help users find relevant references. I used ‘A small map piece of performance art in China’ by Adele Tan, 2008 which was really helpful as it listed lots of video documentation. I know that documentation can never replace seeing the real thing/performance/event however I do believe that work can have a second life in other forms and is a good resource to have to reflect upon as a way of learning.

Even though I mostly looked at video documentation the work which is burnt into my memory is an image of MA Yanling holding a gun to her head in a public space, no one is looking at her, they just look at the camera taking a snapshot. This work was made for an exhibition called Internal Injuries 2 at the Morella gallery in Beijing, 06. Liang Tao, Madhouse in Paradise was a performance where she lived in the gallery, which was set-up like a cell and she was dressed in an institutional uniform. This personal display and blurring of public and private behaviour is something I am interested in developing in my work.

I watched the video documentation of a performance called Speech a collaboration between Clare Charnley & Shu Yang for the Dashanzui International Art Festival in Beijing, 2005 (www.clarecharnley.com). Clare appears to be in a courtyard, she takes to the stage and speaks into a mic as if she knows fluent Mandarin, however she is wired up to Shu Yang who is watching her on a live feed and relaying the story to her. I did not know what she was saying as there were no subtitles which I liked although on Clares website you can see a video clip with translation on. I think she is reading a news story about a pregnant woman who was beaten by her husband, which seems to have happened in the local area. 

Clare performed Speech during 2002 – 2007 in collaboration with various artists in many different countries. She comments in her statement about the background questions to the project, “How can the foreign artist make work for a context they have a superficial understanding of? Can an audience in the host country engage with the incoming artist without viewing him/her as exotic, patronizing, didactic or irrelevant?”

As I left the Study room all I kept thinking about was, what can I offer? So I left a slightly bruised banana at a crossing in Old Street.