Internet Access in China - the Great Fire Wall

Apologies to all followers. Even though I now host this blog on a domain name because blogger was/is blocked. Contemporary Art Shanghai is inaccessible in China unless you have a proxy or personal VPN, which a lot of people don't.  It is very strange to write a blog to an audience that is on the other side of the Fire Wall, not the local art community. At the moment, I have access to blogger because I have a personal VPN but for the last few days even with this I can't access facebook or twitter. With a personal VPN or a proxy web surfing is super slow, basically accessing any sights that are outside of China have been 'made' very slow, similar speed to when the big internet cable near Taiwan that goes to the States got damaged. Sadly this censorship is not just about control of who says what, but about money, about which companies have access to the Chinese market, e.g. Chinese companies with state connections.

Frustrating!

Gladly, the internet is the only place where I experience any control over what I do or say really. Though exhibitions can be sensored - I don't know of any shows in particular but there is a feeling or sense that if you exhibit anything really outrageous overtly it will get closed down. I suppose most people just perpetually self sensor. It is not so much that they are just aware of the controling power but people here are nationalistic and, often rightly proud of their country.

art tactic on signs of recover of chinese art market

Art Tactic state the following their website

"The Chinese art market could be first out of the downturn: It looks like the Chinese art market could be about to regain some of the lost confidence too. After a dismal auction season in Hong Kong in November 2008, there were clear signs of recovery in the recent round of Chinese auctions in Hong Kong in May 2009." Art tactic

Though, the art market is something I worry about interesting though.

Arthub talk - China and India in Context and Comparison

I like arthub they do interesting things. Talk comparing Indian and Chinese art.
Friday, July 16, 7 pm (though my calender says that friday is the 17th so will amend once I know the correct date.
held at Museum of Contemporary Art, Shanghai

20th June at 50Moganshan

Galleria Dell'Arco

Stageback Shanghai - 5 germans

5 Shanghai Germans

Opening reception May 16th 2009
18h-22h

stage候台BACK Shanghai is delighted to present ‘Five Shanghai Germans’, a group show of recent works by Alexander Brandt, Roland Geissel, Susanne Junker, Rolf A. Kluenter and Lothar Spree.

stage back facebook page

Room 310, 3F, Building 11, 696 Weihai Lu near Shanxi Lu
Shanghai, China

DINGBATS BRASIL at the Foundry

DINGBATS BRASIL
Brazilian digital pictorial alphabets (1996-2006)

PV 9th may 6pm

the foundry
End of Lane 729, Shanxi Bei Road, x Kang Ding Road 中国上海市静安区陕西北路729弄内到底，近康定路

foundry facebook event page

140平方米画廊 | 140sqm gallery at hongkong international art fair

140平方米画廊 | 140sqm gallery at hong kong international art fair 2009

One of my favourite galleries in shanghai.
140sqm gallery - in a beautiful artedeco building clean layout and good sensitivity to framing and curation. Reminds me of the approach in london.

140sqm gallery
1331 fuxing zhonglu room 26, near fenyang lu
Shanghai, 200031 China
Tue -- Sun 11:00 -- 19:00
+86 21 6431 6216

Hong kong interanational art fair 4-17 May 2009,

Bamboo ArtSPACE inaugural exhibition / 请柬－竹艺术空间开幕展

Bamboo ArtSPACE inaugural exhibition / 请柬－竹艺术空间开幕展

Opening of a new space in Shanghai
20 Moganshan Lu

Utopia
Kwon, ki- soo
May 9th 6-9pm

bamboo artspace

"knitting" @ elisabeth de brabant

talk and "knitting" film at elisabeth de brabant art center
directed by Yin Lichuan
http://www.elisabethdebrabant.com/
Wednesday April 29th
6.30pm - 10.00pm
250rmb per person

299 fuxing xi lu shanghai

MOMMY FOUNDATION in CANART

CANART

Opening Party_ 8:30 pm May 1st

MOMMY FOUNDATION - A FOUNDATION SUPPORTING YOUNG CHINESE ARTISTS AND PROJECTS

CANART Institute of Contemporary Arts
1A of building 4 no. 727 Ding Xi Road, Shanghai

Gallery 55

Gallery 55 Moganshan Lu

55 @ 50 Moganshan Road, Bldg. 4A, Shanghai 200060, China
Tel: (+86 21) 6266 4108
Business hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 13:00-17:00. Closed on Mondays & holidays

Exhibition dates: 25 April - 18 June 2009
Tuopishi - by Li Wenqiang + Zhang Wei (photo + installation + video)

B1 Studio & Art Salon, wei hai lu

Enjoyed B1 studio black and white curated show of ventilation tubes luminous coloured post it note labels and hanging sculptures.

No website for this space - bit designy.

B1 no. 696 weihai lu, shanghai

wei hai gallery White Factory

On the weihai open studio event found another gallery, unfortunately missed the opening but loved the card flier and the fact that their new show is called flaneur, it must be good or at least slightly interesting.

Flaneur
18 april - 18 may
thu - sun 2-6pm

white-factory

Great Gallery!!! Around Space

While going round the Weihai road open studio event I came across a really cool gallery with some interesting curation. They had transformed the box like space with corners and then hung the work responding to the context and not over hung. Like!

around space

108 Building 11, No 696 Weihai road. Shanghai

around space II

map

Mindscape of the 21st Century - Andrew James Art

andrew james gallery

Exhibition of contemporary korean art opens Saturday 25 april

Artists: Kang Eemyun, Kim Hayoung, Kwon Hyuk, Yoo Junghyun
Curator: Heejin No

39 north maoming road, jing'an, Shanghai

map

Floating in Intimacy—Solo Exhibition of Yelan 2009

shun art design

Opening: 2009.4.25 (Sunday) 16：00-18：00

Exhibition Duration: 2009.4.25(Saturday)-2009.6.21(Sunday)

Tuesday - Sunday 10:00-18:00 Closed on Monday

Venue: Shun Art Gallery · Shanghai

RM 103/208, Building 3, No.50 Moganshan Road,Shanghai

Looks like Paintings of water lillies and plants - bit monet like in subject matter

Factory (意工场) 6pm tonight visual art work by chinese students

Factory (意工场) VASI student art show tonight at 6 PM - 200 pieces on display by art students all over China!

factory map

上海市虹口区
沙泾路29号4号楼1楼 （1933创意园区）
200075

1933 Creative Complex
1ST FLR, BUILDING 4, 29 SHAJING ROAD,
HONGKOU DISTRICT,
SHANGHAI, P.R.C.
200075

Bund 18 Private view

Bund 18

Opening reception Tuesday 21st 6pm
21st of April, 2009– 30th of June Bund18 Creative Center Exhibition——Round Ground - Han Soonja’s solo exhibition

Talk on Portraiture in Photography

PORTRAITURE:culture/theory/meaning - a photography seminar - Sunday 12th April, 7-9pm, Garden Books & Cafe, 325 ChangLe Lu. 40RMB incl. drink/snacks

talk flier

Photographer Peter Dixie is giving a talk on Portraiture in photography.

peter dixie on flickr