Posts tagged UCCA
For the World Cup, Puma’s Combination of Sports, Art, Public Relations, and China
Jun 11th
Back in February, I saw an exhibition at one of my favorite art organizations ever, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), that was not only aesthetically enjoyable but combined all three topics of this blog — art, public relations, and China — along with the additional theme of soccer (football). In connection with South Africa’s hosting the FIFA World Cup, PUMA commissioned artist Kehinde Wiley to paint portraits of soccer stars from throughout Africa. PUMA then made a short, promotional documentary about the paintings as well as soccer in Africa and heavily publicized the whole project both online and through an exhibition that traveled the world. Apparently PUMA also uses Kehinde Wiley’s art in their product design.
View more paintings and the video at the http://africa.puma.com section on Kehinde Wiley here.
This seems like a sponsorship partnership made in heaven for Wiley, UCCA, PUMA, and possibly also the players who are the painting subjects. Wiley got his work not only commissioned but heavily publicized and exhibited worldwide. Players got to be the subjects of paintings and a documentary viewed by people all over the world. UCCA got a free or cheaper-than-usual already curated exhibition, and PUMA gets to look like they care about art and Africa to visitors of high profile art institutions.
What made this project stand out to me when I was viewing it is that it seems like worldwide, especially in China, most people who love art are not so into sports and vice versa. This could be because both activities are pretty time intensive, either as a participant or follower. I think it’s smart of PUMA as a sports brand to reach out to art lovers. It may not be the first time a sports brand has done so, but it’s the first time I’ve personally witnessed it.
Not Your Average Fashion Show
Dec 16th
This past Sunday, I finally made it to the exhibition “Christian Dior and Chinese Artists” at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing’s 798. I had heard it was great but was skeptical. Was this exhibition going to be one big, classless advertisement for Dior? Fashion has an obvious connection to art made public by many museums, so how was this unique?
My answer: The exhibition is about the two-way relationship of Dior to Chinese culture and art. Chinese art, architecture and culture has influenced the brand since the 1940s. Additionally, several famous artists have used Dior as inspiration or subject matter; the exhibition includes two portraits painted from ash of Christian Dior as well as a sculpture inspired by a Dior dress displayed next to it.
The exhibition’s currating and therefore layout are brilliant. The exhibition’s base design is rooms and hallways of mirror walls with woodenand mirror floors, bamboo and grass. You cannot walk all the way around most of the dresses; instead the mirrors force you to see different views of the same dress several minutes apart from one another.
A couple direct quotes from my colleagues about this exhibition:
“People from all over the world are going to queue [line up] to see it.” – My supervisor Hortense Halle
“It’s the best exhibition I’ve ever seen in my life.” – My coworker Francois
What Fuels My Passion – My First Visit to UCCA (Finally)
Sep 2nd
Every once in a while I have an experience that reminds me why I want to work for arts clients. My visit to the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) on an unusual Friday off was one of them. Most of the works in the current exhibition made me smile, some made me nearly cry, and even fewer made me grimace. Overall, this art center is a reminder of the positive effects of globalization and art’s vital role in society.
UCCA is considered China’s first nonprofit art organization. Its founders and some of its upper management are foreign, but almost all the art is Chinese, and all of it is contemporary. It’s the only organization in Beijing’s 798 Art Zone to charge admission, but every Thursday is free, and I went during the end of a period about two weeks long of free admission every day in celebration of the Olympics. The bulk of the current work comes from the personal collection of Guy and Myriam Ullens, the center’s founders. Most of its art is from really famous artists, so it inspires to me to see this work available for viewing and experiencing in such a publicly accessible way.
I almost had a heart attack when I discovered “Bloodline Series – Family Portrait 1” by Zhang Xiaogang tucked away in the main exhibition room’s corner. This series will probably be as famous as Andy Warhol’s portraits someday, if it isn’t already. Unlike most of the other fragile work by famous artists at UCCA, it was hung at eye level, making it vulnerable to vandalism, both unintentional and intentional.
I maintain that because Chinese people like to touch visual art much more than I’m used to, good artists who create art for Chinese visitors make it interactive. To enter the exhibition, visitors go through “Space Time Tunnel” by Wang Du, the same artist who created “International Kebab,” my favorite exhibition I’ve seen in 798. Its entrance contains a claustrophobia disclaimer with directions to an alternate entrance. One of my favorite Chinese artists, Cao Fei, made a Second Life world called “RMB City” that is a futuristic combination of famous buildings in all Chinese cities that visitors can explore on a computer.
UCCA may also be one of the best places in Beijing for tourists to shop. I wish I could buy all my postcards there, but alas, they are quite pricey: 10元 (currently about $1.50) each. I may reserve UCCA postcards for family members.
Have you ever had an experience with art that inspired you personally or professionally? Please tell!
Chinese Art Organization’s Press Release
Jul 6th
I’ve become someone fascinated with Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, located about a five-minute walk from my work and known as the first non-profit art organization in China. Here’s a copy of its press release on changing chief curators, followed by the English version from Google Translate. The translation’s definitely not perfect, but you get the idea.
新闻稿敬请发布20080513
尤伦斯当代艺术中心首席策展人、副馆长秦思源将离职并开展他的独立策展人生涯，郭晓彦继任为中心的首席策展人
尤伦斯当代艺术中心馆长杰罗姆·桑斯宣布原UCCA副馆长兼首席策展人秦思源将离开艺术中心。从开馆至今，秦思源为这一座非营利机构提供了关键性的贡献以及努力，并且建设了完备且具高度专业的艺术团队，为艺术中心在中国的发展成功地规划了一系列的展览、艺术教育课程，以及相关的推广工作。
关于离开尤伦斯当代艺术中心的决定，秦思源表示是源于他自我个人职业规划的考虑。秦思源表示：“我希望下一步能以一个独立策展人以及艺术家的身份，与其他艺术家与艺术机构更紧密地合作……，我在UCCA的工作经验，对我是弥足珍贵的。”
新任首席策展人郭晓彦，早在尤伦斯当代艺术中心开幕之前（2007年9月），便以策展人的身份加入其中。她将为艺术中心发展成为中国当代创作发声场，发挥重要的作用。郭晓彦曾参与中国首家民间美术馆“上河美术馆”（成都）的组建和管理工作。2002年任广东美术馆“广州三年展”办公室副主任，策划人，策划、组织很多重要当代艺术展览和活动，2005年11月任第二届“广州三年展”策划人之一。2004年，郭晓彦作为助理策展人在法国里昂当代艺术馆策划 “中国年”展览。
杰罗姆·桑斯表示，尤伦斯当代艺术中心感激秦思源的卓越贡献。在他所完成工作的基础上，郭晓彦将继续大力发展艺术中心的各项艺术项目，深入进行与国际艺术领域的对话。
作为一个国际化的平台，尤伦斯当代艺术中心展示来自中国当代艺术最新创作的初衷将一直延续。在未来数月，中心的艺术计划将增加一系列与中国艺术家合作的全新项目。
尤伦斯当代艺术中心是一座非盈利的综合艺术中心，由收藏家尤伦斯夫妇出资建造，2007年11月正式开幕。艺术中心推出包括知名和年轻艺术家的展览，致力于打造一个通过教育、研究项目分享当代艺术体验的平台。
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Please press release issued 20080513
You Lunsi Chief Curator of Contemporary Art Center, Qin, deputy director of the source will carry out his resignation and an independent curator career, Guo Xiaoyan successor as the center’s chief curator
You Lunsi Contemporary Art Center curator of the UCCA杰罗姆桑斯announced that Deputy Director and Chief Curator Qin source will leave the Arts Centre. From the opening date, Qin source for a non-profit organizations that provide a crucial contribution and efforts, and building a comprehensive Juju highly professional team of art for art center in China’s development and success of planning a series of exhibitions, Arts education courses, and the related promotional efforts.
You Lunsi left on Contemporary Arts Centre’s decision, Qin said the source of self-originated from his personal career planning considerations. Qin source said: “I hope that the next step can be an independent curator and artist’s identity, with other artists and art institutions work more closely……, I UCCA of work experience, I was invaluable.”
The newly appointed Chief Curator Guo Xiaoyan, as early as You Lunsi before the opening of Contemporary Art Centre (September 2007), then to join the identity of the curator. She Arts Centre will develop into China’s contemporary creative voice market, an important role to play. Guo Xiaoyan have been involved in China’s first folk art museums “on the River Art Gallery” (Chengdu) the establishment and management. In 2002 the Guangdong Museum of Art, “the Guangzhou Triennial” deputy director of the office, planning, planning, organizing many important contemporary art exhibitions and activities, in November 2005 of the second session, “the Guangzhou Triennial” planning one. In 2004, Guo Xiaoyan as Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art in Lyon, France planning “China Year” exhibition.
杰罗姆桑斯 said, You Lunsi Contemporary Arts Centre grateful Qin’s outstanding contribution to the source. In his work done on the basis of Guo Xiaoyan will continue to vigorously develop the arts centre of the arts projects, in-depth and international artistic dialogue.
As an international platform You Lunsi Contemporary Art Center display contemporary art from China as the creative mind would have been extended. In the next few months, the center of a series of art projects will increase cooperation with the Chinese artists of the new project.
You Lunsi Contemporary Art Center is a non-profit integrated arts centre, funded by collectors You Lunsi couples construction, in November 2007 was officially opened. Arts Centre launched, including well-known young artists and the exhibitions, to create a through education, research projects to share the experience of contemporary art platform.
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