During the past two weeks of our residency our group has discovered many new insights into the art and culture of China. Focusing on two villages, our group (Nan, Jeanette, and Megan) have focused on two cultural elements that we would like to share with Vine Online. The first is our exploration into red tourism in JianGou where we visited a former communist communication station that is now a museum. We also had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Zhao, who grew up in the village and gave us insight into the importance of this site for the communist party.
The radio used at the communication station
Our team at work
While visiting Song Zhaung, we profiled the artist Zhang Jianhua, a sculptor who works in the village. He is currently working on his fourth series “City Monument” when we interviewed him at his studio which creates a landscape of human and architectural features that comments on modernization, wealth, and belief systems. What is striking about his work is the level of research he puts into each of he sculpture series, an idea we hope to covey further in our Vine Online post.
Mr. Zhang's Unfinished 4th Series – City Monument (Ai Weiwei)
Preview of Mr. Zhang's 2nd Series – The Coal Miners
Check Vine Online soon for more information on these topics and more.