April 2015 Red Gate Residents
Apr 01,2015
Chan Wei (Chan), China, Visual Artist (Tuanjiehu 108)
I attempt to represent the forms of my works by current ways of interpreting nature. For example, “the state of plurals”, the concept that is recently emphasized, means that in the sheer perception of “viewing”, nature is not represented as the “whole” integrated with different concepts, but the “whole” that is directly assembled with individual parts. This simple way of viewing makes it possible to hide more complexity, chances and logic under the surface of nature. Therefore, in my working practice, I adopt installation art as a means to display and, moreover, emphasize the identity and simultaneity between “viewing” and “understanding”. In fact, the inclusiveness of my works are also closely related to my upbringing background: my family, somewhat resembling a matriarchal family, having more or less influenced my way of viewing the world, the way combining male’ s rationality and female’ s inclusiveness.
Lydia Chen, United States, Writing/Filmmaking (BG5)
My current project is a documentary film about the tensions between being an artist and having to navigate complex social, psychological, moral, and material environments. The project, tentatively called "Art and Smog," will explore the lives and works of contemporary Chinese artists and their challenges during the past 25 years of phenomenal economic growth. However, my broader objective is to explore the essence of art in a global context. During my residency at Red Gate, I will be engaging with artists, critics, scholars, and others who can shed light on my questions.
Andrea Cooper, New Zealand, Sculpture/Mixed Media (BG1)
My country New Zealand has only a couple of hundred years of history. I am so looking forward to immersing myself in China's ancient history. As a sculptor and mixed media artist I am completely interested in China,s historical printing methods, be it wood block, stone or bronze rubbings and anything in a contemporary context as well. I love the idea of making a rubbing from something very old and using it in a contemporary way.
Geoff Overheu, Australia, Sculpture/Oil Paint (BG2)
I am currently working with sculptural oil paint and hope to continue my exploration with this medium.
Georges Saillard, France, Photography (TJH403)
I am a photographer and I share my time between Paris and the countryside in France.I am a professional since the age of 17, I first made photography for the news for several years and then fashion and advertising for 20 years. The digital caused the need of urgency in professional photography . This urgency has became a normality in our world. Since the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism, the world tries to go faster and faster, trying to win time and accumulate assets. Men run and end up losing their lives by trying to earn a living.
In 2009 I decided to give more importance and time to my personal work, and I use an appreciated technique from photographers of the pictorial movement from the late nineteenth century. This ancient technic is called photogravure on copper. Because its implementation is anything but fast, I have the feeling of controlling the time.
I love photographing people because a picture is an encounter. Through the other's differences I discover myself a little more every time. Otherwise, philosophy is very important in my life and I found through my medium another way to explore it.
Reading the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi (3rd century BC) from whom I found the texts so close to our time, gave me the desire to come back to China. I would use my residence in Beijing to look for in everyday life but also among local artists, traces of this particular text in an environment of economic contrast. I have in mind specific ideas of images that I desire to make but I know that I might be totally destabilized by the chock of the culture, the mix of tradition and modernity.
The work that I would produce will be on display in June to "Paris Paname" an ephemeral cultural hub crossover during "Le French May Arts Festival" in Hong Kong.
Isa Schmidlehner, Austria/Germany, Painting (BG4)
http://meyerkainer.com/artists/Isa-Schmidlehner/Isa-Schmidlehner-works.php
Isa Schmidlehner is a painter living between Berlin and Vienna.
Bevan Shaw, New Zealand, Painting (BG6)
I am a visual artist from Wellington, New Zealand and I am exploring the process of how ideas change over time, through the mediums of painting and video. I am interested in perception and the relationship between structured pattern and free forms. I like to experiment with this by using bright colour, patterns and brushstrokes.
My residency (March, April, May) will be used to research aspects of traditional Chinese painting and create a new body of paintings responding to the architectural environment in Beijing.
This will also involve taking site-specific sound recordings in Beijing, as well as documenting the studio painting process with digital photographs to reveal how the paintings change over time.
The work produced during the residency will be shown in an open studio exhibition at Red Gate towards the end of the residency. The digital photographs and sound recordings gathered will be used to create a video work to be shown alongside the residency paintings at Toi Pōneke Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand in October 2015.
Ilona van Weeren-Kieft, Netherlands, Printmaker (BG4)
http://www.ilona.vanweeren.com
As a printmaker I have specialised in woodcarving and non-toxic etching. During my 2 months stay in this residency program I will explore other kinds of printmaking: monoprint, lithography and/or silkscreen. This is the 5th time I am working as an artist-in-resident in Beijing.
Hans Van Weeren, Netherlands, Visual Art/Painting (BG4)
Coming to Beijing for the Red Gate Residency for the sixth time I know already what to expect. I know I have the time and opportunity to work and reflect on what I'm doing. As a painter I really love the village of Feijiacun. But this year will make a new start with all kind of printing techniques.
