Recordings of the 2 days symposium are available here

This symposium will bring together individuals who are actively engaging in cultural construction in China. Artists, gallerists, curators, experts in art, architecture, restoration work and archeology from China, Europe and the United States, will exchange ideas and discuss how they interact in meaningful ways with their counterparts in China, and how they fruitfully address issues of politics, nationalism, colonialism, gender, and cultural identity in their work and in their collaborations. This symposium will be held concurrently with the opening of two closely related exhibitions: the Museum of Contemporary Photography will present an exhibition of contemporary photography and video about the city of Shanghai; the Hyde Park Art Center will present a collaborative video installation with artists from China. Artists and curators from both exhibitions will actively participate in the symposium.

This symposium is organized by Elena Valussi, Adjunct Faculty in the Department of History, Humanities and Social Sciences, and presented in collaboration with Ellen Stone Belic Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media and Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago.

Schedule (draft):

Friday, September 25, 2009. 6-8pm. Refreshments will be provided. Artist presentations and moderated discussions featuring:

Qui Anxiong (media artist); Natasha Egan (Associate Director and Curator, MoCP); Fang Ling-an (visual artist); Davide Quadrio (independent curator); Sasha Welland (University of Washington); and Dan Wang (visual artist).

Saturday, September 26, 2009.  9AM-12:30PM. Refreshments will be provided. Scholarly and artist presentations featuring:

Paola Iovene (University of Chicago); Fang Ling-an (visual artist);  Peggy Wang (University of Chicago); Davide Quadrio (independent curator); Julie Walsh (gallerist); Sasha Welland (University of Washington); and Dan Wang (visual artist).

For program and participants bios please click here.

For the press release please click here.