Selection of the 2nd Triennial of Guangzhou “Independent organizations”
When BizArt was called to submit a project for the Guangzhou Triennial, we wanted to just work on the idea of “How to turn Guangzhou into Shanghai”, how can Shanghai create a new Guangzhou, what can be done differently. The backdrop of this idea was not really to have this city turning into the other one, but what we would like to do, was challenging artists and see how they could approach the idea of “transformation”, the process itself. WSo we loved the idea of ” its changing” and we were atracted by the artists’ motivations which guide these changes. At the end we were intrigued by the possible “misfortune” or political incorrect changes that artists might have suggested.
Participating artists
Chen Xiaoyun, Alexander Brandt, Geng Jianyi, Hu Jieming, Huang Kui, Jin Feng (xiao), Jin Feng (lao), Liu Jianhua, Ni Jun, Shi Yong, Tang Maohong, Xiang Liqing, Xu Zhen, Yang Zhenzhong, Zhang Ding, Zhang Qing
Yu Ji, He An, Liu Wei, Song Dong, Zhu Yu
Some of the ideas proposed by the artists:
Ni Jun
Project:
External characteristics between the Chinese cities are less and less different. The feeling of being in a foreign place has nearly disappeared, except in the mind. Names of the cities are progressively limited to marks. Lack of differences become a particularity. Create a small game: informations on Guangzhou’s map turn into Shanghai’s, what will happen then? Guangzhou will turn into Shanghai.
Materials: Two maps, an original one of Guangzhou, and another one of Guangzhou reprinted with Shanghai’s locations’ names.
Zhang Qing
Shanghai
Shanghai is developping at a lightning speed, therefore people walking speed has also increased. These are migration steps towards other cities. Overtime working hours are extending without limits, it also gives to Shanghai a new attitude. The large number of buildings, densily filled with people is the key of the city’s development.
Guangzhou
Guangzhou can only yearn for Shanghai by increasing people’s walking speed, overtime working hours, and the number buildings, higly dense.
According to the transportation, buildings, working particularities of the population in Guangzhou, it is possible to develop researches on the increasing speed of walking steps, to increase the overtime working hours, to increase the capacity of carriers, this carrier is a 88 floors vehicle, it can solve all the problems. People can continue to work between the place they work and the place they live, it is more efficient working wise and therefore contribute to the speed of the city development, Guangzhou will then share the same way with Shanghai in terms of economy and culture.
Liu Jianhua
How to present the project
1. -Film a short film on dvd according to the questions
-type subtitles under the images.
2. -Print the questions on some 220 cm x 60 cm pieces of fabric made of silver and silk, hang them in the space
-project next to them the dvd of Shanghai.
3. -Make a book, dimensions: 50 cm x 30 cm
-Each question matches with a painting or a picture
-The book should be placed on a 50 cm broad shelf at 120 cm high.
-Print the questions, and asked the public to answer, then place them back in the
original spot or send them to the artist, so he could tidy them.
4. In the future, some of the ideas among the synthetized answers could be
exhibited.
Zhang Ding
Project: Clone Shanghai in Guangzhou.
Make a selection of blood cells of six millions talented Shanghainese. Build in Guangzhou an experimental base for their clones.
End of the year 2005, build in Guangzhou a base for Shanghainese’s clones. Collect blood cells of 100% Shanghainese people born after 1980, and clone them in Guangzhou. It will be then possible to produce a second generation of people of Shanghainese kind, similar to the original ones, in Guangzhou. By year 2030, the quota of these people born in Guangzhou will be very high.
Population in Shanghai: 16 000 000 inhabitants (in 2005)
Population in Guangzhou: 10 000 000 inhabitants (in 2005)
In year 2030, the regular number of inhabitants in Guangzhou will be raised up with approximately six millions of talented young people of Shanghainese kind. It will unprecedently ruins the employement market of the local Cantonese, and the quota of unemployed young Cantonese will increase of more than 90%, incurring unemployement for eight millions people. This will hit the rates of birth and death, in about 50 years Cantoneses will progressively disappear.
