BEIJING ART VILLAGE 798

798 Beijing Art Village

Ballerina

Chinese contemporary art began to emerge in the early 70’s. Since then art zones have sprouted all over China, especially near large cities. The Blue Roof in Chengdu, Sichuan; The Stonehouse Art District in Chongching, Shanghai; and Art Village 798 in Chaoyang, Beijing are the better known ones.

Chinese art is now very much in world focus. Before this art connoisseurs inside China or outside China had not seen much contemporary work. Now Chinese art is considered ‘intriguing and provocative’ and paintings and sculptures have created a world hunger. Chinese art now fetch billions of dollars and China recognizes the dollar value of these artists. Majority of the work is from living artists.

Hong Kong is a venue for high-end sales of contemporary art. Last week in the April Spring Sale a 20th century Chinese art of Zao Wou-ki drew a top bid of HK$37 million (US$ 4.77 million).

Into the Village

Beijing 798 Art District is located in the northeast in Chaoyang District. This large factory area opened up when studio operators found it difficult to afford city rents. A few galleries, foreign and local, moved in 2002 to this discarded old ammunitions factory site. Soon, attracted by the cheap rent more contemporary artists, sculptors and designers have filtered in making this hub, an art colony. The attraction of the place to local and foreign tourists has also given rise to interesting cafes and restaurants, avant-garde boutiques, souvenir shops and stationary and art supply shops.

It is not only a district of Art but has taken on an atmosphere of a place of international village community.

No visit to Beijing should be considered complete without a visit to ‘Art Village 798.’ After having thrust yourself into the daring dusty traffic, having absorbed the landmarks and suffered the chaos of the great wall and the penance and torture of the forbidden city this is a place to retire to in contemplation.

Contemplation in Red

A tangle of lanes and streets of galleries

Lane

Nothing architecturally aesthetic or cohesive but a lovely mish-mash of galleries, design studios and allied small businesses, art suppliers, stationary shops, publishers, book shops, gift stores and kitch boutiques, Mau mementos, souvenirs and art deco cafes and restaurants

Walking though the lanes one comes across galleries of varying sizes of paintings, Chinese designs complementing Western, and indoor and outdoor sculptures and exhibits and wall paintings.

She dances Liberty

Gazing Men

Music Wall Art

Small gardens, seating and play areas offer plenty of down time. Spend the day strolling and people-watching. Simple small restaurants cafes offer community spirit

More Peace Inside

Cafe Time

Sit About

Stamped ‘Made in China’. The giant toys pay tribute to China as the toy factory of the world.
The artist Sui Jianguo, Jurassic Age, 2006 designed these enormous toys highlighting the economic boom
Dinosaur toys are designed and made in China for the world.

Dinasaurs

Super Toys

A cavernous concrete Communist factory of East German Design converted into a gallery with high ceiling and plenty of light and workspace. Red calligraphy on walls reminiscent of political art.

Gallery

Chill out. Whisper to a tree.

Whisper to a Tree

Knock on a Door

In a very small Sichuan restaurant, yellow note-paper showing message that I am a vegetarian.

The whole kitchen staff came to take a look with much love before setting to prepare my small feast.

Loft Living Nude Tanning

Post Script: Zao Wou-ki passed away on 9th April 2013 at the age of 93 on the day this blog was posted.

PENANG STREET ART

Street Art making A Scene

Art for the people has changed Penang in a big way. Interactive art on peeling, crumbling facades have made the city more alive. Old walls are canvases for a 25 year-old artist, animator, photographer, and filmmaker. Lithuanian Ernest Zacharevic from Middlesex University of London came to Penang for a short visit ended up staying and painting for more than a year. Working in collaboration with the small art community of Penang he has turned city walls of Georgetown into canvases, blending art with organic landscapes. The brilliant ideas that give rise to these murals bring tradition and culture to the present with humour.

Titles “Kopi O, Tok Tok Mee, Trishaw” evoke nostalgic memories.
Kopi O = black sweet coffee with thick coffee sediment at the bottom
Tok Tok Mee = welcome sound of striking bamboo clappers of the noodle cart arriving round the corner
Trishaw = favourite means of transport for short distances.

A Jimmy Choo mural shows the famous shoe-man from Penang. He learnt his trade from his father. Penangites view these aptly titled murals, whimsically portrayed on walls, with great pride. Joyful visitors crowd before them with families and friends posing for photographs.

Armenian Street, Penang" width="300" height="229" class="size-medium wp-image-1588" /> Little Children on a Bicycle
Armenian Street, Penang

Photographers

This amazing painting on the sidewall of an old home reminded me of my own youth. Of wild times when I did the much-forbidden-thing of tearing around the side lanes of our village on my bicycle carrying friends’ young sisters and brothers. The faster I went, the sharper I turned the corners, the louder the little pillion passengers screamed and laughed. Here the children have been painted on the wall and old bicycle placed below them. With no worries of vandalism or theft this ‘sculpture art’ affords much fun. Ernest does the same with a motorcyclist. Painted on an old unused entrance is a rider with an old helmet and placed below him is an old real motorcycle, not too rusty.

Boy on Chair Mural
Canon Street, Penang
" width="249" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-1590" /> Boys reaching up!
Boy on Chair Mural
Canon Street, Penang

In this painting a boy is reaching up to get a real coke bottle from an air-vent and below him a real chair. Next to the chair conveniently situated a wooden ladder to walk up to the wooden bench that entices exuberant interaction. Children and adults jump on the bench and reach up to the next air-vent on the wall. Family, friends, strangers step back to take photographs.

Reaching Mother and Son

Inaccessible, high walls too have their share of paintings. The most prominent one on Penang Road. Working from a high crane, and scaffolding Ernest painted a resting trishaw man right above where my business, a fashion outlet, ‘The Peacock Boutique’ used to be.

Penang Road Penang" width="300" height="225" class="size-medium wp-image-1592" /> Trishaw Man
Penang Road Penang

These witty and fascinating murals portray Penang culture. Evocative, humorous and clever messages abound too. One about using fewer plastic bags and another says ‘drive less’. Cars have begun to choke the streets of Penang and frustrated drivers trying to get parking spaces in the city are common sights. A new awareness for all to be more organic is taking place.

Bishop Street Penang" width="229" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-1593" /> Drive Less Cycle More
Bishop Street Penang

Other black and white graffiti have sprung up too.

Pitt Street Penang" width="258" height="300" class="size-medium wp-image-1594" /> Kwan Yin Temple
Pitt Street Penang

Window

The graffiti I love Penang is no understatement

I’m in Love with Penang

George Town, a Unesco World Heritage Site, with an inner city population of less than 750,000 throbs with laid-back energy.

Penang 01
Leela Panikar

THE SNAKE TEMPLE – PENANG

The Snake Temple

Temple of Azure Clous

Penang

The Temple of Azure Cloud built in 1850 perches on a small hill in a lush setting with a magnificent back drop of trees and a tropical sky.
Later the temple was dedicated to the Buddhist monk Tan Chiau-eng (Hokkien name), honorific title of Chor Soo Kong. He was born in southern China on the 6th day of the Chinese Lunar calendar, some time during the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279). He dedicated most of his life as a healer in Penang and was ordained as spiritual leader at the age of 65.

Compasion

In central position at the temple is his statue, built in China and brought to Penang. He is portrayed with a black face, some believe his face turned black on eating poisonous herbs and others that he escaped from demons that tried to burn him. But his black face has now become a symbol of his compassion.

What is unique about this temple is it’s the abode of pit vipers. In his life time the monk gave shelter to snakes and when the temple was dedicated the snakes from the nearby forest and hills moved in.

Pit Viper

Everywhere one looks one sees green and yellow diamond headed pit vipers coiled around images, incense burners, offerings and lamps and furniture.

It is often said the snakes are drugged by the joss stick smoke but whatever the reason there has been no report of anyone having been bitten by any of these venomous snakes in the temple.

Much of the offering consist of fresh chicken eggs food for the snakes

For a time when the temple was being renovated the snakes left the place and came back later, no doubt unhappy about the new concrete and paint.

Spirituality

Chanting of sutras begins at dawn but by late morning the nuns, monks and worshippers are out-numbered by other visitors who flock to the temple more interested in snakes than in worship or spirituality. The interest of tourists has given rise to souvenir and soft drink stalls.
Behind the temple lies a garden of herbs and lush fruit trees and here too snakes abound, coiled in the branches and around garden ornaments.

Garden Snake

To the side separated from the temple, a hall houses other snakes and large pythons. And for a small fee at the snake hall one can have a sad python weighing close to one’s own weight wrapped around shoulders for photo opportunity.

Visitor Information: The Snake Temple is open from 6 am to 7 pm.
From the city George Town one can get to Sungei Kluang which is not far from the Penang Airport in Bayan Lepas. It takes about 25 minutes by taxi. Buses are available from Komtar.
No entrance fee is charged. The temple is run on donations.

Onam in Penang

Onam

‘What is Onam?’ a Chinese friend asked me.

Onam, a festival celebrated by people who come from Kerala, a state south west of India. People who come from Kerala are called Malayalees or Keralites, and their native language is Malayalam.

This Hindu festival celebrated by Malayalees falls between August and early September on a waning moon. The ten-day celebration takes place in the month of Chingam of the Malayalee calendar. A prehistoric harvest festival but it is also steeped in folklore, celebrated to mark the mythical homecoming of King Mahabali. He is revered for his wise ruling of Kerala, a time that brought much peace and wealth to the country, a golden era.

Kerala — the long turquoise strip on the southwest coast of India — is known as ‘God’s Own Country’.

Onam observed by Malayalees whether the community is large or just a small cluster in some remote part of the world. The festival has religious origins but is celebrated by Hindus, Christians, Muslims and by Malayalees who practice other religions.

My clearest memory of this celebration comes from the age of ten when my family lived in Penang. My parents observed first nine days on a minor scale. Days before the tenth day preparations started. Servants rushed about endlessly, it seemed, cleaning the home, changing upholstery and curtains and all things that could be changed to new, or washed, cleaned and polished. Silver shone, brass became gold. Our small family altar filled with flowers and offerings. In the very early hours of day a special feast, vegetarian feast, was prepared for family and hordes of friends of different nationalities who would visit us. People of Penang in those days were very cosmopolitan.

We children stayed up late to the constant mantra ‘time for bed’ from every adult in the household. Finally and reluctantly, we went to bed and slept fitfully, dreaming of new clothes, usually pretty flashy, and new shoes and all the good food, though I do not remember ever being short of food at that time.

We were up early to see the home decorated and warm and lit up with many lamps, flowers everywhere. Scent of joss sticks and incense filled the air and each time the kitchen door was flung open the smell of delicious food. A carpet of fresh flowers lay out the front door welcoming the day. New mango leaves were strung up auspiciously above the front door.

The only painful thing I remember is the cold shower we had to take at dawn before we could don our new clothes. Some of the older girls received gold jewellery too. Wait, sorry no food yet. We had to pray first at the home altar. Papa and Mama would bless us and thank ‘the gods’ for all good things bestowed on us while we could only think of food and fun and games that awaited us. We speedily and fervently mouthed our prayers, and I, ‘bless mama, bless papa, make them buy me a new bicycle soon and I want a camera, and I want a new pen, what else, oh yes …’ was my prayer.

Now that I am grown up, well almost, and an elderly adult in Hong Kong I go with the flow, celebrate all that comes my way. It was Eid a couple of weeks ago. After Onam we are into mid Autumn Festival. This is a full harvest moon Chinese festival that falls on 12 Sept in 2011. It is the one I love best in Hong Kong. Homes, parks, public venues and shops are decorated with colourful and interesting lanterns and children walk about carrying them too. Come evening streams of lit lanterns float like fire flies as people make their way to the beaches and hills and mountaintops to view the full moon. We also get to eat tons of Moon-cake, once a year treat.

And then along will come a frenetic Christmas to round off the year.

Let’s Stay Connected

Let’s all stay connected, yippee yay!

Peaceful air travel is at an end. After all the hassles of getting to the airport on time, dealing with cancelled flights, changed boarding gates, immigration formalities and customs checks don’t look forward to sitting back and relaxing to the droning throb of your flight. Try not to switch off for you are going to be switched on in a big way. Forget the reading, contemplating, sleeping. All this will soon be of the past with plans for the new kind of travel.

The importance of connectivity is here. Flying three hours, or fifteen hours does not make a difference. Above 10,000 feet? Not a problem. We shall be moving with the times. Singapore Airlines will the first with this great connection innovation and Cathay Pacific Airlines is soon to follow. Access to wifi, internet and mobile, yes, mobile telephone service, not just texting or sending and receiving of emails but real life calls.

Just lean back, stay connected, talk, talk, talk. A mobile phone stuck to the ear and multi-tasking – eating, drinking, filling up forms or anything else one does on the plane. One might have to bring two or three mobile phones for those urgent calls that come in while you are on one. Of course, the airline company will take into consideration the other passengers like me, who will be slowly sliding into total insanity with a talking passenger next me. To minimize my discomfort a code of conduct will be introduced. Travellers will be asked to follow the new flying etiquette – consideration for fellow passengers. The staff will be trained to help everyone in this respect.

‘Please set your phone to silent mode and talk at a normal level.’ Note the key word here is normal. And more etiquette bonus. During night-time flights, voice function of the mobile phone will be disabled. Wow!

Flying days with innovative airlines will soon come to an end for some passengers. I am saving up for a private jet or maybe grow a pair of wings in my garden along with herbs, potatoes, papaya and banana.