Art Attack: BLF Kicks Off, NPR’s Racism is Showing and Yo-Yo Ma Takes On Death Cab

Marilyn Mai | Mar 9, 2012 2:00 pm | 5 comments | 4009 reads

The anticipation’s been building and tonight The Bookworm finally kicks off their 2012 Literary Festival with author Gary Shteyngart. Also, we take a look at how NPR approaches architect Wang Shu’s Pritzker Prize win, pit Yo-Yo Ma against Death Cab for Saturday night tunes and link you to a hilarious set of everyman art reviews on Yelp! Read on for more.

If you didn’t get your hands on tickets to tonight’s BLF opening event, there’s still the waitlist, buffeted by the slim chance that if you stand outside the door as the event starts, some poor schmuck who’s stuck in traffic (very likely) will lose his seat and you’ll be there, ready to slip in. But try not to be weird about it.

You can also be sure to check out our coverage of the authors in town, including interviews with Gary Shteyngart, Yu Hua, Luka Lesson and more. You’ll find them all in our March issue, but we'll also be posting extended versions online, so be on the lookout. For more info about the BLF and its events, again, you can check out our March issue, or go to their official website here.

Next, it’s been a couple weeks since architect Wang Shu became the first China-based architect to win the prestigious Pritzker Prize, and we congratulate him on the honor. But I just got a chance to sit down with all the links I’d aggregated about his win, and made the mistake of reading the NPR article first, followed by the LA Times article. Anyone else notice how awkwardly orientalist NPR’s take is? They go to great lengths to quote Wang in non-grammatical phrases and play up a folksy, return-to-tradition sensibility. In short, they make him sound like Shifu, from Kung Fu Panda. The LA Times article, on the other hand, is celebratory and pitches him as a modern, forward-thinking artist. I know this is NPR’s schtick (if this had been a radio bit they would have cut in Wang’s voice with some bamboo flute), but does anyone else think this is getting outright embarrassing?

Moving on … with Death Cab For Cutie drawing all the indie rockers to Tango, music lovers of a more classical bent have their own event: Yo-Yo Ma playing with the phenomenal Silk Road Ensemble. It’s an inspiring, energetic detour from his usual classical stylings, and the musicians he’s put together are amazing. Don’t miss this opportunity to see them in Beijing!

Also not to miss: French New Wave superstar Agnes Varda was the first female foreign photographer invited to photograph China’s development in 1957, and she’s bringing those photos back in a show at the CAFA Art Museum. Learn more about the exhibit and screenings here.

Speaking of film, the BC MOMA is also debuting a new Chinese indie flick, Tokyo Newcomer, while Electric Shadows is screening the mindbending Bob Dylan sort-of-biopic I’m Not There. Details below.

Finally, I’ll leave you with a link to this great ArtInfo article about the crowdsourced art reviews on review site Yelp! They’ve done all the trolling for us and bring us the most hilarious, in categories like Most Pretentious Review, Best (and Worst) Simile, and Bitterest Anti-Hipster Sentiment. There’s even one about the NY branch of Beijing gallery Chambers Fine Art. Even if you’re not a big art person, this is worth a read. Funny stuff.

Enough putzing about on the internet. Go out and enjoy the sunshine!

EVENTS:

Art exhibits opening this week:

The Beaches of Agnes Varda in China
Mar 10-Apr 18. In 1957, Varda was invited by the government to capture China through her photography. Now, she brings those photos (and films) back. Free. CAFA Art Museum (6477 1575)

Other events:

Mar 9
Symphony: Daniel Harding and the Bavarian Radio Orchestra
The conductor extraordinaire takes on Brahms and Buckner, with solo violin from Christian Tetzlaff. RMB 200-980. 7.30pm. NCPA Concert Hall (6655 0000)

Mar 9 & 11
Film: Tokyo Newcomer
A Chinese Go champion lands in Tokyo and helps reunite a lonely Japanese grandmother with her estranged grandson. RMB 40, RMB 30 (seniors + students), RMB 25 (BC100 member), RMB 20 (BC V1000 member). 4pm. Broadway Cinematheque MOMA (8438 8258)

Mar 10
Concert: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
It’s energizing to watch the celebrated concert cellist come alive while playing with the diverse and dynamic group of musicians he’s assembled. Music lovers who’ve never been, here’s another chance. 7.30pm. RMB 280-1280. NCPA (6655 0000)

Mar 14
Film: I’m Not There
Who’s the best Dylan: Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, Christian Bale or Richard Gere? RMB 40. 7.30pm. Riverbank Bar and Café (6506 8277)

Photo: Wikia.com, Gozamos.com

Comments

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Comments

walls's picture walls Submitted by Guest on Sat, 03/10/2012 - 23:14

NPR is left wing garbage anyway. It is only respected by liberal socialists, that is why someone above quickly needed to refute the 'racist' comment. Leftists know only conservatives are able to be racist.

Certain types of people demand you change something when it offends their specific political ideology.

Anyway, the term 'racism' is thrown around way to much these days. People need to grow a thicker skin.

I love my planet Vulcan. I'm proud of being a Vulcan in the universe.

gliddy's picture gliddy Submitted by Guest on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 17:11

Asians are some of the first to cry racism. Seems like a joke considering the situation in China and how absolutely racist they can be. I guess whitey is the only one guilty of racism.

There is another one on here with blog postings who tried to say that a clothing company was guilty of racism in her blog post. Is there anyone actually looking at these blog posts? Who approves this garbage? Geez Louise....

bluefish's picture bluefish Submitted by Guest on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 15:19

I totally agree with the first comment. Since when is it "orientalist" or "racist" to just quote what someone actually said? The man was speaking about what moves and drives him––NPR doesn't need to be "cleaning" to tell us what he "meant to say." That would be insulting. They're just quoting. Let the man stand or fall as who he is, not who anyone wishes he was or thinks he should be.

(Just as a matter of grammer, "going to great lengths" means going to more effort to do something. Quoting someone precisely is not "going to great lengths." Changing it to make it more grammatically correct would be "going to great lengths.")

As to NPR playing "up a folksy, return-to-tradition sensibility," again: they are reporting. If Wang himself has a "return-to-tradition" attitude toward his architecture, are you suggesting that they should attempt to hide that? That you would prefer we don't think of Wang's architecture this way because you think it's too clichéd or stereotypical?

It's stuff like this than ensures that racism lives and thrives. I'm sick of people being so ultra-sensitive that we're afraid to repeat what a Chinese person told us, lest someone think that he is what some people think Chinese people are–and what we in our condescending "wisdom" have deemed to be stereotypical and therefore racist.

samg's picture samg Submitted by Guest on Fri, 03/09/2012 - 14:33

I took a look at both articles and I think you're way off base about the racist thing.

1. NPR is a very respected organisation around the world and to call them racist is something you should think about before saying.

2. The article you quoted had a link to the radio program on it where the architect was quoted directly. His English was understandable and to hear it directly from him adds value to the broadcast.

3. Both articles highlighted the same elements of his approach. They weren't different in any substantial way.

4. You poorly used the word "orientalist". I understand the meaning you wanted but if you're going to publish something than I suggest that you use proper wording.

5. I just noticed that I'm the only person that read this article. Fix it before anyone else sees it.

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