Art Attack: T’ang Haywen at Yishu 8, Hung Liu at Alexander Ochs, and 48 Hour Films

Lots of news this week: Small but charming arts center Cable 8 is facing demolition (more on that later) while Yishu 8 charges forward with its exhibit of celebrated overseas Chinese artist T’ang Haywen; the Urbanity Project sees its first launch in Beijing; films of the 48 Hour Film Project are being screened; and My Beijing Stories has extended its short story contest deadline to this Sunday, May 29 (prizes still set at RMB 1000 for first prize, RMB 500 for a runner-up).

T’ang Haywen is among the generation of Chinese artists (like Chu Teh-Chun – whose retrospective at the National Art Museum of China last year brought his art back to his fellow Chinese) that spent formative years in Paris, creating work that harnesses both the poetry of Chinese classical techniques and the abstraction of the Western avant-garde.

From now until June 20, you can see a retrospective of his works at the stylish Yishu 8 gallery (more info below).

Also, you’ll want to catch the fruits of last weekend’s 48 Hour Film Project held here in Beijing. The 48 Hour Film Project was started to give filmmakers all around the world an opportunity to just make films, rather than talk about it. Can anything worth watching be made in just 48 hours? Apparently, it can, as outstanding films competing at the international level can eventually get a chance to screen at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner.

Beijing organizer Selim Oulmekki said about this year’s city competition: "More teams competing means more competition means more good stuff, and this year we have a few crazy films that I still can't believe were made in 48 hours! Oh maybe that's because some teams were helped by mysterious kinky blue aliens..."

Hrmm. Blue aliens? You’ll have to check out the screenings to decipher Selim’s cryptic comment.

Also this weekend is the Beijing book launch for the Urbanity Project, a photography book focusing on themes of human life in the city. Proceeds of the book sales will go to Compassion for Migrant Children.

Details for these and other events:

May 28
The Urbanity Project
The Beijing book launch will feature live jazz. Pick up a copy of the book (RMB 150) and contribute to CMC’s mission to help migrant children in China. Free. 2pm-5pm. Wen Yun Time Cafe (Space Zero), 798 Art District.

May 28/29:
Screenings of 48 Hour Film Project in Beijing
This year’s competitors were given a character (Teacher Tao Yang), a prop (a pill), and a line of dialogue (“What am I supposed to do?”) and sent off to creative their masterpieces. This Saturday and Sunday night, see all 28 short films that were created for the project. Each film is about 4-7 minutes long. Free. 6.30pm. Creative Window http://www.cretransfer.com/ (basement level of Worker’s Gymnasium).

May 30 – July 17:
Hung Liu
Her paintings offer a critical look at how China’s training in the arts first taught her to imagine people, events, and history. This latest project, titled First Spring Thunder, is curated by Karen Smith. Free. Alexander Ochs Galleries Beijing

Until June 20:
T’ang Haywen
See the final exhibition at Yishu 8’s Cable 8 location. Enter a calming courtyard through a moon gate and view T’ang’s beautiful inkwork and watercolor. His tone oscillates between poetic and frenetic, and the tastefully outfitted space provides a fitting, comfortable backdrop. Free. Yishu 8

Image from mask9.com.