meeting points and disconnects: the cultural nuances of emotional expression.

DINNER No.2 – got the email back from laurens.

Hi Tina-

So far the 8 guests are: Gordon may be the 9th.

Geoff Raby (Australian Ambassador, whose term finishes last June- he’s remaining in Beijing as entrepreneur)
Shirley (an unusually tall and effervescent Chinese woman-girl, his companion)
Doug Lewis (who you’ve met, a Canadian curator/artist / teacher who’s been in Beijing for 5 years) and his wife
Jean Klimack ( artist / teacher )
Wangling (in finance, she came to the BBQ with her husband, the wine merchant (but he’s not available) neighbours here at 318)
Wu Junyong (artist, neighbours here at 318) TBC
no response yet from Gordon Laurin (who ran the Where Where space) – I had invited him earlier.

We will be flat out finishing our Korean project catalog till Tuesday night. But can help on Wednesday.
Feibi will be athe driving school till 2pm, then may have to meet the printer which could take the rest of the afternoon.
We must have the catalog done.

My suggestions / answers -see your points below.
Let’s see how things settle.
The seamstresses maybe better/ easily found in the villages near you- you’ll need to provide transport to and from and some payment.

On 10/16/11 11:08 AM, Tina Gonsalves wrote:

Need: camera with mic (need battery), tripod, computer, power. The camera takes 12 minutes of footage at a time. Will also bring secondary video camera.Viki, from Platform China, will also becoming to help out.

I have a tripod and 5 yr. old HD video camera you can use.

Pablo: What shall we do with Pablo. I would like to keep him close. Any thoughts?

Linda, Feibi’s sister will help look after Pablo.

timing: the event will happen over an hour period.Guests: who are the guests? Laurens organising this. Would be good to know. Eight guests (matt and I will be working, not eating).

DONE. see above

table: should be smaller than we sat on the other night, (or more people). I want people sitting close together. the table can’t have wheels on it. We will position the table in the same area it was the other night.

we have our regular dining table- which sits 6 – so that would be very tight

seamstresses: need cotton, needles and 3 people to begin sewing. Will viki organise this or feabe? How much to pay them? Who knows people who can do this? I need the seamstresses to track the conversation by knitting it, for example, maybe sometimes the sewing happens beside each other, each others arms, and sometimes accross the table. I want them to work fast and responsively to the conversation.

Possible that weask Feibi’s Mum, but other than that I suggest you find these in your local village- you may have to offer some payment. ask Platform for someone to translate (Viki ?).

Shoot: I will shoot the event. I will use a mix of wide shots and close ups while people eat. The sound may be kept, but it may be erased and the footage slowed down. I will also photograph the event.

I have a tripod and video camera you can use.

Serving: Matt will serve the food. Mostly smaller dishes. Matt will clear the dishes after each course. Matt may need someone to do the dishes and help, to keep the flow going. Suggestions?

Working on this with Feibi’s friends

Clothes: the guests need to wear something long sleeve that they are not attached to – as I will be keeping the clothing as an artifact of the event. They need to bring something warm to go home with at the end of the night. They need to wear something under the sewn clothing.

Already told them and emailed it as confirmation

Alcohol: it would be great if people could bring their own wine/beer or what ever they want to drink. The person helping matt can also refill peoples glasses.

Some will bring something but we cannot insist. My budget isn’t bottomless either :)

Maps: Laurens needs to send maps out so no one gets lost.

DONE

Time to start eating: breifing 6. 30, then drinks around the table, then dinner starting at 7pm.Anything else i haven’t thought about?

Further idea to explore:

Glasses – maybe this is called Ponder.
need to create 6 x pair of glasses that have mirrors on the inside of the glassware? Would need a contact point in order to produce them.

Who can do this – Gordon suggests there is an optometrist in Cao chongdi?

Can Viki help?

When would be a good time to go to the optometrist?

“To ponder is consider something deeply and thoroughly. This intervention allows one to ponder on oneself. Most communication devices allow us to communicate with others. This communication device allows one to communicate with oneself – an intrapersonal communication device. We all have much internal dialogue that happens when we communicate with others. This device allows time to digest this dialogue. The viewer privately contemplates the mirror image himself.”

probably need to go to some optometrist in some big mall somewhere.

Mirror Suit. I have a thought about making a sort of body suit that is embedded with mirrors. ??? sort of mirrors on stockings (tan) that cover the body. not sure why yet.

Development -1 long panned shoot of empty city. (need tripod), car? find them.

http://www.neatorama.com/tag/china/page/2/http://www.neatorama.com/2010/12/18/ghost-cities-of-china/

DINNER

We are organising a dinner at Laurens Tan studio for eight people. I hope to call it something around the world connect, maybe ‘yoke’ or ‘blend’ something. As the guests are eating, the seamstresses will sew the guests together, tracking the emotional connections of the table. If this dinner is a success, we would like to continue these around the world.

Matt, my husband who is a chef http://www.matthewwild.com has organised a dinner menu below. Depends on the produce he can find – but this is what he wants to cook

MENU

Chilled sweet corn soup, baby crab, shellfish oil

(Chinese teacups x 8)

Tomato Ceviche

(Small side plate x 8)

Grilled fish, eggplant, buttermilk dressing

(Will find fish in market on Wednesday)

(Large dinner plates x 8)

Cucumber and Sesame

(Reuse tomato ceviche plates)

Char grilled lamb, green bean, olive, pine nut and mint vinagrette

(Reuse fish plates)

fruit and grilled stone bread

(Large platter)

It would be good to buy a micro plain from Ikea

Location: To be shot in Laurens Tan studio,

Need: camera with mic (need battery), tripod, computer, power. The camera takes 12 minutes of footage at a time. Will also bring secondary video camera.

Viki, from Platform China, will also becoming to help out.

Pablo: What shall we do with Pablo. I would like to keep him close. Any thoughts?

timing: the event will have over an hour period.

Guests: who are the guests? Laurens organising this. Would be good to know. Eight guests (matt and I will be working, not eating).

table: should be smaller than we sat on the other night, (or more people). I want people sitting close together. the table can’t have wheels on it. We will position the table in the same area it was the other night.

seamstresses: need cotton, needles and 3 people to begin sewing. Will viki organise this or feabe? How much to pay them? Who knows people who can do this? I need the seamstresses to track the conversation by knitting it, for example, maybe sometimes the sewing happens beside each other, each others arms, and sometimes accross the table. I want them to work fast and responsively to the conversation.

Shoot: I will shoot the event. http://www.tinagonsalves.com I will use a mix of wide shots and close ups while people eat. The sound may be kept, but it may be erased and the footage slowed down. I will also photograph the event.

Serving: Matt will serve the food. Mostly smaller dishes. Matt will clear the dishes after each course. Matt may need someone to do the dishes and help, to keep the flow going. Suggestions?

Clothes: the guests need to wear something long sleeve that they are not attached to – as I will be keeping the clothing as an artifact of the event. They need to bring something warm to go home with at the end of the night. They need to wear something under the sewn clothing.

Alcohol: it would be great if people could bring their own wine/beer or what ever they want to drink. The person helping matt can also refill peoples glasses.

Maps: Laurens needs to send maps out so no one gets lost.

Time to start eating: breifing 6.30, then drinks around the table, then dinner starting at 7pm, finishing around 8.15 if possible. If people need to go to the toilet, they will have to be helped out by Julia

Anything else i haven’t thought about?

Meeting with Viki:

Viki suggests Julia and Jamie from Platform China might come to the dinner. Julia is doing her masters nearby and she will ask if three people want to come to be the sewers. She suggests we don’t need professionals. I suggest the sewers wear black to differentiate themselves. She says Julia will help Matt in the Kitchen and with serving food.

We need to organise a battery for the mic – this may be more difficult to get – its a square battery.

Yoke: Could this be a title?

Part of Speech:nounDefinition:bondage, bondSynonyms:burden, chain, coupling, enslavement, helotry,knot, ligament, ligature, link, nexus, oppression,peonage, serfdom, service, servility, servitude,slavery, tieNotes:a yoke is a crossbar joining animals orsomething figuratively holding things together; ayolk is the yellow of an egg

Spent last night at openings – one at Platform China and one at Three Shadows – met up with some Australians who are doing a residency with 24hour Art in Darwin – they had kids, so it was great for Pablo. Met another Australian, Juzzy Kitson who is doing a residency about 45 minutes away. We all went out to dinner last night with the all artists from Three Shadows and Gordon, who runs Where Where Space.

Our water still is off here – its been 24 hours and I am going a bit crazy – the toilet stinks and I am desperate for a shower. They have bought a big bucket of coldwater.

Dinner Event – Yoke?

We are organising a dinner at Laurens Tan studio for eight people. I hope to call it something around the world connect, maybe ‘yoke’ or ‘blend’ something. As the guests are eating, the seamstresses will sew the guests together, tracking the emotional connections of the table.

Matt, my husband who is a chef http://www.matthewwild.com has organised a dinner menu.. Depends on the produce he can find.

Shenyang. – women venting anger? Vent?

possible dates> 24th/25th/26th November

Matt, Tina and Pablo take train to Shenyang.

Where to stay?

Translator ?

At the opening at Platform China last night – the painter was from Shenyang. Viki introduced me to one of his friends from Shenyang who could speak limited english. He said he would be our translator when we go to Shenyang next week – need to chase it up today with Viki. I am looking for a store – that is apparently in shenyang that allows women to smash appliances to vent anger. This will become a video work, shot over two days most likely. The store could be at the Xinglong Big Family Mall in Shenyang Wang Juingyu, the mall’s business manager? – its on the 4th floor – need to find contact, number and talk to them. Is it still there? I would like to go here in on the 24th October to the 27th October *if it exists.

There is a fast train to Shenyang – takes four hours – the D Train. Today we need to locate the store today.

VENT

Part of Speech:nounDefinition:outletSynonyms:aperture, avenue, chimney, drain, duct, exit,flue, hole, opening, orifice, pipe, split, spout,ventilatorAntonyms:closure, door

Barbers. – Cut

When we were in Turkey last month, on the island of Bozcaada, Matt and I began our barber series – we are shooting barbers around the world. We postion the camera infront of the person getting their hair cut, and just let the camera run. We are calling it ‘cut’. Yesterday we searched the streets of Cao Changdi for a barber. We found a hairdesser in the back streets that has four tiny dogs which laze around the shop. This will be perfect.

I hope to show viki the shop today so we can start the shoot on Tuesday.

Can Viki translate? Need small tripod, battery for mic

The shoot would take place over an hour. We would position the camera and leave it.

Performed Emotion:

This could be possible in Beijing?

I have been thinking a lot about service industry in China, and how the chinese are trying to bring a smile to it.

http://www.cnngo.com/shanghai/life/china-sets-amusing-rules-shanghai-beijing-bullet-train-attendants-287576

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2011-06/15/content_12704643.htmhttp://www.thebeijinger.com/blog/2011/06/23/Girls-In-Training-or-Speak-English-Feel-Beautifulhttp://english.sina.com/china/p/2011/0615/377796.htmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/olympics/2007-10/12/content_6895958.htmhttp://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/12/21/1198175339045.htmlhttp://www.ebeijing.gov.cn/BeijingInformation/BeijingNewsUpdate/t1173357.htmjapanhttp://www.japanator.com/put-on-your-happy-face-for-japanese-smile-training-technology-10636.phtmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-11/12/content_11538465.htmChinese business ettiquette school 0 course – http://www.aifa.org.cn/en/Training.html
Would like to find the course – apparantly Their senior teacher, Lu Yanzhi, is credited with inventing the ettiquette ‘book’, paper and chopstick regime that will help China show the world its prettiest, happiest and most harmonious face.

Professional Funeral Criers of Chongqing : exploring performed emotion.

Potentional Dates – 20th November to the 15th December? Have written to Yangshu, director of Organhaus. Have apartment/ studio available.

Aim is to shoot up to eight performers (separately, not part of funeral) and then weave them together via a 8 channel video installation. I think I will need to be in chongqing for three weeks for this project. Have organised residency. Poet

http://www.peopleforum.cn/viewthread.php?tid=103585&extra=page%3D1

http://chinglishfriend.com/blogs/danwei/archive/2010/07/23/performing-at-funerals-professional-mourners-in-chongqing-and-chengdu.aspxhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-04/21/content_325119.htmhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/video/video-the-funeral-criers-of-chongqing/article2017477/http://thetorontopost.com/2011/05/10/page/2/

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Well, great news – have just got of the phone to organhaus after a week of trying to get in contact. They are an art space in Chongqing – I am hoping to spend a month or so there – exploring the funeral criers of chongqing. Probably head there later of november. http://www.organhaus.org/. There seems to be a three bed apartment and studio. Yang Shu, the director has already emailed me back, so now it just a matter of organising timing.

“Dear Tina

yes ,i did talk with nikun (curator in organhaus) this afternoon. meantime there is artist from Turk will stay here too,so ,if you find out this Ok, you can come in 20thnov to mid Dec.we need charge 200 dollar for keep the apartment running ,water ,elec, gas , so on. is that Ok for you?all the bestyangshu”

Have also contacted Lijiang Studios in Yunnan Province. Not sure what this would lead to.

Went to Laurens Tans studio last night for a bbq. http://www.octomat.com/ Laurens is a great australian artist working in sculpture and video, now based in Beijing. Laurens, and his assistant pheabe, put on lovely bbq – was a really interesting night. We met with Brian Wallace from the Redgate Gallery, http://www.redgategallery.com/ – and his parents were there too. Brian has an interesting insight into Beijing – he has lived here for 29 years, and started the Redgate Residency Program, runs the Redgate Gallery. After talking for a while, we realized that Matt and I know his brother and his childhood friends from Port Douglas. Small world. He has invited us to his place tomorrow night.

When we are not at openings, we are ending up at the Fodder Factory for dinner a lot of nights. This is a little restaurant in the village. It has mostly great food, and an english menu which is easier than point and hope for the best method we usually have to use. The restuarant seems to be a gathering place for a lot of local and visiting artists. Through our dinners here we are meeting a few of the other artists doing residencies in Beijng and those who live here.

A lot of the expats living here talk about inexpensive studio space, cheaper accommodation, cheaper art supplies and materials, cheaper to get things done. A lot of the artists visiting talk about the vibrant community, and also the commercial nature of the residencies. For the price we pay for our studio in Chao Chang Di, (which is pretty run down), we could get a three bedroom fully furnished new apartment with a gym/pool down stairs. The residencies bring in a lot of money for the gallery spaces. Therefore, it surprises me that they don’t put any money back into them – the offices and gallery spaces are spotless, yet the residency spaces look like they have seen a lot better days. On the other side, the galleries do not recieve any government funding. Talking to Platform China, there is a much foreign interest in ‘chinese’ work, a lot bought for investment – resulting in an art scene that is highly commercial.

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