I can’t believe that it is already day 5 of the residency. It has been very hot today, and the sun has been shining which has been a welcome break from the cloud. I have been working in the studio for most of the day on my first map drawing. The drawing is based on the layout of the junction that I am living on, with aspects of digital forms from the interfaces of fanfou and renren (two chinese only social networking sites). I will continue with this in the morning tomorrow before I go to the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in the afternoon with YanYan, and his assistant Lara.
I met Lara for the first time today, as she has been finishing off and hanging her degree show. She graduates from a painting degree this year, and she has been assisting artists on this residency programme since it started with David Hancock in 2007. Next week, we will go to Huguang Guild Hall (a traditional complex) and the Chongqing Planning Exhibition Gallery together, when she gets back from a trip to Beijing. I am hoping to visit some other traditional compounds later this week too, in particular Laitan.
I have also been walking around photographing some building facades, that I will use for my next two drawings. Some treats that YanYan brought me were Zongzi, dumplings wrapped in Bamboo with sweet soy bean paste inside that have been steamed. Very tasty, and very sweet!
Bad news, however, that the mouse that I thought I had scared off with the mouse airwaves alarm that Shu Wen and I bought in the street, has scuttered through the apartment. Poisin is illegal in China, so it looks like I will be off tomorrow to buy a trap! How very un buddhist!
