31/5-NY17 handling reality

With the Robert Hughes Goya TV special programme mentioned before last night, get up real late today. call on HK to say a happy birthday. Watch a bit of a Spelling Bee Marathon competition, absolutely a national torture for US kids, before we met and went north to Bronx, which is also my first time there. Visited the Bronx Museum of Art, with a group show going on of a group of selected artists after joining their program, which including short courses on presentation, law etc, different sorts of professional/survival skills. The works, maybe, because of the spacious venue, seems quite good. An artist with a map copied onto his hand, walked with the pace of his fingernail growth, immediately remind me of Pak's work he did on his plane to Taiwan.
Then we move on, but it is already getting late for HK to eat before he attend his friend's film screening, so he gave up to the next stop at Bronx Roverside Art Center, which have another no bad show addressing "Katrina and the Waves of its Diaspora".
Then I too returned to Manhattan midtown public library for a talk on Dada, by a curator of Fluxus exhibition in Germany and scholar on Dada, part of the program for the coming Dada show in Moma (coming from Washington?). Something learnt from the talk, like a Merz column which immediately seems to be a must reference for reading Hirschhorn's earlier monument.
But after the talk, I asked her a few questions and that were quite disappointing, for she said that Duchamp's fountain was withdrawn after exhibiting for a day during the talk, and I asked her if she has done some research to support this version of history, and she seemed originally quite sure, but when I mentioned about de Duve's version, she said de Duve should have done more research into the matter and should be correct. I do admit, very different sorts of audiences came to this sort of public lecture, and so the academical level wasn't really that high. but she thus suddenly turned in my eyes, into one of those highschool teachers which simplified the matter (in this case, not for student's but audience's level sake), regardless of her credibility as a scholar. But everyone is surely happy, as they have prepared some MOMA family pass for the coming Dada show for those who filled in the questioniares over the talk.
nothing much art program on TV tonight, with the arts channel playing some opera, which is no fun to watch with tuned down volume. watch a bid of In the Mood for Love during cooking and just now another extremely funny Whose line is it anyway? Wish all artists in the entertainment industry could be as talent. Or maybe I like them for their improvisational skills are also a supreme kind of bricolage.

30/5-NY16 discriminating patience

visited Columbia University again, find a Buchloh bk in the art history department staff publication display case, so he should be teaching here afterall? A bit nervous about meeting him.

Went there around noon, but again actually for the bkstores around it. getting up late these days, for I found out something even better than going out, and that is the cable tv. Just watched part of and then repeated the whole program after midnight, a special program on roadmovie, with also interview on Wim Wenders around his Texas Paris and his idols, like Denis Cooper. (I find the other day at a DVD store downstairs, The burden of dreams, which is a documentary on Werner Herzog, with even a section on him eating a shoe after losing the bet. I heard about it but don't know it was recorded too!)

Other than the CUNY arts program which includes some dances performance excerpts, then there is also this ovation channel, which have all the greats arts tv program on various artists, like Degas, Morley, and there is even a program in some channel I came upon which have real time art auction going on, selling Dali and Matisse etc. prints for few hundred dollars in one minute time! while an unknown painter fetches over thousands, some fraud?

Yesterday, went with HK to the CUNY Graduation Center for the Whitney Independent Program exhibition Image War, for the newspaper said there was a special radio performance by 5:30pm, but it turned out a false information and the gallery was closed, again HK decided to go to a Korean restaurant to have meal, he seemed feed up with his own cooking.

After his dinner,we headed to sculpture center, the film and the performance really bored me and HK, but he walked out, while I used this chance to observe this wierd situation, reflecting on all these questions that arose from the situation, how is this sound a sculpture? what are the people enjoying in such gathering? should we the society give chance for an self-endulging person/artist? How satisfying is the artist to play with some real time radio signal out of his control? HK told me the piece isn't even experimental. But what I thought just then, is that I learn more about myself in one aspect, and that is, I am more patience with things experimental then the market, with the DIY eccentric, then the money, success driven artists (they have someone else to taken care of anyway -- just as the name Sabrina coming up from time to time in this past days?).

Then we went to meet the other Indonesian ACC grantee, for one of them is hurrying back because of the quake. OK, as a gesture of concern about their situation, but it turns out they don't talk about this at all, they just want to have some fun chatting with one another. For me, I am sorry to say, this kind of activity is really a total waste of time. There is also this Columbia Master student on a Fulbright scholarship that say NY is the best in the world, well, gd god.

By the time we left the acfe, it is already past midnight, maybe one o'clock, but just when I arrived back to the appartment and turn on the tv, I find to the TV is going to play Robert Hughes TV special on Goya! There is just so much one could learn here, if they are really into arts, for arts sake!

29/05-NY15 60s escaped

26th sat, 27th sun and 28th mon (memorial day holiday), three days in a row, has been full of festival mood, the sat festival at the street corner disappeared overnight, leaving just all the police block behind. Disappointed with two again flase address from the web in today's search of bkshops, when taking the bus was coming uptown I ran however into another street festival with food and chic stalls, at Madison Ave, up from 54th? down to 42th. I got even a bottle of icy fruit favour water for free from one, just timely for a relieve from the heat. Arrived early for another Cal arts short film screening, I walked into the museum and sit down at the bkshop at 2nd fl and read slowly a publication of Basel Kunsthalle, titled When attitude escapes form. It tells of the history of an avant-garde curator which was in charge for some years before finally left under pressure in the 60s. Many of his idea, were just as much what the avant-garde curator are trying to do today. are we really just in a time in memorial of the 60s? The films in turns seems another round of test of patience.

Michael Kimmelman on Whitney 06

Before I write anything, for those interested, this is what MK, the NY times critic wrote on this year Whitney.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/03/arts/design/03bien.html?ex=1299042000&en=e43c902f8e403ca8&ei=5088&

藝術系展覽

星期六藝術系幾個展覽開幕，用好快的速度打了個round。由文物館走到藝術系大樓，二樓三樓再加許讓成館。同時間遇見了好幾個畫廊主人在中大，應該算是難得一見。幾個朋友停下來聊聊比較有印象的作品，大家似乎都有些困難；這代表了什麼呢，真可憐，原來我們已經老了。
ylho

28/05-NY15 summer punch

coming to a sat, walked down a block on the way to Jewish museum, half hearted for the Eva Hesse show, and discovered another street festival on the 6th ave, for at around four blocks full with stalls on both sides. Summer is here, the fruit shakes seems much more attractive than the barbarque stuffs. So I walked leisurely down and headed for MOMA for Cal arts 70s short film straight the way instead. But it wasn't that exciting, despite people claps hands after each, except one that plays with Jesus and religious in tone.
Then I bounded for the Jewish Museum and other than the Hesse show with some information on her participation in shows curated by critic Lucy Lippard, e.g. together with Bruce Nauman etc, is interesting for understanding the context, the Max Lieberman show upstairs is quite ok, for one always see him in museums around the world, but seldom given a focus to understand better. The contemporary word that has been mixed up in the permanent exhibition is also quite interesting, some Mickey mouse on the scroll etc, and how long haven't reencounter one of those Boltanski's altar.
Return to Moma than for another section of Cal arts documentary by a Korean girl.
the final activity is at home watching a tv channel of CUNY with my first A. Ailey Dance Company solo.

27/05-NY14 transforming districts

Another friday here in NY, visited DUMBO with HK, but discovered the Smack Mellon is closed, I have simply mistaken it as THE dumbo arts center, which has a weak show, but among the galleries in this redeveloping district, is the part 2 of the MFA show from Brooklyn COllege of Art, which stirred some news earlier as some work has been removed by the Park authority for sensitive content. Then we headed back to White Columns, a space that I haven't visited last time, and wrongly marked (again!) in the gallery guide's map. The show is strange for it is of photo of photos and captions taken from a vietnam museum on the war with US. It is like transporting (or stealing) the exhibition back. it echoes though with one room at the back, though I question what self-therapy art could provide that it keeps repeating that's what the man (artist) did through his work, building doll house of solders in his backyard. The Meat packing district at the west end of the street we are both staying has really start turning into another SOHO district with some huge galleries, one with a bkshelf at a corner where one could browse, and there I have a glimpse at the Aperto 93 catalogue etc. rare bks. The last galleries we visited, one is of milan design (with the gallery surely connected with the Italian council), and another one of all Japanese staffs (turn out to be a gallery supported by a jap fashion brand). Afetr spliting for late lunch (me at home, HK at the Chelsea market), I went to the ICP for Enzewor curated Snap judgment of African photography, the curatorial statement complains about the negative image the mainstream press has in presenting Africa, but many of the works finally tends towards the same issues, or perhaps the aftermath of them, which isn't really very different, the ones that really different, are perhaps those working for the western mainstream, like fashion photography, how irony?
Then moved on to Whitney, just for the videos that could not see in full last time.
more on them or W.Biennial later.

27/05-NY13 learning informe

The Critical STudies Program Symposium on thurs is great, not just for the snacks in the break between sessions. I heard one on the victimhood of NY ground Zero memorial, interesting is her readings of the descending of the present design and the recovery back on street level with the future tower in sight. It is really timing for the first of the bldg at ground zero just opened earlier in the week, while funding or scale for the memorial is still in heated debate.
From the Harvard professor response, I also grasp what the first presenter has discuss about the Multiculturalism paradox in Museology. The black scholars, just as the one I encountered in Philly, are so often working so directly on black studies, even around the columbia university or here, there are sometimes bk stalls in the street, which sells only black (or black studies) literature.
The first presenter in the second session talked about the installation, not too clear the outline, but it touched on the thread of the paradox of museology, which I am using on Jeff's exhibition, so more on this later.
The second presenter has tried to combine her urban studies with the insight from Krauss' Informe, which suddenly give me insight in how to comphrend the otherwise strange bk. The last presenter try to argue from some body politics view on Sol LeWitt's classic work of the square with the body. yet it is again the responder, this time from Princeton, that asked some harsh question, asking the speaker to try imagine if her thesis is able to be formulate without even those fetishism discourse (which freud centered around the mother's absent of the penis), for it missed the kind of simplistic look at and understanding in/relevance to Sol LeWitt's work.

the other side of the stories?

hung keung's blog,
http://imhungkeung.blogspot.com/

26/5-NY12 a chelsea of choices

Yesterday wasn't again very productive, off to Brooklyn and discovered a great art bkstore, will have to do some serious shopping there before I left. headed back to Manhattan, visited a storefront performance near to 34th st Penn Station on my way to Whitney Altria for the concert performance. Two performer wrapped in stockings are doing some pushing and body-contact improvisation, the most interesting part is that it just happens at street-level, where bypassing pedestrians and people in the cars droiven by suddenly find something like this and could glimpse at it and have some fun for few seconds or minutes. despite it is a 12 hours ongoing piece.
The concert at Altria said to be a multimedia one, but like the one at the Kitchen, it is just another projector doing its own thing. The performer is a group of vocalist and musicians, with the music all via digital treatment. They performed together a new piece by composer Phil Kline, a world premiere piece based on some surrealist novel. Despite he is highly recognized, sitting through the music for around an hour, for my ears not having any musical sense, I rather just entertain myself with the store-front window for few minutes and head off. A talk in SF, has addressed to this art fair tempo in viewing works, which is constantly in motion and of making decision, whether to slow down to see something more closely or just continue to walkby.
It is the same experience when you are in Chelsea, a sea of galleries. IAs matter of fact, this is already my second trip to Chelsea on this trip, the Matthew Barney one finished early in the month at Barbara Galdstone led me to visit it once I arrived. The highlight of this round is Kababov's paintings, Aperture's re Generation, Exit on an ecological theme, then not so gd Oiticica, plus one show called: Irrational thoughts should be followed logically, which have just one gd piece, but really enough, for HK won't like it, but really my taste (by just reversing one of the shelf-board of an ikea-like cupboard in the opposite direction, yes, that's all). Finally worth mentioning, is a show bumped into accidentally, curated by Art in America critic E. Heartney.
Hung Keung just like to check out those plenty galleries that I haven't marked for myself, and also pullover for food, like stopping at McDonald today, and therefore slowed down my planned schedule, which led to the end, I finally got not much time left to fully see the Jenny Holzer's photoshow of many of her outdoor projections at the last stop, and then plus the subway congression, found myself a bit late for the Whitney Independent Study Program paper presentations. HK stayed behind in Chelsea, to meet Song Dong etc. again for the Asian Art Week prgrams, which includes tonight a showing of So Man Yee work. The talks I attended were great, with thoughtful response from scholars, I just wonder how the opening gathering could compare with such an intellectual treat.

26/5-NY11 Where is the beef?

The talk and screening of Yang Fudong's Seven Intellectuals in Bamboo Forest (Part I) was held at China Insitute. In the stairway, is a banner saying that, the future speaks Chinese. Upstairs in the small hall, the seats are all full and packed, over a hundred at least. The talk has two speakers, one who talk first is Barbara Pollock (art journalist), which argue of a nostagia, lost of idealism in the piece, asking where is the bamboo forest, where is the intellectuals? Then in reverse order, Maxwell Hearn (Metropolitan Museum of Art) talked about the background of the Seven Sages, the love theme in the piece. Barbara disagreed and thought that love is just a metaphor, while part of the audience disagreed with Barbara that she deny the reference of Yang's piece to politics. Whether yellow mountain has a political hidden reference, and different people got different impressions. Another one challenges her linking to the French new waves, contra with neo-realism.
For me, the piece has its different monologues from the protagonists, city slickers as Maxwell put it, that contra with the nature scenery, but that doesn't make the execution of the video (or more precise, it is shot in film) anything spectacular to look at, particularly the dramatic music, but arousing such discussion of the contrast, between the title and what is shown, etc. n etc.. But I do remember Barbara said at the very beginning that video is a medium that really suits the Chinese, and for that remarks alone, I think we are addressing two really different issues here.

SEEk BKS?

Hi everybody, I have seen Ars Pro Domo in a bkshop, I thought I see it somewhere in HK before, but checking online, it seems CU and the public library do not have it, could anyone seen it before remind me, or otherwise, I might have to consider buying it.

If you have any special bks you could like me to find for you here, pls drop a word and I keep and eye on it for you. Some are discounted new ones, but I think the best bargains are the second hand where they could ship with additional fee of just a few US dollar.

24/5-NY11 against Capitalism?

Gradually, it is changing into an almost every two days entry, but though there isn’t really very much to do here, plain laziness is to blame. Even when things do happen, as they do every evening, they clashed with one another and at the end you could only choose just one. The day before (mon), I did my washing at a laundry in the morning, and head for some bookshops with HK in the afternoon. Starting from those nearby, to those in mid-town. Going with HK has one gd thing, and it is I could venture into places I will not go by oneself, like into Barnes and Nobles bks, for HK needed a toilet, and discovered that there are new school T-shirts on sale there (visited columbia university yesterday, and their university bkshop is also a B&N, just as most of the universities I visited, it has simply dominated the market, it exchange for its stocking and handling of the courses textbooks, all displayed on shelf in a separate section.)
We stopped by Books-off, a japanese bkshop, with one floor english, mostly 1 dollar bks, and one half-floor upstairs of comics and downstairs a whole floor of japnese books. As we are browsing, I discovered this book with a Trans-Art title, and discovered some brillant (silly?) roadside observation photos, then next to it, I find this Roadside-Observation-ology which teaches you to practice it too. I originally thought of buying the trans-art for Luke Ching, but HK finally decided he wanted both, so ok, it saves me money for gifts. The Slominski for Pak is still with me anyway, for Momo asked me to copy it before giving it to Pak. here is what I find in the web about this author: http://blog.yam.com/mermaiddock/archives/1006635.html
then we headed off to Moma for the last of the series screening of Nam June Paik,
saw beuys appearing in this multi-media live show between paris and new york, which is more like a tvb entertainment event, with a girl wearing his trousers with a hole cut into it, for the future against capitalism, beuys said.
As for yesterday, I headed out again for some bkshops, before landing at The Kitchen for a free performance with live music, some video screening, and a hand held panning slide projection! Then I and HK headed for the China Insitute for a talk and screening on Yang Fu Dong. More detailed report on it in the next entry.

22/05/06-NY10 still alive

Spend the past Saturday in Philadelphia, with a Chinatown Bus to and fro from NY.
The National Arts Journalism Program (NAJP) was holding their reunion there, and a conference titled The New Playing Field was held there at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It has three panel discussion, first starts with how the artists view their relationship with the journalist, second one invited some journalist that has moved on in running a magzine or editing one, and the impact that the internet has on them and how they response. Then it has a lunch break with food upstairs and tickets prepared for the Andrew Wyeth special exhibition on show. The third one is of the futurist, on those blog-writers, and media enterpreuer. Then it was followed with a split group discussion, and I joined in the one on Freelance strategies. I have a short chat with Andras Szanto over lunch, whose report on art journalism I have mentioned before in mmk blog. Yet the Program is now no more at Columbia University, and no funding coming from NEA. But despite the speakers all jump between using art critic(ism) and journalism freely, they never for example mention about the exhibition catalogues or even art magazines. So much of the problems raised in the freelancer discussion faced by the printed media writers have not really show up at the positive outlook of the three panels. I could only say, I still more interest in those art ciriticsm that is beyond journalism, despite the topics discussed here are more practical or realistic.

The rainy Sunday went swiftly, the only thing worth noting is that I went to Asia Society to see the performance Cambodian Stories: An offering of Painting and Dance, a group of young artists led by japanese choreographers/dancers Eiko and Koma. Should it be worth a note too, that on my way out, I met Xu Bing? Oh yes, I do forget, I also see Chu The Chun in person at Marlborough Gallery. And guess what, so Andrew Wyeth too is still alive and kicking, and still, of all things, painting!

20/5-NY9 up in downtown

went with HK to the galleries uptown around the 57th and 77th, he said I should write about them, but it is all in the gallery guide, and everyone could visit them themselves, the character of the different regions are so obvious to anyone that's been there too. As for there are so much galleries, which one to pick? It is again all there in the guide if you based on artists you already know (assuming you know something about art history or contemporary art), in this way, one usually ended up visiting the few most important ones as I do. The difference is that one might not know of the background history of the galleries, like who Leo Castelli or Michel Werner is or what they have done. I just was shocked to discover that HK doesn't even know who Clement Greenberg is, as we walked pass a gallery which has an exhibition titled sth like: The Surfboard of Clement Greenberg, which the surf-board/painting is, of course, FLAT!
Then we went into Whitney to see the Biennial, too much to see for just few hours (HK picking a resturant to sit down to rest and est did cut half hour precious viewing time, which I rather exhausting oneself on art if I am by myself), but again, maybe a membership is worth for the two rounds of the exhibitions, otherwise, anyhow, now I got to see it again (if I am to write about it) next fri pay what you wish evening entry. then does this meant that it is gd? well I think it is too cramped and the curator a bit too prentenious to pick works that are interpreted to be ABOUT political, social issues, to make a mark of itself different from the past, with however not putting it very frontally in the curatorial title and statement. Paragraphs next to the captions and audio guide etc, and few works are left for you to read for yrself.

18/05-NY8 Merce x 5 !

visited the Queens PS1, not much outstanding exhibitions or works, including a Chinese Video Now, of thirteen artists, a few works by Cao Fe, one in a room together with 5 other's videos, the other two in one single room, cosplay in projection, milkman on TV set. Since it is not dusk by closing time, the turrell room will not be open this season. can't double check with its supreme experience for the last time here. See also a real bigger scale Jessica Stockholder installation for the first time, quite up to expectation. Hu Jieming do leave me a quite gd impression, I voilate the no photo because of him, maybe because his work is a bit similar to what Tozer Pak could be related. Then moved on to Sculpture Center, quite a gd show, a total disappointment for Dorsky gallery, and a reduced collection display of Fisher Landau. went then to Location one to see a dance/projection event briefly before heading to MOMA for a Nam June Paik videowork showing. Some of them seen before, but some harsh or funny gag on tv/media discourse viewed for the first time. Make me remember Beuys' Felt TV. and WOW! The Merce by Merce by Paik is really interesting, for dance, how 5 Cunningham dancing together on one screen etc. and then also clips showing Cunningham visiting Leo Castelli, with Calvin Tomkins presence, etc, etc. Joined as MOMA member, for a 25 dollar, thx to Hung Keung, will have to see more films there to make it worth it, like the Calarts screening coming on. since I will have to wake up early to head to Philadelphia on Sat morning, I probably won't write tonight, for I am planning a visit to Whitney Biennial at its pay-what-u-wish hours from 6-9.

17/05-NY7 Who is reading anyway?

Didn't do much yesterday in terms of exhibitions/performances, but I did check out the dances and ballet program at Lincoln Center by paying it a visit, yet fallen asleep in bed waiting for the CUNY arts program after midnight, and missed a day entry. So I better begin early, right after another episode of one of my beloved TV programme: Whose line is it anyway?
Today, I started off to the Asia Society for tickets for Eiko and Koma’s Sunday Cambodian Stories. It starts from Friday, but might clash with NY city ballet, while Sat I will be in Philadelphia for an art criticism conference.(this meant I will need another trip for its museum, for the Duchamp collection of course!). Its phone (212)517-ASIA turns out simply to be the corresponding key 2742, but since I was personally there, I went to the few sixties something streets galleries. Sometimes it is a joy to look at photos, just for how they present a subject you don’t know much about, with the press release helping you learn to spot a few photographic specialities. The one on Israel art is rather boring, another one has a theme of East meets West, but not of the modern/exotic sense, for it pick Japan new generation such as Murakami, Nara, Mr etc. to go along the pop masters.
I got off actually at Hunter College Metro station, but the early video show is over, the BFA still setting up. But I happened to walk by the venue for the International Fine Art Fair, and with a reporter pass, see the not very show with not many great works but leaving me some thoughts on different things. With the same simple return trip, I am able to read the articles from New Yorker (one article on the debt Martha Graham Dance Company got into) that I took yesterday at ACC from my dc. Just like reading from a palm pc!
Back for lunch and set off again in the afternoon for Tribeca galleries and the Apex’s curator talk. I have prepared more time, but arrived there to find only that Ethan Cohen show curated by Pan Xing Lei and of Chinese Artists here have already ended, contra to what has been announced in the Gallery Guide. So I walked around to other galleries there and found them luckily more interesting than my previous poor impression on a very cold and wet morning last year. Art in General has fun by installing some work in the lift, while another work just like a lift inside the gallery. Without lift, the Artist Network situated few floors above a Chinese Sweat-shirt Factory. Didn’t notice Tribeca and Soho were so closeby before, just separated by the Canal St. (China Town).
Dietch Projects is interesting (though Saltz didn’t with his latest article in VV on a reconstruction of Cady Noland) with Dan Colen recreation from a photo of someone’s else piece. Even GAS is more like it this round with a show (of Cals Art students?) calling Object Lessons, with a nice series by a certain Peter Cho on speech visualized in a line writing form. Another artist group playing on Egg certification in US, grade AAA, AA etc…, just well fit with another artist that produce a chart for analysis of applause patterns.
The talk at Apex over re_dis_trans was a bit slow in gear, and didn’t move very far, but the new work the turkish artist did, related to site, particularly his quote on Polanyi on land, is quite inspiring. And it has a political edge which matches with my image of Apex. The little Warsaw group’s work too, is quite another version of Lin TZ of Singapore proposal for Venice, skipping the bureacracy bargaining, leaving everything to debate after the event. Wang Jian Wie’s documentary without much gimmick (or does it, with the starting shot of a Mao’s statue infront of the commercial neon advertisments), did not attract me to stand there to watch for a whole 40 mins! (who could, really?)
What good are all these notes for readers other than a diary record for myself, especially compare it with what I read of Tin Lam on London, I don’t know. But I do bumped into a pretty good magazine store at broadway just north of Grand Street, which half side of it a café. But it don’t have even Yishu, surely have no art magazines in Chinese!

15/5-NY6 Here & Once, Bang!

It seems ACC has not get in touch with the National Arts Journalism Program before I get here, luckily Wonnie send me an email about their coming function (including a saturday conference) in Philadelphia Museum of Art. Their own website must has not been updated for almost a whole year, though I didn't remember having download their second report on art criticism in the US.
Finished some work with Lawman on the other side of the Alantic in the morning, started off just shortly after lunch and supermarket shopping. Other than the little exhibitions I walkby that stills open on Monday, one that of Parson Design with a student doing his presentation, plus some of the used bk stores, the only target of today for me is the Big Bang concert theater at CUNY Graduate Center. It is really a strange performance, for it invited an astronomer as narrator, narrating a sequence of episodes from Big Bang(birth of the galaxy) to the end of galaxy(time/universe), some incidents that happened in split seconds, some billions and billions of years. accompanying the text reading is a projection of stellars bodies and some scientific diagrams, plus a live musical ensemble. All of these are the brainchild of the composer Patrick Grant. Sitting there, you are like watching a popular science tv program (which I actually did this morning on Stephen Hawking), or a scientifc lecture, but suddenly, the background music, images, and narrator each jump to the front and takes on the stage and make the show a live one, which could thus only be art, but with concrete substance in science education, while the electronic music suiting the occassion, leads you to music appreciation. It does not even bother about those cliche of art and science coming together. Maybe it is also free, it gives no pressure whatsoever to the audience, and I really enjoy it, and feel good having learn something at the same time.

15/5-NY5 missing

whether seeing dance is my prior activity here, I am not sure, the one today is surely more memorable then yesterday's one. for the dances, I do have missed today a show ending today in Guggenheim on David Smith. Also missed is a chance to meet Peter Carey, the aussie writer who now lives in NY. other than missing sth, by picking up all the different free publications here, learnt that two people has recently left us, one is Allan Kaprow (1927-2006) great forerunner to happenings, and then also Jane Jacobs (1916-2006) who wrote the The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961), Broolyn Rail even reprinted a letter she wrote to NY Mayor Bloomberg in 2005 on how to run the city, something she did right from the 60s.

14/5-NY4 shorten time

back early, for the second dance to watch at the evening at Joyce SOHO has sold out. If I know, I could stay longer at ps 122, for there is a reception after the dance with some snacks and drinks.
On my way there, I didn't finish with the 2nd hand bkshop at Mercer to head to it before the dance either. it has lots of catalogues, but you have to got really time to go through the boxes, last time I got a group show catalogue with Mucha there, this time, I saw a bk A of Para/Site navigating the dot. In this neighbourhood where I stayed last time. another cheap, discount new bkshop close to the metro stop has also one bk by Raphael Rubinstein, an Art in America editor titled Polychrome Profusion, but they were mostly about abstract paintings, which I find didn't arouse me too much even it is just for 5 dollar.
The dance I saw has been reviewed by John Rockwell in NY times, I just read the first two paragraph to make sure it is worth seeing, and just finished the rest after seeing it, the feeling is that, an article like this has really touches on very little of the dance. but it is great to get the review out yesterday, still two more shows before the four days dance ends.

13/5-NY3 soho not moma

Stepping into sat, visited SOHO, for Gallery Freeman's Mel Bochner's new works for this few years, a revisit to the dictionary, pick of Village voice or some newspapers.
Then move on south to Ronald Feldman, for its Artists Against the State: Perestrokia Revisited of all the soviet era Moscow Conceptualism underground art. They (like Kabakov) are definitely models for mMK. (Remember how Johnson said about HK art as underground art?).
then enter for the first time this Location One and discover this funny, or boring Azorro Group, which showed three videos and a interactive cd: first one is their visits to galleries, with all four of them kept saying the video title: {We} like it a lot. Second one Is an artist allowed to do anything, with them committing different sorts of minor offense like jaywalking, etc. in the city. In the third Azzorro Standard, they through and through measured the gallery, testing out the lighting etc. The cd is titled SMART, which in full is really Stop Making ART, which is like a therapy secession persuading artists to be true to themselves and give up making art. Equally silly is Lukasz Skapski shorts, one room in the back however feature his work Fuel (2006) which is a looping of explosion scenes all coming from Hollywood movies, much like what Lawman propose to the Fotan artists on carpark.
Visited Chelsea Eyebeam for an afternoon panel discussion on the not so interesting Aphrodite Project, a high tech, high heel shoes for sex workers, why, cause they invited Krzystof Wodiczko to talk too. Wow!
Then finally in the evening, rain starts to fall (signs of the coming storm next week), after a troublesome trip up to 34th to come back to the below the 4th (for the closing of the metro stop at 14th street where I stay) for heading back to SOHO for a dance performance at Joyce SOHO. I pick this, partly, for to avoid going with Hung Keung to Moma, and see the Polish film with him and a bunch of ACC grantees, including artists like Sung Dong!

12/5-NY2 a missed target friday

get to ACC office, bad news is not much money left.
met Hung Keung there and later in MOMA target friday free admission hours.
read in moma bkshop the 60th issue of Parkett, with an interview of de Duve on his curated exhibition.
plenty of Guston on view, but somehow the placement wasn't quite right.
Quite a few Paul Chan too on display, with even a separate leaflet!
then it is John Szarkowski's photos.
In between I have been to the Austrian cultural council, for a freud museum collection, with one work by Kabakov, which is of a wholly different tempo, dimension. (but in the an alternative art history catalogue, discover Kabakov too has his teacher!)
and then also the Andreas Zittel at Whitney at Altria. even with the LA West, still find her completely boring, if I didn't see it first at Anthony de Offay, I could not bother repeated looking.
The Matthew Barney Screening? at night at Chelsea is more just a party excuse.
rather been to the dance performance.

12/5-away from LA

visited Cal arts at my last day in LA, after going to the galleries in Culver City in the morning.
did I survived LA? or have I escaped behind wheels from truly engaging LA?
a fractured cocnept of LA is perhaps the authentic LA?
perhaps because it is cheap, 3.00 for a full day pass and friendly drivers, I really do like these public transportation of LA. on my way back from Culver city by bus, I even found out a poetry in motion leaflet on the bus amongst the route maps behind the driver seat.

11/5-NY1 Chelsea 1st trip

seize the first few hours before moving, another round of camera obscura in the hotel room.
then after moving to the apartment at 14th st.,
visited chelsea from 24th on and below, with postmaster etc. at 19th and further below, by the time I got there closed already.
from a magazine at New Museum Chelsea, lesson of chelsea development, long lease or buy. seems more galleries than before, the neighbourhood has cleaned up a bit, with a few street, new residential buildings and gallery at ground floor.
Printed Matter reopened at a new space, finally a different gd impression compare with last time.
Eyebeam huge space deicated to art and tech, even with artist residency.
Big names includes:
Matthew Barney at Gladstone (Jerry Saltz has a review of it in Village Voice, so it should be on the web, he is, well, in favour if not a fan of Barney)
Olafur Eliasson, happens to play also with camera obscura.
Richard Serra at Gagosian, same measure! very minimal
Alex Katz, PaceWilderstein
James Lee Byars, Mary Boone and Perry Ruberstein
a guest curator, all same colour exhibition at Paula Cooper,
Paula Cooper main gallery, one huge sculpture with a handout on maths mathematical proof.
small learning:
Bruce Gilden, flash in photography
Victor Rodriguez of Manet-Zola
mixed:
a number of photography that try to mimic but failed,
Andreas Slominski, turns horrible??? with kitschy reliefs!?!
Ashley Bickerton, turns further horrible with kitschy paintings!!!

9/5-LA4 embarrassingly careless

The biggest, silliest, most embarrassing mistake, happened yesterday, with the furthest trip (few hours drive) so far in LA all the way to Laguna Museum of Art to see a show. I typed Pettiborn in my last entry, which I meant Raymond Pettibon, but it turns out to be a Richard Pettibone's show. Yet despite I only find it out because Shirley find me pretty puzzled after seeing the exhibition, luckily, it is one of the most rewarding show to have visited, for I never knew of this local California artist before. But his work is mostly based on appropiation and mini-scle reproduction, with Duchamp, which is so relevant with my idea of mMK.
And of course, there is this nice beautiful beach and some scenery and some nice chat on the way. I even have a small chat with her sister Sara Tse (also artist) back in Hong Kong on the phone, something I probably have not really done in HK.
And Shirley Tse, teaching in Cal arts, is the only one so far I have talked to, that has really read some de Duve closely enough to point out that I got some of de Duve's view too superficially. I do appreciate that and will look closer at why she say so on the stance of historicizing in de Duve. something I could so far most related not to Kant after Duchamp but on his article in Theory Rules.

8/5-LA3 N vs S

Suddenly have half an hour time to spare, for instead of my new friend taking me up north to Cal Arts, Shirley Tse called, and she (teaching in Cal arts) is taking me south to Laguna Museum of Art instead. Hope the Pettiborn show is worth the trip, for going south today, I could not visit the Norton Simon that closed on tues. So it is the one contemporary vs the old masters really.

7/5-LA3 losing to the past

Head to UCLA Hammer Museum and back yesterday, there is a good historical show on the Societe of the Anonyme going on, revealing how this group founded together by Duchamp and others help bring modernism to the US, how it formed its own society, quarterly, publication, exhibition, curating and even collection. Duchamp is really advance in so many aspects in promoting arts strategically.
Afterwards, my friend took me to Santa Monica, for an art bkshop (there should be more than one, but it seems they too have closed down), and I brought one Lippard edited bk on conceptual art, on the way, we visited a gallery hub, but the Joan Jonas show in Rosamund Felsen gallery is quite disappointing. So is the new Jorg Immendorf in another gallery there, lacking all the rawness, a bit like Polke's painting more really. The line Jeder Mensch ist ein Maler still written underneath one of the painting has lost almost all its substance.

6/5-LA2

Finally find a corner in the hotel lobby that got more stable wi-fi connection.
Despite repeated warnings from people staying in LA that it is impossible to get by without a car, I went to getty by myself yesterday, and where I took the transfer is exactly where Hammer museum is, so at least I could visit Getty, Hammer, LA County (walking distance from hotel), by myself. The other places I intend to go by myself is Redcat (Calarts downtown annex) and LAMOCA. Met with a friend a friend introduces, and learn a bit more about why he left HK, the art scene here in HK is really too much like what the writer Chan (?, co-founder of City Magazine) has written, that the last generation is just too lucky, and it is now in the hole that it dug itself. He will take me to the rest of the places like Santa Monica, and Cal arts.
Getty is grand in style, upon arrival at the foo of its mountain, everyone was given first a finely full-colour leaflet, of just yesterday programme (yes, printed for just one day purpose), before we got on that private train uphill. It is pretty educational in setting and display information setting. the more interesting rooms are not of artworks, but those different period household setting, not as Chicago in miniature! you see how a living space suddenly turned into a museum. The best show on is not the Courbet, or Degas or Robert Adam, but one rare one on John Heartfield, unfortunately, despite all the wonderful first-hand materials, they haven't any postcard or catalogue for sale, just a brochure on it as the rest special exhibition. There in the bkshop is a little booklet called camera as weapon published in 1993(?), I didn't buy it, but it should be a gd one, hope I came upon it somewhere later in the trip. What mingpao is doing, and making a comparison of it or referencing it to Heartfield's work in the media, uupon the media use of images, should be interesting and suggestive enough, despite, also problematic enough (in term of the difference in political agenda).

4/5 LA1

Sent a parcel of books back home in the morning, having another small chat with Kate Fowle, I left SF. Reached LA hotel at around 7 after departing at 12:30 at SF, with a shuttle bus, seeing various landscapes so much more meaningful than by air. The hotel I am staying here however is pretty lousy, and I have to be in the lobby to use the unstable and retard speed wifi internet connection. This might very much meant I couldn't keep writing as often as I did in SF, loading a picture up here, u must be joking, don't even think about it. I guess I probably won't like LA, at least not like SF. Haven't thought LA could be so "bean mud."

3/5-SF20 big

Asian Museum就劉小東在當地gallery guide落了兩版圖文,在中間有一段全是關於長江三峽水霸工程的種種,而之前開初,則另有一段述Over the past fifteen years, Liu's approach to realism has ripened into a kind of slack expression, recalling the wan sensuality and languid hand of Eric Fischl.但最使我感興趣的,還是宣傳裡我highlight了的文字 :

featuring ... large-scale paintings - including one more than nine-feet tall and thirty-feet wide - by China's leading figurative painter chronicing the massive Three Gorges Dam Project
... emcompass all of these ... a passionate witness to people caught up in one of the most farreaching social transitions in history ...
a grandeur and resonance that truly document an extraordinary moment
this epic painting ... poigant portrait ...
ambitious ... These are big paintings addressing big issues on a big scale.

2/5-SFf19 A bridge of International Orange

yesterday was May 1st, originally not sure if it was a holiday or not, but once I got there in Kabuki AMC and saw the people lineup for SFIFF rush ticket line for the documentary The Bridge, I knew the answer. ticket price immediately jumped from weekday 7.5 to 11! With there wasn't a single ticket left, so I bound for the real (and free) one instead. With the gusty wind blowing strong, I was even a bit scare to look down, afraid my glasses might be blown off. Those who choose to commit suicide here is surely bravier than a lot of people, at least than me in this case. Then afterwards I headed back for the Green Apple 2nd bkshop, and took my Chinese takeaway lunchbox to a nearby park to enjoy, before I went further west to the cliff house facing the pacific for viewing the sunset. at last, I took a bus after some walk, that stopped right in front of my house, how nice this sense of arriving without walking.
maybe more about the story on the bks I found in Green Apple later on.

2/5-SF18 劉小東風

為把握一個月第一個星期二的博物館免費日,必要今天一早起,趕到唯一會早開(9:30)的de Young museum作第一站,昨晚就沒寫blog,幸而這時阿良竟然突然拔刀相助,貼上他說了陣子要在這裡寫埋一份的小文章.文章關於的三峽工程,扯及中國當代藝術,卻出奇湊巧地和我今天中途走入Asian Art Museum所見劉小東的三峽工程油畫展全然呼應!我本來打算借audio guide headphone直入館藏(雖發現竟有廣東話版!)之際,那兩個職員卻熱心地要我定必先去看了劉小東才回來,我就唯有去了,逛了一個沒趣的圈,怕被話這麼快就回來,就懶再回來借headset,繞路入了鄰房的雅集展室看褚遂良,米芾等墨蹟,再上樓看了些祝允明,沈周,八大的書法.一個現代國畫(統統是趙少昂)的小角落,順道看一看日本韓國的書畫就又趕下一站.
究竟中國傳統藝術是否當代藝術,阿和那天疑惑會否只是一個少人從事而不在當代藝術視線而已,但什麼人才算是參與當代藝術又是誰來界定?香港從事書畫的人數依仍不少.bell hooks談黑人藝術時也談到這種underrepresentation的內在問題,放在中畫書法就是他們亦不覺得自己是當代藝術,未必想與當代藝術走在一起.
說回劉小東,我看不到畫作的特別之處,除了(因為在這裡三藩市山坡上拍些照而發現要表達斜度,鏡頭要斜或水平很難相就)那山上(近)和山下(遠)一同入景的構圖,就跟其一幅塑膠彩長手卷的跳前跳後的近遠反成散點透視的比差.但一種用紀實鏡頭最直接有效的主題,為什麼要成畫,我就始終看不出什麼內裡道理,反過來,三峽卻是一個外國人也感興趣的環境議題,這樣看反就一齊反似明白得多了,三峽的紀實更似是作品手段,好讓洋人也好,高名潞也好,就此可以皆大歡喜?

題材宏大

mMK
昨晚從電視上看到三峽工程的報導。畫面展現了工程浩蕩的一面，仿佛要叫目睹之人都不得不拍案叫絕。節目中還有一群香港工程師齊聲在鏡頭前面說偉大，令人感到骨痹。這麼大的一項工程，影響著現在和世世代代的人和事，編採事角度怎可能一面倒！！！隱惡揚善導人向好是功德，可是亞視這種傾側的報導方式無疑是隱瞞事實和欺騙大眾。
今天在車上看高名潞的小書《另類方法‧另類現代》，書中也提到〝中國當代藝術已經自覺和不自覺地掉入西方後現代主義和全球化的話語中，同時失去了對自身歷史文脈和當下的特殊性的關注熱情。〞其中三峽大壩這樣〝宏大〞的題材，高先生感嘆中國當代的藝術家們卻沒有好好抓住，實在可惜。〝可對於後人來說，這是多麼千載難逢的時代機遇。〞如果我有後代的話，首先要教他/她澄清什麼叫宏大，然後才考慮要不要把它當作藝術創作的題材；如果要的話，現時的工程已塵埃落定，可以等更宏大的三峽事件發生，那時才是真正把握時代的機遇。工程要大，作品要大，思想要……
ylho

30/4-SF17 taste bad?

Originally much time to write but followed a false lead for Green Apple and came home really late.
early morning take BART to Berkeley, see the BAM, almost no gd stuffs inside, the bldg interior is quite distinctive, but it allows no photo anyway. the dreaming california photo show with such as Larry Sultan seems more well derserve attention then the Measure of Time, with a color illustrationed pamphlet with a long curatorial article.
The campus guide tour is even worse, one of the most time wasting decision so far of mine, for there is not much history of the 60s told, the student tour guide seems more like a sales, saying that they have now controlled activism!, while a woman asked about the co-toilet and bathroom in a certain dorm. all hopeless.
better find are the around 4 second hand bkshops I visited, including Moe's of four floors. maybe I could shop more if it is the last stop instead of the first; one of the two that were bought there is Sarah Gill's The Critic Sees - A Guide to Art Criticism, which I knew from last trip, but met only new copy once in B&N.
Then afterwards, I head to Oakland Museum of California. A Room of Dorothea Lange and a section on Weston is all to see, surprise however to see a Chris Burden piece with significate inclusion of chinese characters. Otherwise the works are all mostly provincial, which it is, afterall?
see perhaps how people comment e.g. http://www.yelp.com/biz/1ewkA8E5i--Nj2MpfA0u4A on the Lost Art Salon http://www.lostartsalon.com/pages/5/index.htm
and compare it with e.g.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/vVUpCjIeb6mk6t4rKQbfyQ
on the Forever after Books,
and you know different people have different criteria, each having its fans, and it is easy to spot the similar pattern from how people like or dislike this two places.