THE DRAGON’S EYE
Official
Publication of US-China Peoples Friendship Association, Chicago Chapter, www.uscpfa.org/chicago
Roger Noback, Chapter President and Editor,
630/762-8225 APRIL
15, 2007
The scheduled venue, time, topic, and activity for the USCPFA April
15 meeting are
2-4 p.m. @ The Phoenix Inn, 608 Davis St., EVANSTON 60201 (Davis St. & Chicago Av.)
CHINESE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS:
FIVE WHOSE WORKS ENGAGE SOCIETY
by Bo Zheng, Artist
and Ph.D. Candidate, Northwestern U.
The hottest contemporary
works on the international art market today are those by artists in China. This new generation of Chinese artists is continuing,
in its own way, the long historical tradition which successively established
important international art styles and genres.
This talk continues the Chapter’s Series, Art in China.
In this talk, Mr. Zheng will show pictures of, and discuss, his works and those of fellow Chinese artists Ma Liuming, Han Bing, Yang Zhenzhong and Wu Wenguang. These artists' performance projects, staged in various locations across China, interrupt the normal life of people in daily settings and foreground issues of class difference, gender identity, public versus private memory, and the meaning of life. Over the past thirty years, changes in everyday life in China have been both positive and negative. Departure from the ideology of permanent class struggle brought individual freedom. At the same time, everyday life has become colonized by a pervasive functionalism and consumerism. In addition to analyzing meanings specific to each work, Bo highlights the collective commitment of these artists to engaging people outside the gallery space.
Bio: Bo Zheng is a multimedia artist from China who often uses sound, photo, video and text in his artworks, and whose video installation, Family History Textbook, won the prize of excellence in the Hong Kong ArtBiennial 2005. He grew up in Beijing and studied fine arts and computer science in US and Hong Kong. He also worked for four years as a management consultant in Hong Kong, Beijing and London, an experience that made him more concerned about social and economic issues. He is currently pursuing a PhD in contemporary art at Northwestern University.
Art in China Series. This talk follows the Chapter’s Beijing
Art Exhibit 2006-7 (12/4/06-2/28/07) and other monthly talks in our
continuing Art in China Series, including: Suzhou’s
Architectural Treasures and their Historic Preservation; The Design of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen’s Mausoleum and the Rebirth of China; Chinese
Classical Dance; The Art of Chinese Jade; Chinese Porcelain and others. FOR COURTESY AND
INFORMATION, PLEASE ATTEND!
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING FUTURE EVENTS:
Future Monthly Meetings: OBSERVATIONS
OF A JUDGE IN CHINA is the working title of the Sun. May 20
Regular Monthly Chapter Talk in Chinatown, 2-4pm, which
continues our How China Solves the Problems of Government Series,
which has included the following talks: China’s National People’s Congress
(by a member of the NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference.
The next ANNUAL
CHINA SYMPOSIUM is scheduled to be presented by the
USCPFA-Chicago Chapter at the University of Chicago on Sat., Jan. 26, 2008,
and hosted by the University’s Center For East Asian Studies at the
International House.
Event Volunteers? If you wish to join those helping to greet and
orient dignitaries, guests and attendees; staff Membership Tables, or otherwise
help out at USCPFA events, please let us know at the above email or telephone
contact.
Last Month, an overflow crowd enjoyed the 3/18 Chinatown talk,
Chinese Currency Appreciation and Stock Investments by Larry Cao, former official of China’s Central Bank and current Morningstar analyst, continuing our China’s Economy
Series. Among other things, he
reported that the Chinese government announced last week its intent to increase
the value of China’s currency by an average 5% per year, and some speculate it
may increase 10% in a given year. This
Series included the talk, Publicly Traded Stocks of Chinese Companies,
just before the recent increase in China’s stock prices.
The regular monthly Chapter meeting includes a delicious
traditional Chinese multi-course meal, which begins at 2 pm; the hour long
luncheon talk (with Q&A) begins at 3 pm; and all this is only $15.
“I’ve studied China for almost 5 decades, and I’ve learned as much
about China from USCPFA luncheon friends as any other source.” – USCPFA
Chicago Chapter President, Roger Noback.
AS A COURTESY TO OUR HOST RESTAURANT; to insure the proper space
is reserved; and to insure your priority seating, please reserve in
advance at rogernoback@msn.com or
call 630.762.8225. Cfade21807FINALema