It was another whirlwind week in the dusty capital, folks. Here are some of the highlights.
Read MoreBeautiful Ugliness: The Aesthetics of Jia Zhangke's Film _Still Life_
I just showed the movie Still Life (sanxia haoren) by Chinese director Jia Zhangke to my Dartmouth FSP students. The viewing conditions were not ideal. I suggest to anyone who wishes to view this film that they do so in as dark a room as possible. The film itself is very dark, and so are the people. I mean visually dark, but there is also a darkness to the subject matter and the characters. Be warned, this is not a happy film.
Read MoreThe Ullens Center and Chinese New Wave Art from the 1980s
Last night I attended the opening party for the new Ullens Center in the 798 Arts District in Beijing. The Ullens Center takes up a large factory space across from the bookstore/cafe Timezone 8. It has been nicely renovated and painted in white. The center functions as a museum and knowledge center for Chinese arts, showcasing the Ullens collection.
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