C2C Certified

Hong Kong Finds Its Footing in Art World

Admin — Sat, 25 May 2013 08:29:37 +0000

As Art Basel inaugurates its first fair in the Far East on Thursday, it will not only be staking its claim to a growing market for contemporary and modern art, but also bolstering Hong Kong’s position as the dominant art hub of Asia.

A Slice of Russia in Amsterdam
(May 23, 2013)
An Indonesian Storyteller Ahead of His Time
(May 23, 2013)

Enlarge This Image

Courtesy of Jitish Kallat and ARNDT Berlin

Jitish Kallat’s “Allegory of the Unfolding Sky” is on display at Art Basel’s inaugural fair in Hong Kong.

With the show, which features 245 galleries at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center through Sunday, the Art Basel Group has not strayed from its predecessor’s goal of staging an Asia-focused event. “I know there was an initial fear that Basel would just make a copy of what they do in Switzerland and Miami,” said Magnus Renfrew, Art Basel’s director for Asia and the founder of Art HK, the precursor to Art Basel in Hong Kong. “But we’ve maintained our original mission. A majority of galleries are still from the Asia-Pacific region.”

Many galleries in the region had indeed expressed fears that they would be pushed out of the event in favor of bigger, global names in the art world. While the presence of international galleries has certainly increased, the fair has put a spotlight on regional galleries in its Insights section, which features projects developed specifically for the Hong Kong show.

Art Basel is also continuing its tradition of presenting large-scale works from leading international artists in the Encounters section. This year’s selections, curated by Yoku Hasegawa of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, will feature 17 artists, including the Shanghai-based MadeIn Company, the Indian artist Jitish Kallat and the New Zealand-based artist Seung Yul Oh.

There was little a decade ago to presage that Hong Kong would draw so many galleries, artists and collectors. When Art HK, the precursor to Art Basel Hong Kong founded by Mr. Renfrew, had its premiere in 2008, much of the art world viewed the city as little more than a gateway to the more artistically flourishing centers of Beijing and Shanghai. Demand for Chinese art was soaring at the time, and although Sotheby’s and Christie’s had already established presences in Hong Kong — international auction houses were not permitted to operate independently on the mainland — many of the city’s arts representatives were turned toward the blossoming arts centers of mainland China.

The Hong Kong gallery offerings were little better. Save for a few veterans like Hanart TZ Gallery, which opened in 1983, and Osage Gallery, established in 2004, contemporary art galleries in the city were dealing largely with commercial art and offering few platforms on which artists could thrive.

But Hong Kong has experienced an arts renaissance in the past few years, and the city now has 80 contemporary art galleries, according to Art Asia Pacific Magazine, with reputable dealers including Ben Brown Fine Arts, Gagosian, White Cube and Lehmann Maupin opening outposts in the city. For the economist Clare McAndrew, the author of a market report for the European Fine Art Fair this year in Maastricht, the Netherlands, Hong Kong’s free market and its lack of taxes on imports or exports of art have contributed to drawing these foreign galleries.

The local government, meanwhile, has announced plans to invest 21.6 billion Hong Kong dollars, or about $2.8 billion, in a new arts hub, the West Kowloon Cultural District, where the M+ contemporary art museum is scheduled to open in 2017.

Some of these developments have been in play for years, but many arts specialists credit the success of the Art HK fair, and its takeover in 2011 by the international giant Art Basel, with strengthening Hong Kong’s position as the artistic hub of Asia. “The acquisition of Art HK by Art Basel has unquestionably cemented the city’s position as a mandatory destination for collectors, curators and critics in the global art circuit,” said Nick Simunovic, director of the Gagosian Gallery in Hong Kong.

For Courtney Plummer, director of Lehmann Maupin’s Hong Kong space, which opened in March this year, the idea of a Hong Kong gallery matured over time. “It really was a natural progression,” she said of the gallery’s decision to open in the city. “But we did notice that Hong Kong was in the air a lot, with the auctions, the opening of the Asia Society and the fair itself. The fair did not directly influence our decision to come, but it certainly made it clear to us that people love coming to Hong Kong.”

In 2012, China had a 25 percent share of the global art market, much of it based in Hong Kong. The city is now the third-largest art auction center in the world, after New York and London, and Sotheby’s Hong Kong alone had sales of more than 7.8 billion dollars in 2011.

Some major players in the Hong Kong art world caution against overstating the reputation the city had for many years as a “cultural desert,” however. Mr. Renfrew of Art Basel said that this “was the prevailing thought” when he was scouting in Hong Kong in 2007 but that it “was an unfair assessment.”

“There were many different organizations, like Asia Art Archives and Para/Site, who were contributing to the city’s cultural life,” he said, referring to a regional cultural research organization founded in 2000 in Hong Kong and to a contemporary space founded in 1996 that is run by artists. “There were also a number of strong galleries, like Hanart and Osage, who had strong programming that was different from the purely commercial objectives of the city’s established antiques galleries,” he continued. “I see the city’s artistic developments as happening more in parallel with the fair.”

Central to that development are Hong Kong’s protections of free speech and a culture of openness and critical thinking, said Robin Peckham, the founding director of Saamlung, a small project space and gallery in the Central district of Hong Kong. Mr. Peckham moved to the city from Beijing in 2009. “I was attracted by the more scholarly approaches in the working methodologies of artists in Hong Kong, and the broader culture of research in the art world,” he explained. “Hong Kong is already more significant than Beijing and Shanghai: the transparency of the gallery and auction business, the possibilities of serious curatorial research offered by M+ and AAA — none of that exists elsewhere in China.”

Once Hong Kong’s art fairs and galleries shined a global spotlight on the city, the local government took notice. “We were seen mainly as a commercial enterprise, so they were not familiar with the cultural significance of an event like ours,” Mr. Renfrew explained. “But I think the local government has since been greatly encouraged by the success of the fair. Fair attendance has risen from 19,000 visitors our first year to 67,000 visitors last year. They realize now that there is a hunger for contemporary art from the local populace.”

The city, which posted a surplus of 64.9 billion dollars in the most recent fiscal year, has embarked on an ambitious plan for the West Kowloon Cultural District, which will include 60,000 square meters, or 645,000 square feet, of exhibition space at the M+ contemporary arts museum. Lars Nittve, a former director of the Tate Modern in London and the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, has been appointed executive director of the museum and Pi Li, a major figure in the Chinese art world, a senior curator.

“The interest in Hong Kong developing a major institution has become stronger as a result of the fair and all the other developments throughout the city,” Mr. Nittve said of Art HK and its successor. “The perception of Hong Kong, and its position in the region as a major art hub, has been strengthened.”

For some, however, the influx of international galleries like Gagosian and White Cube presents a risk to local artists and galleries because they often focus on global heavyweights like Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol, rather than on local artists. While this is sometimes true — Gagosian did have a Damien Hirst show last year at its space in the Pedder Building — the galleries are generally viewed as bringing fresh air, money and new collectors to the city.

“The increased presence of international galleries is a very positive thing for Hong Kong,” Mr. Renfrew said. “They have raised the level of artistic programming and introduced major international artists to the city.” Not least, the changing landscape has encouraged local galleries to deepen their programming in the city. Tang Contemporary and 10 Chancery Lane are just two of the driving forces behind Art East Island, a series of exhibitions held in a warehouse building on the eastern reaches of Hong Kong Island. Past exhibitions have included an Ai Weiwei show and a Dinh Q. Le solo project.

The spotlight that comes with each gallery opening, and with prominent fairs like Art Basel Hong Kong, could also presage good things for local artists. “There are dozens of great artists working in Hong Kong who for many years were more or less overshadowed by the developments in mainland China,” said Mr. Simunovic of the Gagosian Gallery.

“As the cultural community grows,” he continued, “I think you will see Hong Kong-based artists rise to greater prominence.”

MSI launches new gaming notebooks

Admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 08:41:05 +0000

Email
Print

The new MSI GT70 Dragon Edition 2.
(Credit: MSI)

MSI has unveiled its latest notebooks ahead of Computex. With a focus on gaming, the new models come with discrete graphics and features geared toward PC gamers.

The 17.3-inch MSI GT70 Dragon Edition 2 is the flagship model, which sports all the latest hardware. It will come with what we think is Intels upcoming Haswell processor, due to be announced at Computex 2013 in Taiwan. It is also equipped with the latest Nvidia GeForce GTX780M, which according to MSI, gives it a 3DMark Vantage score of 36,000.

Other features include multiple SSDs in a RAID 0 array (optimized for speed), a keyboard by gaming peripheral brand SteelSeries and the ability to plug in three external monitors for a total of four displays. This is done through the inclusion of three outputs found at the rear–VGA, Mini DisplayPort and HDMI.

The three video-out ports can be used simultaneously to give a four-screen setup.
(Credit: MSI)

Another noteworthy model is the GS70 Stealth. It, too, will sport a next-generation Intel processor and Nvidia graphics in the form of the GeForce GTX765M. Performance features aside, what stands out most about the GS70 Stealth is the metallic chassis and 2.9-kg weight, which is relatively lightweight for a 17-inch notebook. This rivals the Razer Blade notebook, and MSIs version is even marginally slimmer with a thickness of 21.8mm.

Other models in the lineup include the 14-inch GE40, a 2kg notebook sporting the Nvidia GTX760M graphics and the GX70E, another 17-incher that uses AMD for the processor and graphics.

The new notebooks will be available starting June, after Computex. Prices have not been announced, but look out for them at your local electronics retailers from next month onward.

El Anatsui at the Royal Academy Art-world alchemy

Admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:16:04 +0000

THE insistent groan of an industrial cherry-picker made for an odd siren song at the Royal Academy of Art over the weekend. Casual strollers wandered into the plaza, their curiosity piqued by the small army of construction workers unfurling and hanging a tapestry-like artwork across the façade of the RA’s Burlington House. “It reminds me of Klimt,” said one bystander to his friend.

Indeed, the piece–called “TSIATSIA – searching for a connection”–is luminous. Made especially for the RA and on view through August 18th, the 15 x 23 metre work is one of the largest ever created by El Anatsui, a contemporary artist based in Nigeria. In those fleeting moments when the sun emerges over London, the work looks as though it has been switched on. Yet closer inspection of the woven panels reveals that they are made entirely of rubbish. Sections that look like stones are made from used printing plates announcing births, deaths and weddings. Squares of vibrant colours come from discarded roofing material. What glitters like gold from a distance is actually a chain-mail of flattened aluminium bottle-tops advertising cheap African liquor: Romatex, Castello, First Lady Brandy.

“It’s almost alchemical,” observed Elizabeth Lalouschek of October Gallery, which represents Mr Anatsui. “He transforms ordinary objects into something extraordinary.” This is what makes Mr Anatsui’s work remarkable, even shocking: that something so beautiful can be made from the junk most people throw away, each object carrying the weight of a past life. This play on materials can feel loaded with cultural commentary, yet Mr Anatsui, who was born in Ghana in 1944, dislikes being pigeon-holed as an “African artist”. “People are free to have their own ideas,” he explained.

Amid the mild anxiety of the artworks two-day installation process–the droning cherry-pickers; the craned necks and folded arms of nervous gallerists and architects; the intrigued spectators, snapping photos on their phones–Mr Anatsui exuded a rare calm. A modest presence in jeans, trainers and a black windbreaker, he spent much of the time seated quietly on a chair in the middle of the plaza, occasionally taking pictures with his iPad. Ms Lalouschek was on hand to do his bidding, armed with a walkie-talkie. “Just push the material!” she told two men atop a cherry-picker. “Don’t worry, it’s strong.”

Akinjide Reaffirms Commitment To Sporting Activities In FC

Admin — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:02:08 +0000

THE Minister of State for the FCT, Ms Olajumoke Akinjide, has reaffirmed the administrations commitment to promoting sporting activities in the FCT.

Akinjide made the pledge on Thursday at the opening ceremony of the 10th Aso Table Tennis Club National Championship in Nyanya, Abuja.

The minister, who was represented by the FCT Director of Sports, Mr Alim Musa, said that the championship was supposed to include participants from the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

She said, however, that available statistics showed that 189 players from 10 states and the FCT participated in the ninth edition of the championship, held in May 2012.

Akinjide said that 26 states and the FCT were represented in this years edition of the competition.

The minister noted that the growing interest and acceptability of the championship was attributable to the integrity and level of organisation of the annual event.

And hopefully, the 11th edition might have participants from the 36 states of the federation, the FCT and participants from other countries of the world.

Akinjide recalled that the championship was initiated in 2004, adding that it would be sustained by the FCT Administration.

She urged stakeholders to assist government to develop youths in the country.

I urge the private sector in particular, to support events such as this one for the benefit of Nigerian youths, she said.

She also urged participants to be focused, disciplined and to ensure that they played according to the rules of the game.

The minister also urged the officials to identify talented players who could be nurtured to represent Nigeria in various competitions.

Bravo’s “Newlyweds: The First Year” chronicles Year One in four marriages

Admin — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:11:09 +0000

With a number of marriages ending in divorce, some may wonder why couples might choose to walk down the aisle. After all, beyond the fairy tale wedding day (if that even happens), day-to-day life is not always something out of a romantic drama. The first year of marriage, in particular, may be the most challenging, as each person truly gets acquainted with the other — idiosyncrasies and all. Bravo’s new docuseries Newlyweds: The First Year goes inside the lives of four recently married couples and spends an entire year with them, following each partnership and capturing everything from their wedding day to their first anniversary, with all the trials and tribulations in between.

The eight-part Newlyweds: The First Year is co-executive produced by Oscar-nominated documentarian Lauren Lazin, and the couples featured are:

Kimberly V. Cherebin and Alaska Gedeon — This bicoastal couple is constantly on the run between Los Angeles and New York City, and struggle in finding ways to balance both their careers and a marriage.

Disney Profits Beat Forecasts on Growth at Amusement Parks, Networks

Admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:39:13 +0000

NEW YORK (TheStreet) — The Walt Disney Co. (DIS)said sales and profits that beat analyst forecasts as the worlds largest entertainment company posted growth at its television networks, film studios and amusement parks.

Report Early Marriages to Police, Says Yaluma

Admin — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:21:25 +0000

GOVERNMENT has urged Zambians, especially those in rural areas, to always report to law enforcement agencies some families that force young girls into early marriages.

Works, Supply, Transport and Communications Minister Christopher Yaluma said the Government was concerned about the increased cases of early marriages in rural areas.

The minister was speaking when he launched the campaign against child marriages at Nsokolo Basic School in Mbala District on Thursday.

Mr Yaluma said early marriages had hindered the future of the girl-child.

We want to see that every child, especially the young girls access education. Early marriages have hindered the girl-child from becoming a responsible citizen and we have to end this practice, he said.

Mr Yaluma said the girl-child had become vulnerable to early marriages because of some families that were forcing their young ones to get married, citing poverty.

He said Government had committed itself to increasing school infrastructure for young people to access quality education.

Senior Chief Nsokolo of the Mambwe people said early marriages had become rife in his chiefdom and Northern Province in general due to escalating poverty levels.

He said he was currently working on a comprehensive programme which he would use to sensitise all the chiefs in the province to intensify campaigns against child marriages.

He appealed to the Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs to assist him with transport and other logistics to enable him to realise his ambitious campaign.

Earlier, Northern Province Minister Obius Chisala appealed to all stakeholders to partner with the Government in spreading messages of ending early marriages.

Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs assistant director Chinjili Zulu said the ministry was targeting traditional leaders to help change peoples mindsets against early marriages.

The launch of the campaign was attended by hundreds of residents.

Mr Yaluma and Senior Chief Nsokolo later distributed T-shirts bearing messages on ending child marriages.

Nightcaps: The coffee industry, as seen by adorable cartoon aliens [Video]

Admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 07:03:26 +0000

From the local scene:

Why Merritt Bakery matters. Peter Hartlaub pens an ode to the fire-damaged Oakland bakery. [SFGate]
There shall be no Cocktail Week in 2013. Go to a bar instead. [Eater SF]
Luke Tsai reviews Miliki, a 3-year-old Nigerian restaurant in Oakland: Most entrÃes at Miliki follow this basic format: Diners can mix and match between different stews, meats, and doughs (though Aregbe said the iyan is the most accessible option). Only the daring, however, should opt for a bitter leaf variation of the egusi stew [East Bay Express]

From the national scene:

The video above is titled Coffee Propaganda. It’s an animated short from Hyun Ji AJ Bae, Janice Ahn, Yoon Sun Lee, and Zach Eastburg at the Art Center College of Design in California. Told from the perspective of cute aliens, it tells the story of Earth’s consumption of this magical potion known as coffee. [via Laughing Squid]
Why the food truck business sucks. [New York Times]
Florida restaurant removes lion tacos from its menu. However, it’s still serving bear and camel tacos. [Gawker]

Amusement Ride-Related Injuries: 4423 Each Year

Admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:32:04 +0000

–>

WASHINGTON DC (WUSA9) — Take a second glance at the flying saucer ride you are thinking about letting your child ride while at an amusement park.

A new study on amusement ride-related injuries in emergency rooms has found that from 1990-2010, 4,423 children each year were treated in the ER from these injuries. Study authors also found that the number of injuries spiked in summertime.

They were even able to pinpoint where these injuries occur. The Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Childrens Hospital examined the following: rides atamusement parks, fairs, festivals, restaurantsand arcades.

Available online and in the print issue of Clinical Pediatrics, it was found that,32% were most likely to be sustained as the result of a fall, 18% by hitting a part of a body on a ride and being hit by something while riding.

But how can officials decrease the number of injuries?

Dr. Gary Smith, MD, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy of Nationwide Childrens Hospital says, Although the US Consumer Product Safety Commission has jurisdiction over mobile rides, regulation of fixed-site rides is currently left to state or local governments leading to fragmented system.

A coordinated national system would help us prevent amusement ride-related injuries through better injury surveillance and more consistent enforcement of standards.

Dr. Smith also believes that injuries from smaller amusement rides are often overlooked since this is the first study to describe national rates of pediatric injury involving amusement rides.

Amusement ride safety tips:

Always follow all posted height, age, weight and health restrictions.
Make sure to follow any special seating order and/or loading instructions.
Always use safety equipment such as seat belts and safety bars.
Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.
Know your child and whether or not he or she will follow the rules.
Trust your instincts about whether or not the ride is safe.
Avoid mall rides if they are over a hard, unpadded surface or if they dont have a child restraint such as a seat belt.

Ending Forced Marriages

Admin — Mon, 20 May 2013 04:12:03 +0000

It must be made clear and known to all that forced or arranged marriage is wrong, and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis.

However, the practice still exists in The Gambia, particularly in the rural areas.

We see in some parts of rural Gambia young girls being forced to marry against their will. Worst of all, they are sometimes being forced to marry men as old as their fathers age.

This practice must stop completely since it has many consequences for the girls, who are mainly the victims of arranged or forced marriages.

People forced into marriage may be promised greater opportunities, physically threatened and or emotionally blackmailed to do so.

When someone is forced into marriage with someone he or she does not really love the person feels that they no longer have control over their own lives.

Consequently, many individuals end up depressed, self-harming or in the worst cases, even attempt to commit suicide.

We are therefore calling on the authorities concerned, especially the local authorities, to join efforts in eradicating forced or arranged marriages.

The practice is against the rights of the girls and no parent or family member has the right to force someone to marry against his or her will.

We firmly believe that our young boys and girls must be free to choose their own partners, without interference from any quarter.