Christmas Fair 2007

The Christmas Fair at Nordica had 40 tables, each one selling their typical thing. Everything from Uncles Sams Chocolate sauce to chinese “pearl in pearl sculptures”.
There were a lot of small organizations represented, among them Hearts and Hands China and Rehab center, both working with Chinese disabled people trying to provide training and employment so that the disabled can earn a living. But there was also private persons selling their own homemade work. For children there were several things to do such as face painting, cut and paste, painting sculptures, watching movies etc.
The atmosphere was nice, a little loud but the Christmas spirit was on top. If you are interested in meeting people, eat Christmas cookies and maybe buy presents for your loved ones you should come next year because now its over.
I bought several pieces of handicraft such as hand painted cards, jewels etc. There were also a wood shop selling antique furniture and more, I bought an antique desk.

Ritva, a lady from Finland and Wang Yue had a table at the Christmas fair with some handicraft work. I asked them some questions.

What are you selling?

We sell handicraft work, mostly embroidery made from Sani people.

Is this your first time here at Nordica’s Christmas fair?
Yes, this is the first time.

Can you tell me about the process behind the work?
Yes, the handicrafts displayed here are handmade by Sani, a branch of the Yi minority living in Shilin (Stone forest) county.
In the past, the most common fabric used by the Sani was hemp. Today, only elderly know this technique. Nowadays most of the handicrafts are made by cotton fabric. There are a variety of traditional patterns that identify a handicraft as Sani and one is called “The sun pattern”.

What do you think about Nordica?
Nordica is providing a meeting place for Artist and interaction between many cultures.

Can I find your work somewhere else?
In Shilin county, 1,5 hours from Kunming.

Written by Per Johansson
Volunteer at Nordica

Contagious Love 2007

Contagious Love 2007:Artistic reflections on the HIV/Aids situation in China

exhibition opening:December 1st,2007,20:00
exhibition duration:December 1st–31st,2007
Add:TCG Nordica gallery,Xibalu 101#,Kunming
Tel:0871-4114692

Sponsor:Xiao Rong
Curator:Luo Fei
artists/poets:
Chath Pier Sath(Cambodia),Du Gao,Sha Sha,Yu Di,He Libin,Zhang Xiangwu,Zou Kunling,Huang Youhua,Lei Yan+Song Ziping,Sun Guojuan,Li Feng,Li Xiang,Dan Froberg(Sweden),Marjan Verhaeghe(Belgium),Zhou Lei,Li Youjie,Nina Cheng,Liu Jun,Wu Yuequan,Gao Yunfei,Li Xu,Dou Yu,Zhang Yongzheng

In Chinese minds, ‘aids’ is still something kept as a ‘non-of-my-business’ concept. There are few people who understand and care about the fact that this disease increases so fast, and has become a threat to the whole world. Because of the nature of Chinese culture it has been a hidden problem, resulting in even higher risks. It is difficult to talk about matters of who is infected, how and where it has been passed on, and how to stop it. Even now, when people take action and establish some works to help affected people and control the spread, it is still difficult to know what is going to happen in the coming 10 years.

In China, art, music and culture has a very special ability to communicate and mediate messages. People are used to this way of getting information and understand different issues. Artists can speak a heart-to-heart language where age, gender and cultural differences do not matter.

“Contagious Love ” is the TCG Nordica sustained three years of the AIDS community care nonprofit projects, initiated cultural and arts activities to arouse people’s attention to AIDS. In this process artists, poets and other cultural workers together with HIV/AIDS care workers and the infected people get connected, the project builds a bridge between these people and promotes a mutual understanding between them. This year 24 poets and artists from China, Cambodia, Belgium, Sweden and other countries use art and words as a language to show great concern about HIV/AIDS.

literature works
indroduction of HIV project

Kunming Daily interview Cambodian poet Chath Pier Sath,aids care worker Zheng Caiming and Ma Andelie at TCG Nordica

newspaper(picture),read report here(Chinese only)

Opening

aids care worker Zheng Canming,Ma Andelie and Zhang Guangnan sing songs for audience,they express their real feeling about HIV aids

Cambodian poet Chath is reciting his poems

Chath’s works

Chath’s poems and Dou Yu’s paintings

Sha Sha’s print making works on handmade paper

He Libin’s installation

children from Lei Yan and Song Ziping’s children studio are creativing paintings about HIV aids topic

exhibition space:Zhang Yongzheng’s paintings,Marjan Verhaeghe’s poem installation and children’s paintings

exhibition space

Marjan Verhaeghe’s poem installation

Li Youjie’s video works

photos from:Luo Fei and Per Johansson

relate reports(Chinese only):report 1(PDF),report 2,report 3,report 4

Contagious Love 2007—Art Support HIV/Aids Donation Concert

welcome to join Contagious Love 2007—Art Support HIV/Aids Donation Concert on Saturday 10th November 8:oo pm at TCG Nordica.

Performers: Marianne G. Nielsen (Denmark), Mari Salli (Finland),
Kim Lytton (USA), Li Qi (China), Li Chaoqun (China), Sun Yunmin (China)
“Sarah” Chen Jia (China), Huang Shan (China), Wang Yaxuan (China),Tian Jing (China)

Organizer: TCG Nordica
Ticket Price：Adults： 80 yuan Children :40 yuan
Tel: 4114691、 4114692

Art Support HIV/Aids donation concert

The concert that took place on Saturday the 10th of November was a culture meeting between east and west in music and dance, that gave inspiration and hope. When i left i had
a warm felling inside of me. Like one of the singers Kim Lytton said
tonight, I feel that Kunming is my second home. Of course she has lived
her for 16 years but already after 2 months, Kunming has a special place in
my heart and Im sure that after this year in Kunming I will say the same!

1. Mari Salli, the Finnish pianist played Johannes Brahms
“Rhapsodyop.79 no1″, Mari is also stage director at Nordica.

2. Li Qi and Li chaoqin, two excellent violinst played J.S Bach
“double violin concert”.

3. Marianne G Nielsen the Danish opera singer accompanied by Mari
Salli (Piano) sang
Poul Schierbecks Chinese flute song cycle op.10
1.”Spring rain”
2.”The three princesses”
3.”Faithful wife”
4.”Song of river”

4. Kim Lytton from USA sang three Yunnan folksongs in Chinese named “Small
runing stream”, “Phoenix bamboo in the moonlight”,
and “welcome visitors from far away”. She also sang a song named “colorful Yunnan”, that she has written with a Chinese friend.

5. Chen Jia danced a Traditional Chinese dance.

6. A Hulu (minority people) flute piece called “golden peacock”
was performed by Sun Yumin.

7. A Dai (minority people) dance called “peacock dance” was
performed by Wang Chun

8. Red Girl music group from Kunming played contemporary Chinese pop with
traditional instruments (pipa, erhu, table harp and bamboo flute) and influences
from traditional Chinese music.
1.”Alamuhan”
2.”Jasmine flower”

CHUN LEE WANG GURT

Wang Gurt has exhibited at different spaces, museums, art centres and galleries in Europe, Asia and America. Working with various material and media. Among others: International triennial Xylon 14, 2007; ”To travel” film and photo installation at Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm, 2004; International exhibition and seminar, International Institute of Art and Culture, Institute of European Culture School of Humanities, Warsaw, Pultusk. “I Wish You Were Here” at Gallery Enkehuset, Stockholm, 2002. ”Way Out”, installation in Stureplan, Stockholm, 1998-99. Green space New York. “A Swedish Project”, principal at College of printmaking arts in Stockholm Sweden, -a relational work from theory to and in reality, 98-04. Besides she works as guest professor at different art institutes around the world, she also works as freelance curator-organiser as part of her artistic activities.

Presented at: China National Gallery, Beijing, China National Museum for Culture and Art Heritage, The National Public Art Council Sweden, Uppsala Art Museum, Dalarnas Art Museum, National Museum, Sweden, Swedish Parliament, Museum of Modern Art, Stockholm.

Chun Lee Wang Gurt was educated at: Pratt Institute New York, post-graduate; The Royal academy of Fine Arts, Stockholm Sweden, MFA; The central Academy of Fine Arts, graduated and research studies, Beijing, China.

Great waves in Shandong,sculpture/installation

Way Out, installation;

Community in circle, sculpture;

Simone’s walk through Chartres, painting;

Landscape before storm, painting;

Handicapped, sculpture

To travel 2, film installation.

Kaarina Ormio

Finnish artist Kaarina Ormio

born 1968. Lives in Helsinki, spending 5 months in Kunming Works with different medias for the same theme, where the fairytale princess tends to appear in one way or another.

artist statement:
I work with the theme ‘chinoiserie’. This historical art style from the rococo time means

European eager for the Chinese based on exotic fantasies. The Finnish Chinese-translator Pertti Nieminen has said about ‘chinoiserie’: “The fairytale ‘The Nightingale’ of H.C. Andersen was as good an information as decorative pictures on English porcelain plates.”

In Kunming I sow ‘Chinese princess dresses’ that are based on my European fantasies, they are a mixture of the European and the Chinese. They are also real, wearable dresses.

I have worked with different media like performance, book, film, installation, dresses, but mostly for the same theme, where the traveling fairytale princess always appears in one way or another. She is like a western explorer and imperialist, but in a mild and a bit playful sense. I try to sow the ‘Chinese princess dresses’ on the basis of the local taste with a wish to conform with an unfamiliar culture. When conquering a country I also become conquered myself. By sowing a dress in a strange country and dressing up in it I try to get inside the strangeness.

Kaarina’s solo exhibition at TCG Nordica

website
blog in Kunming

Kaarina Ormio at TCG Nordica’s studio.14 Dec 2007

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