Together with photographer Ruben Lundgren, we worked on the selection of photoseries for the book…a great process in which one has to make decisions….!
This weekend, Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad published an interview with Daan about Go West.
The interview explains the origin and content of the Go West Project and tells background stories about the taxi project Go West organized for the Shenzhen Biennale. Moreover Daan is asked to do suggestions how one can prepare for a trip to China. Here’s a wrap up - and some additional books and websites:
Internet:
Chinasmack, Danwei, ChinaDigitalTimes (translated Chinese blogs) - FYI: these are not available in China…
More: Six (great blog on the life of Chinese students in Beijing), Patrick Chovanec (great economic insights on China) Movingcities (about urbanism in changing conditions)
Books:
Inside the Red Mansion, Postcards from Tomorrow Square, Factorygirls.
More: What does China Think, Bad Elements.
On Architecture / Urbanism: The Chinese Dream, The Great Leap Forward.
Do you want to know more about our work, or do you have questions, suggestions or other ideas, please mail: info[at]gowestproject.com
If you want to stay updated, please subscribe to our RSS feed, join our LinkedIn group or sign up for our monthly newsletter!
Download the full article here. (in Dutch)
China News: China’s Urban Dwellers to Exceed Rural Population | China Digital Times (CDT).
From today, our team is temporarily extended with a graphic designer. Job from studio Job, Joris & Marieke is in Shanghai for one week to work on the graphic design of our book. This morning we started discussing the content and structure of our book, and of course in studying other examples…
After big events, their buildings often remain empty and unused. It happened for example after the 2000 Expo in Hannover. It won’t happen to the World Expo in Shanghai, where most of the buildings will be broken down. Or to quote architect John Kormeling: “It is quite insane to fly people from all over the world into one place and let them watch an exhibition about sustainability, that will be destroyed afterwards.” This you can indeed hardly call “Better City Better Life”.
Anyway, there are heavy debates about the use of the remains of the 2008 Olympics as well. What to do with its stadium in a country of chain smokers? We now know the answer!
We already showed you the pictures, but now we have moving images! In July 2009, Xi’an opened the brand new 8-lane Xi’an Xianyang International Airport Express Highway (See pictures of the opening ceremony). But half a year after opening, the 20,6 kilometer long road does not seem to be used much - to put it mildly.
We took the highway with a taxi during rush hour in Xi’an. You can see for yourself on the images below. Is this a so-called “Grand Travail Inutil”? We’re inclined to think so, at least for the next couple of years. Our driver said: “I think we’ll never have enough cars to fill this road”, but that might not be true either…
Today, Go West did a lecture for students at the Shanghai Study Centre of the Hong Kong University. The lecture was part of the urbanism class of Liu Yuyang, teacher at HKU. We discussed preservation strategies in Kunming and the architectural quality of urban villages in Lanzhou. Finally we talked about the house of mr. Sun in Shijiazhuang and the new landlords of the Fang Bei area.
On Thursday, February 11 the Go West Project will give a presentation at De Balie in Amsterdam.
In this presentation we will present results from our research in the cities in the Central and Western part of China. We will show redevelopment in Shijiazhuang, preservation in Kunming and the new business district in Wuhan. The evening will end with a panel discussion about several topics. How do these cities develop? Does China build a new type of city? What does the growth of these cities mean for China and the rest of the world?
The panel consists of China watchers, amongst whom Annette Nijs, director Global Initiative of the China Europe International Business School and author of the book ‘China with New Eyes’ and Michelle Provoost, founder of Crimson Architectural Historians and director of the International New Town Institute.
Also on February 11, De Balie will open a photo exhibition about the performance of the Go West Project at the Shenzhen / Hong Kong Architecture Biennale in December, where they asked 6 taxi drivers from 6 different Chinese cities to drive across the country to Shenzhen.
Time : February 11, 2010 at 20.30 pm
Location : De Balie
Address: Kleine Gartmanplantsoen 10, Amsterdam (near Leidseplein)
Admission : Free
Apparently unaffected by the global economic recession, Beijing’s real estate prices have continued to rise this year after last year’s brief slump. Amidst complaints about the house price escalation, last week a government minister openly admitted to the media that he couldn’t afford a house in the city.
During 6 days, the taxistand in front of the Civic Building was roaring with activity…
Passengers getting into Changsha taxi
Go West assistant Ada helping at the taxi stand
Many taxi drivers from Shenzhen are very curious about their visiting colleagues from remote cities in China. They park their cars along side the others and come to have a chat. They compare cars, fares, tanks, take pictures together and smoke eachothers cigarettes. (2nd from the right is Shenzhen driver)
With a lot of attention from the local Shenzhen taxis the ‘foreign’ drivers drove in a line to the gas station to fill the tanks. Go West’’s own promotion team leeds the way.
In between rides the taxidrivers are never bored: taking pictures, having lunch, playing cards… And they’re starting to make plans of their own for yearly trips to all the different cities for big reunions!
Outside the exhibition space and right across the main forum hall the taxis are lined up, to pick up the Biennale public for a tour around town.
Passengers ready for the ride.
RSS