Chengdu Biennale: Special Artistic Zone

Cities are more than concrete and highways. A lot of emerging Chinese cities are now facing the choice how to program their buildings. As part of our contribution to the Chengdu Biennale 2011 we organized an event on October 2 where we invited around 50 specialists from the cultural field in Chengdu. In a tea session, 8 groups of people discussed the concept of the Special Artistic Zone.

Every group tried to describe what are the ultimate conditions for a cultural life in an emerging Chinese megacity. Throughout the evening there were small statements, ideas and a lot of discussion. We’re now gathering all the ideas that were produced in the event.

Special Artistic Zone

During the Chengdu Biennale, the Go West Project will present the ‘Special Artistic Zone’, a one-night event investigating the conditions for a cultural life in emerging megacities. Go West brings together key persons from the cultural field of the megacity Chengdu, by organizing an outdoor tea session on 2 October. Specialists from eight different disciplines will discuss subjects related to cultural life, in a relaxed and private atmosphere.

The main question on eight different tables: What conditions do emerging cities need, to develop a flourishing and profound cultural life?

By documenting how the evening and its discussions progress, Go West will grasp new insights and perspectives about cultural life in the contemporary city. Governments, real estate developers and architects can use the answers of this experiment, when striving to turn their city into a cultural hotspot – the ambition of so many cities in China, and the world for that matter.

And after all, the best ideas are exchanged over tea…

Chengdu Biennale trip

Christoph Kapeller (USC), Paul Tang, Liu Yuyang (Biennale), Vivian Song (Go West) visit Dongcun village

This fall, Go West will participate in the Chengdu Biennale, as part of the research program of this years Biennale. Our contribution will investigate cultural life in Chinese cities, both in an exhibition, and in an event. Last week we made a trip to Chengdu as part of the preparation; we visited potential venues, talked with people in the cultural field and participated in a two day conference with field trips, organized by the Biennale.

Daan and Vivian lecture at Chengdu Architecture department

Dinner with curator Xu Sheng (Re-C Gallery), Zou Peng and Zhou Weijia (Chengdu Gongbo Culture Communication Group)