not much of an update, but something

by | Apr 7, 2011 | Uncategorized


The following is via Designboom

our friends at hong kong-based architectural firm map office are sending out a call to bring attention to the disappearance of contemporary chinese artist ai weiwei. last sunday, april 3rd, 2011, ai weiwei and his friend wan tao were stopped and detained by police authorities, from boarding a flight from beijing airport. they were then escorted away

since then, there has been no word as to their whereabouts until now. a statement was released this afternoon from a state-run global times newspaper breaking china’s media silence on the situation, stating that ai weiwei has no respect for the laws of his country, and that he is on the verge of pushing the limits of legal tolerance. for this, ai weiwei’s behaviour will be evaluated and he will pay a price for his actions.

the artist is best known for his political activism revolving around the earthquake that hit china’s sichuan province in 2008. since then he has faced physical abuse from authorities, his new studio was recently demolished and his name and work has been censored throughout china among other events and incidents.

you may read more about the detainment of ai weiwei by jerome cohen here.

ai weiwei’s work ‘sunflower seeds‘ is currently on show at the tate modern in london.
in may his ‘cirlce of animals / zodiac heads‘ world tour will begin in the grand army play near central park in new york.

*** Update thanks to Lori Buff:
A petition has been started to ask congress to request Weiwei’s release. To see and sign the petion, click here: http://www.change.org/petitions/free-chinese-artistactivist-ai-weiwei?share_id=irQHuRxLko&pe=pce

It’ll just take a minute!

Once you’re done, please ask your friends to sign the petition as well. Grassroots movements succeed because people like you are willing to spread the word!

Call for entries: Cheongju International Craft Biennale

by | Apr 6, 2011 | call for entry, emerging artist, job posting, monday morning eye candy, movie day, residency opportunity, show us your influences, technical tuesday


**Overseas deadline June 8th 2011**

Since its debut in 1999. Cheongju International Craft Biennale(CICB) has biennially extended the horizon of Craft from “Hands of Harmony”, “The Breath of Nature”, “Use”, “Temptation”, “Creative Evolution”, “Deeply and slowly” through “Outside the Box” as themes. through as themes. Even though CICB has brought about an innovation and change in craft world. Concerns have been expressed. One of them was the surplus of artistry.

There was a request we need to meditate on the lesson craft have two pillars: usefulness(necessity) and artistry(beauty). So we CICB will try to re-read the usefulness as an essence of craft based on the truth, ‘craft in a daily lift here and now’. That is why CICB suggests as its theme. This theme includes an aesthetic usefulness beyond the implemental usefulness.

Kindly expected deep and diverse craft-interpretations on the theme will be shown through this “The 7th CHEONGJU International Craft Competition”.

Genre: All craft artwork projects demonstrating a creative and original vision Qulifications for Entry: All nationalities and genders are welcomed to apply. We accept both individual and group projects of 3 artists or fewer.

For all the details and dates to remember please visit their website here.