city angst

shanghai post-world expo is by no means living up to its slogan of "better city, better life." the price of everything has gone up - from property to garlic. meanwhile, air quality has gone down as factories are churning at top speed again, and traffic remains more or less (feels like more) atrocious.

the rise in property value and the onslaught of developers' greed is the worst. news that have reached my ears in the past 48 hours:

- several friends have been informed by their landlords that their monthly rent is being hiked up 1,000 rmb ($150 USD) per month, not open to negotiation.

- mesa/manifesto, a fixture in shanghai's dining and nightlife scene, is being evicted after 7 years in their location. never mind that they still have two more years on their lease. the landlord has sold the building and doesn't want anyone to occupy it. they have until the end of march to relocate.

- compassion for migrant children, a non-profit doing amazing work in the lives of migrant children and their families, has also been unceremoniously given walking papers by their landlord. informed last week that they would need to move their headquarters out of their beijing office building in a month's time, that time frame was adjusted to the end of this month, as they were notified yesterday. yeah, as in 2 days. happy new year to you, too, landlord.

- our shanghai arts community studio may be losing its home soon as well. rumors have been confirmed that 696 wei hai road, a popular enclave of artist studios and small galleries recently featured on artinfo, has been sold to developers and residents will be asked to evacuate in three months' time. the plan is to construct another glitzy bar-and-restaurant-area, catered to foreign tourists and those with deep pockets. apparently, we don't have enough of these entertaining districts in shanghai.

this one hits home and is hard to swallow, especially after the success of the urbanity project launch and the beautiful renovations to our space. not to mention we've befriended many of the artists in the compound, several of whom have been there for years. as property prices skyrocket and these artists are being chased out of their studios either by developers or by astronomically high rent, artists are moving to the outskirts of the city or suburbs, looking for places to create their work.

some of the artists who live and work at 696 wei hai gathered last night for a "town hall" type meeting, with plans in the works. we will not go quietly.....

oh, china. you're losing your soul. and robbing us of ours.


cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea

mood: c-c-cold

rules for living

inspired by this blog post based on robert's rules of order, i present my own 'rules of living,' gathered from 32 years on this planet and in no particular order:

1. always carry kleenex, mints and dental floss in your purse.
2. write thank-you notes. actual thank-you notes, not just e-cards.
3. take ten minutes a day to turn up the music and dance.
4. eat to nourish your body and spirit. don't scrimp for the sake of efficiency, but take the time to savor the process - from preparation to actual eating. don't worry about counting calories or proper intake from the food pyramid - eat good, delicious, healthy food for the well-being of your entire self.
5. cook to nourish others. don't just feed people - nourish them.
6. moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.
7. be in awe at least once a day. be awashed by childlike wonder, like the first time you saw a rainbow after a rainstorm or came in contact with a puppy. let yourself be amazed by something, and dwell in that moment a little longer than you think necessary.
8. remember people's names when you meet them. or at least try really hard.
9. say "i love you" to the people you love. it's good for them to hear it, it's good for you to say it.
10. write things down when you think of it. you might forget it ten minutes later.

there are plenty more, but i think that's a good list for now.
as i round the corner into my second decade as an adult post-collegiate life, i'm sure there will be plenty more rules of living to be discovered...

cups of coffee: 2

mood: like sands in the hourglass....

BAM!

a makeshift advent wreath: 5 tea lights, one plate and one muffin wrapper

while dishing the dirt about boys, love, and everything in between with the girls a few nights ago, i made the observation that life is, in fact, a series of waiting: "it's like waiting, waiting, waiting, then BAM!...then waiting, waiting, waiting, then BAM!"

to which my friend chelsea responded, "i can't wait for the next BAM!"

how appropriate to think of the BAM! that christmas celebrates - the ultimate BAM, if you will, of a people longing and looking for their savior. strip away the trappings that now adorn christmas: the giving, the warm fuzzies, even the "peace on earth, goodwill to men." strip away all the sugar-coated gatherings and the tinsel-and-glitter greetings. at the heart is this simple, radical event: God came to earth and enfleshed Himself among mortal men. thousands of years of bated breath and unanswered prophecies fulfilled in one moment - the impossible became very much a reality.

so if in fact, this is true - if God was not distant but instead very near and intimate, if God is not merely a empathic being but One who possesses complete understanding and even acts in substitutionary love - this changes everything. if God truly came and dwelt among us, then He is no longer a hypothesis - He was tangible.

this holiday is not just about celebrating a birth, ooohing and ahhing over some chubby-legged cherub bearing some incandescent, peaceful visage. it's about an incarnation. it's about this mind-boggling concept of God becoming man. and the further mind-stretching proclamation of His eventual return. if that is indeed what we celebrate, then that truth should rattle us to our very core. it changes everything.

BAM! and happy christmas.

cups of coffee: 2

mood:  joy!

i heart glee

LOVIN' glee's rendition of "hey, soul sister". something about an all-boys acappella group....*sigh*.


cups of coffee: working on 1

mood: good morning!

extra-extra-ordinary

the other night, i was walking to the supermarket when i happened upon two street sweepers in a moment of reverie. they were sitting on the curb of a dimly-lit street, in the shadow that straddled two staggered lampposts, while their sweeping carts were parked precisely, one behind the other, with the broom handles jaunting out like the masts on a ship. between them sat a small transistor radio, and the two middle-aged men, sitting at arm's length apart, were quiet except for the strains of chinese opera wailing from the shared radio. motionless, the men were turned towards each other but their gazes were directed upward, as if watching the performance unfold on some invisible stage suspended above the other's head. they didn't notice me passing by and pausing briefly to take in their scene; it was as if their entire beings were absorbed in that moment, in the music, in the story being played out by the characters on the radio.

in many ways, it was a mundane moment: two workers taking a break, two individuals sitting on a street where hundreds pass on any given day. yet there was also something so lovely, so poignant - sublime, even - about this moment, as if behind this very ordinary scene was something more wondrous being played out. it was as if those two men were connecting, through the music, with each other in a way beyond routine interaction, and connecting with the world, with their souls, with some greater sense of the spiritual, in a way that was transcendental. it was as if their gazes in the air caught a glimpse of eternity. 

this morning, some friends and i were dissecting a sermon we just listened to during church. part of the discussion revolved around this idea of the extraordinary vs. ordinary. we who are christians often enter the church expecting so much more than what reality offers. we expect christians to be better people, and when the foibles and flaws of our brothers and sisters hit us, they often hit us hard and we are left disappointed. we personally want to be special and when confronted with our own ordinariness, we respond with denial, discouragement or defiance. our hearts long for so much more.

i definitely struggle with this, to the point where i repel from anything that reeks of 'ordinary', almost by reflex. everything must be extraordinary: life is too short for the mundane. it really becomes an idolatry and idealization of a life less ordinary.

the reality of course is not an "either....or" situation. it is not valuing one over the other, but somehow seeing the integration and validity of both. we should expect and long for the extraordinary; after all, we were created to experience and be so much more. the fallenness of this world and of ourselves will result in frustration, but the frustration should fuel the flames of our hope and longing for the world redeemed with greater fervor. and if there exists a God who can part the seas and raise the dead, then those of us who follow Him and profess faith should expect nothing less than miracles and wonders. a stance of awe and eager anticipation should not be an anomaly; it should be the norm.

on the other hand, nothing is truly mundane. in every gesture, every moment, even in every daily chore, there lies the potential for an act of worship, for the sacred to pervade. work has purpose, relationships are rich, the patterns of our life are significant. nothing is without meaning. beauty is everywhere.

a life both extraordinary and ordinary. reveling in the ideal as well as the seemingly plain.

ah, the paradoxes of the life redeemed. i love it.


cups of coffee:  2

mood: chill

tweet tweet

for those of you who tweet, i've set up a personal twitter account:

http://twitter.com/cosmosnchaos

tweet away!


cups of coffee: 3

mood: brrrrr.....winter is upon us

the one with the lists

it's that time of year again, as one calendar year draws to a close and another begins, to reflect on highlights and predict upcoming trends and hits. from NPR music's 50 favorite albums from 2010 to the atlantic's 30 most dynamic cities in the world, everyone is compiling lists. i'm inspired to do no different.

so here we go, personal highlights of 2010, month-by-month:

january:
- party-hopping new year's eve with friends (and friends of friends). no better way to ring in the new year than cruising in a hired van with a box of krispy kreme donuts and a bottle of champagne.
- birth of the urbanity project!

february:
- one last fantastic rooftop party at the crosbys to ring in the chinese new year

march:
- new york! IAM conference! 'nuff said.
- hanneke comes to town again. we take kunming by storm and hang out with punk bluegrass musicians from quebec.

april:
- attended training in reaching out to ladies who work in the red light (er--pink lights, here) salons. going out and talking with some of the women, overcoming my own fears and prejudices in actually entering the salons.

may:
- incredibly successful exhibit opening for artist/duolun museum director chen jiu and artist jackson li. relief - whew!

june:
- delightful time with friends visiting from NYC
- soft launch of the urbanity project! amazed that it's all happening...
- bittersweet farewell bash for the crosbys. feeling like it's the end of an era.....

july:
- hanging out with abigail washburn and friends. karaoke until dawn.
- wonderful two-week visit to america. my brother gets hitched! and i get a lovely sister-in-law.

august:
- la boheme at the shanghai grand theater. my first live opera experience! *love*

september:
- whirlwind - shanghai art fair, solo exhibition by mako fujimura.
- trip to nanjing with mako and entourage. amazing conversations about art, faith and reconciliation.

october:
- fantastic week-long holiday in toronto. discover i have a new city-crush.
- ceramic art and folk music weekend in jingdezhen. dancing in a public square till the wee hours of the night!
- halloween!

november:
- hosting a delightful friend of a friend, who teaches me how to make indian food!
- week of feasting: 2 thanksgiving dinners, fun dinner with friends, and a pie-making-tree-trimming evening. time to detox.
- the urbanity project launch!

which brings us to december:
- so far off to a good start. laughter-filled night celebrating a friend's birthday at an italian restaurant and then hitting up a "festivus" party afterwards.
- looking forward to two big holiday charity events at the gallery and a christmas bash being thrown by the caribbean association in shanghai.
- christmas itself. :) o come, o come, emmanuel!

as i look at the blank pages of my 2011 muji planner (the only planner worth getting, in my book), i wonder what events, what people, what changes will fill those empty squares and lines. clean pages to be etched by future memories, words that represent moments and occasions both common and extraordinary.

what a great adventure we live. :)


cups of coffee: 2

mood: reflective-anticipatory

fullness

from cooking all afternoon to a kitchen packed with laughing friends to a succulent spread to wine paired with conversation - it was all good.
fabulous thanksgiving all around!

team turkey in action!

turkey cooked with bacon - genius

time to dig in

a lovely sight

cups of coffee: 2

mood:  *sniffle sniffle* *cough* *sneeze*.... i hate colds

surreality

i realized in mid-conversation with a friend the other night that for the past four years, i haven't been living in reality; i've been living in surreality. it's the combination of working in the art world and living in shanghai, creating a wild, decadent environment layered with airs of pretension, decked out in neon and glitter and soaked in champagne. weekends become a record of parties and hobnobbing - invitations to make it as a guest on the a-list flying furiously on a friday night through the text-o-sphere.

it all seemed quite silly at first - like we're all playing dress-up or still in high school and trying to find out which party the cool kids are going to. but then i realized that the parties were where introductions were made, collaborations were formed, doors were being opened...at least in the industry i'm working in. parties aren't optional; they come with the job.

so i started attending. i invested in (more) black clothes for my wardrobe. i transitioned from wearing hardly any jewelry to enormous earrings and clunky rings. i started wearing eyeliner. i wear heels (sometimes). i purchased a business card holder.

this isn't to say i haven't enjoyed it - i've enjoyed it a lot. it's a bit mind-boggling when i reflect on the events i've attended and the people i've met, particularly in the past couple of years: invitation to a dance performance with european royalty in attendance, dinner at art celebrity pearl lam's home, opening parties for luxury design brands such as hermes and dolce & gabbana, hanging out with renowned contemporary artists like mako fujimura....to name a few. i have been spoiled.

i think, though, that i've reached a point where i'm ready to take a break from surreality and live in reality for a bit. i'm also starving to learn - to be under the tutelage of those older and wiser than me. part of the surreality of shanghai is that we really are a bunch of kids: publication editors, gallery curators and directors, art dealers....most fall firmly in the age bracket between 25 and 35. shanghai really is the new wild west: most of us work in positions that would take us years elsewhere to reach. if i were in new york, i'd be lucky to be interning at an art gallery, forget running one.

what i really want to do right now is to go back to school, work in a cafe and learn to make a perfect cup of cappuccino, and grunge out in hoodies and jeans. i basically want to re-live my early 20's.

ironically, that feels more like reality.


cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea

mood:  contemplative

urbanity!

the urbanity project happened last saturday. it really happened! that glimmer of an idea from about a year ago actually blossomed, amid much sweat, tears and (thankfully) little blood (may have been a papercut or a splinter here or there), into actual fruition. the "hey, what if...." erupted into "we're doing it. and doing it big." one book, 130+ pages, 32 contributing artists and writers. one massive exhibit opening/book launch/celebration. now we're looking into both local and international distribution channels for the book. i'm still kind of in shock.

 welcome to the urbanity project exhibition!

 nice crowd

 our hardworking book editor justin and exhibit curator chelsea

 urbanity! urbanity! urbanity!

at your service

feeling incredibly humbled and oh-so-thankful. people have already started asking about volume 2....?

i think we need a breather first. :)


cups of coffee:  2 + 2 green tea

mood:  wow

faith in the useless

here's a very well-crafted reflection by my friend and colleague justin on mako's recent visit and our ensuing trip to nanjing.

"faith in the useless: art as a space for reconciliation"

read it. you'll be glad you did.


cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea

mood:  antsy

on halloween

i don't think i will ever tire of halloween. every other day of the year, i have to act like a respectable adult. i go to work, i pay bills, i dress nicely (most of the time). but on halloween, i can be a kid again. i can wear fantastic costumes, smear bright makeup on my face, dance like a maniac and run around in a sugar-induced (or alcohol-induced) state.

i love it.

i even love the tiny feeling of being scared - i'm not into the blood and gore, but i love that little shaky feeling in my stomach and the chill tingling along my skin from haunted houses and ghost stories. on halloween, there's a sense that there's more to this world than what we see - be they good or evil spirits - and there is room for the imagination to fly.

a city like shanghai loves a good party and takes every occasion to throw decadent bashes. halloween falling on a weekend is like a perfect storm here - lounges, clubs and bars compete like crazy to attract the attention of indulgent partygoers.

some friends and i headed to a 'heaven or hell' party being held in a sumptuous lounge on the bund and then to a 'celtic' halloween party being thrown at an irish pub. the beats were heavy, crowds were friendly, and fun was definitely had.

 getting ready beforehand: a glam angel, ghost and minnie mouse

 zombie hipster, chic punk, deviled egg

 on the dance floor

 wings shot

the locals' reaction to our halloween get-ups

cups of coffee: 1

mood:  wait--it's already november?!?

potpourri

for your enjoyment, a mishmash of current musings and fixes:

- my current timewaster is the rachel zoe project. yes, i realize it's already completed season 3 in the states. yes, i still live in china so i blame my disconnectedness with pop culture on geography. yes, there are better things i can and should be doing. but when you have that much fashion and drama and over-the-top characters....well, hard to resist.

- it's cold this week. blisteringly cold. did winter really arrive this week, fast and furious--a cold punch in the face? and does this mean i can start listening to christmas music?

- i admit it: i love halloween. love halloween! it's my second favorite holiday (next to thanksgiving). anything that involves candy, costumes and parties--count me in! this year, some friends and i are planning on hitting up a "heaven or hell" party at a lounge on shanghai's famed "bund". partygoers are supposed to dress up either as a heavenly creature or one from down below. since i don't look good in horns, i've decided to opt for a heavenly being. but where do you find angel wings in china? upon a friend's recommendation, i tracked down a costume/party supplies store surprisingly not far from where i live. what a treasure trove! they had everything - even a pair of beautiful white feathered wings. i can't believe i've lived in shanghai for eight years and never ventured to this place of magic. i regret the costumes from years past that could've been....sigh.

- my cat has learned to open kitchen drawers. here's jimmy caught in the act. good thing i don't keep the cat food in that drawer.

- finally, if you're a lover of verse and want to learn more about poets of the christian faith, this is a terrific blog to subscribe to: kingdom poets.

here's a gem from luci shaw:

As Iron Sharpens Iron

Walking, this morning, I began to think
how everything wears its other down. How
this sidewalk smoothes my rubber soles.
How stomachs slick their food, waves
burnish shattered bottles to sea glass,
how prevailing wind shapes trees
and bends them to its gusting will.
How calm weather soothes an impatient sea.

A panther, crated for the zoo, will pace
her pattern in her cage. Today my open window
carves the sunlight to a square that warms
the rug. God tools me like a strip of buckskin.
My silence wears your chatter like a suit;
your charity unravels my reproach. You
shape me, and I shape you, and all our kindred
work to shape us into who they wish we were.

(luci shaw, taken from kingdom poets blog)

cups of coffee: 1 + 3 green tea

mood: hopeful

hello, toronto

just returned to shanghai after a whirlwind week-tour of toronto. the last time i visited this fair city was in high school as part of a class field trip, so needless to say, did not see any of the cool parts of toronto then or even remember much.

i admit, i was surprised by how hip toronto is: lots of young people, great arts scene, cool vibe, hipster hoods, fantastic restaurants....one of my friends dubbed the city the "new york of canada." i think he may be onto something there....unless new york is the "toronto of america".

quick montage of the week in images:

the bata shoe museum: fun little sculptural art piece entitled 'seduction'

 

st. lawrence market - meat, cheese, seafood galore

 

the distillery district

 

'soma' chocolatier at the distillery district - YUM!

 

made even more hip thanks to the iphone hipstamatic app

 i make a new friend who's just chilling with his owner at a cafe

 foliage! foliage! foliage!

 kensington market, aka hipster's paradise

 drinks with friends at rooftop bar, panorama

 the view of the city from panorama

whew! what a week. sadly turning back to the 'real world' now.....


cups of coffee: 2

mood: sleepy....sleepy....

feasting

i love food. love it. always have, always will. it's not just the eating - though that's pretty spectacular - it's everything associated with a meal. i love the preparation: mulling over recipes, shopping for all the right ingredients, visiting the vegetable market with tote in hand, checking the leafy freshness of spinach, squeezing tomatoes, picking through bulbs of red onions... i LOVE the cooking process. i love rolling up my sleeves and getting my hands caked in everything from flour to oil to spices and the occasional meat juices. i love the sounds of cooking: the quick sizzle of oil on a hot pan, the gentle murmur that crescendoes into aggressive bubbling of boiling water, the comforting grind of the pepper mill. and the smells - oh, the SMELLS! i love knowing a dish so well that you know, intuitively by the smell, whether it's ready or not. i love setting the table and selecting the right serving dishes, the clink of silverware and pristine white of my matching plates.

most of all, i love the company and conversations that surround meals. i was raised in a family where we always had dinner together, no matter how busy everyone was. it was always around the dinner table, never in front of the television. it was an unwritten rule in our home that dinner was always enjoyed with loved ones and served with conversation.

i love that my parents instilled that value in me, and i suppose that's where my inclination for hospitality arose. it's hard to think of a good meal without the company of good friends. strangers may sit down at the table, but rarely do you leave a table without having built some rapport. it's no wonder that in traditional cultures, deals are made and promises sworn at the banquet table.

i was reminded of this when mako was in town. during our trip to nanjing, the chair of the international program at nanjing arts institute invited our group for a meal. the restaurant was tucked down an inconspicuous lane, hid in an ultra-modern building sleek with glass and steel. the restaurant served chinese cuisine though it was decked out in uber-luxe faux-art-deco-meets-victorian-era decor. imagine plush purple velvet lounge couches with giant chandeliers. and four birthday balloons drooping on one wall, forlornly out of place.

the food was served with great attention to detail and attempts at artistic flair: sweet and sour chicken served in half a pineapple emflambe, succulent chicken deboned (a rarity in china), and an interesting combination of a meat pastry with a sweet sesame dessert soup, to name a few memorable dishes. but it wasn't the food that stuck out to me, delicious as it was. what stayed with me from that luncheon was the courtesy displayed, the respect and mutual admiration exhibited by the parties involved.

working in the chinese art world for a few years has taught me several invaluable skills including the art of holding my liquor at dinner parties. i've had to make and accept many a toast from museum officials, distinguished guests, artists, etc., and when the chinese toast, a sign of respect is to empty your glass. no one ever gets embarrassingly sloshed from such behavior, but most do turn lobster red after a meal (thanks to that asian drinking gene most of us have inherited....).

this particular luncheon was no different. there is an art involved, a dance i've had to learn to perfect (and am still perfecting). always aim your glass low - it's a sign of respect. a toast always ends up like some sort of glassware limbo, trying to outdo each other in how low you clink your glass. the host usually starts with some general toast to everyone, and then begins to singularly toast the guests in some sort of hierarchy (usually working from most important, or most essential to the event at hand, down). the toasts are scattered throughout the meal, so you wait and watch. and then it's your turn to reciprocate, and the polite thing is to toast those who've toasted to you, in a similar order. and of course, you can toast anyone else you want as well - it's a form of bestowing favor and respect. but you also have to gauge the toastee's glass. since they will want to honor you by emptying their glass, i try to time my toast with the level of their drink - too high and it may end messy, too low and it's not much of a toast.

after plenty of toasting and kind words at the luncheon, we left the table with relationships established and agreements made. though no papers were signed, no official partnerships were formed, there was an air of understanding that there will be future collaborations and a level of trust had been reached.

food builds community and was meant to be enjoyed in community. every feast we indulge in points to a perfect, beautiful feast we will enjoy for all of eternity. it's not only the food we'll enjoy but perfect, beautiful fellowship and unbroken communion with God and one another. what a lovely thing. :)

one last note - two recent publications on this theme of food worth savoring:

- The Spirit of Food: i found out about this book through the Image Journal's newsletter. from organic farms to kosher kitchens, 34 writers share stories and recipes about the ways food draw us closer to community, God and creation. i've already placed an order and can't wait to read it!

- Saveur Magazine: 25 Greatest Meals Ever: 25 food writers share their most memorable food experiences, including some recipes.


cups of coffee: 1 + 2 green tea

mood:  o joy!

enlarge my heart

this has been a most amazing week - busy, to say the least, but in a wonderful, fulfilling, mind-blowing-cup-overflowing sort of way.

we are so honored to host mako fujimura this week and to hold his first exhibition in china (opening this afternoon!). things are blessedly under control, which explains why i'm able to take time to blog on the morning of an exhibit opening. :)

last night was a wonderful dinner with mako and members of our arts group - feast for the stomach and the soul. as an artist, writer and creative catalyst, mako is a strong advocate for arts education. one member of our group asked, "what if you're passionate about the arts and creating art but frankly, you're just not really good?" mako had an honest and thoughtful response - he pointed out the purpose of educating one in the arts may not necessarily be to cultivate oneself to be the next picasso or shakespeare. mako emphasized that art enlarges our capacity for empathy, that's why the arts are important. when you watch a play, you can't help but step inside the characters' lives and feel their joys and sorrows. when you hear a beautiful piece of music, your heart automatically rises and falls with the notes and you transcend your circumstances to be part of something grander and universal. when you look at at a work of art, you catch beauty and truth that may either affirm or question certain assumptions you hold about the world as you know it. art causes you to step outside of yourself, even if briefly, and simultaneously reminds you of your humanity and the greater humanity in which you participate.

as a writer, empathy has always been one of the virtues i strive to encompass in my work. i suppose that's why i chose to study journalism at university: i was attracted by the imperative responsibility of sharing the stories of others. every person carries in them a beautiful narrative, and all these stories weave together as a bigger, glorious narrative. we were created to be storytellers and storybearers - i think in sharing stories, we better understand ourselves and the world we inhabit.

but we, selfish creatures that we are, long for greatness. we want to make a name for ourselves, for our art to be immortal. we forget that we ourselves were meant to be eternal beings. we turn inward and riddled with doubts and fears, we strive to protect and promote ourselves. yet we were not made for greatness - we were made for grandeur. we were meant for a world more brilliant and beautiful than the world we know, we are more than what can be contained by this frame of flesh and bones. we were meant to worship something grander than ourselves.

art can remind us of that. art carries us beyond tangible, visible realities to a greater reality we sense but are often too timid or scared to touch. art expands our imagination and enlarges our heart to gasp and grasp at the Mystery. and when that happens, we can't help but forget ourselves.


cups of coffee: 1

mood: mind percolating like a coffeemaker on overtime

art! art! art!

in the midst of the biggest week in shanghai's art scene. a few snapshots:

our booth at shanghai art fair (come visit us in the ceramics hall!)

ready for the preview opening

sh contemporary 2010 - vernissage was tonight, just got home about half an hour ago. this year's show is much smaller than previous years and (in my humble opinion) not terribly impressive.

fun giant floor-to-ceiling installation made from twisty balloons

friend viv admiring this creative installation of shoe tongues nailed together

whew! and we're halfway through...

as this week wraps up, i'm uber excited for next week as our gallery hosts... MAKO FUJIMURA! he is one of my personal heroes, and i'm so honored that we get to host him for a week AND show his first exhibition in china.

weeks like this, i LOVE my job.


cups of coffee: 2 + 2 green tea

mood:  busy but so, so thankful

knowing the language

i've been pondering this passage since i read it yesterday from frederick buechner's listening to your life:

"English-speaking tourists abroad are inclined to believe that if only they speak English loudly and distinctly and slowly enough, the natives will know what's being said even though they don't understand a single word of the language.
Preachers often make the same mistake. They believe that if only they speak the ancient verities loudly and distinctly and slowly enough, their congregations will understand them.
Unfortunately, the only language people really understand is their own language, and unless preachers are prepared to translate the ancient verities into it, they might as well save their breath."

cups of coffee: 2

mood: fare thee well, august....

uneasy contradiction

hold out, shanghai, 2004

edward burtynsky

 

a friend recently introduced me to the work of edward burtynsky, a photographer who captures images of industry and development, making landscapes of urbanization and the progress of man his subject matter.

in his artist's statement, he quotes:

"These images are meant as metaphors to the dilemma of our modern existence; they search for a dialogue between attraction and repulsion, seduction and fear. We are drawn by desire - a chance at good living, yet we are consciously or unconsciously aware that the world is suffering for our success. Our dependence on nature to provide the materials for our consumption and our concern for the health of our planet sets us into an uneasy contradiction. For me, these images function as reflecting pools of our times."

uneasy contradiction. how true. i think that's one of the pulls urban life has for me - this state of living in uneasy contradiction. i am daily faced with decisions on how to consume or not consume. economic and social disparities stare me in the eye and force me to respond in some way - i can choose to do nothing, of course, but even in doing nothing i am choosing a way of responding.

living in the tension is something i enjoy - i don't like black-and-white cookie-cutter answers. life seems to be too complex for formulaic solutions. living in uneasy contradiction forces us to question, ponder, and really do the work of wrestling with issues and sifting through the possibilities of our involvement.

somewhere along the way, we (particularly as americans) have come to value comfort above all else. but comfort isn't the goal - contentment is. a life of discomfort may still yield a heart of contentment and fruits of joy, perhaps more so than a life of comfort.


cups of coffee:  1


mood:  breathe....

*kiss kiss*

this is hilarious. it's comforting to know i'm not the only who's made many a social faux pas in the art world. i couldn't get used to the air kisses on each cheek at first, but now i love it. yes, there is the potential for the gesture to carry a certain air of snobbery and snootiness, but give me a peck on the cheek over a handshake any day.

the dutch, however, often throw me off with their three kisses..."left, right, left".... i accidentally almost planted a smack on a guy's neck once....


ARTnews

A new book on the fine art of diplomacy

by Jenny Brown

"One kiss, two kisses, or three?" asks Wendy Olsoff, co-owner of P.P.O.W. gallery in Chelsea. "One is never sure." Knowing the appropriate number of air kisses is a common conundrum among art-world socializers, and one of many addressed in a little black pamphlet about behaving and misbehaving in today's art scene. In I Like Your Work: Art and Etiquette, recently released by Paper Monument magazine, 38 artists, curators, dealers, and critics talk about the stresses and missteps they've encountered in their careers—and offer some tips on how to avoid them. Painter Roger White notes it is protocol for artists to dress like artists (that is, with fashionable slovenliness) but gauche when they play look-alike with their work. "A stripe painter may not wear stripes," he says. An anonymous contributor recalls being cornered by two visitors at the NADA art fair in Miami and being told, "This is not your best work." The recommendation: wait until you're a safe distance away from the artist and dealer before making foul remarks about a show—otherwise known as the "six-block rule." To those who haven't coordinated their air-kiss greeting, or their comments, multimedia artist David Levine gives a comforting pat on the back: "Remember," he says, "everyone is totally freaked out all the time."

ha ha, "everyone is totally freaked out all the time." comforting.

cups of coffee: 1 + 2 green tea

mood:  happy happy, busy busy

laughter

"Laughter is the celebration of incongruity." - Brennan Manning, Souvenirs of Solitude

last night was a most interesting experience dining at pearl's home (palace, i should say). there were many moments i wanted to bust out laughing at the absurdity of it all, but discreetly held my guffaws in check out of propriety. it was larger than life - everything from her gallery to her loft (which was pretty much another gallery) to the 52-foot dining table decorated with porcelain dragons and red plumage to the guests who were all involved in the art world in some way and made sure you knew it. the very fact they all took themselves so seriously made it tempting not to take them seriously.

upon arrival, my date and i were ushered by the doorman to her gallery, located on an entire floor of the building. we were welcomed by servers with glasses of champagne staggered among the clusters of guests decked out in black and white chic. dinner was then announced, and we were directed to take the elevators up to her residence. entering her apartment was like entering a museum/temple - a giant statue of buddha sat demurely in the foyer. the dining table was amazing - a cornucopia for the senses. tall vases filled with feathers and flowers towered above porcelain dragon candlesticks; red and gold chandeliers fashioned from chinese brocade clasps hung heavy in the dim light. at each seat, a pair of porcelain hands extended from a small plate, holding the name card of the guest. the hands were designed specifically as place settings, and the jade dishware fit perfectly on the immaculately white palms. beneath the porcelain place settings were place mats sewn from peacock feathers. it was like dining in wonderland.

servers in matching white, stylish mao jackets served each course quietly and quickly. the courses were simple - sweet and sour pork ribs, chinese spinach, beef and carrot soup, a heavenly fish with ginger and scallions that flaked nicely with the fork. dessert was a dish of almond soup. and free flow of wine and champagne - my glass never reached empty.

conversations were nothing short of interesting - i sat between a former general manager of kempinski hotels and a former sotheby's employee who started his own art consulting company. our hostess has the habit of playing musical chairs during meals, jumping up and down and grabbing guests by the hand to swap their seats. she is the epitome of a networker. so by the end of the evening, everyone was switched around and you had the opportunity to meet a fair number of guests. other guests i talked with included a young chinese-british shoe designer who is positioned as the "jimmy choo" of china, and lorenz h., indubitably THE most successful gallery owner and art dealer in china.

i finally did meet our illustrious hostess towards the end of the evening and found out that she remembered me from a mutual friend who had introduced us via email, which is why i think i ended up on the invite list. it's all still very strange to me. she was genuinely friendly and curious about our gallery and what we do, and she was much easier to talk with than i'd imagined.

i really wanted to take pictures of the apartment, but didn't do so for fear of appearing gauche. many of the guests were dinner veterans, and i didn't want to be the gawking spectator snapping away with my iphone camera.

what struck me the most about pearl's decor was the fantastical whimsy of it all. the art world can be oh-so-serious, and though there was more than a touch of that among the guests last night, the ambiance of her place was more playful than pretentious. even the bathrooms were secretly tucked away behind wall panels, and you had to know just where to look for the doorknob. 

the randomness of last night makes me laugh. the randomness of life makes me laugh. reading manning's souvenirs of soltitude today, i reflected on the immense power of God and how He makes light what we make heavy. He who has conquered Death lifts the very burdens that wear us down. yet most of us continue to live as if we are merely trying to survive - drudgery instead of joy, despair instead of hope. i love this passage where manning talks about the naming of isaac:

In seminary I was taught that Isaac (Yishaq in Hebrew) means "laughter." Abraham and his wife, Sarah, gave up on God's promise of a child. When Sarah was told that she would soon be pregnant, she laughed in disbelief. But God had the last laugh. A son was born to them in their old age, and the human laughter of despair turned into the Father's laughter of love. They named their son Isaac - laughter - for he was a sign of the triumph of God's levity over man's gravity.

"The triumph of God's levity over man's gravity." well put.

may i never forget the triumph of His levity, and how that very levity frees me to laugh and marvel at the works of His hands with endless awe.

cups of coffee: 1 coffee-ish drink

mood:  excited

impossibilities

"Sometimes, I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Alice, Alice in Wonderland

back in shanghai, back to the grind. america was lovely (as always), and coming back to shanghai is a strange return to what is simultaneously surreal and familiar.

since our gallery runs on sort of an academic calendar year, september is my january - my time of fresh starts, new resolutions, glancing backwards while pressing forward. every year, i'm amazed by the seemingly insurmountable that we've overcome. and every year, i look ahead with trepidation and excitement at the new daunting challenges that loom ahead. and boy, are there challenges ahead this year....

i feel like i live in a world of impossibilities. then i remember i know a God who makes all things possible. :) let the craziness commence!

speaking of crazy, i received this email this morning and did a triple-take:

Dear friends,

Pearl is giving a dinner for Federike Mijnlieff (Former Dutch Ambassador's wife in Beijing) at her apt on 15th Aug, 2010 (Sunday) at 2000hrs. Dress code: lounge suit

It is a formal proper sit down dinner with seating plan. Kindly please let me know whether you are available to join the dinner?


this is pearl lam of contrasts gallery fame. the ny times wrote a feature article about her penthouse loft a few years ago.
my first reaction was: it's a mistake. they accidentally included my email on the mass email list. my second reaction was: surely, they have the wrong eva. third reaction: they must be desperate to fill that 52-foot dining table of hers.

regardless, somehow my name ended up on that invite list, so my date and i will need to press our lounge suit best. i have no idea what to expect...who are these other guests and whatever will we talk about?!

craziness. it's good to be back.


cups of coffee: 1 - lots of green tea!

mood:  up and down

a million words

gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS wedding photos from kelly, photographer extraordinaire.

speechless.

enjoy:   www.klimagery.com/lisaandpeter


cups of coffee: 2

mood: rested

a thousand words

if a picture is worth a thousand words, then here are a few thousand words from this past weekend.

my brother gets hitched! welcome to the family, lovely lisa. :)

the lovely old-fashioned carousel at the reception venue

next stop: 2-day visit to boston with friends!

gorgeous weather, good eats, lots of fun. i love boston in the summer!

salmon with hummus at legal seafoods. YUM!

finally, a few artsy shots taken with the hipstatmatic iphone app. shot at the boston public library, one of my favorite locales in the world.

parting shot: cupcakes on newbury street. A-MAZ-ING.

cups of coffee: 2

mood:  so happy

rick astley

hilarious! and brilliant.


cups of coffee: 1

mood: sortin'

land that i love

back in upstate new york for two weeks! no meetings, no conferences, just here for my brother's wedding and some quality friends and family time.

O land of unfettered internet access, how do i love thee? let me count the ways...

1) i love thy fresh air and clear skies. my first day home, i had to squint when i walked outside. my eyes are not accustomed to such glorious unobstructed sunlight.

2) food. food, food, food. if it wasn't for the fact i have to squeeze into a pretty little blue number for my brother's wedding, i'd go hog wild. instead, i'm showing some uncharacteristic self-restraint.

3) wal-mart. whether it be buying random stuff or people-watching, i love frequenting the wal-mart megastore that's down the street from my parents' house.

4) super fast internet connection. so fast, if you blink, you miss your page uploading.

5) roadtrips!!!!!

6) BBQ's. dear hamburgers and hot dogs, you may clog up my arteries somewhere down the road, but boy do i love you in the moment.

7) 'national geographic' in my own backyard. i love sitting on the porch swing while the sun sets, watching the chunky little groundhogs who have taken up residence in our yard waddle around, sniffing out food. the other day, i went for a walk around the neighborhood with my parents and saw an adorable brown wild hare scampering among the tall grass, right below the arc of two rainbows. no joke.

8) americans. we're loud, friendly, and we don't always say the right things. but you gotta love us.

and the list continues....

on another note, i shared my flight with two friends who were also traveling stateside for family weddings, which gave me this brilliant idea that airlines should incorporate into their services: in-flight singles mixer lounge! they should section off a part of the plane, plush it up with cushions, curtains, candles (ok, maybe not candles, that's probably a safety hazard), serve some wine and hire an in-flight DJ. honestly, think of all the people who travel over the summer for weddings - why not tap into this market and provide a little up-in-the-air love connection? one may even be able to find a last-minute date.

and who knows, you could even take it up a notch and segue into in-flight elopements? hmmmm, maybe not.


cups of coffee: 1

mood:  laaaaaaazzzzzy

o time

"On Time"

- John Milton

Fly, envious Time, till thou run out thy race,
Call on the lazy leaden-stepping hours,
Whose speed is but the heavy Plummets pace;
And glut thy self with what thy womb devours,
Which is no more then what is false and vain,
And meerly mortal dross;
So little is our loss,
So little is thy gain.
For when as each thing bad thou hast entomb'd,

And last of all thy greedy self consum'd,
Then long Eternity shall greet our bliss
With an individual kiss;
And Joy shall overtake us as a flood,
When every thing that is sincerely good
And perfectly divine,
With Truth, and Peace, and Love shall ever shine
About the supreme Throne
Of him, t' whose happy-making sight alone,
When once our heav'nly-guided soul shall clime,

Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,
Attir'd with Stars, we shall for ever sit,
Triumphing over Death, and Chance, and thee O Time.

* * * * *

some belated pics from the creative black tie farewell bash we threw for the crosbys. 

 the guests of honor arrive

 a little "slumdog millionaire" dance number

 getting sassy

 beloved gallery staff, past and present

cups of coffee: 1.5

mood: world cup fever! go, DUTCH!