2012 Jun 08 Art Attack: Manly Shakespeare, Mario Testino, Placido Domingo and Cartoon Subway Carnage
This week, fashion photographer Mario Testino opens his exhibit at the Today Art Museum, men act pregnant, a cartoon old man goes nuts on the subway, Placido Domingo of Three Tenors fame conducts the world’s most competitive opera battle … and just what the heck is an “incubator” anyway?
The UK’s Propeller Company takes on Shakespeare the way it used to be done: male actors only. This may be easy enough when they’re performing war drama Henry V (final show tonight, Jun 8), but not so much when there’s pregnancy involved, as happens in The Winter’s Tale (Jun 9-10). The Bard’s fans should catch this celebrated company while they’re in town, brought to us by the UK Now Festival.
Also from the folks at UK Now, a much-buzzed exhibit of images by Peruvian fashion photographer Mario Testino has just opened at the Today Art Museum. See the likes of Lady Gaga, Emma Watson and Madonna through his fabulous lens. For more, check out the event’s page on the UK Now site.
Also opening this weekend is Israeli artist Irit Tamari's solo show at the new Jiali Gallery near Beixinqiao. Expect charming photographic scenes made from cut-outs of pictures the artist took in Beijing. It's a study in homesickness for a place that's not technically your home. We should all know how that feels, right?
World Architecture News recently announced plans for a National Creative Cluster (NCC) in Songzhuang. The design by bid-winners Sasaki will include community parks, galleries, museums and educational institutes. The district is meant to serve as an “incubator,” which apparently no longer only applies to eggs and premature infants, but also to spaces where large amounts of money have been spent on industrial-chic environs so people can sit around on laptops and “just create.” Could this mean big things for Songzhuang?
You know the anger you’ve felt boiling inside you when people are especially rude and selfish on the subway? Well, this animator from the Communications University of China decided to express those in this short film of an old man who goes nuts with a light saber on the rows of people who refuse to give up their seats for him. If you haven’t read our article earlier this week about the film, or seen it ... really, we insist.
Opera fans should not miss the finals of Placido Domingo’s glamorous Operalia competition. Ten finalists will each perform a crowd-pleasing aria while the famous tenor conducts. Exciting times.
Also this week: a book talk about dramatic escapes from Hong Kong as it was surrendered to the Japanese in World War II, and another run of the NCPA’s original staging of Jane Eyre. As always, details below.
Have fun out there.
NEW EXHIBITS:
Mario Testino: Private View
Jun 7-27. The Peruvian fashion photographer has gotten up close and personal with almost every fashion icon you can think of. Now you can get a look, too. RMB 20, RMB 10 (students). Today Art Museum (5876 0600)
Irit Tamari: Haojiu Bujian Le (Long Time No See)
Jun 9-Jul 8. A new hutong gallery showcases the Israeli artist’s photographs – dioramas of Beijing unrealities she created while longing for China after her return to Israel. Free. Jiali Gallery (8402 5613)
EVENTS THIS WEEK:
Jun 8
Drama: Henry V
The Propeller Company turns their all-male cast to conquering France. RMB 120-480. 7.30pm. NCPA Theatre (6655 0000)
Jun 9-10
Drama: The Winter’s Tale
The UK’s all-male Propeller Company on pregnancy and a suspect love triangle. Part of the UK Now Festival. RMB 120-480. 7.30pm. NCPA Theatre (6655 0000)
Jun 10
Placido Domingo’s Operalia: Finals
The ten finalists each perform one aria, accompanied by full orchestra. RMB 160-880. 7.30 pm. NCPA Concert Hall (6655 0000)
Jun 13
Book Talk: Escape from Hong Kong
Tim Luard’s dramatic tale of military and government personnel who escaped during Hong Kong’s surrender to the Japanese in 1945. RMB 30, RMB 20 (members). 7.30pm. The Bookworm (6586 9507)
Jun 14
Drama: Jane Eyre
The NCPA were the first to stage this Bronte novel, and it’s back for another run. RMB 180-580. 7.30pm. NCPA Theatre (6655 0000)
Photo: Gagafashionland.com
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The annual worldwide No Pants Day, where commuters commit to casting off their culottes and ride the subway in their smalls, is a big deal the world over. So much so that the Daily Telegraph has to report it as No Trousers Day (in their delightfully-named "How About That" section) so that the British don't get carried away with how undressed everyone is. Here, too, people can get a little hot under the collar at the sight of bare human flesh. Taiwan's underwear-sporting examples got one strangely-named forum user going last year, and this blog seems to have everything you need (if what you need happens to be lots of photos of people who might be Chinese wearing underwear in public). But has the no pants scene made it to Beijing? No, but it has made it to Shanghai, as Beijing Cream has helpfully rounded the pictures up.
Get Rich Quick: Taxi Surcharge Down Plus Line 10 Closure
Beijing has its ups and downs, and the taxi fuel surcharge reflects that. Starting from today, you now only have to pay an extra RMB 2 over the price shown on the meter (for any trips over 3km). Will illegal cabs also be lowering their prices in accordance with the change in the official surcharge? We can only hope.
In other transport news, Beijing Subway Line 10 will be closing early this evening (Dec 5) and all day on Saturday (Dec 8). The upside of the disruption is that the opening of Line 10's second phase is getting tantalizingly closer. All aboard.
News You Might Have Missed: Gliding Past Traffic, Swimming Porkers and Water-Ballet Controversy
Beijing remains fairly quiet after the Congress but we still can’t readily access our Gmail. News that’s caught our eye recently include odd transportation changes in other cities, pork prices that are being affected by something other than inflation and a pricy new complex that’s draining the city of more than just water. Also, does anyone still use payphones? China Unicom seems to think so.
Art Attack: Martin Parr, David Bowie, Sex with Old Men and Mime Time
This has to be one of the weirdest and most action-packed weeks we've ever rounded up on Art Attack. On the one hand, you've got a talk with journalistic photographer extraordinaire Martin Parr – liable to interest just about anyone. On the other, we’ve got mimes, Julia Leigh talking about her gothic novels and film, David Bowie in a garden maze, North Korean soccer and more.
