the Beijinger

Bold. Jarring. Colourful. Edgy enough to pierce your flesh - be it the pores on your bicep or your eardrums – punk rock and tattoos have much in common. Nowhere in the world have the two bled into each more murkily than China, where such art forms are now free flowing after years of clinching taboo. They both converge on Qingdao-born, Beijing based Spike (Li Yang), who has a sleeve of ink running up and down his arm. Those tattoos are easily visible as he darts across the stage while fronting his punk troupe Demerit, which will showcase that edgy ethos at Yugong Yishan on December 17.

What man in his 70s would go to Sanlitun Bar Street every night and only go home after 1am? That could only be Xiao Bao, who has been crafting frogs from palm leaves and cheerfully selling them in Sanlitun for the past decade and a half. We couldn’t get him to sit down for a chat at night, since that’s when he makes a living, so we caught up with him on a bright afternoon.

Award-winning architect Frank Gehry was in town over the weekend for the official opening of “Frank Gehry. Architect”, a Sanlitun Village North exhibition surveying the highlights of his 40-year-plus career. The exhibition features photos and sketches of some of Gehry’s key projects, as well as exhibits illustrating various aspects of the architect’s technique, including his pioneering use of computers. A whole corner, complete with a scale model, is devoted to Gehry’s most celebrated project, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao.

Have you ever imagined what Beijing would look like if there were a global pandemic, a nuclear fallout or zombie outbreak? Sci-fi disaster films have given the post-apocalyptic treatment to many of the world's great cities, but China's teeming megalopolises have not been immortalized in that way. Until now.

The Creators Project started its world tour in June in New York City, and has since made footprints in London, Sao Paulo and Seoul.
This weekend, from September 17 to 19, the Creators Project comes to Beijing, bringing together nearly one hundred artists, filmmakers and musicians to display their works and performances at 798 Art District.
Things kick off on Friday at 10pm, with Tresor. Beijing transforming one of 798’s disused factory buildings for a night of techno and other electronic sounds from German DJs. Entry is RMB 50. The Rose Bud, 706 North 1st Street, 798 Art District. Please note the Tresor event listed in this week’s 7 Days Newsletter for Saturday is in fact a panel discussion – the party is on Friday only.

The August issue of the Beijinger is out now and what better time for us to unveil the new way to read the mag online than our Art issue? Inside the magazine - as you can see below - you'll find a veritable visual feast as we take the high roads and the low roads to explore Beijing's Art Districts. We're always hearing Chinese modern art this and Beijing's the center of that so we went for a wander around to find out where's best to have a great day out seeing it for yourself. Now you can impress your dates, astound your visitors and get fit while getting as much intellectual stimulation as you can handle.

Milan Design Week just celebrated its 50th anniversary this past April. Last week, London entered its ninth year of hosting Design Festivals. And now, for the first time in history, Beijing is joining in with a version of its own.

For those who have not been keeping track, Beijing Design Week (Sep 26-Oct 3) can seem a little overwhelming. There are simply so many options – over 2,000 works of design from over 30 countries, in fact – that it can be tricky to determine which exhibitions are worth seeing.

Following in the footsteps of Louis Vuitton and Bulgari, Chanel is hosting a retrospective exhibition titled "Culture Chanel" at the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) from November 5 to December 13.

For China’s growing nouveau-riche population, the House of Chanel hits the mark in many ways. It’s French (read: highbrow), longstanding (read: reliable) and bears an iconic (read: easily recognizable) logo. No wonder it is currently ranked as the second most-desired brand in China after Louis Vuitton, according to research firm Bain & Co.

This self-billed “art lab/bar/performing arts space” is in constant flux, from the rotating art exhibits and video installations to an ever-evolving menu. Come for the endearing quirks; no two chairs are the same, and the space is peppered with tchotchkes handmade by the staff.