Overview
Through photography, video and painting, artists Chandi Kelley, Stephanie Kwak, Paul Shortt and Zach Storm share impressions of Beijing, China as experienced via a two-week visit summer 2013, organized and funded by Transformer via support from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities’ Sister Cities International Art Grant.
During their time in Beijing, the artists presented a series of creative and educational panels and workshops at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art. In tandem with that, they visited galleries throughout the 798 Art District, spent July 4th with Ai WeiWei and cats at his studio, and toured The Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, The Great Wall, The Summer Palace, the Panjiayun Antique Market, and the Llama, Confucius, and Dongyue Temples, among other experiences.
Throughout the visit, there was continuous reflection on ‘atmosphere’: the weather, air and smog; the dramatic cityscape and its feeling of congestion; and the mesh and clash of contemporary and ancient culture. With these reflections in mind, the artists were invited to create new work based on their time in Beijing. What results is an exhibition of thoughtful work that share the artists’ sensibilities of DC’s Sister City Beijing.
Atmosphere Programming:
Artist Talk:
Saturday, April 12, 3pm
How to be a Professional Amateur
Workshop with Paul Shortt
Saturday, April 26, 2-4pm
Transformer in collaboration with the DC Library Foundation presents a workshop led by Professional Artist and Amateur Paul Shortt, exploring the condition of being a professional through group exercises and activities. This workshop was presented in July 2013 at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art.
Northeast Public Library
330 7th St NE, Washington, DC
*Register for the workshop here!
