UCCA Beijing

In|visible: Identifying Labels

2017.8.5
14:00-16:00

Conversation
Location:  Workshop
Language:  Chinese with English subtitles

How much visibility does queer art currently afford in China? During the month of August, UCCA will be holding a series of events, including artist conversations, panel discussions, and screenings, aimed at helping the public answer this question.

In his final collection of writings, philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty describes the creation of art as the intertwining of the visible and the invisible. Queer art gives physical expression to that which is often invisible to the public, and thus dismantle the dichotomy between “inside and outside.” For the audience, Merleau-Ponty states that the act of perception is not a neutral process, but rather necessarily creative. Therefore visibility for queer art is vital in allowing audiences to not only interact with the artists and share in their experiences, but also participate in the interweaving of the visible and the invisible.

The first event in the series is a panel with multimedia artist Li Xinmo, painter and filmmaker Shi Tou, actor and filmmaker Wei Jiangang, and a special guest. The artists will be discussing the issue of being labelled by both the art world and public. Does it increase or decrease visibility for artists? Is being identified as a “(fill in the blank)” artist a form of acknowledgement and acceptance, or does it narrow the lens with which audiences understand their work? Why are some artists willing to tolerate being labelled, whereas others make an active effort to avoid it? How do generations of artists differ in tackling this issue? The panel is moderated by UCCA English Editor Alvin Li.

Ticketing: Free

Note:

*Collect your ticket from reception 45 minutes before the event begins;

*Please no late entry;

*Seating is limited, and tickets must be collected individually;

*Please keep mobile devices on silent.

UCCA Membership Benefits

Scan the QR code below to sign up for UCCA membership and enjoy exclusive member benefits.

会员

For this event, UCCA members will enjoy:

• Exclusive seats reservation service

• Members-only guided tour

For UCCA members, please send us your name and mobile number to RSVP (ve@159.138.20.147) or call UCCA membership hotline: +86 10 5780 0200

活动流程

13:00-13:20 Ticket pick-up at the reception desk (for UCCA members who RSVPed)

13:20-13:50 Exclusive UCCA members-only guided tour

13:30-14:00 Ticket distribution at the reception desk (for UCCA members who didn’t RSVP and non-members)

14:00-16:00 conversation

*Please arrive promptly.

Guests

Li Xinmo

Li Xinmo was born in 1976 in Yilan, Heilongjiang Province. She obtained her master’s degree from Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts in 2008, and is now based in Beijing. Her works utilize a variety of mediums, including performance, painting, video, etc., and have been exhibited in prominent art museums in Sweden, France, Germany, Canada, and the U.S.

Wei Jiangang

Wei Jiangang was born and raised in Xinjiang, China. He was trained as an actor at the drama department of Xinjiang Arts Institute in Urumqi and Shanghai Drama Academy. In 2005 he started to engage himself on the production side of various film- and other productions benefiting different social movements in China. In 2007, he founded the LGBT webcast "Queer Comrades", for which he hosted and directed more than 400 videos that reached over 50 million views. Since 2010, he has been the executive director of Beijing Gender, one of the first Chinese NGOs to focus on issues of gender, sexuality, and sexual health. Together with Beijing Gender, he launched a series of groundbreaking events in China, including the China AIDS Walk, the China Rainbow Awards, the China LGBT Community Leader Conference, and the All Gender Toilet Program. He is also The Co-Chair of the Beijing Queer Film Festival, Advisor of UNDP Being LGBTQ in China Program, and 2016 Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Jury. In 2013 he received the Vanguard Awards from LA LGBT Center for his contribution to the LGBT movement in China.

Shi Tou

Hailed as “one of the most outstanding female artists in contemporary China”, the pioneering and versatile Shi Tou, a professional painter-photographer-actor-filmmaker, has been actively performing and exhibiting internationally since 1992, including the 1st Beijing Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and the 1st Beijing Queer Art Exhibition (2009). Her leading role in Fish and Elephant (Yu Li 2001) helped this first feature-length Chinese lesbian film win prizes at the Venice, Berlin, and Toronto film festivals that same year. Her films and artworks have been shown in many film festivals and exhibitions all around the world, including Sweden, Germany, Taiwan, the U.S, Netherlands, and Korea. She has also been a co-coordinator for China Queer Independent Film since 2008.