UCCA Art Cinema presents THE VENICE INTERVIEWS, a documentary directed by Richard Widmer.

THE VENICE INTERVIEWS project is a collection of conversations with artists and curators from China regarding their experience with the Venice Biennale from 1993-2013. The project includes three types of documentary material: (1) images of artworks and exhibition spaces, (2) on-site personal photography by participating artists and (3) relevant critical writings. This collection of artifacts from Chinese artists participating in the Venice Biennale serves as a way to study Chinese art of the 1990s and 2000s as well as a record of ideological shifts within Chinese society during these 20 years.

The documentary raises and attempts to answer many questions about contemporary Chinese art. Without 1989, would we even be talking about contemporary art in China? After the 1993 Venice exhibition, two-thirds of the paintings disappeared. Where did they go? Which paintings did royal handlers not want Princess Diana to view? Why does no one want to talk about 1997? Why choose an artist from China to represent the French Pavilion? What is the true story behind the 2003 Chinese National Pavilion? (SARS? All the Guangdong artists showed up, no problem.) Did the flying saucer fly? Why was Hong Kong's 2009 pavilion in such a good location? Oil drums? Why is China's pavilion space so bad? Why does planning for such an important international exhibition start so late? Ignorance? Disinterest? Lack of respect? Is cultural export not a priority? If freedom is not a prerequisite for creativity, what new standard will China offer to the world? How will China's cultural re-ascendance affect our common future? What great idea does China represent? What dream? When the world comes to your table, what do you have to offer?

Richard Widmer (Chinese name: 温成), born in Boston, is a director with two decades of film and television production experience in China and the US. He has worked with PBS, Discovery Channel, History, Chinese CCTV, and he has collaborated with many of China's leading artists and most prestigious arts organizations. In 2011, Widmer established Zn Artifacts, an organization dedicated to recording contemporary Chinese art, cultural events, conversation, creation, exhibition, research and criticism. Adhering to his family motto - work hard, do good - Widmer is committed to bringing Chinese culture into a deeper conversation with the West and the world into a deeper conversation about our common future.

Zn Artifacts is dedicated to the creation, documentation, presentation, preservation, research and critique of contemporary Chinese arts and cultural activities. Through collaboration with artists and arts organizations, our website serves to encourage and expand the communities around these practices. Their programs include documentary films, exhibitions, events, discussions, archives and portfolios. They support artists and researchers working at the forefront of contemporary artistic activity within China and abroad, as well as those responding to the aesthetic and political implications of China's increased global artistic and cultural influence.