There is no I in Team: a playground for cultural initiatives from Berlin to Beijing
podcast
The podcast created around the project THERE IS NO I IN TEAM installs itself in an exhibition space where the video works of Meiya Lin and Jin Shan raise questions about the role of the individual, hierarchy, power, migration, public space, market strategies and capitalism. These questions set up a framework for the talks, interviews, skype-conversations and lectures of the podcast.
The talks and interviews were originally presented on October 15-17, 2009, as part of the event THERE IS NO IN TEAM in Program e.V. ,Berlin in collaboration with Berlin China Bridges and ifa - Institut für Auslandbeziehungen e.V.
The podcast is best to listen to with headphones as we recorded it in the exhibition space and so we have to apologize for the not so perfect sound quality.
The two podcast-moderators are Leo De Boisgisson and Pauline Doutreluingne.
15.10.2009
Individual and Groups in China, Beijing and Germany, Berlin
In the first part of the podcast, we invite various players of creative networks based in Beijing and Berlin to throw a retrospective look upon the past two decades and comment how sociological and political factors have influenced individuals and groups trajectories in the context of the two countries. 2009, more than any year seems to be a right moment to comment on the current state of creation in Berlin and Beijing, as both cities experience a sort of “return of the repressed” with the anniversaries of events that have marked important turning points in their close history. Germany and China are both dealing with past and memory in very different ways. How does that influence society in general and individuals? That’s the kind of questions we intend to raise on this section of the podcast. How do we foresee the “post-1980’s generation” that was born right in the time of drastic ideological changes and how do the artists experience these changes and organize themselves on a micro and a macro level?
Cultural background Germany: artist Lillevan
China: artist Jin Shan
16.10.2009
Getting Lost Together and China's Creative topography
Performance "Getting Lost Together" by Christine Woditschka, app. 25 min (German spoken)
Christine Woditschka wears a classical black suit, high-heels and sunglasses. She gives a speech about living and working conditions of cultural producers, considering the interconnection of friendship and business relations.
Moving Cities
movingcities is a Shanghai-based think-thank investigating the role that architecture and urbanism play in shaping the contemporary city. Established in 2007 by Bert de Muynck [BE] and Mónica Carriço [PT], movingcities publishes, collaborates, talks and walks, and operate as embedded architects. After operating from Beijing [2007-2009], movingcities moved in October 2009 to Shanghai.
Shanzhai cultural piracy phenomenon in China by Lin Yu
Lin Yu, journalist and editor, talks about some special trends that Chinese creative communities undergo and present a snapshot of how people, processes and places are interlocked, and how they interact. Lin Yu talks us moreover about a peculiar phenomenon Shanzhai (simplified Chinese: 山寨; pinyin: shānzhài) that refers to Chinese knockoff and pirated brands and goods, particularly electronics. Literally "mountain village" or "mountain stronghold", the term refers to the mountain stockades of warlords or thieves, far away from official control. "Shanzhai" can also be stretched to refer to people who are lookalikes, low-quality or improved goods, as well as things done in parody.
17.10.2009
Creative actions! Case Studies
Punk rock, minimal, electro, music of all kinds, street art, graphic design, avant-garde theatre, architecture, Berlin is a global icon for all that, for the variety of its scenes and the freedom in which each of them expand. All of it is possible because of a suitable context composed of interactions between the public and the private spheres, the underground and the overground, the governmental cultural policies and the civilian involvement at a ground level. In this context cutting edge events and festivals are born, develop and sustain as an inherent part of the local culture life. But how does that work? That’s what we invite our panelists to explain about.
Berlin: Club Transmediale – organizer and curator Oliver Baurhenn
Torstrasse Intim –first german internet sitcom– actress Tina Pfurr
Special guest: Keith Whittle (co-curator of TINIIT and international art coordinator at Saint-Martin College of Arts, London) talks on Fountain Projects
China: Li Zhenhua – independent curator and art manager on Laboratory Art Beijing 北京艺术实验室, a platform for sharing and building constructive ideas.
In China, the cultural boom is a fact but it is very new and chaotic. In some aspects it could remind us of the European arts scene in the 80’s, full of DIY options but also new sponsorhip solutions, while on the other end culture in China is still very much subject to government control. How does it work to organize and maintain cultural events in China?
Thanks for the great playlist of Oliver Baurhenn (CTM) and Leo De Boisgisson.
Day 1: IBM/RECHENZENTRUM
VOLUNTEER/ CAR SICK CARS/CAR SICK CARS
Day 2: DER RAUBER UND DER PRINZ/D.A.F
CHORIZON/AGF/FROM THE ALBUM WESTERNIZATION COMPLETE
NALUWA/TERESA TENG/ FROM THE COMPILATION BEYOND SHANGHAI
Day 3: I THOUGHT WE COULD EAT FRIENDS/KIM HIORTHOY
YO KALABI/ HYPO& O.LAMM&KYOKA FROM ALBUM COCO DOULEUR (TO BE RELEASED IN JANUARY 2010)
ARBEIT IST DAS SCHOENSTE KLEID/HARNDORF
49-49/ASIPLUS