A Conversation at an Ordinary Art Shop | The Survival Kit of Arbre in a Glocal Contemporary Art Ecology in China
Join writer and curator Ling Gu for a talk on social practice and localisation of contemporary art in China. In her talk, she will discuss the notion of 'the Nearby' and its gradual disappearance from our modern lives. Using the Arbre, a long-term-targeted community art space in Shenzhen, as a compelling case study, Gu will discuss the strategy of preserving everyday qualities while embracing digital communication and content production.
As she navigates through the evolving landscape of social media platforms, we will discover how uploaders, influencers, and online celebrities, along with their engaging 'content groups,' have transformed these virtual spaces into actual 'places.' These platforms have become dynamic hubs where users, followers, and participants converge, leveraging interactive and simultaneous technologies. As our highly mobile society moves from one physical location to another with diminishing attachment to a specific place, mediated and themed content and characters emerge as vital elements of creating a meaningful 'place.'
This event is kindly supported by the British Council’s CtC grant.
Ling Gu is a De Ying Curatorial Fellow. The 2022-2023 inaugural De Ying Curatorial Fellowship’s publication collects her recent research-based writing 'A Conversation at an Ordinary Art Shop | The Survival Kit of Arbre in a Glocal Contemporary Art Ecology in China'. Ling has over twelve years of working experience in culture and arts communication and management, honed through roles at the Rockbund Art Museum, Shanghai; the British Council, China; and, most recently, at the Design Society, Shenzhen. She offers content interpretation and communications consultancy for multiple professional art institutions.
Ling is also an active writer, translator, and editor, and throughout her career has been a regular contributor to multiple domestic and international art publications. She has recently hosted a series of art writing workshops as an educational programme for university students. Ling endeavours to explore the possibilities of writing contemporary art.
‘Publishing Otherwise: A Slow Book Fair for Coexistence’ is a reimagination of the book fair model, offering an alternative approach that diverges from the pressure of high-functioning, profit-driven transactions and embraces a slower, more intentional form of exchange.
Taking place at esea contemporary's Communal Project Space, the programme brings together two months of free talks, book launches, displays, and workshops led by collaborators from a diverse range of collectives, disciplines, and practises.
