Art
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
I like the fact that in ancient Chinese art the great painters always included a deliberate flaw in their work: human creation is never perfect.
- Madeleine L'Engle
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
“The greatest wisdom is in simplicity. Love, respect, tolerance, sharing, gratitude, forgiveness. It's not complex or elaborate. The real knowledge is free. It's encoded in your DNA. All you need is within you. Great teachers have said that from the beginning. Find your heart, and you will find your way.” ― Carlos Barrios,
Fashion
Lifestyle
Fashion
Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening. - Coco Chanel
NEWS
Art Basel Hong Kong Opens With a Local Focus, Strict Rules, and Surprisingly Strong Sales After Nearly Being Called Off
The crowd was noticeably thinner, and an international presence was sparse, but homegrown heroes were able to shine. The crowd was noticeably thinner but the team behind this year’s Art Basel Hong Kong has still managed to pull off the fair despite all the obstacles caused by ongoing Covid restrictions.
Thanks to the expansive use of technology and 5G internet connections, a hybrid model developed from last year’s edition has been taken to a new level, connecting collectors and buyers who aren’t able to attend the fair in person. And several galleries have reported satisfactory sales on the first two VIP days.
On the bright side, a softer international presence meant a stronger Hong Kong focus, with homegrown galleries and artists taking center stage. The Asian edition of the Swiss fair, now in its 10th year, has played an instrumental role in not only boosting the city’s status as a global art hub, but helping to the Hong Kong public’s attitude towards art.
Shanghai Fashion Week Sidesteps Covid, Goes Digital With Douyin
It’s official: Shanghai Fashion Week (SHFW) will host its autumn-winter 2022 (AW2022) showcase online on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, from June 17 to 19. The announcement comes three months after organizers postponed the highly anticipated fashion event due to a massive Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown in Shanghai. The fashion showcase was initially scheduled to run from March 25 to April 1, with several offline venues across the city and guests coming from all around the country.
According to posts on Weibo, six-hour-long livestreams of the main event will be available on both Douyin and YouTube (for international audiences) on all three days. Side events will include fashion reviews, exclusive sneak peeks, digital fashion drops, and special appearances by KOLs.
Despite this year’s unconventional format, Shanghai Fashion Week and Douyin’s partnership marks an exciting way to commemorate the event’s 20th anniversary. What better way to look to the future than by diversifying showrooms and redefining the very essence of fashion events? This won’t be the first time that SHFW’s organizers pair traditional fashion elements with technological advancements. In April, the organization partnered with lifestyle platform Xiaohongshu to stage ‘Design Verse,’ a digital fashion show featuring nine prominent Chinese designers. In 2020, SHFW also went entirely online as a response to the pandemic. The event marked the first time a big fashion showcase was held virtually, setting a precedent for the hybrid online-offline format now commonly adopted by fashion weeks worldwide.
Three new non-profit spaces challenge the dominance of real estate and the market in China's contemporary art ecosystem
Only a handful of existing Chinese institutions have such laser focus, for example Shanghai’s Ming Contemporary Art Museum, which specialises in performance. “By basing an institution on sound, Fen Sonic had to rethink from the ground up what such an institution would be like,” Chinnery says. "Although our focus feels narrower than a nonprofit that works with all media, we are exploring new ideas and ways of working that might result in us working with a broader cross-section of society.” - Longlati’s 1,900 sq. m space near Shanghai’s landmark Bund opened with a solo exhibition by Tala Madani and Behind This Wall, a group show with Amoako Boafo, Derrick Adams and Vaughn Spann exploring conceptions of Blackness (both until 28 February). Occupying a 1919 heritage building, the foundation aims to “provide a platform for the artists who are underappreciated”, says Zihao Chen, its co-founder together with David Su.
A key mission is to show that “art is not merely a pattern of economic gentrification but something that also promotes social equality”. Besides exhibitions, Longlati convened four young China-based art writers in September for its inaugural Writers’ Acquisition Committee. Promoting and publishing research is an emphasis it shares with Macalline Art Center, which has trailed its physical launch with the online bilingual art magazine Heichi, the podcast Cacotopia and a series of video commissions called Bare Screen.
Top Artist/ Zeng Fanzhi
Few contemporary Chinese artists fetch as much at auction as Zeng Fanzhi. A member of the Cynical Realism movement, which formed in Beijing in the early 1990s, Zeng’s angst-ridden portraits—like the work of peers Yue Minjun, Zhang Xiaogang, and Fang Lijun—address sociopolitical issues in China with humor and irony. The intensity of his work is influenced by artists including Francis Bacon, Willem de Kooning, and Max Beckmann.
Zeng has continually taken his practice in surprising directions, moving away from his successful and recognizable paintings of masked figures to landscapes inspired by the Northern Wei, Song, and Yuan Dynasties, which he obscures with thick black bracken. He has also experimented with expressionistic techniques such as multi-brush painting, where he paints with two hands at once: The first brush is controlled, while the second makes unguided strokes. This integration of the unconscious in his technique is itself a wry commentary on China’s asymmetric, oft-interrupted liberalization over the past 20 years.
DINING
Cai Yi Xuan
Cai Yi Xuan
Cai Yi Xuan
Are you in Beijing and looking for Chinese fine dining? Head to Four Seasons Beijing where you will find the luxury dining restaurant of Cai Yi Xuan. Tobacco-hued and being artistically retro, the restaurant is known for its Chinese delicacies brought to you by Chef Li Qiang. A favorite among the locals as well as the travelers alike, Cai Yi Xuan has an amazing ambience that adds to its overall appeal. Must Try: Dim sum, and steamed dumpling with lobster Cuisine: Chinese, and Asian Location: 48 Liangmaqiao Lu, Beijing
King’s Joy
Cai Yi Xuan
Cai Yi Xuan
Located close to the Tibetan Lama Temple, King’s Joy is one of the most popular vegetarian restaurants in Beijing. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Pan Jianjun, sharing his mastery in creating delectable meat-free dishes along with non-vegetarian delights. His food focuses on presentation, texture, and sourcing and he uses mushrooms, soy, and vegetables to mimic meat with remarkable accuracy. If you are looking for a place to enjoy amazing vegetarian food, King’s Joy is one of the best restaurants in Beijing, China to pick any day. Must Try: Kung Po Oyster Mushroom, Sliced tofu and mushroom Cuisine: Chinese, and Asian (Vegetarian Friendly) Location: 2 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng Qu, Beijing
Ultraviolet
Cai Yi Xuan
Ultraviolet
This is a high-concept restaurant in Shanghai that takes experiential and experimental dining to a whole new level. A brainchild of the renowned French chef – Paul Pairet, Ultraviolet is definitely one of the most famous restaurants in China, known for the music-driven atmosphere. The unique thing about this restaurant is there is no fixed location. You are picked up from a meeting point and taken to a secret location where you can satisfy your appetite to the core. Must Try: Truffle Burnt Soup Bread, and Pop Rock Oyster Cuisine: European, Contemporary Location: Shanghai
FIVE STAR HOTELS /SHANGHAI
Waldorf Astoria
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
Waldorf Astoria – Shanghai The name says it all. Waldorf Astoria. Few brands in the hospitality industry stir such emotions of elegnce, service and luxury. The Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund (to use its official name) is no exception. Like one of the classic cocktails available in The Long Bar, this centrally located perfectly blends old and new aesthetics. Housed within a two-building complex that combines a 21st century sophistication with the hotel chains legendary service. Expats in Shanghai love the Champagne brunch served every Sunday in the Grand Brasserie whilst locals and tourists alike make a bee-line to the legendary afternoon tea served daily in the Salon de Ville. With three restaurants, two longes and a bar to choose from there is plenty of ways to toast the great city of Shanghai.
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
The Mandarin Oriental Pudong hotel is widely regarded as the premier accommodation of Shanghai. We had to check it out ourselves – all in the interests of helping others of course…- and we are inclined to agree. Located along the spectacular banks of the Huangpu River, surrounded by the sky/outer space scrapping buildings of Pudong’s CBD, this hotel offers a unique blend of world class design and style with beautiful views and unbeatable comfort. Timeless elegance is mixed with plenty of colour to bring some much needed light touches to downtown city hotels. Five star service. Five star facilities. Five star experience. An unforgettable stay.
Fairmont Peace Hotel
Mandarin Oriental Pudong
Fairmont Peace Hotel
Fairmont Peace Hotel – Shanghai Declared as a ‘luxurious Art-Deco masterpiece’, this landmark hotel once played host to the elite members of Shanghai society – where was the invite? – and was a favoured destination for international globetrotters. The hotel seamlessly melds this glamorous tradition – see the Jazz Bar and Dragon Phoenix – with a modern twist. Those who wish to be seen will head to the Cin Cin Bar whilst those preferring to do the looking will make reservations at the Cathay Room to enjoy some of the best views of Pudong from the restaurant terrace. The Fairmont Gold executive floor is a must for those who simply cannot be seen checking-in with the rest of us mere mortals. Offering luxury suites with elegant art-deco inspired styles and impeccable service, the Fairmont Peace Hotel is as bold and rich as it’s historic past.
