Archive for the 'Exhibits, Talks and Publications' Category

25
Jun

June 26: China’s Changing Megacities

By Sue Anne 5 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

[Note 17May 2013: You can learn more about the policy-oriented speaker series at Hopkins China Forum and about the group Young China Watchers.]

As part of the monthly Hopkins China Forum series, I’ll be moderating a very interesting panel discussion tomorrow entitled “China’s Changing Megacities” with Daan Roggeveen, architect and founder/director of the Go West Project, and author of “How the City Moved to Mr Sun”. Duncan Hewitt, Shanghai Correspondent for Newsweek and author of“Getting Rich First: Life in a Changing China” will be offering commentary on the topic as well.

The talk will revolve around the break-neck development of cities in Central and Western China which have focused solely on their physical infrastructure, but now need to face societal issues of sustainability, education, and cultural development.

Over the next two decades around 300 million Chinese villagers will move to the city, creating the largest urban society the world has ever seen. Small towns in central and western China are transforming at breakneck pace into huge metropolises with many millions of inhabitants, rivaling global cities like Rio de Janeiro, London,and Moscow, though their names are unknown in the rest of the world.  These unexplored cities in the heart of China have focused solely on their physical development over the past decade, but when the physics of their development slows down, as it must, they will then need to shift toward non-physical aspects of development, such as education, sustainability, and most importantly cultural life.  Architect Daan Roggeveen (Go West Project) and journalist Duncan Hewitt (Newsweek) will challenge certain assumptions about the nature of Chinese society and pose the question: Can China transform its triumph of brick and concrete into a model that can be a beacon for the world?

Both Daan and Duncan’s books will be on sale during the event, I encourage you to pick up a copy and have a pint at the same time!

The talk will be at Wooden Box, 9 Qinghai Lu, near Nanjing Xi Lu (青海路9号, 近南京西路) on Tuesday, June 26th at 7pm, and I encourage you to RSVP to Frank Tsai at editor[at]shanghai-review.org, since seating may be limited.

25
Apr

Book Review and Giveaway of “Shanghai Shikumen” (上海里弄文化地图)

By Sue Anne 21 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications, The Fading Vestige and What I Am Reading

◄ Back
Picture 1 of 4

UPDATE: Congratulations to Patrick, the 10th commentator! Random.org picked you out of 18 commenators. Drop me an email via the contact sheet and I will dispatch the book to you!

Thanks again to everyone who participated! For those who are in Shanghai, remember to pick up a copy! Amazon.cn has it on sale.

** I am giving one free copy to a lucky reader regardless of where you are in the world. Leave a comment below about yourself and why you’d like a copy. Entries close 5 minutes before midnight May 3, Beijing time. I will pick the winner at random. **

(欢迎中文读者！如果想用中文来看博科，可以在右边点下翻译钮 “Blog translated”)。 我会选出一位幸运读者送出《上海里弄文化地图》的一本书。请在博客文章下留下个人发言，介绍自己。比赛5月3日半夜停止。我会随机选择。)

For me, the hardest thing about documenting Shanghai’s ubiquitous lilong (or lanes) residences and shikumen isn’t the tedious amount of time invested in research and photographing them, but surprise, surprise, actually finding the hidden gems.

While there is substantial and organized information on Shanghai’s western architecture thanks to dedicated archivists including Tess Johnston and Paul French, there is no equivalent English directory for the hundreds of Shanghai shikumen and lanes, which is a challenge given their rate of demolition.

As an outsider without initimate knowledge of the city, I depend a great deal on the internet, Google maps and collecting anecdotes from residents to piece together the what, where and whys.

There was one key source I often turned to – a photographer on Flicker and the Chinese equivalent, Douban who went by the name of Gropius (the famous German architect who pioneered the Bauhaus School) or Xi Zi (席子). His work was a treasure trove of beautiful shikumen and lanes that I never knew existed, along with names and addresses, which I would use to guide myself around the city. He was receptive to questions and had a large Shanghainese following online.

A few years ago, while shooting in a heap of what used to be a beautiful structure in Hongkou, I met a man in his late 30s, early 40s doing the same thing. Lo and behold, it was Xi Zi.

We became friends and I’d meet up with him on several occasions to shoot and even interviewed him for the blog. He almost never used a map and knew of hidden spots that even local Shanghainese had no idea existed. He photographed the same places over and over again, mapping a timeline of their demise.

After 5 years of continuous shooting, Xi Zi (whose full name is Xi Wenlei (席闻雷)) and his good friend Jiang Qinggong (姜庆共) (or Lao Jiang as he calls himself, a well-known publisher of history and the arts) have finally put out one of the best photo books on Shanghai shikumen that you’ll ever find. Both authors grew up in shikumens and as Xi Zi once said to me, for the younger generation, the shikumen will be just a concept as many of them have never lived in one.

“Shanghai Shikumen” or more accurately “Shanghai Lilong Culture and Map” (上海里弄文化地图) condenses explanations and diagrams of various shikumen styles, 40 shikumen lilong travel guides, 400 shikumen lilong directories and 120 accompanying images of both the exteriors and interiors of the shikumen.

Interestingly, Xi and Jiang have chosen to emphasize their work in images rather than in text, a departure from traditional Chinese publishing standards. The best part of the book is the litany of maps (both pre-1949 and the present) that help the tracking and identification of shikumen and lilongs more efficiently. All in both English and Chinese.

For the authors, the book is as much a way to reach out to the younger generation of Shanghainese about their history, as it is appealing to foreigners with a deeper curiosity of the Chinese aspect of Old Shanghai.

That this easily accessible shikumen guide has not been published earlier is baffling to me, which is why I recommend readers to pick up a copy and start exploring as some of these neighborhoods may not be around for too long.

Where to buy

“Shanghai Shikumen” (上海里弄文化地图), 162 pages, March 2012, Tongji University Press (RMB 42)

1. Dukou Bookshop(s) (上海渡口书店)

- 828 Julu Lu, near Fumin Lu, Jingan District 静安区巨鹿路828号, 近富民路

- 245 Madang Lu, B1, Xintiandi Style Mall, 卢湾区马当路245号新天地时尚B1楼

- Online bookstore

2. Link Shanghai Gallery in Tianzifang (搭界)

- No. 5 Lane 248 Taikang Lu, Shanghai 上海市泰康路248弄5号

20
Mar

Suzhou Literary Festival Roundup

By Sue Anne 0 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

This past weekend was spent in the very lovely Suzhuo at the Bookworm bookstore, partaking in the Suzhou Literary Festival activities.

I especially want to thank everyone who came for the talk on street photography in China, and hope that we all walked away with a clearer idea of the genre and a few new perspectives next time you hit the streets. Participants in the photo walk seemed like they had a great time and I was very impressed by the keen eye many demonstrate, I myself learned a fair bit from all of you.

Also, many thanks to the organizers and inn-keepers of the Suzhou Bookworm for the great event! The Suzhou Literary Festival is a gem and I hope more folks in Shanghai consider a trip to enjoy interesting authors and the city next year.

Speaking of which, the old city is lovely.

I had met up with a friend from Suzhou, a born and bred native with an affinity for history. As we drove around, he pointed out a few interesting landmarks in the city. One of which was a compound called Tongde Lane (同德里) along Wusa Lu (五卅路) that once belonged to Shanghai’s greatest  gangster Du Yuesheng (杜月笙 or nickname ‘Big Ears Du’). He had conveniently housed his two Suzhou concubines there and would visit when Shanghai proved too hectic. It was subsequently occupied by Lin Biao (林彪), a Communist general who died fleeing after what appeared to be a failed coup to oust Mao Zedong in 1971.

I’ve always enjoyed the minimalism of Jiangnan (江南)-styled houses with their white and grey hues, elaborate roof gables and intricate stone carvings. Walking in the quiet back canals, it is always a treat to find the random pavillion and convenient stone bridges to carry you back to the din of noisy cars and shops.

I finally visited the touristy Pingjiang Lu (平江路), a pedestrian stream of preserved Jiangnan-styled houses occupied by galleries, cafes, tea-houses and hotels. Some may scoff Pingjiang Lu to be a little too scrubbed up and Disneyfied, but I thought that it had modernized more organically than reconstructed shopping shikumens (石库门) in Shanghai, whose natural inclination is to Westernize everything from decor to cuisine.  My preference would be to have Suzhou’s traditional tea houses evolve with corresponding Taiwanese and Japanese influences of hominess and simplicity.

For camera-philes, a Leica store is opening up by Pingjiang Lu, a hallmark of gentrification and creep of upscale shopping. A quick chat with the owner says the store opening is slated for mid-end April with an exhibit by a Canadanian photographer.

At times, the city centre feels as if it’s choking on both traffic and people. As the skies darkened threateningly with rain, I watched the hordes clamour onto a public bus like it was the only way out of a war zone.

Urban planners are struggling to cope with the flood of migrating residents, and the battle for sustainable preservation of heritage architecture. I hope city planners strike a good balance, because outside of the old city, Suzhou has fast become a cookie cutter landscape, a far cry from the idyllic town it once was.

(More photos taken with my Iphone after the jump)

Continue reading ‘Suzhou Literary Festival Roundup’

19
Feb

18 March: Leading a street photography workshop in Suzhou

By Sue Anne 3 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

(Eds: This post will remain on top until the event is over.)

Exciting news on my end!

I’ll be speaking for the second time at the Suzhou Bookworm International Literary Festival about street photography in China. But this time, after the talk, I’ll be joining participating photogs in the streets to put theories into practice and conclude with some photo-editing and post-shoot discussion.

It’s a bit jam-packed for an afternoon but I think it’ll be wicked fun and useful to any aspiring photographer seeking to define a more personal style in photography and presenting one’s work. Suzhou is only a short train ride (less than half hour) from Shanghai, and the Suzhou Bookworm has an excellent lineup of authors speaking. I hope to see you there!

Street photography in China: A workshop with Sue Anne Tay

Date: 18th March 13:00

Location: Suzhou Bookworm, Gunxiufang 77, Shiquan Road Suzhou (苏州 十全街 滚绣坊 77) Map

Update: Tickets are RMB50 per session (includes complimentary beverage) and can be acquired at Suzhou Bookworm. Or call them at +0312 3269 8547 for alternative ticket arrangements.

For the first time ever, Sue Anne Tay of the popular photo blog Shanghai Street Stories will be conducting a street photography workshop right here in Suzhou. In one afternoon, Sue Anne will discuss the allure of street photography as a way to experience China and share her approach to shooting in Shanghai’s streets. Later, she will lead participants on a shooting jaunt in the busy streets of Suzhou and wrap up the workshop with an informal post-shoot discussion session back at The Bookworm Suzhou.

Workshop Agenda:

- A 1.5 hour talk + Q&A on street photography in China at the Suzhou Bookworm

- A 1 hour photoshoot around the Bookworm

- A 1 hour post-shoot discussion (For participants who are joining the shooting jaunt, they need: digital camera (DSLR, point and shoot, Iphone etc.) and a laptop with accompanying photo-editing software)

04
Jan

A review of 2011 (part three)

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications, Off the Streets of Shanghai and Street Stories

This is the third installment of my review of 2011. Picking a favorite story from each month is difficult. All posts take time, including research, photo editing and writing and re-writing each paragraph to the best effect. It can sometimes be tiresome, especially when I would linger on a post for weeks, to the point of it remaining stubbornly unpublished. And believe me, there are quite a few. I sometimes have to revisit the place to jog the memory of the details, smells and sounds.

Yet there are moments which pass you by as quickly as they come. A look, a body movement or a sound can trigger an entire composition never to be recreated ever again.

July: I published a piece on exploring the port architecture of Shantou in Guangdong, where the Old Quarters, while crumbling miserably, is a beautiful place worth visiting. The city is home to Teochews, a dialect group, of which the overseas disapora number over 30 million.

Another favorite is “Reflections at high noon”, a photo essay on the most unknowing inspiration for street photography.

August: I’ve often feature the Chinese street photography collective Zaijietou.com (在街头) as an example of the popularity of street photography among a select few in China. Here, an interview of Chinese and German perspectives on street photography in China.

September: In lieu of blogging, my September was packed with activities. My biggest event was  “The Living Streets of Shanghai and the Hague”, a video exhibit by Shanghai and the Hague’s best street photographers. I co-organized it with  Five Spices, a Dutch design company, and the exhibit was held in Shanghai and subsequently in the Hague.

One of the featured photographers of the above exhibit was Tan Tien Yun, whom I interviewed. Working in the one of the countless factories in Minhang, Tien Yun took the time to take in the the more rural aspects of Shanghai’s suburbs including the local migrant communities.

A review of 2011 (part one) (part two) (part three)

02
Jan

A review of 2011 (part two)

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications, Off the Streets of Shanghai and Street Stories

It’s the second day of 2012. How are you doing on your long list of resolutions?

This is the second portion of my review of 2011, a list of my favorite stories on Shanghai Street Stories. I’d love to hear from readers: is there a photo or story that you have read this year (not necessarily the blog) that has made a considerable impression on you?

April: The highlight of the month had to be my visit to the North Korean border, specifically the Joint Security Area (JSA) (or referred to as “Panmunjeom” or “Truce Village”). Chilling, eerie but exciting. Highly recommended!

May: In the Old Chinese Walled city by the Huangpu River and the heart of Shanghai, I showed how migrants made homes in abandoned factories, and how a group of boys with great creativity and gusto, can be Shanghai’s next property developers. Also, an interview with my friend Ishi Mak, who captures Shanghai’s heritage architecture with a very Japanese aesthetic.

June: I started The Roving Exhibit in NOV10, which takes my street photography back to the neighborhoods I shot in the form of show and tell. I gave a presentation (including video) at the twocities Gallery and profiled the kinds of street patrons that attended the exhibit. It remains one of my favorite personal work.

A review of 2011 (part one) (part two) (part three)

31
Dec

Happy New Year! and 2011 in review (part one)

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications, Off the Streets of Shanghai, Portraits of Strangers, Street Stories, Suburbs of Shanghai and The Fading Vestige

In the tradition of pensive reflection of the past year, I present to you the blog’s ”2011 in Review”. Below is the first of four installments rounding up my favorite stories each month. Hopefully this will keep you entertained over the long weekend. You can also read my review for 2010 here.

The pace of old housing demolition in Shanghai has slowed a little in comparison to the frenzied activity prior to the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.  This might be related to the Chinese government’s strict property tightening measures to scale back the real estate bubble, and the general malaise of the global financial crisis. On a positive note, on a recent visit to a half-flattened longtang, residents tell me they are now protected by laws to prevent forcible removal from their properties until all negotiations are complete. While not universally enforced, I am hearted by the small development.

2011 for me has been a significant amount of traveling to new cities and countries. In addition to revisiting Berlin, London and of course, home in Singapore, I visited for the first time Dubai, Seoul (and a very exciting jaunt to the North Korea border!), Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. It was a year of new boundaries and new friends and I expect 2012 to be more of the same.

I want to thank regular readers, faithful commentators (you know who you are!) and occassional passers-by for visiting the blog. I occupy a small sliver of space in the vast Internet but work hard to piece together the stories and photos for our mutual pleasure. As always, I welcome your suggestions on how to improve my photography and writing.

My best wishes of good health and happiness to you for the New Year! I leave you with one of my favorite quotes, something I remind myself daily and find very apt for fresh starts in general.

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

January: Meeting Mr Cai (photo above) in Shanghai’s suburbs, whom I have designated “The Happiest Man in Shanghai”, was a fortuitous affair. I am reminded of his cheery optimisim at his old age which warms my heart each time I have a nasty encounter in Shanghai.

February: I was very glad to have documented the beautiful mosaic-tiled public service posters in Ruihua Lane (瑞华坊) which preached good manners and respect amongst the neighborhood’s residents. Unfortunately, the lane has emptied out in anticipation of razing.

On another note, my trip to the very sunny and excessively opulant Dubai.

March: One of my favorite photo essays on discovering life and color in dying neighborhoods undergoing demolishment. This one was in northern Jingan district, which I had rarely visited. Beauty often lies in character, and Shanghai’s old lanes are filled with them. Everytime you pass by an unassuming lane, make it a point to poke your head in.

A special mention of my contribution as co-author (along with Old Shanghai establishments including Tess Johnston) of the book “Still More Shanghai Walks” which we presented at the Shanghai Literary Festival and our booklaunch at the beautiful and quaint Old China Hand Cafe, where it is still available. I covered the former Jewish Ghetto and street markets of Tilanqiao.

A review of 2011 (part two) (part three) (part four)

01
Sep

10 Sep Street photography exhibit: “The living streets of Shanghai and The Hague”

By Sue Anne 2 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

 

We’ve been working hard to put together this 1-day only street photography event which will be absolutely fantastic. Please help spread the good word. Hope to see you there!

“The living streets of Shanghai and The Hague”
September 10 (Sat), 2-5PM
Dutch Design Workspace, Shaanxi Lu 600, Jingan district, Shanghai
RSVP: info@fivespices.nl

Two great cities joined by their streets
This unique event will bring together the best of street photography from Shanghai and The Hague and will be held in both cities as part of a cross-cultural exchange of shared perspectives behind the lens. 

The exchange
The organizers, Dutch design firm Five Spices and ShanghaiStreetStories.com blogger Sue Anne Tay, have invited three other Shanghai-based photographers and the Urban Photo Collective in Holland as participants of a street photography exchange.

Dialogue with photographer Lu Yuanmin (陆元敏）
Dutch photographer Robert van der Hilst (b. 1940) will introduce the event via video. And we will be joined by one of Shanghai’s most respected photographers Lu Yuanmin who will share his thoughts on street photography in China. Lu Yuanmin (b. 1950) has long been depicting Shanghai’s urbanites in his trademark dreamy yet arresting photography and is widely exhibited all over the world, The interview will be in English and Chinese.

The street photography showcase
Shanghai and The Hague’s most popular street photographers will showcase their photography work through video, following an exchange of perspectives on how street photography best reflects the cities they live in.

Sue Anne Tay – Photographer and author of the popular blog ShanghaiStreetStories.com

Tui – Street photographer and a major contributor to the street photography collective Zaijietou.com

Tan Tien Yun – Street photographer with a unique perspective on “rural” Shanghai

And collective works by photographers of the Urban Photo Collective of Netherlands.

26
Aug

Mea culpa and upcoming events in August/September

By Sue Anne 3 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

First of all, I’d like to apologize for the slow pace of posting around here. Day by day, my backlog of half-edited photo essays and unfinished drafts grow as I attend to a million other things. But I can assure you that I haven’t stopped photographing or meeting new talented Shanghai-based photographers. Quite the opposite in fact and I promise a treat of new neighborhood discoveries, more interviews and events on this blog very soon.

In the meantime, I’m still sharing interesting China- and photography- related links via Twitter and the blog’s Facebook page, so follow me there if you’d like a more regular dose of my ramblings. Readership has been steadily growing, the latest spike thanks to a very positive review of the blog (4 out of 5 stars!) in the popular UK photo magainze Amateur Photographer. The write up can be found here.

Meanwhile, below is a smattering of events which my friends and I are involved in for the next few weeks. Hope to see you there!

27 August (Sat) 3pm: Shanghai Flickr Meetup in the former Jewish Ghetto in Hongkou
The always-fun Flickr Meetup crew is planning a photography jaunt (tomorrow!) through the former Jewish Quarter in Hongkou, based on the same chapter in “Still More Shanghai Walks” which I authored. I will be there as a mini-guide to take any questions but really just to enjoy the company. All are welcome.

10 September (Sat) 2pm: “The Living Streets of Shanghai and the Hague”
I am co-organizing this very exciting street photography project with Dutch design firm, Five Spices, to be held at the Dutch Design Workspace here in Shanghai. Photographers from both cities will showcase their work and we will have a dialogue with none other than Shanghai street photographer master Lu Yuanmin (陆元敏). To be officiated by the Consul General of the Netherlands, the corresponding event in the Hague will be held end-September. More details soon.

13 September (Tues) 7pm: Katya Knyazeva on Shanghai Old Town: “Topography of a Phantom City”
Long before there were the international Concessions, Old Town was the hub of Shanghai’s prestigious merchant activity. Today, it remains a cluster of organic, pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods but is, like much of Old Shanghai, rapidly being torn apart. Learn more about Katya’s work in a Behind the Camera Interview she gave on the blog.

18 September (Thurs) 7:30pm: Paul French’s “Midnight in Peking”: A Book Talk & Signing at the Glamour Bar
The prolific Shanghai-based author and blogger of ChinaRhyming.com has kicked off the Asia tour of his latest book, a true crime novel entitled “Midnight in Peiking”. Paul has solved the actual murder of Pamela Werner, the daughter of a former British consul to China, which took place is 1937 but was never properly closed. The book’s wonderfully interactive website also a map of Pamela’s Peiking, as well as Audio Walks narrated by Paul himself! Definitely another reason to visit Beijing.

So there you go, the fun never seems to end! As always, feel free to drop me a comment or email if you have any questions.

30
Jul

2 August Talk on China’s flash urbanization

By Sue Anne 0 Comments
Categories: Exhibits, Talks and Publications

This Tuesday, Neville Mars, Chief Architect for MARS Architects, founder of the Dynnamic City Foundation, and author of The Chinese Dream: A Society Under Construction, will speak on “China’s Flash Urbanization: The Race between Eco-Hope and Eco-Hazard”, about the unfulfilled promise of environmental sustainability in China’s urbanization, and new ways of attaining eco-friendly urban design.

I will be moderating the event.

If you’re interested in attending, please RSVP to franktsai@technomicasia.com due to limited seats. Do say hello during the drinks/mingling post talk!

Date and time: 2 August, 2011. Tuesday. 7pm

Address: The Wooden Box. 9 Qinghai Lu 青海路9号. Near Nanjing West metro stop.

P.S. I’ve created a Facebook page for the blog even though it remains blocked in China. But I know people have different ways of following blogs. So I figured why not. Feel free to head over to the FB page and share the love with a click of a “like”.

Update: Thanks to those who showed up to attend the talk. Neville had a very iconclastic vision of how China can address the challenges of urbanization, or “deurbanize” so to speak. I encourage all to check out his company/ foundation’s site, burb.tv.  Lovely to speak to everyone of you.

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