In the Name of Art— Zhao Bandi's Panda CoutureIn the Name of Art— Zhao Bandi's Panda Couture | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志
By Maggie Ma
n the evening of January 15, 2008, Zhao Bandi, together with his panda-style fashion dresses, went aboard the yacht named Jinmao Shengrong that was docked at the bank of Huangpu River, making his appearance in Shanghai.
Such a party for galleries, called “ShanghArt Evening: Graceful Arrival of Zhao Bandi and His Panda-style Fashion Dresses,” attracted there a total of 70 domestic and foreign distinguished guests from circles of culture fashion, art collection, financial investment and other fields. The owner of Contrasts Gallery, Lin Mingzhu, artists Xue Song and Zhou Tiehai, modern dance artist Jin Xing, writer Mianmian, actress Zhang Jingchu, Chen Yifei’s son Chen Lin -- almost all familiar faces in Shanghai art communities were seated there at the two western-style long dinning tables in the banquet hall on the third floor of the yacht. The cups went gaily round and the guests were talking enthusiastically.The lovely “panda” ritual girls in black suits and white wigs with false hairy panda ears were shuttling back and forth at the door of the banquet hall, in the corridor of the staircases and around the overcoat check counter, like a mobile notice of an up-coming fashion show.
The video recording of the panda-style fashion release meeting that had made a sensation in the Beijing International Fashion Week two months ago was replayed on a projection television in the banquet hall. The show featured Zhao Bandi’s panda-style fashions, depicting all types of people: “property sales girls” wore tall hats like pagoda buildings, “corrupt government officials” were dressed in coats with white on the left side and black on the right side, the upper garments of “fans” were like a huge bunch of flowers, “Luxury Brands Lovers ” had all sorts of famous logos printed over their clothes … Zhao Bandi had unique panda-like black and white attires custom-made for outstanding figures of various social classes, including “Web Celebrities,” “lovely office secretaries,” “Mistresses” as well as “real estate developers,” “WTO,” “successful people,” etc. Zhao even invited there the prototype guest models of the dresses, such as ‘Hibiscus Sister,’ Yang Er Che Na Mu, Pan Shiyi, and others, who performed and exhibited on the T-stage.
These series of bold, jocular and sarcastic panda-style fashion dresses suddenly brought the high-sounding and remarkable artist into the focus of the media, and exposed him to both praise and blame from mass media or netizens. The native place of giant panda – Chengdu of Sichuan province was undoubtedly one of the places most concerned with Zhao’s performing art, and the local government of Chengdu even told the media they would soon start a legislation process to establish the “Chengdu Municipal Giant Panda Protection Regulations,” which was directed at similar “mischievous” behaviors towards giant pandas.However, the ever independent-minded Zhao would never let himself disturbed by other people’s opinions. At the party he recalled an event in 1936 when an American woman sailed from Huangpu River and shipped a panda out of China for the first time, and he believed his appearance on the Huangpu River in Shanghai in 2008 with his panda-style fashion dresses demonstrated the confidence of Chinese people. Hard to say if these emotional expressions came out of artistic innocence or out of his worldly wisdom, but it was obvious this performing artist, who had made “panda” the theme in his creations since 1999 and who always held a panda or had a panda fastened on the top of his head, was making determined efforts to have himself and the national treasure penetrate and even influence the life of the general public.
After the banquet, the panda-style fashion show began and nine sets of human fashion dresses came in turn: “the teachers,” “the middle school girl students,” “the nail households,” “the woman homosexuals,” “the corrupt government officials,” “the law-court judges,” “the fans of stars,” and “the policemen,” etc. Next, the following auction would lift the party mood to another climax.
Zhao designated the conjoint “police” uniform that was made of white genuine-leather and flanked by black pile as the only piece for auction from the panda-style fashion series. At the two sides of the dinning tables some domestic and foreign guests constantly raised hands to bid, and Lorenz Helbling, the owner of ShanghArt Gallery to which Zhao contracted, had bid three times. The starting price of 5,000 RMB yuan crawled all the way up to 50,000yuan, 100,000 yuan, and 200,000 yuan respectively; when Lorenz Helbling bid 300,000 yuan at the critical point of 200,000 yuan, the “police” uniform readily left behind the sale prices of luxury brands like Dior, Chanel and other top-grade ready-made dresses. Its price kept soaring to strong art price categories; finally, Dai Zhiqiang, an ancient coins collector in Shanghai, won the bidding at a high price of 600,000 yuan.
Though the closing price was already 120 times the starting price, the buyer still remarked that, “as an art piece, it sells really cheap at 600,000 yuan,” Zhao Bandi also claimed that 600,000 yuan was only a bottom-line price for his panda-style fashion dresses. The half-hour on-the-spot auction had testified to his anticipation of the “luxury index” for his panda-style fashion dresses.
In the name of art, Zhao Bandi looked so much serious; in the name of auction, the gap between 60,000 and 600,000 was only an irrational and effortless “zero.” In a speech at the party he sighed, “For the first time Chinese people have come so closer to money, and now they begin to talk about luxury.” He indicated that he “would honestly love to tell people through fashion shows what is luxury.”
Some may believe he accomplished it.
Zhao Bandi Speaking
Teacher
Middle School Student
Lesbian
Corrupt Official
Fans
Judge
policewoman
Zhao Bandi
Zhao Bandi
Auctioning
July 18, 2009
WHACK! In the Name of Art— Zhao Bandi's Panda Couture | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志
New Works from Zhou Tiehai | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志
New Works from Zhou TiehaiNew Works from Zhou Tiehai | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志
By staff
n September 6, Zhou Tiehai held a Shanghai preview of some of his newest works. The provocative collection, entitled, "Ego," is a group of about 20 paintings featuring his familiar "Joe Camel" figure in pop settings and even sexual poses. "Joe Camel" is engrossed in sex with scantily clad women; he's the pope; and he's seen playing the role of Elvis in a popular Andy Warhol painting. Zhou Tiehai once again borrows from famous art works. But this time, "Joe Camel" is not seen in 18th or 19th century European art works, he's resurfaced in more contemporary works, like Jeff Koon's "Michael Jackson with Bubbles." In the "Ego" collection, Zhou pushes his ever-present icon into the pop era. The works will be shown at the upcoming "Art & Public" exhibitions in Switzerland and Paris, and the Frieze Art Fair in London in October. Here is an exclusive viewing of these new works:
Cindy Sherman / Untitled, 2006, 200x150 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Andy Warhol / Double Elvis, 2006, 220x220 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Vanessa Beecroft / VB, 2006, 150x200 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Maurizio Cattelan / The Pepo, 2006, 240x300 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Maurizio Cattelan / Mini-Me，2006，200x150cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Robert Doisneau / Picasso and the loaves, 2006, 200x150 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Nan Goldin / The Other Side, 2006, 180x180 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Frida Kahlo / The Little Deer, 2006, 150x200 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Mavtin Kippenbergere / Selfportrait Untitled, 2006, 200x160 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Jeff Koons / Jackson and Bubbles, 2006, 150x200 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Jeff Koons / Jeff in the Position of Aolam , 2006, 175x240cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Jeff Koons / Jeff on Top, 2006, 160x240 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Jeff Koons / Ilona on Top, 2006, 170x240 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Jeff Koons / Ilona with Ass up, 2006, 184x230 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Jeff Koons / Ponies, 2006, 270x160 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Mariko Mori / Birth of a Star, 2006, 240x160 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Yasumasa Morimura / Marilyn, 2006, 240x170cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Albert Oehlen / Selbetportrait mit Palette,2006,150x125cm, oil on canvas
Richard Prince / Cowboy, 2006, 230x150 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Man Ray, 2006, 200x150 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Thomas Ruff / Nudes, 2006, 240x180 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Cindy Sherman / Untitled, 2006, 100x200 cm, acrylic (airbrush) on canvas
Shi Jinsong's Metallic Motorcycles | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志
Shi Jinsong's Metallic MotorcyclesShi Jinsong's Metallic Motorcycles | ArtZineChina.com | 中国艺志
By Li Danni
s one of the first group of participating artists at the Shanghai Biennial, Shi Jinsong is busy preparing his artworks for the exhibition: container-like melon sheds and motorcycles with the brand name “Ha Ke Long.” At Shi’s studio in suburban Beijing, several completed Hake Dragon motorcycles are piled up, shining in metallic rays.
The name, “Ha Ke Long” was invented by Shi. He created a humorous logo just like Harley Davidson’s. The pronunciation of “Ha Ke Long” has an origin in his hometown dialect – the Hubei dialect. The logo is a combination with the spelling “halong-kellong” and “tuolaji” (which means walking tractor in Chinese). He produced a mixture of Harley Davidson motorcycles and walking tractors. Shi says he wanted to "express my idea with something familiar to people is more interesting.”
Shi Jinsong’s artworks include those “Ha Ke Long” motorcycles, baby-care things -- like metallic baby strollers for a deity named he calls “Na Zha”-- and refined ancient weapons, constantly appear at international exhibitions. A curator, Gu Zhenqing, said: “Shi Jinsong’s artwork is attractive. Everyone can understand his works, but if you think deeper, and then you will feel that the artist is refusing. It is very interesting.”
Shi Jinsong’s installations now have the attention of art critics and collectors. In 2006, Chambers Fine Art Gallery in New York presented his solo exhibition entitled, “Na Zha – Baby Care.” All the works in the show were booked by collectors. Xu Longsen, Director of the Do Hai Tang Gallery in Shanghai, has privately collected one work from the Na Zha Series. It was said that all Shi Jinsong’s installation works were collected, and the prices have reached over $10,000.
Shi Jinsong has good ability of applying at materials. In his artworks “Sweet Life” and “Na Zha”, he applies different materials such as barley, sugar and stainless steel. In the “Ha Ke Long Motorcycle” series, the bodywork was made from a black and thick trunk, and the weird motorcycle can even be driven. All the accessories shine with the feel of a bright cold metal and were integrated as different parts of the motorcycle.
“I dreamt that a trunk with a big light was running on the road.” Shi Jinsong said in an interview. The work has already appeared at the Today Art Museum in Beijing. Now, Shi Jinsong is going to unveil the Ha Ke Long motorcycle at the Shanghai Biennial. He is planning to put three container-like melon sheds in the open air near Shanghai Art Museum, and also three “Ha Ke Long” motorcycles, carved with symbols of the dragon and phoenix. They will be able to be driven around the museum. The motorcycles will feature karaoke and video instruments. And the driver will be some muscular man dressed like Arnold Schwartzenegger. Different from the other Ha Ke Long motorcycles before, these three will play the new edition of “The Great Compassion Mantra,” Shi Jinsong has this Buddhism music re-composed to sound like a metal dance, and “Ha Ke Long, Ha Ke Long” are repeated as the new mantra in the song.
“I create works to dissect the real-life of society, and what I am interested in was to make an analysis of man’s pathology.”
Translated by Wei Ying