Tag: Reportage

What is this art gallery doing on a Congolese palm-oil plantation?

August 8, 2017

A marker commemorating the CATPA-IHA collaboration outside White Cube. COURTESY CATPC AND IHA IN APRIL 2017 AN ART gallery opened in an improbable place—on a former palm oil plantation in Lusanga, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Located more than 400 miles southeast of the Congolese capital, Kinshasa, the town is remote and impoverished. Workers on the … More What is this art gallery doing on a Congolese palm-oil plantation?

​Jaipur’s giant, defiant literature festival turns 10

February 1, 2017

Half a million people attended last week’s literary festival in Jaipur, India. Half a million! There was anti-Muslim debate, a famous author described Trump as America’s “dick pic”, and police roamed around in camel-coloured berets. Sam Gaskin reports. In Jaipur’s historic pink city, people pick their way through narrow lanes littered with Nestea paper cups … More ​Jaipur’s giant, defiant literature festival turns 10

Why isn’t Chinese fine dining more of a thing?

December 14, 2016

There are expensive Chinese restaurants in Shanghai, but the introduction of the Michelin Shanghai Guide in September highlighted the lack of creative, contemporary Chinese fine dining. Why doesn’t more of it exist, and what would help it take off? Michelin misguided When Michelin launched its inaugural Shanghai Guide on September 21, awarding 35 stars to … More Why isn’t Chinese fine dining more of a thing?

China’s twisted film industry will engineer more bomb-hits like ‘Warcraft’

June 13, 2016

Warcraft, the film based on Activision Blizzard˚s fantasy game, is tanking in the US. In its debut weekend It made just $24.3 million on an investment of $160 million, and word of mouth is unlikely to help turn things around. The film has a critics’ rating of 27 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, and The … More China’s twisted film industry will engineer more bomb-hits like ‘Warcraft’

Choose your Yeezys — $12 knockoffs or $5,000 resales?

April 11, 2016

Kanye West has had some success selling sneakers. The “pirate black” colourway of his Yeezy Boost 350s were available for barely an hour on the adidas website before the brand tweeted “#YEEZYBOOST 350 is now sold out online in the U.S.” People tweeted back “My wife left me”, “I’m killing myself”, and “You mean I … More Choose your Yeezys — $12 knockoffs or $5,000 resales?

Ocula Conversations Volume 1

March 1, 2016

Ocula, Asia Pacific’s leading contemporary art magazine, publishes a series of open, discursive interviews called Conversations. As the magazine’s Shanghai editor, I’ve written over a dozen of these, two of which — those with Chen Tianzhuo and Yang Fudong — are included in the inaugural print collection. The full list of my contributions, including interviews with Burmese artist Moe Satt, Armory curator … More Ocula Conversations Volume 1

Sorry JJ. China doesn’t share your nostalgia for the original ‘Star Wars’

January 7, 2016

Thirty year old Chen Yanyu first heard about Star Wars as a university student when production for Revenge of the Sith arrived in her home town. The limestone karst hills of Guilin, in southern China, helped form the backdrop of Kashyyyk, the planet of the Wookiees. Now, in anticipation of the China release of The … More Sorry JJ. China doesn’t share your nostalgia for the original ‘Star Wars’

In China, BWM is the ultimate sitting machine

November 9, 2015

BMW built its brand on superior performance, a characteristic that’s been put on cruise control in the People’s Republic of China, where the 5 Series Hybrid is the perfect compromise. It took some precision engineering to create a slogan as vague as Bavarian Motor Works’ “Sheer Driving Pleasure” (纯粹驾驶乐趣). All cars should offer some sort … More In China, BWM is the ultimate sitting machine

‘Chocolate City’ — Guangzhou’s African export clothes market

November 20, 2014

The Canaan Export Clothes Wholesale Market in Guangzhou market is an Yiwu for African buyers. While occasional conflicts between traders and Chinese police have made headlines, Time Out look at the daily reality In many ways Canaan Export Clothes Wholesale Market is like any Chinese market. Shopkeepers’ kids race past your knees on snake motion skateboards and scissor … More ‘Chocolate City’ — Guangzhou’s African export clothes market

China’s aggressive museum growth brings architectural wonders

April 30, 2014

With its expansive steel skin, tall parasol-shaped concrete pillars, and huge vestigial coal hoppers, the 33,000-square-meter Long Museum West Bund makes a grand impression in a former industrial site beside Shanghai’s Huangpu River. Launched at the end of March, the museum is the second and the largest private institution established by prominent Chinese art collectors … More China’s aggressive museum growth brings architectural wonders