September 2005 – March 2006
Westminster teamed up with Chinatown Arts Space to put together a project called Lighting Up Chinatown. It involved two installations by young British Chinese artists. These are the Story of Rice and the Fire Station Wall, and both seek to light up Chinatown with art, myths and stories.
The projections were visible in the evenings and lasted up to 8 months, attracting people back into central London.
The Story of Rice by Suki Chan
(Lisle Street, 18 Sep 05 – 19 Sep 06)
Suki Chan’s video projection explores stories and associations relating to a familiar item of food regularly eaten in Chinatown. Down a long narrow street, a dark brick wall is illuminated with bright, neon-coloured words and drawings that appear and disappear into thin air. The words, both legible and not, float, move and transform through the air like falling leaves, a swarm of fire flies, a constellation of stars or falling leaves.
Although rice is synonymous with food, here it is also an evocative device to tell histories, traditions, personal stories and memories in various forms from eloquent poetry, old proverbs, popular sayings, slogans, short stories and modern idiosyncratic ramblings.
Participants of this project have included local community groups, businesses and tourists to Chinatown. The phrases reflect the importance of rice for Chinese people, as well as significant events within Chinese history – such as the farmers uprising in the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911) and the defeat of the Nationalists by the Chinese Communist Party (1949). In spite of the span of time represented within the collection of quotes, particular emotions and experiences are as relevant today as when they were originally created. Differences and similarities are observed between East and West and one interesting example is the tradition of rice pudding at Christmas in Norway.
The Fire Station Wall by Ying Shen
(Newport Place, 18 Sep 05
– 30 Apr 06)
Ying Shen’s art, displayed on the back of the Fire Station Wall that lends its name to the project, seeks to stimulate thoughts about Chinese tradition, contemporary Chinese lifestyle, and the cross-pollination of the cultures of East and West.
Every day for eight months a different image will be projected. Each month will have a different theme: Chinese Festivals, Chinese Astronomy, Chinese Traditional Architecture, Chinese Silk and Ancient Clothes, Chinese Bronze Art, Chinese Calligraphy, Chinese Traditional Painting, and Chinese Belief Systems. Since a very young age, Ying Shen liked to observe his world quietly and would put an idealistic version of it in his heart; learning to use art to express this tranquil and beautiful world. He now hopes to express it here, in a country that until recently was completely foreign to him.
Click here to download the flyer (pdf file)
Click here to download the press release (Word doc)
Gallery :
