Project ShanghART, Shanghai
Shanghai Redux | “The Radical Space“ project, organized by artist SHI Qing since 2016, mainly focuses on reworking a series of old films in order to discuss contemporary issues based on the historical footage, re-reading, re-discussing and re-awaking the time and space that had been frozen in films. So far, five films including Today, I rest (1959), Under the Bridge (1983), Work in the Shipyard (1975), The Aunt’s Postmodern Life (2006), Spring Forever (1959) have been reworked.
“Moving images” is a way of writing that requires constant renewal. New writings and rehearsals unfold through a call back to spaces in Shanghai that have been written into cinema since the 1920s. They are “Reduxes”. They are clips ad episodes that rotate on an axis of speculation rather than being re-makes. They are re-understandings, and offer perspectives on spaces through conversations, new lines of acting, imitations and site-walks. (Excerpt of the project from Shanghai Biennial 2016)
"Today I Rest" | The original movie was shot in 1959, and tells the story of the life of a policeman, Ma Tianmin, who uses his days off to serve the public. The original shooting site Cao Yang Xin Cun was chosen as the site for “Shanghai Redux” as well. Through Ma Tianmin and Luo Ai’lan’s three encounters on the street, the specific historical period of the space and social relations, and the conflict and encounter of individual and collective times are explored.
“Under the Bridge” | The movie was shot in 1983. It narrates the different experiences of three young intellectuals returning to the city to become self-employed. A bridge on the Suzhou river, which was used in the original film, was chosen as the site for the remake. In the end of the film, the historical circumstances of Qin Nan and Gao Zhihua were rekindled, imagining their new lives in the context of today's context.
Shi Qing | He currently resides and works in Shanghai. His work methods skip from installation, video, performance art, residency, to the most recent research projects that looks into early ritual behaviour of humanities, appropriation of characters in myths, the geography of nomadic event and cultural clash under the context of globalization, daily life under collectivism, the criticism of artistic institutions and the interference of space production.
“The Radical Space” | It was established in Shanghai in 2014. It is a project space created by Shi Qing, Huang Songhao, and Yao Mengxi etc.. Since its establishment, it created projects such as “Collectivist Architecture”, “Shanghai Deal”, “Working Locally”, “Hinterland Project”, “Shanghai Redux”, “Writing about Everything”, and “Radical Studio”, emphasizing working methods based on physical space and daily life, and producing practices of subjective scenario.
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