Hangzhou Xixi Investment & Development Co., Ltd.: An International Tourism Complex Rooted in the Cultural Heritage of Xixi Waterways
Open Forum Recruitment | Let’s Talk About Cities and Art in Cities
Release time:
2019-10-08
The Xixi Paradise Art Center, in collaboration with Annie’s Theater and wowtheatre, jointly launched the 2019 Xixi International Art Festival.
Opening Forum: “Art in Cities and Urban Spaces”
What is our city like?
Take Hangzhou, for example—she is the misty, rain-soaked Jiangnan of the saying “Heaven above, Suzhou and Hangzhou below”; she is an elegant, time‑honored old city steeped in ancient charm; she is a cultural and artistic capital that exudes the refined elegance of the Southern Song Dynasty. At the same time, she serves as the central hub of China’s internet development and was the host city of the G20 Summit… In fact, though we live in cities, we often find ourselves at a loss for words when faced with them.
When we travel, do we ever pass by neatly organized high-speed rail stations?
Can you always find convenient payment methods like WeChat Pay or Alipay when you’re in a foreign country?
Do you sit in the grand auditoriums of one massive city theater after another, watching performance after performance from around the globe?
In 2020, it marked the tenth anniversary of the Shanghai World Expo. Back then, the theme “Better City, Better Life” sparked countless reflections within us. Today, in a globalized context, the urbanization process is surging forward like a mighty tide—so, in China, what has changed, and what has remained the same in our cities? We hope to use the “theater,” which we know best, to answer our questions:
Beneath the increasingly homogenized facade of urban development lies a diverse array of textures that shape the unique character of each city. When “theater” serves as a conceptual framework, how will we go about constructing “the city”?
“Colors of the City” unfolds through artist-in-residence programs, with the final presentation potentially taking the form of theatrical works, exhibitions, performing arts, performance art, immersive experiences, and more. Here, “theater” is neither a physical space nor “drama” in the conventional sense.
Commissioned by the Xixi International Art Festival, Hangzhou will be the first city to host a residency for “The Colors of the City.” At the opening forum, we’d like to take some time to discuss cities and the art that exists within them.
Friends who are interested can scan the QR code below to register and contact Xige, using the password “Color” to join the discussion group.
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