CDR’s animation director Eb Hu (studio M.I.E) has recently finished an animation video for George Michael’s latest song ‘December Song – I Dream of Christmas’ .  Below is a press release written by Ann Xiao.
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George Michael’s latest music video “December Song – I Dreamed of Christmas” is a gift to the people whose hearts remember childhood dreams. Falling into a TV set, the little boy travels along the stream of lights, where he discovers a magical wonderland inhabited by imaginary characters. When the sun lights up the world in the Christmas melody, he sees the smile from his Mum. It’s a warm nostalgic story created with a haunting visual style as if reading through the colorful pages of an old children’s illustration book.

The creator of the December Song promo is a London based animation studio M.I.E, founded by EB Hu and Joe Marshall in 2009. Through a recommendation by Universal, MIE was given the brief to pitch for the work. George had a vision to transfer the song into an animated story, his main reference being :The Snowman’ from a personal perspective. MIE wrote the story of the boy’s journey and his relationship with his Mum, along with a few hand drawn colourful visuals. MIE received a call from George Michael on the very day they won the project. He was especially complimentary of the sensitivity in the story and the organic feel of its style.

To create the painting and drawing styles as well as realistic camera movements, the team of 5 adopted hand drawing, 2D and 3D techniques in this video. George worked closely together with the team and gave many useful comments as the animation progressed. Within only four weeks of production, MIE has completed a three minute, fifty second, children’s illustration style animated music video.

The video is available to view online now. The George Michael EP “December Song – I dreamed of Christmas” will be officially released on 13th December.

MIE is represented by Great Guns Ablaze in Asia.

Watch the video online:

http://m-i-e.co.uk/

December Song official website:

http://decembersong.georgemichael.com/

Private view: Monday, 9 November 2009, 6 – 8pm (Light refreshment will be served)
Open: 10 – 21 November, 10am – 6pm, Sat 10 – 2pm. (Closed on Sunday)
Cooking event: 10, 11, 20 & 21 November, 12 – 2pm
Shadow tracing event: Throughout the duration of the exhibition

Artist talk: 12 November 2009, 6 – 8pm
The artist will discuss the development of his work in connection with the experience of his everyday life and his interest in Eastern thoughts.

DASEIN ACADEMY OF ART
No 3A-12-G, Jalan Wangsa Delima 10
Desa Wangsa, Setapak
53300 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03 – 41 422 990
Enquiry: Kim Ng 019 432 5341
Nearest LRT: Wangsa Maju (Dasein is behind Carrefour)

Artist’s Statement:
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STRANGE/FAMILIAR

One
A life lived in hurry does not allow us to appreciate the many things around us; I choose to slow down my path and take a second look at things. I see devoting attentiveness to the everyday as the basis of my work; they reveal significance within what seems to be insignificant everyday objects and situations.

The seemingly extraordinary of our life can come from something quite ordinary. Therefore the strange can come from things that we are familiar with; they come along hand-in-hand, and exist in a contradictory structure that is simultaneously familiar and strange.

Strange/Familiar presents a selection of my existing works as well as the works that I produced during my home visit trip to Kuala Lumpur in November 2009. The exhibition contains cross disciplinary pieces including sculptures, photographs, and audience interactive performance. The work chosen for the exhibition uses mundane objects and familiar situations that people are unlikely to devote a second thought to. Nevertheless, these pieces potentially greet the viewers with strange familiarity.

Two
My work is about devoting attentiveness to the everyday. The everyday is something ordinary, commonplace and familiar that surrounds us day in day out. Investigating the everyday compels us to confront the things and the totality of the world because the everyday is immanence, ever shifting, endlessly recurring and being. The everyday occurs in a cycle and interpenetrates; it is the beginning as well as the ending of each occurrence. It is endlessly building, deforming and reestablishing. The everyday includes everything, it is everywhere and nowhere simultaneously and one can never successfully draw a line where it starts and where it ends. It is everywhere when one looks at things and sees them, it is nowhere when one looks but sees nothing or trying to ignore. The everyday is present moment, it is right here, right now, and right in front when we are regardful and contemplating it, when our mind wander away the everyday treads past unnoticed.

When we are trying to see something we are being attentive. We are being ignorance when we look but have no interest to see. The everyday in my work is the things that we often overlooked or have no interest to give a second thought.

Three
My art magnifies quotidian and shares living experience; these may be seen as the result of my interest on the matters of the everyday and Eastern thoughts. Exploring the as-it-is-ness of things, and interconnectedness between objects and people is fundamental to my work; my own cultural background and life experience are often revisited, examined, and evidenced in the work within this journey of exploration. They are not the representation of my life but the essence of my experience instead.

Socrates said that an unconsidered life is not worth living, what he meant is that we must observe important things in life that could enrich our life. I found simple pleasure in art making, like some people enjoy gardening, it enriches my life through observing and contemplating the everyday that is considered trivial rather than important as suggested by Socrates. This is how my art became a form that relates to a space i.e. a space of self-development rather than self-complacence.

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傅宗文
陌生/熟悉

节奏紧张的生活让人无法真正的去体验生活的周遭。而我却选择了放慢我的步伐往身边得事物多看一眼。我把对日常生活的无限关注视为我的作品的最基本要素，它们显示出了平凡事物的背后不平凡的一面。
 
不平凡的事物很多时候会在极琐碎得事物内涌现。同样，陌生感也会在我们非常熟悉的事物中产生。它们是处于一个矛盾得结构之中，陌生与熟悉其实就是一个共同体。陌生/熟悉是我亲自制作的展览，它也是我第一次个展。这项展览不但展示了我一些现存的作品，同时它也包括了我特为此展览准备得新作品。这一系列的跨领域作品例如雕塑，摄影以及观众交互式表演应用了一些司空见惯的事物和场景作为媒介。一般而言这些事物都是甚少人会给予关注的。总而言之这些作品或许会使观者处于陌生与熟悉得感觉之间。
 
我的作品就是关注日常琐碎的事物。司空见惯的日常事物感觉是平凡，寻常和熟悉的，而且它们每天都环绕着我们。当我们想要对这些日常的事物作出研究时，我们会发现它迫使我们面对几乎身边所有事物。这是因为日常的事物是无处不在，不断变更和无尽再生的。日常的事物是循环性发生和互相渗透的，它同时存在于每一件事物的开始和终结，而且它也无休止的在建立，变形与重建。日常的事物包罗一切，它可以无处不在，同时也可以无处可寻。当我们注意到且关注它，日常事物便是无处不在的。但是如果我们视而不觉或者试图忽略，它便无迹可寻。日常事物指的是我们的当下，存在于此时此地，当我们意识到并思索它们时，它们就存在于我们眼前。而当我们不留意时，它们就悄悄的溜开。
 
当我们留意去看一切事物，我们使用一颗关注之心。当我们对所见毫无兴趣，我们可以说是作出忽视的态度。我的作品所提示的日常事物就是我们经常视而不见，不给予机会去思考的。
 
我的艺术作品显示司空见惯的事物以及分享生活上的一些经历。这归根于我对日常事物的关注以及对东方思想的兴趣。基本上我的作品是在探讨物之间的原本性以及人与物之间的关联性。我本身的文化和一些生活的体验都在这些作品内呈现。因为在创作的过程中，我经常重访和探讨我本身的文化背景和生命中的一些经历。它们并不能代表我生活经历的一切，但却是我生活经历的一些精髓。苏格拉底曾说忽视或不思考的生活是毫无意义的，指的便是说我们必须观察生活中重要的并且能丰富生命的一些事物。我在艺术创作中作乐，就像有的人享受园艺所带来的乐趣一样，这乐趣是来自观察和思考琐碎的事物而并非如苏格拉底所指出去严肃的思考极重要的事物。这种种原因把我的作品形成某个格式同时也把它带到某个空间，它是一个不断自我寻求进步而非自满的空间。

泰特美术馆的名画修复师 – 艺术灵医
http://www.neweekly.com.cn/index/newsview.php?id=1204  

文/章润娟
<<新周刊>>第305期

艺术品修复不是纯粹的技术活，也是对名作的重新考量。如今，从物料到思想，修复师们对艺术品的了解比以往更多，但往往是想得多，做得比以前少。
　25名参观者穿越气闸，进入圣玛丽亚－德尔格拉齐修道院的餐厅，在《最后的晚餐》前逗留15分钟后，他们就必须离开。只有老太太比宁•布拉姆比拉获准搬一把椅子坐在画前，此前她将25年时光献给达芬奇，清除画上的“不纯物”，再以想象填满剥落了3/4的颜料。这是BBC拍摄的《旷世杰作的秘密》中所记录的一个艺术品修复师的工作。有人指责她使《最后的晚餐》变得更加不完整，但是至少，比宁•布拉姆比拉使世人不再将圣托马斯的手误认成一只面包。

像比宁•布拉姆比拉这样的名画修复师在世人眼里，都是些很神秘的人，他们身怀绝技，一般深居简出，终日埋首于古画堆里。随着透纳百余幅绘画珍品在中国首度亮相，英国泰特美术馆的修复师皮尔斯•汤逊和湛旭华也来到北京，人们在一睹名画修复师真容的同时，也借机得以长了点关于名画修复这个行当的见识。

想得越多，修复越少

　　即使是年代并不久远的透纳画作，如果缺乏适当的维护和清洗，瑰丽的英伦风景也将覆盖上一层酱油色。皮尔斯•汤逊是英国泰特美术馆纸张修复部主管，为泰特工作了30年。他由衷地尊重透纳，泰特美术馆馆藏的三百幅油画、三万张写生以及三百个写生簿的透纳作品，在他这得到最好的照顾。“我会不断地问，透纳动笔作画时是怎么想的。”透纳喜欢用黄颜料，如经典的《日出》、《日落》系列，这样的黄色看起来像柠檬黄，但它不一定是柠檬黄。“我需要做很多的调查，找到透纳用的确切物料究竟是什么，再考虑怎样来修复。”

说起多少年的功夫才能练就一名修复师，曾在纽卡素大学完成学业的皮尔斯告诉《新周刊》：“一般大学的学习，最短课程两年。但是，离开学校才是学习的真正开始。纸看上去很简单，但这个世界上有好几万种纸，而且每天都有画家在使用新的物料、新的方法在纸上作画，甚至用纸来做雕塑。”
　　修复师的事前功课比修复本身复杂得多。独立修复师湛旭华在艺术品修护协会工作的同时，也为泰特美术馆工作。在她看来，大量的专业知识，如物理、化学、艺术史、遗产学，良好的科学分析和实际修复操作能力，对修复师而言，缺一不可。皮尔斯也说：“先不要去想修复，先去了解艺术品的物料。有些修复对作品是有损害的。”

修复师们对艺术品了解得越多，对修复就越谨慎，往往是想得多，做得比以前少。“尊重艺术家的理念是最为重要的。”皮尔斯说。英国艺术大师透纳有一幅水彩画，曾经挂在英国艺术批评家约翰•拉斯金阳光充沛的卧室里。被纸皮装裱框盖住的部分，蓝色没褪去，显示出这张画曾经略带忧郁的蓝调子。皮尔斯测试出透纳用的是锭蓝，但画作除了边缘，全褪色了。湛旭华说：“像这种情况，我们不会再次涂上一层蓝色。龟裂的表面如果有剥落现象，一般会注射一层愈合剂加固，或者把画面发黄的光油去掉，重新上一层光油。”她强调说，“现在一般不用太过激的化学物质了，比如漂白剂，已经证明会损伤纸张的纤维。”

伍德罗的老树枝

　　泰特美术馆还有多媒体艺术、装置艺术等使用新媒材的艺术品。“以往，修复部经手修复的主要是纸类艺术品，但近年开始出现很多混合媒体的作品，比如80年代的录像装置作品，老式的电视机和录像机也是作品的一部分。”湛旭华说。混合媒体的东西很难从头到尾进行修复，有时这里有些问题，过些日子那里又有些问题，就像理查德•汉密尔顿的作品，他们一般是先检验，添好报告，照相，接着是对作品质材进行检测，联系艺术家，查阅相关档案资料（特别是已经不在世的艺术家），还原作品原貌。然后是一个修复计划，包括检测和找到相符的材料和方法，进行修复。
　　雕塑家比尔•伍德罗创作于上世纪70年代的《无题》，就是一件有趣的装置。伍德罗那时还是圣马丁学院的学生。两幅照片，墙上一幅，地面一幅，中间则以现成品——一根木棍连接。这根木棍不是随便的一根，而是墙上、地面照片中的主角。显然，这样的作品，已经很难再单纯地称之为照片了，而是混合媒介的艺术品。墙上的照片是一根扔出去的棍子，伍德罗带着小狗出去散步时，扔棍子，让小狗叼回来。地面的照片是将棍子扔到水里，然后拍出的。两张照片的尺寸都很大，1米×2米。这件作品在泰特展出过好几次。
　欧洲艺术家大都喜欢参观者和自己的作品互动，不喜欢摆上围杆阻挡观众，伍德罗也是如此。于是，地面的那幅照片上，出现了很多鞋印。“鞋印还是小问题。最大的问题还是中间的那根棍子。”皮尔斯说。艺术家当初把棍子直接粘在地面照片上，30多年过去了，经过好几次无阻碍的展出，棍子上的树皮开始一点点地剥落。掉到地面的树皮，修复师得把它们复原上去。而还没有掉下来的树皮，要想办法让它们老老实实地留在树枝上面。“很多粘合剂的制品，表面是有光亮的，要反光，而树皮表面是亚光的。”皮尔斯试验了很多种粘合剂，最后选用了海藻胶，就是中国人常说的石花菜。他们花了半个小时，在树枝的表面，涂了一层海藻胶，把捡起来的树皮小碎块，重新像拼图似的，一点一点拼上去。“还好，海藻胶与植物纤维树皮结合得非常好，也把想要掉下来的树皮都稳定住了。”但是，皮尔斯他们后来才发现，树皮掉下来时，一些留在了下面的照片上。在照片的表面形成了小刮痕。“但是，我们清洁照片表面时，用软刷子，轻轻地把它刷去就行了。用别的东西会对下面的照片，也是30多年的老照片造成损坏。”

油彩下的秘密

修复师的工具很多，其中有很多是为修复艺术品特制和自制的工具，至于修复不同材质的东西得用什么样的器械和化学物质，则根据项目的难易程度、工序和时间决定。“修复科学部门会用FTIR傅氏转换红外线光谱分析仪分析材料，用电子显微镜分析纸纤维和颜料。” 湛旭华介绍说。
　　艺术修复师利用手中的工具，总会发现很多画中隐藏的趣闻。比如，修复苏里科夫名画《近卫军临刑的早晨》时，修复师发现这幅名画的背后，还隐藏着另外的画面——绞刑架上挂着几具尸体。原来，苏里科夫创作此画时，家中女佣见此场景，非常害怕。于是，苏里科夫便在画面上覆盖了一层颜料，将绞刑处死者的场面藏了起来。为了举办斯塔布斯的展览，泰特美术馆曾向藏家借来斯塔布斯作于1977年的肖像画：画上有两匹马，骑马的男子是约翰•马斯特斯，另一匹马上则是他的马夫。皮尔斯说：“我清洁这张画的时候，发现画下有画。”原来，画家在世时，他的雇主对他说：“我太太索菲亚跟人私奔了，我非常不高兴，请你把她盖掉吧。”于是画家照办了，拿他与马夫在一起的肖像覆盖掉夫妻出游的画面。这样的情况很多，皮尔斯说：“有人搬家，觉得房子大了，油画要更大才能跟新家匹配。他会接一些布在外围，加一些细节，把这张画变大。”

湛旭华说，X光片、横截面图、红外线照片都可以看到早期修复的痕迹，包括一些后人添加的物料和笔迹。“像凡高的画，通过X光可以发现他因为手头拮据，经常在画好的画布上重复地画，就是画下有画。”而对于后人加的东西或画的画，修复师一般会根据详尽的史料研究，尽量还原艺术家的本意。

Founder and creative director of CDR, William Hailiang Chen’s collaboration project ResoNet (www.reso-net.org ) recently has been voted by netizens for inclusion in the Open Archive, part of the exhibition Toward the Sentient City (www.sentientcity.net) at the Urban Center in New York City(September 17 – November 7, 2009). The exhibition is curated by Mark Shepard and organized by The Architectural League of New York (www.archleague.org )

ResoNet project video was selected and uploaded into ipod touches which allow audience to watch during the exhibition period. ResoNet video was made in collaboration with CDR’s member Tiantian Zhu who made the sound design. For full project information and video, please see below:

ResoNet
Designed by: Mark Francis Tynan, William Hailiang Chen, and Shireen Hamdan
Film Edited by: Simon R. Odonnell
Sound design: Tiantian Zhu

ResoNet employs Low-Fi techniques to visualise the resonance frequencies inherent in the natural environment, via the interaction of the public and surrounding elements detected by a LED net.

ResoNet for FRED 07 has won 1st prize in Bright LED international competition co-organized by Designboom and Gwangju Biennale Foundation, Korea. Entrants were required to demonstrate experimentation and innovation on the theme of LED lighting. Total 3431 designers from 92 different countries have participated.  

ResoNet is a collaborative installation and would like to thank all people involved in its production, especially: Tai Hollingsbee, Francesco Anselmo, Andrew Cowell, Patrick Tynan, Amr Assaad,Fred Pittman, Chong Boon Pok. Steve Messam, Fold Gallery, FRED and the people of Kirkby Stephens. 

©reso-net.org 2008
For more information please visit:
www.reso-net.org/
www.reso-net.org/blog
www.fredsblog.co.uk/2007
http://www.designboom.com/contest/winner.php?contest_pk=19

ResoNet: Interactive light installation

共鸣网: 互动的灯光装置 

Designed by Mark Francis Tynan, William Hailiang Chen, Shireen Hamdan

Contributors: Tai Hollingsbee, Francesco Anselmo, Andrew Cowell, Patrick Tynan, Amr Assaad, Fred Pittman, Chong Boon Pok, Steve Messam 

来自大陆毕业于英国建筑联盟学校的陈海亮与校友Mark Tynan和Shireen Hamdan  组成的设计小组的参选作品ResoNet (共鸣网) 赢得‘Bright LED’ 国际竞赛一等奖: 光州市市长奖。Bright LED是由意大利的Designboom 及 韩国光州设计双年展(Gwangju Biennale Foundation) 联合举办。竞赛主题要求作品在LED灯光设计上有实验性及创意。此次竞赛吸引了3431位来之92个国家的设计师。获奖作品在韩国光州设计双年展期间(05.10.2007-03.11.2007) 展出。( Gwangju Design Biennale ) 

ResoNet是一个在户外的LED灯光装置作品。作品是由英国艺术协会赞助委托，特别为每年秋季在坎布里亚郡 (Cumbria) 举行的欧洲最大的户外艺术活动FRED 07而制作的。ResoNet是由Resonance(共鸣)和Network(网络) 两个词汇合并而成；意译便成‘共鸣网’ 。作品通过一个LED的网络与公众以及周边环境产生互动，将自然环境中截取的共鸣现象视觉化。运用Low-Fi技术, 通过共鸣网结构上振感器的触发，创造了一个光影闪烁的瀑布效果。  ResoNet的张力网像一个蜘蛛网一样横跨于树干之间。360个的振感器和LED布满在结构网上的节点上，去探测感应周边环境及人类每一刻的动静。风吹草动，这轻微的能量被转变成光影与整个网结构共鸣, 使观者沉浸于星光闪烁的光影瀑布中。

‘共鸣网’作品在自然，艺术与科技的边界中探究，试图创造一个瞬间浮现的物理现象。在这里，光是自然永恒的主题。 

相关信息链接
www.designboom.com/contest/view.php?contest_pk=19&item_pk=18021&p=1 
www.reso-net.org 
www.fredsblog.co.uk/2007 

注: LED 发光二级管(light-emitting diode。陈海亮是07大声展的参展艺术家之一，现在在英国伦敦的建筑事物所POPULOUS(前身是霍克体育建筑事务所HOK Sport Ltd.) 参与伦敦2012年奥林匹克体育场的设计工作。

陈海亮

出生于海南，2006年毕业于英国伦敦建筑联盟学校。2004年获得Alvin Boyarsky奖学金。2002年获得Nicholas Boas旅游奖学金，旅居于罗马英国学校British School at Rome (BSR) ；并于来年在伦敦建筑联盟学校(Architecture Association School)举行此行研究罗马教堂的‘光的渗透’ 摄影个展。曾在伦敦著名的威爾金斯艾爾(Wilkinson Eyre Architects)建築設計事务所工作，是广州双塔国际竞赛一等奖的主要设计人之一。(现广州西塔在建中) 其它工程包括: 为利物浦2008年欧洲文化城举行的皇家码头会展中心规划(国际竞赛一等奖等。作品‘Reef Surface Mobile Islands’对混凝土的生态及朔性结构运用被混凝土国际竞赛评委高度赞扬；并且在‘Environmental Tectonics’国际竞赛中获得一等奖。07年合作项目‘ResoNet’参加欧洲最大的户外艺术展FRED赢得韩国‘Bright LED’ 国际竞赛一等奖。他热衷研究数码科技在材料及其结构几何性关系的运用。 陈海亮早年毕业于广州美术学院油画系后便进修于东南大学建筑系， 赴英留学前在南方建筑设计研究院实践了两年。现在在英国伦敦的POPULOUS(前身是霍克体育建筑事务所HOK Sports)参与伦敦2012年奥林匹克主体育场的设计工作。其优秀的建筑设计以及摄影作品多次被入选展出及私人收藏。

Founder and creative director of CDR, Ann Xiao was invited to represent CDR to participate in the Asian Youth Animation & Comic Contest 2009 (AYACC www.ayacc.org ) in Guiyang, China. She presented the CDR Animation Showreel 2009 and gave a presentation about her work as well as a screening entitled “Scientific Practice in Animation”.

It is the 3rd year since AYACC was first launched in China in 2006. The event was hosted by The People’s Government of Guiyang and Guizhou Committee of Economy & Information Technology, with participants from 26 countries and regions.

The theme of AYACC 2009 is “joyful animation and comics in creative Guiyang”. Invited by the General Secretary of Jury of AYACC, Mr. Liuyi Wang, there were hundreds of animation professionals from all over the world who attended the 3 day program of exhibitions, presentations, screenings and forums.

The special events included:
International Scientific Animation Festival,
AYACC 2009 Forum,
Award Ceremony and Concert,
Copyright Trading
And Cosplay contest.

International speaks were:
Kexuan Ma, Chinese famous animation artist;
Wu Guanying, Chief designer of Fuwa, mascot of 2008 Olympic Games;
Junichi Kawamura, Producer of Japan CG-Arts Media Festival;
Jared Fong, Technical Director at Pixar Animation Studio;
Ann Xiao, Animation Director in London and co-founder of CDR;
Nigar Nazar, the first woman cartoonist of Pakistan;
Ming Chen, Vice President of Crystal Film & Animation;
David Bolinsky, Co-founder of XVIVO Scientific Animation,
And many more.

One of the most memorable highlights of the festival was the amazing venue of the Scientific Animation Forum. It was located at Xiaohe Diesel Factory in Guiyang which is an abandoned factory built in 1946 by Mao’s Communist China. You could feel the history from the propaganda remaining on the walls and the smell of the old machinery. Guiyang’s City Government is aiming to develop the old factory site into a new exciting animation comic centre to bring some colour to the regeneration of Xiaohe district. The enthusiastic international animators and professionals are looking forward to seeing Xiaohe Diesel Factory evolve into a “Guiyang Animation 798 Factory” in the near future.

CDR – Chinese Designers’ Region Animation Collection 09 DVD

List of works:
1. Brush, by Lei Chen 2005 2′17″mins
2. My Life Tomorrow, by Wang Zhe 2007 9′39″mins
3. KEG, by EB Hu 2003 3′45″mins
4. Waking Up Inside the Fish, by Ann Xiao 2006 2′57″mins
5. Minnawa, by Emie Lee 2009 2′26″mins
6. Penny’s Crossing, by Tian Qian 2005 9′07mins
7. A Letter from Mars, by Jingfei Lei 2007 3′03″mins
8. On Solitude, by Mike Chan 2009 4′21″mins
9. Got a Really Good Th1ng, by Oway Lau 2009 3′34mins
10. Plenilune, by Beidi Guo 2007 5‘34“mins
11. Between the Lines, by Ann Xiao 2008 5’16”mins
12. Finally We Have Someone, by Jingfei Li 2008 2’50”mins
13. This Is Fire This Is Ice, by Mike Chan 2007 4′34″mins

Out-of-towners

China’s new generation of fashion thinkers isn’t limited to Beijing. Alice McInerney talks to five designers making an impact around the world

Du Yang

Surrealist designer Du Yang has notched up a fair few achievements so far with her ‘monster couture’, working for Westwood, Dior and Galliano before starting her own label.

She’s also part of CDR (Chinese Designers’ Region), a creative community promoting UK-based Chinese contemporary artists and designers. She’s making her debut at London Fashion Week this season in ‘On|Off presents…’, and is working on spring/summer 2010, which she tells us is ‘inspired by a memorable trip to Ecuador, a country full of vibrant characters and interesting stories’.

Her style icon is Bjork and her biggest compliment to date was when the course director of the St Martins, Louise Wilson (who taught McQueen, Deacon and Kane), said she hadn’t seen such an original collection in a long time.

Shop? Du’s work will be available here when the Dysemevas pop-up store arrives in Beijing. Watch this space.

Ma Masha

Ma Masha, another member of CDR, has worked for Alexander McQueen in London and Veronique Branquinho in Antwerp. Her designs were also presented at Get It Louder 2007, an influential and innovative design event in Shanghai. She debuted at London Fashion Week in February and is now preparing a show for the Chinese embassy in London for the PRC’s 60th anniversary.

She believes the women from 1920s Shanghai had the greatest impact on Chinese fashion, and her current muses include Tilda Swinton and Chloe Sevigny, although ultimately she’d love to dress Gong Li.

‘Her body is full of energy and she would look fantastic in a masculine-style tailored dress – something sexy and relaxed, with sharp detailing, but a feminine touch.’

Shop? She’s already making made-to-order items for clients in China, and once her studio is up and running in London she plans to return to Beijing.

For full article, please click below link:

http://www.timeout.com/cn/en/beijing/aroundtown/feature/8600/out-of-towners.html

CDR member Zhu Tiantian is invited to join in a live performance of Shuffle I: Postcards with Peter Wiegold’s innovative ensemble Notes Inégales at Kings Place Festival.

Time: 14:30, Sunday 6 September
Venue: Hall Two, Kings Place
Price: £4.50

“Six Sound and Music shortlist composers have submitted musical ‘postcards’ around the theme of ‘shuffle’ or ‘swing’. Some are score-based, some are audio files. These will be fed in to notes inégales’ improvisation, directed by signals from Peter Wiegold to create a spontaneous performance. Composers and composer/performers may join the improvisation. The performance will start with soloists from notes inégales (Torbjorn Hultmark, trumpet/electronics, Melinda Maxwell, oboe, Martin Butler, piano, Christophe Fellay, percussion) building back to the full group.”

more info and tickets: http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/music/kings-place-festival-2009/sound-and-music-presents-notes-inegales-shuffle-i-postcards

Congratulations to CDR member: Tiantian Zhu is one of only nine artists to be selected this year by Sound and Music for their prestigious Shortlist for 2009.

Four organisations – British Music Information Centre (BMIC), Contemporary Music Network (CMN), Sonic Arts Network (SAN) and Society for the Promotion of New Music (SPNM) – have combined to create the UK’s first national development agency. Sound and Music (www.soundandmusic.org) is the UK’s landmark agency for new music and sonic art, working in partnership with complementary organisations to raise awareness of this vital and inspiring art form.

The Shortlist is a collection of composers and sonic artists including some of the freshest emerging talent in the UK, who are selected for promotion and professional development over the course of three years by Sound and Music. Each year a large panel of judges representing a diverse range of musical tastes selects composers and sonic artists to join the Shortlist.

Since 1943 many of the UK’s leading composers have been ‘discovered’ and have received some of their earliest professional performances through The Shortlist. The Shortlist will develop into a programme, where outstanding creative talent in the UK can be developed into world-class creators of new music and sound.

About Sound and Music

Sound and Music is the UK’s landmark agency for new music and sound, working in partnership with complementary organisations to raise awareness of this vital and inspiring art form.

It brings together practitioners, producers and promoters under one roof, with the ambition to attract bigger and more diverse audiences to engage with innovative and sometimes challenging work.

Yang Du A/W 09 “Buda” and “Pest” , Photographer: Bella Howard, Stylist: Yasuhiro Takehisa

CDR member fashion designer Du Yang has just completed her new 2009 collection called Buda and Pest – a vibrant colorful collection of sweaters.  More images and details please click ‘continue reading’

A short interview by Susie Bubble from Dazed Digital following explains Du Yang’s inspiration behind the new collection.

Yang Du’s Buda and Pest
One of Dazed Fashion’s New Optimism designers is trying to bridge the past and future with a new mini collection.

It isn’t hard to have your attention grabbed by Yang Du’s creations. Strictly speaking the 30 year old CSM-trained designer uses knitwear as her primary force but she’s also willing to branch out into other areas to get her desired surreal effect. In the case of her A/W 09 “Buda” and “Pest” collection, it’s a whimsical continuation from her last collection. Strawberries, watermelons, animals and elderly folk are all having a knitted blast on oversized jumpers. Dazed speak to Yang to try and decipher between the “Buda” and the “Pest”.

Dazed Digital: How have …progressed for your last collection?
Yang Du: The reason I called it “Buda” and “Pest”, was because, I realized I was on the “bridge” between the past and the future, trying to make my mind up about what I should do! I had very little time and I thought it would be good to carry on from my last collection, have more fun and more experience with knitwear, both hand knitting and machine knitting.
 
DD: Any anecdotes from making this collection?
Yang Du: I spent Chinese New Year at home in China with my family, for the very first time in the last 8 years. As a treat, I had as many strawberries as I wanted, so I love my strawberry jumper.
 
DD: You said this collection was small but how will you expand for your next collection?
Yang Du: I am still learning the process, trying to do the best I can. I have just got back from Ecuador for research, and will off again next month to see more factories. This is gonna be a very interesting season for me and I am 100% on it.