PRESS RELEASE


Photomontage of the public art performance in Shanghai, © by Andrea Bianconi, 2010.


“The spectators will laugh and wonder…”

The Chinese Umbrella Hat Project

An intercultural art project by Andrea Bianconi, curated by Oliver Orest Tschirky.

An Italian artist and a Swiss curator connect East and West by building an artistic bridge
between art hot spots Shanghai and Venice with an intercultural, poetic and
groundbreaking project.

Performance of The Chinese Umbrella Hat Project in the city center of Shanghai:
Date Thursday, September 9, 2010, 4 pm – 7 pm
Place Wujiang Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

Project Description
The Italian artist Andrea Bianconi builds and decorates the symbolic number of 88 Chinese umbrella hats as outlined in the above picture. At the end of the sticks are strings or little chains where small objects of daily life are attached (such as toys, coins, pins, buttons, feathers, parts of plants, and artificial flowers). On the back of their heads, the involved participants carry Chinese opera masks made out of paper. Dressed with these umbrella hats and special clothes also made by the artist and his wife, 88 Chinese people walk around for one day in the form of a cloud in the city center, pedestrian zones and other popular as well as important places in Shanghai. This public art performance
takes place on Thursday, September 9, 2010, in the second week of September, when the Expo 2010 in Shanghai (slogan: “Better City, Better Life”), the Shanghai Biennial and the contemporary art fair ShContemporary will occur at the same time. Next year, the performance will be repeated in Italy during the Venice Biennial.

Perception and Interpretation
The spectators will laugh and wonder, take pictures, have positive and lasting impressions, and appreciate the peaceful appearance of these meaningful and poetic characters because in the Chinese culture the number 8 symbolizes good luck and 88 means a lot of good luck. The umbrella hats stand for the rich cultural tradition and history, the openness and dynamics of the civilization, the exchange and communication between the people, the mutual and international understanding, the fast development and transition from the past to the future, the intimacy and shelter, the daily happiness and personal welfare, the appreciation for simple things and the vernacular, as well as the beauty, esthetics and richness of the human being.

Organization and Support
The artist and his wife Sonia travelled to China in August, rented an apartment as well as a studio and worked in Shanghai for one month. During this time, they purchased the working materials, produced 88 umbrella hats and the special clothes. The 88 Chinese volunteers from the Shanghai Dance School make experience in an international art project and will each receive for their participation a unique and signed artist t-shirt of the event. The public art project is generously supported by Chinese, Italian and Swiss institutions and companies as further indicated below.

The Artist Andrea Bianconi
The international artist Andrea Bianconi was born in Arzignano, Italy, in 1974. Originally, he studied law at the University of Bologna, but evolved in an art autodidact. Since he moved to Milan in 2004 and New York in 2008, he has held many solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group shows in Europe and the USA (like in the Palazzo Reale, Milano, Italy; Biblioteca La Vigna / Casa Gallo by Carlo Scarpa, Vicenza, Italy; Furini Arte Contemporanea,
Rome, Italy; The Prague Contemporary Art Festival, Prague, Czech Republic; Vernon Projekt, Prague, Czech Republic; Barbara Davis Gallery, Houston, USA; Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea, Monfalcone, Italy; Volta Show, New York; USA).Because of his inventive personality and unique artistic language, he has also become aninternational media star (as examples in the Corriere della Sera, La Repubblica, La Stampa, Il Mondo, Il Sole 24 Ore, Flash Art, Exibart, Mousse, Sky, Rai International, Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Glamour, Arte, The Art Newspaper, Vogue, Art Journal, Houston Chronicle). His works are represented in many public and private collections around the world.

The Curator Oliver Orest Tschirky
The independent curator and art critic holds a Master degree in International Relations from the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland, as well as a Master of Art History and Spanish Literature from the University of Berne, Switzerland. He has held positions as Assistant Curator of the Museum of Fine Art Berne, Curator of the Kunsthaus Langenthal, Vice Director of Art Basel, Gallery Director of Artvera’s, Geneva, and Director of the Art Academy of St. Gallen.
As art historian, Oliver Orest Tschirky has extensive experience with museums and experimental exhibition spaces as well as writing and editing exhibition catalogues and other publications and organizing cultural projects and events. He specializes in modern and contemporary art, prefers sustainable and interdisciplinary approaches and communicates in English, German, French, Spanish and Italian.

Patronage
The Italian Ministry of Culture The Region of Veneto, Italy

Sponsoring
Roche R & D Center China, Shanghai Spidi on Track, Italy

Special Thanks
The People's Government
Shanghai Dance School of Jing An District, Shanghai
Collezione Coppola, Italy Fondazione Vignato per l’Arte, Italy

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