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2014-08-17

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Experimental art at Beijing’s Today Art Museum

A special exhibition at the Today Art Museum, hosted by art authorities China Artists Association, demonstrates how accepted experimental art has become in recent years.

Beginning on Sunday, the exhibition titled The Section of Experimental Art for The 12th National Art Exhibition features artworks created over the past decade from different materials, such as giant installation works made from daily necessities like chairs and desks, or those which were not suitable for exhibition in the past.

Tan Ping, vice president of the China Central Academy of Fine Arts explained at the opening that this marks the very first time that a special exhibition has been held for experimental art, a new form of art that only appeared after China’s opening-up policy.

“I hope this exhibition will be a highlight in the development of experimental art in China, and that in the future, this project will involve more artists,” he said. The exhibition is set to run until September 8.

Italian-born soprano Licia Albanese dies in New York at 105

Italian-born American soprano Licia Albanese, whose technical skill and emotional intensity in works like Madama Butterfly and La Traviata made her a leading opera star, has died in New York City at age 105, her son said in a statement on Sunday.

Albanese died peacefully with her family by her side in her apartment on Friday, said her son, Joseph Gimma Jr.

“My mom had a wonderful, wonderful life and great career,” he said.

Albanese first made her mark in the operatic world in her native Italy in the 1930s before moving to the US and achieving enduring stardom at the US citadel of opera, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, from 1940-66.

She appeared in a variety of operas but was most closely associated with those by Italian composers Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi.

Her signature roles included the doomed geisha CioCio-San in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the delicate Parisian Mimi in Puccini’s La Boheme and ill courtesan Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata.

Albanese sang alongside many of the great tenors of her day including Franco Corelli, Beniamino Gigli, Tito Schipa, Jussi Bjorling and Giacinto

Prandelli.

She was also a favorite of celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini.

Albanese, who became a naturalized US citizen, also sang for two decades with the San Francisco Opera and recorded frequently.

Known for her acting talent and the technical skill of her singing, in 1995 US President Bill Clinton presented her with the National Medal of Honor for the Arts.

She also had success outside the theater. In 1974, she created the Licia AlbanesePuccini Foundation to nurture the careers of up and coming

young opera singers.

Survivors include two grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. A private burial will be held on Thursday, Gimma said.

2014 Art Nova 100 comes to Beijing

One of the major art events held every year to promote young local artists, the 2014 Art Nova 100 was unveiled at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center (NAEC) in Beijing on Friday.

Featuring over 500 works from more than 130 domestic and foreign young artists, as well as 15 art lectures and forums on different themes, the 2014 Art Nova consists of two exhibitions.

The NAEC exhibition, which ended on Monday, mainly featured domestic artists, while foreign artists are still on display at the SZ Art Center in Beijing’s 798 Art Zone until Wednesday.

One highlight of the event at the NAEC was the launch of a new project consisting of mini-solo-exhibitions for 10 Chinese artists.Falling between a group-exhibition and a large-scale solo exhibition, these mini-solo-exhibitions enabled these artists to show off their works in a special area dedicated to each of them at the NAEC.

All the art works for the mini-exhibitions were original creations made specifically for the event.

A traditional project since Art Nova was launched three years ago, a group-showing of 10 young South Korean artists is this year’s focus at the SZ Art Center.

Recommended by famous local art museums and curators, works from these 10 artists are expected to inspire visitors curious about the current situation of art in South Korea.

Visitors attend the 2014 Art Nova 100 at the NAEC on Friday.
Photo: Courtesy of Art Nova 100

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesremained in top spot at the NortAmerican box office this weekend, outmuscling the latest installment of Sylvester Stallone’s geriatric Expendables action-hero franchise, estimates showed Sunday.

The famous pizza-munching turtles, on a mission to save New York from diabolical evil-doers plotting to unleash a virus across the city, raked in $28.4 million in their second weekend in theaters, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations reported.

The turtles remained just ahead of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy in second place, the critically acclaimed science-fiction superhero romp which added another $24.7 million to its threeweek haul of $222.3 million.

Third place was taken by raunchy adult comedy Let’s Be Cops, starring Damon Wayans Jr, about two friends who become entangled in criminal intrigue when they dress up as police officers for a costume party.

The film, which has been savaged by overwhelmingly negative reviews, nevertheless took $17.7 million in its opening weekend, meaning the film will turn a profit after costing around $17 million to make.

But it was a disappointing bow for the latest installment of Stallone’s The Expendables saga. The third movie in the light-hearted action romp took just $16.2 million on its opening weekend to finish in fourth.