Trends / The New Grand Tour
by I interviewed the mysterious Suitman some time ago for the Australian magazine, Riot. Even then it was clear that, with his immaculately pressed suit and crisp white shirts, he was an icon - both stylistically and conceptually. So it’s no surprise to hear about his latest adventure, The New Grand Tour, ‘an episodic art project featuring revolving guest artists with hyphenated cultural and geographical backgrounds. The artists and documentary crew travel together to different parts of the globe and express through art exhibitions the subject matter of the towns and cultures they visit’. Given this interesting manifesto, we caught up with a few of the artists involved (other interviews to run in the coming weeks), including Suitman, asking him if he was surprised by how dynamic — or not — the Chinese art scene is, given the rather conservative regime in power there? ‘No, I was not surprised at all. Chinese art has been going strong for last ten-fifteen years; internationally and domestically. The Chinese government recognizes the possibilities of financial gain in art industries and they are certainly extending supporting to art and artists. Of course, there’s still censorship of content. But so does America and rest of the world, by right wing government and religious groups’.
Who conceptualized the New Grand Tour and what will it mean for those who get to experience it?
‘Federico Tan, Asia marketing director of Diesel, approached me to have a show. And from that point, the team was created’.
Do you feel that ‘art’ always had a unifying effect across cultures or does it actually accentuate differences?
‘It’s all about sharing. And this tour was based on exchanging culture and gathering inspirations. And most importantly, sharing. I envisioned this as artists-PaciCorp traveling through globe and giving and sharing our thoughts and financial support to children’s education in rural areas and help them have better lifestyle standards’.
Where to from here for the New Grand Tour?
‘There’s talk of Central America, Cuba, Africa and Brazil’.
Tagged: China, Chinese art
- 3
- 0
RELATED
New York-based designer, and sometime Lost At E Minor contributor, Deanne Cheuk visited Beijing prior to the Olympics as part of the New Grand Tour. We touched in with her to see how she found the experience of being over there: ‘we visited some really modern art galleries, which seemed to be on par with with the best galleries in New York City’.
Davi Russo on The New Grand Tour
We interviewed Suitman a few weeks back, getting his perspective on The New Grand Tour he set up which saw a hand-picked group of American artists tour China to take in the cultural renaissance going on there. Photographer Davi Russo was a part of the tour, so we spoke to him about his experiences. Were you surprised by how dynamic the Chinese art scene is, given the rather conservative regime in power there? ‘This could be a two sided answer from me. I was able to see some contemporary photography inside some of the galleries I visited at 798 Area. I must say, there were a few times that I was extremely impressed, and somewhat even a little jealous to see the context of young emerging work being supported in Beijing. I would also say that after being introduced, I became a huge fan of and contributer to the photography being published in VISION magazine, which I think is something of a gem in China now’. Read more
Ambroise Tézenas’s Beijing: Theatre of the People
Right now, the 2008 Beijing Olympics are cleaning up the mess left behind from the millions of people that passed through their city. Their forty billion dollar sporting event has come to a close and fans from around the world will take away memories of an interesting city that opened up to the world like it has never done before. One person in particular, who used China as a backdrop for his phenomenal photography project, was a French photographer by the name of Ambroise Tézenas. Read more
Also by ZOLTON
Powder necklace by Stephanie Simek
This Powder Necklace features a pearlized Turbo Cinereus shell with tiny holes drilled into the bottom, filled with a sparkling silver-colored powder that when gently tapped, sprinkles a light dusting on the wearer’s chest. Designed by Stephanie Simek.
These Fan earrings are finely etched stainless steel on sterling silver hooks (nickel and lead free). The thin metal sheets allow the earrings to be light to wear while still being elegant and striking. Designed and made by Polli in Australia. Purchase now.
the affair Muslim Jesus t-shirt
From afar, Jesus stares serenely at those surrounding you. But up close, Islamic crescents cluster together in abstract patterns. Created by fashion label, the-affair, this tee is printed on beautifully soft American Apparel in a limited edition of 200. Purchase now.
YOU'RE SAYING (0)
No comments yet.
HAVE YOUR SAY
This café, cookie shop, ice cream place in Cobble Hill Brooklyn is all about flavor, aroma and family. Their cookies and ice cream are absolutely to-die-for, and the place is so well-designed, painted in vintage colors with old family pictures printed on the walls, that you’ll want to indulge yourself for more than just a few minutes. Try their Whoopies and Lucia cookies. They’re my favourite.
It’s hard not to sigh at another vector face or skull and diamond combo. I’m guilty of skull overindulgence myself. But Six Letter Word — aka illustrator, Diogo Potes — balances skulls with other macabre themes to create art that actually looks fresh and interesting. Read more
In the grand tradition of Funny Exam Answers, comes Passive Aggressive Notes. Read more
Until recently, Australian-born, New York based designer and illustrator Deanne Cheuk was the creative force behind the stunning and progressive visuals in art and culture magazine Tokion. We spoke to her recently about her eclectic work schedule. Read more
Nine months ago Sydney couple Matt Cribb and Bree Carter decided they’d take their relationship to the next level. They started making beats. After posting two home-recorded tracks on MySpace as WOW, they got the attention of New York-based independent label Metal Postcard who agreed to release the duo’s first official pressing. Read more
Seldom has black humour been done so well. On the surface, this film about the everyday lives of some unusually mundane characters, sounds extraordinarily boring. But it is instead a cutting comment on the absurdity and drudgery of everyday life. The characters try to break out or change their lives without success, and the results are bleak and hilarious. Read more
Ah, the joys of spending a seven-hour flight three rows up from a chronic snorer with a bad case of indigestion. It was like an episode of Grange Hill was unfolding before my very ears as the upper tier of a shiny new Qantas 747 was subjected to a series of unfavourably boisterous noises emanating from his general direction. Read more
WE'RE RESPECTING
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Here’s another commercial building, and no doubt a nice one too. But just another commercial building. Yet there is something different here and it’s in the materials used. The cladding is a fibre-reinforced polymer, or a FRP, and has a finish similar to that of a car. This technology has not been used on buildings extensively, though it has been used commonly in aerospace industries due to its higher strength to weight ratio than steel and concrete. The building by Foster and Partners — called The Walbrook — is located in London and is due to be completed in 2009.
Web design can be kinda tricky and expensive. Hell, we should know: it took us ages to get this current design for Lost At E Minor together. And costs? Our mate Uge from Aquabumps reckons he needed a second mortgage to fund his latest redesign indulgence. Read more
In the lead-up to one of the most anticipated and controversial Olympic Games in Beijing, Boston.com cobbled together a bunch of surreal photos from the wires that depicts the hyper-sanitized, white-washed, and quasi-futuristic city Beijing has become. Read more
Philip Toledano’s photo series, ‘Days with my Father’
Photographer Philip Toledano’s photo essay, Days with My Father, documents his 98-year-old father. Accompanied by some simple text, the images are intimate, heart-breaking, and ethereal, honestly depicting the nuances and tenderness of the photographer’s relationship with his subject. Read more
Steve Schofield’s Land of the Free
In his series Land of the Free, photographer Steve Schofield captures geeky, cosplay fanatics in their own homes, sometimes with their costume-less family members. Two Klingons relaxing in a Middle-American living room as if waiting for grandma to serve cookies and tea makes for a truly compelling image. Schofield’s photos seem tense, as if halfway stuck between a mundane but warm reality and an exciting fantasy world. Read more
These Prosperity earrings by Australian designer Karina Jean are cast in sterling silver, finished by hand and swing on hand-formed silver ear hooks. They are available for purchase through the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
We have eight Familjen CDs to give away to new Australian based Lost At E Minor subscribers who can tell us what ‘Familjen’ translates to in English. Read more
Discuss
- Andy on "Men's Accessories - Chronicles of Never and others"
- Zolton on "Men's Accessories - Chronicles of Never and others"
- Zolton on "Alex Pardee Interview"
- Zolton on "A unique International posterdesign contest launched!"
- PictureChallenge2008 on "A unique International posterdesign contest launched!"
- PictureChallenge2008 on "A unique International posterdesign contest launched!"
- rocknonstop on "Alex Pardee Interview"
- Andy on "Men's Accessories - Chronicles of Never and others"
Recently
- Powder necklace by Stephanie Simek Zolton
- Polli fan earrings Zolton
- the affair Muslim Jesus t-shirt Zolton
- Frenemies t-shirt Zolton
- Ryan Sullivan scarf Zolton
- Warning at Work print by Andy Smith Zolton
- Warning at Work print by Andy Smith Zolton
- Sovereign Beck ties Zolton
- Fujizaki: are friends electric? Zolton
- The Pileus internet umbrella Julia Hennock
DISCOVER MORE
SO...
TAGS: 1980s acoustic music animals animation Australian artists Australian bands black and white illustrations black and white photography blogs Brooklyn Brooklyn artists cartoons China collaboration colour colourful illustrations comics electronic music flash games folk music Hip Hop Japan London Los Angeles magazines Melbourne New York New York artists New York bands New York illustrators New York photographers pop music portrait portraits prints rock music San Francisco soul music street art street fashion Sweden Sydney t-shirts Tokyo UK bands
IMAGES:
POPULAR:
- Brittanie Pendleton - loved 47 times
- Elaine Biss's feminine charms - loved 24 times
- Prefab House - loved 19 times
- Andreco's brilliant visions - loved 17 times
- Dongyun Lee - loved 13 times
- Fly Apart - loved 13 times
- His name is Moofus, watch him draw - loved 13 times
SEARCH: Can't find what you're looking for? Do a search..
IS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?
We hope you're enjoying your time on Lost At E Minor, but it’s not over yet. Got something to share? Tell us about it and we'll look to publish it. If you want to have your work featured on the site, we'd love to hear from you. Or if you’d just like to talk amongst yourselves, that’s cool too. Pssst, we also have an online store stocking some of the goodies we feature on the site.
If you're a media agency and want to use this platform to connect with our readership, then drop us a line and tell us about it. Oh yeah, and we do digital consulting for cool brands that want to reach the sort of demographic that visits this site.
