798

I paid a visit to the 798 'Art District' of Beijing on Friday for the 'Affordable Art Beijing' exhibition run by Tamsin Roberts of Red T Art.

The last time I was last in the area, it was for the Yen Countdown on New Years Eve. This time had a chance to walk about in the daylight and get a feel for the Bauhaus architecture and general post war 50's East German industrial influence.

Its pretty neat, in that way that only proper industry can do and the industrial estates of Basingstoke fail at miserably don't you think? Anyway here's some art.

I just liked the comical feel to these. We've been having a discussion on Facebook about art which could go on forever but I think good art should just send people up a bit as much as possible.


This one though in the green was just the right amount of sinister and beauty I like. I was really disappointed not to bag, it as it had been bought by the time I arrived, although I may be able to see the artist at his studio at some point.


I really loved this fading and aging Commie girl complete with pigtails from whatever revolution was being espoused at the time. She's just the wrong side of 50 and a little too old to be putting it about. Its the breasts and neckline that give it away. Brilliant.


Like most of the paintings this was part of a set and the eyes were amazing. Magnetic, hypnotic a little bit attractive, a little bit scary and very sexual.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Bacon

Bread in Asian shopping malls has an interesting positioning that is more like a dessert or indulgent snack. There are sandwich outlets but these mostly cater for Westerners or in some cases Asians who have lived or were educated abroad (a growing and highly influential population).

Easily the tastiest and best named bread snack in the world ever is the "Crouching Tiger Hidden Bacon" from Bread Talk here in Beijing. It costs 9 RMB (10 RMB to 1 Euro) and is most awesome.

I often like to buy one and drink one of their Yorkshire Tea lattes because even Northern Planner would crumble for a Yorkshire Tea latte if he hadn't had a single cuppa in months and months. Incidentally if any of you ever get round to reading Jeffrey Steingartens amazing book 'The man who ate everything' (and every planner should) you will discover that all taste is learned.

China Takes To Flash Mobbing

I think one of the first planning differences of opinion I had with another agency here in China was about an idea I had just presented to a client that the most useful ways a brand can get involved with their customers, particularly if digital channels are available, is to create community online (easy to initiate) and then push it offline (no better way to actualize) - as that's when the magic happens in my experience. I've been evangelizing about this for some time, probably too long now I think about it so sorry about that but new thinking shoots are peeping through.

I subsequently discovered from Sam's China Internet Word of Mouth that there is a name for this activity in Chinese netizen culture and it's called Fubai FB for short or 腐败 in Chinese. The literal meaning of fubai is "corrupt." It comes from describing the act of corrupt officials freely spending to enjoy life. Within internet auto forums, the term has been appropriated to refer to the netizens spending their own hard-earned money to enjoy life through such "FB" activities as going out for good food and traveling. Often these "offline" FB activities are organized "online" within the forums, as the sense of community is very strong. "Online" friends, who are united by similar interests can quickly become offline friends.

Further evidence that this kind of activity is not restricted to the West comes today in the form of flash mobbing. I came across this possible first event in China last month but it was a Western organised affair judging by the participants. I twittered about it with Mark Earls blogging it later in the day on that occasion.

I then had a really good conversation with one of our planners here called Connie, who is ace and gives me all my China tip offs. Connie explained to me on that occasion that the internet conversation with the Chinese revolved around 'what is the point?' of flashmobbing. Which is a fair enough cultural perspective on something so new. However I'm pleased to see that today, again through the brilliant Connie, that the Chinese netizens have come up with a constructive form of their own flashmobbing. It manifested itself yesterday at the same time in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Finally we have a point to flash mobbing, Chinese style.

The participants assembled outside bookshops and froze at a certain time with a book in hand to advocate that reading and literacy is a good thing. This is quintessential Chinese in so much as it takes a marginally subversive activity that could potentially be used for 'Mob Sourcing' ™ (Oh yeah. I like that) and is turned into something constructive with a point, while of course having fun and not unsettling the authorities. Here is another picture from yesterdays event in Beijing that appeared in the newspapers.