TECHNO SHANGHAI | IAHGNAHS ONHCET from Speedism on Vimeo.

Speedism recently premiered the 3D animation film titled “IAHGNAHS ONHCET”, which is Techno Shanghai spelled backwards, or should we say blackwards, as the doomed BLACK CELEBRATION that it might be; opposed to “the real” Shanghai, a copy of a copy of a copy, incestuous; mutating, decaying, as an urban themepark, the city of cities, the themepark of themeparks. But in this state of (architectural) being, it starts breathing again… The IAHGNAHS ONHCET story could be(come) fantasy come true of our Chinese adventures through residencies and publications.

The project started as a collaboration with production and promotion platform Arthub Asia and with Crystal CG, China’s major media and visualisation firm working for renowned architectural offices but also commissioned by the Chinese government for Expo 2010 Shanghai and the Beijing 2008 Olympics. After a stay at their Shanghai office, Speedism set out on a solo trip to construct what has become IAHGNAHS ONHCET.

IAHGNAHS ONHCET on display:

“Reversed Images; representations of Shanghai and its contemporary material culture”, MoCP, Chicago USA until 23.12.09

“Shanghype!”, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, USA until 13.12.09

World Film Festival, Bangkok, Thailand 06-11.11.09

from The New York Times

BEIJING – A prominent Chinese artist and frequent critic of the Communist Party said he was hit by police officers and put under detention in his hotel room in western China on Wednesday when he tried to go testify at the trial of a civil rights advocate.  Read the entire article here.