SubscribeI don’t believe it! This cold winter day was filled with gorgeous blue skies. I wonder if yesterday’s snow somehow cleared some of the smog and pollution.
Yesterday:
Today:
Creative Wanderings
Design | Explore | Dream
handlebar covers keep hands warm
It’s cold in Beijing, but the easiest way to get around is still on a bike. Many of the bikes and mopeds have these handlebar covers that keep those hands warm during a cold winter ride.
I thought it funny to come across the Canadian company to sell the BarBra. Have they copied the idea from the Chinese??
Beijing’s artist communities
As I’m getting prepared to do some exploring. I leave you with this short article from thebeijinger:
Rumors have been circulating for some time that Caochangdi, the area past Dashanzi that’s home to a number of high-profile galleries, may be razed for redevelopment, but it’s far from the only “art zone” under threat by voracious real estate agents. Red Box Review recently published an overview of the areas under pressure.
While some areas like Songzhuang are currently being actively developed as creative communities, in many other places artists are facing harassment and forced evictions. The Red Box Review article notes:
“A new cycle of evictions began again in December, when artists in Beijing’s 008 Art Zone and Zhengyang Creative Art Zone were given one month to vacate their studios before demolition. Artists organized performances and protests, but in January the whole district was bulldozed as planned. At least 13 other art zones in Chaoyang are currently under threat, which would displace at least 1000 artists.”
Like ordinary residents in cities all over China, artists are often powerless in the face of developers’ demands, irrespective of rental contracts. Even 798 was only saved from demolition by intense lobbying from both inside and outside China, though rapidly rising rents and rank commercialism have managed to effectively strangle the area’s once-thriving creative community, even if the old factory buildings have survived.
It’s interesting to think about the push and pull of city and community development. Whether it’s a growing artist community or a formal commercial development, different characteristics are brought to the city. When I think about Boston’s FortPoint district that’s now become an established artistic and creative community, it was the artists that helped revitalize the neighborhood of old warehouses and bring life to a once deserted part of town. I spent the afternoon exploring the Beijing 798 Art Distrcit and there were a lot of empty buildings, but also a wonderful collection of contemporary work. I’m curious if the commercial and artistry can’t find a balance…
nice to meet you, here’s my card.
I pushed myself to go to the first Ignite Event in Beijing, a few days ago, even though it was all in Chinese and only 1 of the presentations was in English. I can get around with directions and my minimal knowledge of the language, but attempting to listen to the speakers, it’s confirmed that I have much to learn from the language, culture, and creative/tech industry.
More boggling to encounter was the informality (or formality?) of handing out business cards as a way of introduction. In the States (and Western world), we’re used to keeping our contact information quite personal, until we feel someone is ‘worthy of’ our information. Here, however, I was surprised to have people approach me with a business card in-hand, prior to having any sort of conversation as a way of introduction. I’m quite easily surprised! It makes introductions rather simple and more important to have your story on your card…
Beijing bus stop
Crowds of people rush on and off the bus…
Once they’re gone, more people line up at the designated spots..
Such a self-explanatory, simple way of organizing and coordinating.
water bottles galore, part 2
I recently posted an image of the many options for bottled water in China. This 4.5Liter bottle is interesting for a completely different reason. There are many bottles, or jugs, blow-molded with the handle as part of the mold, for example:
WatsonsWater, on the other-hand, has decided to make the handle from a completely separate piece of plastic, molded into the main container body. Without thinking much about excess material use, it’s a pleasant aesthetic and interesting solution to the boring 1-piece handle.
No Littering, Vendors, Begging, Pets
Some interesting notices in the Beijing Subway: No Littering, No Vendors, No Begging, No Pets.
Was this instituted because of the Olympics 2 years ago? What would the subway be like if these notices weren’t posted?? Filled with all of the above? And not so clean..
water bottles galore
Consumerism at its best with a multitude of choices…
happy lantern festival!
Signifying the end of Chinese New Year celebrations, the Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the new year. I headed over to Qianmen Street, south of Tienamen Square, to see crowds and crowds of people along with beautiful handmade lanterns and not so distant fireworks.
See a few more of my photos on Flickr.
China aims to move away from OEM
Interesting article with growth of Chinese design and moving from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to ODM (original design manufacturers) to more importantly, OBM (original brand manufacturers).
China’s design industry experts are calling for greater government support in order to help the country’s manufacturers raise the competitiveness with innovation.
Zhu Tao, president of China Industrial Design Association, said the Chinese economy suffered heavily from the global economic crisis, with factory closures and layoffs.
“Without our own design, we won’t have our own brands. Without our own brands, we won’t be independent in the world. Being an OEM is no way out,” he said.
Critics say “Made in China” often means cheap and low value-added goods with thin profit margins, which are frequent targets of anti-dumping measures by other countries.
If Chinese companies wanted to transform crisis into an opportunity, Zhu said they would have to focus more on industrial design and develop their own brands, and the government should help.
“If a brand sells very well in China and a quarter of the world’s population buys it, it is virtually a world-class brand,” he said.
As I begin to adjust and orient myself, I can’t wait to explore and see what the creative community is like here in Beijing. Are branding and design really becoming valued for their benefits? Is design appreciated for pure aesthetics or do the Chinese really value good design in conjunction with business? I would venture to say that China’s not quite there yet.. we shall see 
via Xinhua News
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