Name of your organisation: VIS A VIS artlab – Beijing
Website of your organisation: www.visavisartlab.com
How is your organisation funded? VIS A VIS artlab is an independent and non-profitcontemporary artist run space founded in August 2004 in Xiamen in South of China. The foundation has been initiated by Chinese artist Zhu Lu Ming. Because Xiamen is a silence region away from the center in contemporary art.
Explain what your organisation is about (to somebody who does not know about it).
VIS A VIS artlab is an independent and non-profitcontemporary artist run space founded in August 2004 in Xiamen in South of China by Chinese artist Zhu Luming to exchange and cooperate between different cultures and within the various contemporary arts disciplines.
VIS A VIS artlab aims to intercultural exchange and dedicated to experiment concepts and ideas, promote to cross border cooperation.
The mission of VIS A VIS artlab in Xiamen (8.2004 – 6.2007) was to develop contemporary art in the region away from the center. we were implements many projects in different public spaces to help the common people communicate with contemporary art.
In July 2007, VIS A VIS artlab has been set up an office at 798 art zone in Beijing to continued high quality art activities. From this time, VIS A VIS artlab has a new partner to co-operation.
The mission of VIS A VIS artlab in Beijing is to:
-enhance and establish cooperation within all sorts of contemporary arts disciplines, and explore various possibilities of contemporary art development from different cultures.
-establish and effective platform of communication between contemporary art and common people through different art activities.
The program includes workshops, exhibitions, mettings, performances, public events and artist in residence, etc.
Describe how your organisation is engaged in international cooperation and exchange.
As I said, the initiated idea of VIS A VIS artlab is to exchange and cooperate between different cultures and within the various contemporary arts disciplines.
I believe that international cooperation and exchange can be contributes to the promotion of new social relations and cultural ties, has made it possible for peoples from various disciplines to promote their work and carry out of research and exchange experiences throughout the world.
These cooperation and exchange can take the form of exhibitions, festivals, conferences and residencies.
Describe how your art space relates to the local community. If you are about to open an art space, explain how you related to the local community in your previous experiences.
Because of regional diversity in China, VIS A VIS artlab throws itself into different kinds of art activities adopting various “shortstop” strategies. It choose and made art projects according to different public space. Up to now, art projects have been completed successfully in distinct places, e.g. tea house, bookstore, hotel, club, private house, restaurant, building site, city bus, LCD screening in city plaza,etc. In my opinion, implement of art projects in different public spaces helps the common people to communicate with contemporary art.
What are the major internal and external challenges your organisation is facing?
From internal: funding, and management
Because there are no official or individual funds in Chinese mainland to sponsor contemporary art, VIS A VIS artlab couldn’t obtain any financial support.
In China, still shorter of professional management in art and cultural disciplines.
From external: culture and art policy
There is not correlative culture and art policy to support non-governmental and non-profit organization in China. So, a “snake-walking” strategy must be adopted in order to evade the potential risk of destruction.
What are the main achievements and strengths of your organisation?
Trying to build up a multi-disciplinary independent creative art spaces in China to enhance and establish cooperation within all sorts of contemporary arts disciplines ,and explore various possibilities of contemporary art development. This is still very new for China.
