One-minute video art salon launched at Sinan Mansions

Co-organized by the One Minutes Foundation, the school of design at East China Normal University (ECNU), Sinan Mansions and Shanghai Media Group's (SMG) Dragon TV, the Sinan video art salon was launched in Shanghai on June 29.

This free monthly art salon at Sinan Mansions offers art buffs the chance to learn about new media and art through one-minute videos as well as join artists' discussion on related topics.

Held once a month from June to November, each salon will feature 14 one-minute videos. In each of these videos, different artists will share their views on a specific topic regarding video art.

The first salon was held on June 29 and it featured four Chinese artists, Jiang Hongqing, Mao Weijin, Mu Jin, and Sun Xiaoyu. During the event, the quartet exchanged ideas on synthetic selves, virtual identity and how one can go about understanding themselves in the digital age.

Sophia, the first social humanoid robot to be granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia, was also featured in the one-minute video.

"The themes discussed at the salon are kind of surreal," said Zheng Yi, the brand director of Sinan Mansions.

"But they can stimulate people's rigorous yet creative thinking of the relationship between the virtual world and reality."

Jiang Hongqing, the curator of the exhibition, said the salon is not where questions on art will be answered, but where queries are raised for the public and artists to ponder over.

"I hope the public can realize that society and art are being shaped by the modern concepts and new lifestyles in China, a rapid developing country," said Jiang.

The One Minutes program, where artists showcase videos of exactly one minute and share ideas with each other, was founded in Amsterdam in 1999. It has become a globally influential event for young video artists and art major students from across the world and an annual fixture at the Shanghai International Film Festival.

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization designated the One Minutes program as a multimedia video project worthy of particular support in 2003. Since 2008, the One Minutes Foundation has worked together with ECNU and SMG to bring the concept to China.

The One Minutes event organized by the One Minutes Foundation and ECNU was once showcased at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo and the Venice Biennale.

"The salon at Sinan acts as another academic research and learning platform for video artists," said Wei Shaonong, president of the school of design at East China Normal University.

"Some traditional art forms are fading in the community. However, video art, as a form that relies on using video technology as a visual and audio medium, develops faster and is spreading more widely than ever before," said Wei.

"I believe the salon will help this art form, an important carrier of the transformation between time and space as well as the virtual and the real, to inspire more people during the discussions."

Audiences can reserve tickets to the salon through scanning the QR code on the introduction page of Sinan Mansions' official WeChat account.

If You Go

Sinan Video Art Salon

Date and time: July 20, Aug 31, Sept 21, Oct 19 and Nov 23; 7 to 9 pm.

Address: Sinan Mansions, No. 505 Fuxing Middle Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai.