Monthly Archives: January 2011

A Sense of Awe, A Sense of Time

Posted on January 31, 2011 by AXM

The night before I left for Beijing, I watched Outsourced , a silly comedy about a man whose call center job is outsourced to India. He reluctantly takes a journey to the small town where the new center is located, and he’s promptly and predictably overwhelmed with culture shock and the frustrations of a different [...]

Navigating the ‘Jing

Posted on January 27, 2011 by AXM

When do you feel like you’re in a city, and not just floating through it? Most cities I’ve traveled to feel like passing friends. They’re here, they’re gone, and next thing I know I’m looking down on the landscape as I fly home. How long does it take for you to feel like you really [...]

Not Allowed

Posted on January 23, 2011 by AXM

Hard to see in this photo, but the sign above reads，请不要在此停放自行车哦, or “Please don’t park your bike here.”

Images from Gwangju Biennale 2010

Posted on January 20, 2011 by AXM

In between my growing list of adventures here in Beijing, I’ve been steadily working on the Gwangju Design Biennale. The event, which alternates each year with the art-focused Gwangju Biennale, is coming up fast. And yet, although it’s known as Asia’s premiere biennial, Gwangju can be a tricky town to reach even from the continent. [...]

Cultural Convergence

Posted on January 18, 2011 by AXM

This picture isn’t Beijing, as you might guess, but you’ll see bike parks like this around the city. Come to think of it, you’ll see bikes and scooters parked like this in UCLA, UCSB, London, DC, any major city. We used to think of bike parks as distinctly European, or Chinese, but now these parks [...]

Chinese Breakfast (or, Welcome to the Globalized World)

Posted on January 13, 2011 by AXM

Thank you, Kanon Coffee in 798 Arts District.

Infected/Disinfected

Posted on January 13, 2011 by AXM

In an augmented world, can we expect a light, some kind of indicator, that tells us not just that the lift has been disinfected, but how recently, and whether it did prove positive for containing any diseases?

How do you experience a city?

Posted on January 12, 2011 by AXM

How do you experience a city? My first day in Beijing afforded me three views. The view from above, as we landed in Beijing Capital Airport in full daylight; the view from the cab to my lodging as the sun set; and dinner with new friends and colleagues with darkness outside. Hello, China. 中国好。

Headed to Beijing for the Gwangju Design Biennale

Posted on January 5, 2011 by AXM

As I announced briefly on Twitter, I’m heading to Beijing for a bit. I fly out next week. What will I be doing? I recently received the opportunity to work on the curatorial team for the Gwangju Design Biennale. The more familiar Gwangju Biennale [of Art] bills itself as “Asia’s oldest and most prestigious biennial [...]

Globalized Local Experiences

Posted on January 2, 2011 by AXM

Where was this picture taken? Flat, oily slices of pizza, a cheap cup of soda, an old wooden table. You might be right if you guessed New York, but you’d be wrong: it’s Los Angeles. Westwood to be specific, in a restaurant called Lamonica’s. Before I moved to New York, I already knew a few [...]