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The
Long March Space in Cave-Dwellings
On January 2nd 2004, the Long March
troupe arrived in Yan'an. Accompanied by the Central
Academy of Fine Arts (Beijing) professor Jin Zhilin,
they reached Xiaocheng village on the banks of the
Yellow River in Yanchuan county, northern Shanxi.
There, they established a base of contemporary art
among the people - The Long March Space in a Cave.
Continuing art's "Long March,"
the issue of probing into contemporary art and the
Long March project's confrontation with the social
and public character of art can only be accomplished
by establishing a base among the masses. The famous
artist and 72-year-old Central Academy professor Jin
Zhilin lived in Xiaocheng village, northern Shanbei,
for many years. In his spare-time, he worked hard
for many years to establish the Xiaocheng folk art
village and the Yellow River Folk Art Museum. After
more than thirty years, the Yange is being danced
again in these two villages. Every day, all the village
women pick up their scissors and study and produce
folk art together. The people in these impoverished
old areas unite for art. This vital and rich art community
receives the support of the government. Because of
art they are happy and are connected to electricity
and running water. The art village has also become
several national art schools' base for experiencing
life. This kind of interaction between urban intellectuals
and the people has a big effect on both.
The Long March Foundation has already
launched a subsidy plan for Xiaocheng village. At
the same time, with the help of Mr. Jin Zhilin, "Long
March" established a Long March Space there.
Apart from exhibitions, a residency program has been
set up in order for contemporary artists to come to
this base to experience life and realize on the spot
works.
Diary
Photograph
Yan'an
Yan'an or Yenan[both: yen-An] Pronunciation
Key, city (1991 pop. 115,900), N Shaanxi prov., China,
on the Yen River. Now a market and tourist center,
it is famed as the terminus of the long march and
the de facto capital (1936-47, 1948-9) of the Chinese
Communists, who established arsenals, several colleges,
and a military academy (now a museum) there. The city's
many loess caves served as homes and air raid shelters
during World War II. As a hallowed site of the revolution,
Yan'an attracts thousands of pilgrims. Points of interest
include the former homes of Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai,
and a nine-story pagoda built during the Sung dynasty
(960-1279) and now made into a monument to the revolution.
Many people still live in cave dwellings. Oil is produced
at nearby Yanchang.
Encyclopedia.com:
http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/Y/Yanan.asp
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