From 2016-2019, the Swiss artist/researcher Catherine Gfeller travelled several times to different cities in China, where she met quite a lot of women with various background. She spent days or nights talking with them, taking their photos and videos, getting to know their working environment or favourite places for entertainment, etc., in order to understand their personal point of view when they are immersed in the city with all their senses. An exhibition with all those materials will be open to the public at the Embassy of Switzerland in Beijing, China.
In 2015 China Drifting will bring an exciting avant-garde collaboration to China before showing a broader program in European metropolises in 2016. The collaboration between the innovative German band Brandt Brauer Frick (BBF) from Berlin and Pet Conspiracy’s frontman Huzi together with Hua Dong, frontman of Re-TROS, will excite audience in China as well as in Europe. The German trio produces techno with classical instruments and will work on some songs with Huzi and Hua Dong at their studio in Berlin. This exiting musical adventure will be accompanied by solo performances of Re-TROS, Brandt Brauer Frick and the Swiss band None of Them. The whole evening will be accompanied by stunning visual arts.
LAB 47 will I haven’t been everywhere but it’s ok - a collaborative exhibition by Swiss artist Michael Bodenmann and Swiss musician Bit-Tuner.The art practice of Michael Bodenmann is highly related to his personal memories and experiences. In his oeuvres, Bodenmann concentrates on clearly identifiable subjects that exist all around the world and are recognized, which are the context-related elements such as pictures and films of trees, sunsets or everyday streets. Within his subjective perspective, Bodenmann modifies and combines the material to create new connections and show additional levels of meaning. In his practice so far, Bodenmann collected photographic and cinematic material to work with this material outside an urban and cultural context. The result goes beyond the sheer visuality and allows him to point out alleged layers of connotation.
Monday, 26.10.2015
Monday, 02.11.2015,
Settimana 2015
Movie
SynopsisFifty-year-old, Sardinian-born Silvio – a lover of jazz music and karaoke shows – manages the “Stella d’Oro” boarding house. Built on the Swiss side of Lake Maggiore more than a hundred years ago, the place has been accommodating less and less tourists, and a few asylum seekers. But its days are numbered: it is threatened by a property restoration project for a new private housing estate. Its few remaining days depict the passing of life in a place of encounter for the stories and dreams of people coming from different locations and cultures. STELLA CIAO is the portrait of the last year and a half in the existence of a peculiar place, a unique slice of life as it was seized right before its destruction.
Location: Beijing; Guangzhou; Hong Kong; Shanghai; Hangzhou
In Oct., Nik Bartsch's Ronin will start their China tour in various cities. With the zen-funk quartet RONIN founded in 2001, Zurich composer and pianist Nik Bärtsch proceeds with the work on his RITUAL GROOVE MUSIC, together with Kaspar Rast (drums), Sha (bass- and contrabass clarinet, alto sax) and Thomy Jordi (bass, replaced Björn Meyer in 2011. Percussionist Andi Pupato was a band member 2002-2012. Their music consistently follows the same aesthetic vision under various instrumental guises: creating the maximum effect by minimal means.In addition to its tours and performances, for ten years Ronin has held a concert every Monday evening at its own club in Zurich - since 2009 at the club EXIL cofounded by Nik Bärtsch. This longterm experiment encourages and demands constant musical evolution – the result of interaction, attentive listening, and critical, even ironic musical and verbal dialogue. On these Mondays the musicians eat and play together. In this way Ronin has, over the years, independently created its own phraseology and proceeded blithely but consistently on its own path as a socio-musical organism.
The competition «The Most Beautiful Swiss Books» celebrates its seventieth anniversary this year. In January 2014, a five-member jury awarded 22 books as the most beautiful Swiss books of 2013. Subsequently, the book Meret Oppenheim. Worte nicht in giftige Buchstaben einwickeln was awarded the Golden Letter at the international competition «Most Beautiful Books from all over the world» – the highest distinction of its kind. The most beautiful Swiss books will be presented in Leipzig in March 2014 on the occasion of Switzerland participation as host country at the Leipzig Book Fair. The Swiss Federal Office of Culture organizes the competition «The Most Beautiful Swiss Books» on an annual basis. It thereby recognizes excellence in the field of book design and production, as well drawing attention to remarkable and contemporary books by Swiss designers, printers and publishers. The independent, five-member jury presided by Manuel Krebs considered a total of 421 entries and chose 22 books as the most beautiful Swiss books of 2013. In judging the submissions to the competition, the jury takes into account each book's overall concept, graphic design and typography, and pays particular attention to innovation and originality. Further criteria include the quality of the printing and the cover, the binding and the materials used. Swiss entry awarded highest international distinction In Leipzig on 7. and 8. February 2014, the Stiftung Buchkunst conducted its annual competition «Most Beautiful Books from all over the world». Seven jurors from Germany, China, Japan, Austria, Switzerland and the US based their selection on a total of 567 books from 30 countries. These books had previously been awarded in their respective national competitions. Fourteen awards are annually presented: a Golden Letter, a gold medal, two silver medals, five bronze medals and five honorary diplomas. Exhibtion period: Sep. 25-Oct. 22, Beijing Jingren Zhiyu Oct. 28-Nov.15, Chongqing Fangsuo Nov.25-Dec.25, Shanghai Hengshanfang
The dynamic Sino-Swiss guitarist duo Fan Ye and Gilbert Impérial put a modern, innovative touch on their extraordinary musical techniques. Performing a rich repertoire of European, Chinese and Latin American compositions, the duo delights audiences with their virtuoso performances.Mr. Impérial and Mr. Fan, who studied together at Bern University of the Arts, have gained vast experience as soloists and through collaborating with chamber music groups. They began performing as a duo in 2013.
Wednesday, 12.08.2015
Tuesday, 18.08.2015,
Future star youth Arts Festival
Concert
The Swiss trio of Anamcara (meaning ‘soul friend’) is made up of three young musicians: pianist Florian Gabele, cellist Cécile Grüebler, and violinist Kristina Brita Heinimann. As highly sought-after chamber musicians who have won international acclaim for their musical expressiveness, the trio has been invited to perform at the Future Star Youth Arts Festival to be held in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Beijing this August.
From late August to early September, the band, consisting of Vincent Membrez, Luca Sisera, Norbert Pfammatter and Michael Jaeger, will demonstrate their mastery of the music, improvise and perform at four Chinese cities during the Jazz Improvise Meeting Festival. Along with Chinese and other international jazz musicians and bands, they together will explore the new possibilities of the dynamic jazz music.
As one of the"few outstanding formations of their kind" (Basler Zeitung), the Eos Guitar Quartet has been casting spells on their fans for almost 30 years. Marcel Ege, Martin Pirktl, replaced today by Julio Azcano, David Sautter and Michael Winkler founded the quartet in 1985, taking their name from the Greek word of dawn. With six CDs, programs full of variety and many concerts to count, the four guitarists from Switzerland have won the respect and enthusiasm of critics. Whether it’s classical, jazz, rock, modern avant-garde or flamenco—the Eos Guitar Quartet is comfortable playing in many styles. Since 2011, Eos Guitar Quartet's musicians have also been working as event organ- izers, their IN GUITAR Festival in Winterthur attracts every year a large audience.From Antonio Vivaldi to Astor Piazzola, the Eos Guitar Quartet will charm the Chinese audience next July in many cities with the virtuosity and intensity of their music. They also play repertoires of Swiss composers such as Pierre Favre or Andreas Vollenweider.
The Swiss saxophonist and composer Juliane Rickenmann began her music career at an early age. She was 18 when she began her international career; she travelled to Australia and managed to finance her trip by playing in the street and in jazz clubs of Melbourne. She then continued her musical journey to Japan and New York where she met and co-operated with numerous international artists. In 2000, after several international musical tours and experiences, Juliane came for the first time to China, precisely in the southwest city of Chengdu where she got hired as saxophonist for two years. She will be back in China in June 2015 with her new album « EMEI » - homage to the Mount Emei in Sichuan. She will play with her group J. Richenmann 4tet together with Ornella Ponnaz (piano), Pierre Kuthan (bass) and Giacomo Reggiani (percussion). « EMEI » invites the listeners to discover various kind of music which inspired Juliane during her stay in China. It refers to the Mount Emei, one of the 4 sacred Buddhist Mountains in China with a massive ten-faces statue of Buddha Samantabhabra on its summit mounted on the back of a giant white elephant. When Juliane climbed Emei and reached the Golden Summit, she was profoundly touched by his radiance and energy. She later decided to name her son and her new album “Emei”.