January in China: that frigid, grey period between Christmas and Chinese New Year, when nothing stirs, and most sensible people are huddled under blankets waiting for spring…
With the hope of adding a bit of colour to this typically lackluster month on China’s art/party/merry-making circuits, our cohorts at Split Works will be presenting the inaugural JUE Festival from January 7-17, ’09. A series of concerts, theatre performances and art exhibitions in Beijing and Shanghai, JUE | MUSIC | ART is intended as a celebration of the alternative, creative and progressive arts in these two fine cities.
JUE is slated to feature international acts (including French electropop outfit we are ENFANT TERRIBLE, and pioneers of electro-dancehall South Rakkas Crew, straight out of Florida via Jamaica by way of Canada), alondside some of China’s own best, brightest and loudest: pop-punkers Pinkberry, experimental rockers Carsick Cars, and DJ Wordy on the turntables, to name just a few.
To compliment the noise, there will also be a bevy of visual art exhibitions and performances at galleries and theatres across both cities, featuring up-and-coming artists like Liu Jin, Chen Hang Feng, and Wang Tingting, among many others.
All the gallery events are free, while concert and theatre tickets can be purchased either through the JUE site, or directly from the venues. If you’re lucky enough to be biding your winter in Shanghai or Beijing, then bundle up and get to it!