Ou Ning (simplified Chinese: æ¬§å® ; traditional Chinese: æ 寧;
pinyin: Å u nÃng; born 1969) is a Chinese artist, film maker,
curator, writer, publisher and activist. He is the director of two
films San Yuan Li (2003) and Meishi Street (2005), chief curator of
Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture
(2009), founding chief editor of the literary bimonthly Chutzpah!
(Tian Nan, 2011-2014), founder of Bishan Commune (2011-2016) and
School of Tillers (2015-2016). He taught at GSAPP, Columbia University
and worked as the founding curator of Kwan-Yen Project from 2016 to
2017.Ou Ning started writing poems and publishing underground
magazines from 1986 when he was a high school student, then got
involved in the Chinese Avant-Garde Poetry Movement during the end of
1980’ and the beginning of 1990’. He co-found the poetry journal
The Voice with the Hong Kong-based poet Huang Canran in 1992, later
became a rotating editor of Modern Chinese Poetry, an independent
poetry quarterly found by Beijing misty poet Mang Ke and critic Tang
Xiaodu in 1991. When graduated from Shenzhen University in 1993, he
shifted to the Chinese indie music scene and became a music promoter
and critic. He published the underground music zine New Masses
(1994-1995), organized live concerts in Southern China for Beijing
rock musicians including Cui Jian, Tang Dynasty and other new bands,
and the first tour performance in China for John Zorn and Yamantaka
Eye in Foshan, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. In 1999, he published
the journal Filmakers, founded the independent film and video
organization U-thèque, hold weekly screening and discussion events in
the cafes, bars and bookshops in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. In 2004, he
co-founded the Alternative Archive with the artist Cao Fei as their
working platform in Guangzhou. Ou became the director of Shao
Foundation when he moved to Beijing in 2008.San Yuan Li was
commissioned by Hou Hanru, the curator of “Z.O.U.(Zone of
Urgency)†, 50th Venice Biennale, 2003, directed by Ou Ning and Cao
Fei, produced with the members of U-thèque Organization. The 40 min
black-and-white experimental documentary film with soundtrack by Li
Chin Sung (aka Dickson Dee) presents a highly stylized portrait of San
Yuan Li, a traditional village within the surrounding skyscrapers of
Guangzhou City. The film was exhibited in the 50th Venice Biennale,
2003 for the first time, with a publication The San Yuan Li Project,
then was listed in many private and public collections and screened
world widely.In 2009, Ou Ning appointed the chief curator of the third
edition of the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of
Urbanism\Architecture. With curators Beatrice Galilee, Kayoko Ota,
Weiwei Shannon and Pauline J. Yao, his full woman curatorial team,
taking the theme of "City Mobilization", Ou proposed an investigation
into the organization and balance of social life within contemporary
urban China. "City Mobilization", opened on 6 December, 2009 and
continued to 23 January, 2010, the exhibition featured approximately
60 artists and architects from around the world presenting newly
created works in Shenzhen.
pinyin: Å u nÃng; born 1969) is a Chinese artist, film maker,
curator, writer, publisher and activist. He is the director of two
films San Yuan Li (2003) and Meishi Street (2005), chief curator of
Shenzhen and Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism \ Architecture
(2009), founding chief editor of the literary bimonthly Chutzpah!
(Tian Nan, 2011-2014), founder of Bishan Commune (2011-2016) and
School of Tillers (2015-2016). He taught at GSAPP, Columbia University
and worked as the founding curator of Kwan-Yen Project from 2016 to
2017.Ou Ning started writing poems and publishing underground
magazines from 1986 when he was a high school student, then got
involved in the Chinese Avant-Garde Poetry Movement during the end of
1980’ and the beginning of 1990’. He co-found the poetry journal
The Voice with the Hong Kong-based poet Huang Canran in 1992, later
became a rotating editor of Modern Chinese Poetry, an independent
poetry quarterly found by Beijing misty poet Mang Ke and critic Tang
Xiaodu in 1991. When graduated from Shenzhen University in 1993, he
shifted to the Chinese indie music scene and became a music promoter
and critic. He published the underground music zine New Masses
(1994-1995), organized live concerts in Southern China for Beijing
rock musicians including Cui Jian, Tang Dynasty and other new bands,
and the first tour performance in China for John Zorn and Yamantaka
Eye in Foshan, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing. In 1999, he published
the journal Filmakers, founded the independent film and video
organization U-thèque, hold weekly screening and discussion events in
the cafes, bars and bookshops in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. In 2004, he
co-founded the Alternative Archive with the artist Cao Fei as their
working platform in Guangzhou. Ou became the director of Shao
Foundation when he moved to Beijing in 2008.San Yuan Li was
commissioned by Hou Hanru, the curator of “Z.O.U.(Zone of
Urgency)†, 50th Venice Biennale, 2003, directed by Ou Ning and Cao
Fei, produced with the members of U-thèque Organization. The 40 min
black-and-white experimental documentary film with soundtrack by Li
Chin Sung (aka Dickson Dee) presents a highly stylized portrait of San
Yuan Li, a traditional village within the surrounding skyscrapers of
Guangzhou City. The film was exhibited in the 50th Venice Biennale,
2003 for the first time, with a publication The San Yuan Li Project,
then was listed in many private and public collections and screened
world widely.In 2009, Ou Ning appointed the chief curator of the third
edition of the Shenzhen & Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of
Urbanism\Architecture. With curators Beatrice Galilee, Kayoko Ota,
Weiwei Shannon and Pauline J. Yao, his full woman curatorial team,
taking the theme of "City Mobilization", Ou proposed an investigation
into the organization and balance of social life within contemporary
urban China. "City Mobilization", opened on 6 December, 2009 and
continued to 23 January, 2010, the exhibition featured approximately
60 artists and architects from around the world presenting newly
created works in Shenzhen.
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