We have spent the last couple of days exploring, looking for inspiration for new artwork. Today we decided to visit the nearby Island of Kulangsu, a former colonial settlement before the second world war. This is what it says on Wiki about the place...
'For a time, Kulangsu Island had the peculiarity of having constituted
the only international settlement on Chinese soil apart from the more
celebrated International Settlement at Shanghai.
Soon after Amoy became a treaty port resulting from China's loss in the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, foreign residents on the island established an informal organization that became formally organized several decades later when its Land Regulations were approved by the government of China in May 1902. Eventually 13 countries, including Great Britain, France and Japan, were to enjoy extraterritorial privileges there and take part in the Kulangsu Municipal Council that administered the Settlement. As with the Shanghai International Settlement, the British played a predominant role in the administration and Sikh policemen from British India were charged with the policing of the Settlement. The consulates, churches, hospitals, schools, police stations, etc. built by those foreign communities explain the predominantly Victorian-era style architecture that can still be seen throughout Gulangyu. Japanese occupation of the island began in 1942, and lasted until the end of World War II.
The Island has no cars which was nice, but was swarming with people. The Ferry Ride was very packed, but enjoyable never the less. This place is like Venice mixed with Shanghai. All the vibrancy of Chinese life in a scenic small Island, covered in old European Style Houses and Architecture. On the edge of the Island is a Giant Stone carving, which apears like the guardian of the area. Struggling in plus 30 degree heat...I began thinking about what I will do tomorrow when I start work on my new artworks, and was thinking of integrating chinese elements and writing onto my pre-existing Panoramic Collages. Also I thought I would ask Dina to help me write various phrases on them with Chinese Scripts.
What interested me about this Island, was that this was a Western Colony, which which was trying to be westernized in a place, which was very different, and was a small part of the west trying to integrate into a newness of Oriental Culture. I myself, have been trying to bring elements of my nostalgic past, through my artwork into this very different world (and my work relates to a 80's child in the UK).
At Nottingham University where I work, in Ningbo China (which also seems like a small English colony now). I can relate in some ways to how these people who lived here must have felt then. Also when I first showed my work in China, I was told by some Chinese people, that they have trouble understanding it. Which I guess is to be expected as I represent something quite unfamiliar.
However because our world is becoming more international, via shared media and the internet. Many Characters or Ideas are now proliferated here. So Chinese people of course know now what Starwars and Indiana Jones are. However they probably view these things through very different filters than I do.
It has been a thrill to view this Island. But in some ways it made me sad to know what this place used to represent and how troubling it is that now that this place is now a tourist resort. However I also had a sense of pride in seeing a little bit of England in China and I couldn't help but fantasize about playing football or cricket on the central sport area, against the Sikh Police Force here in the 1920's. And sipping G and T's on the Lawns of the Great Colonial Houses, which are now quite run down and are Restaurants selling Chinese seafood, Ukelale Shops! or Trendy Coffee Suppliers with an Asian twist...
James
The International Settlement at Kulangsu
The Sikh police force
Soon after Amoy became a treaty port resulting from China's loss in the First Opium War and the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, foreign residents on the island established an informal organization that became formally organized several decades later when its Land Regulations were approved by the government of China in May 1902. Eventually 13 countries, including Great Britain, France and Japan, were to enjoy extraterritorial privileges there and take part in the Kulangsu Municipal Council that administered the Settlement. As with the Shanghai International Settlement, the British played a predominant role in the administration and Sikh policemen from British India were charged with the policing of the Settlement. The consulates, churches, hospitals, schools, police stations, etc. built by those foreign communities explain the predominantly Victorian-era style architecture that can still be seen throughout Gulangyu. Japanese occupation of the island began in 1942, and lasted until the end of World War II.
The Island has no cars which was nice, but was swarming with people. The Ferry Ride was very packed, but enjoyable never the less. This place is like Venice mixed with Shanghai. All the vibrancy of Chinese life in a scenic small Island, covered in old European Style Houses and Architecture. On the edge of the Island is a Giant Stone carving, which apears like the guardian of the area. Struggling in plus 30 degree heat...I began thinking about what I will do tomorrow when I start work on my new artworks, and was thinking of integrating chinese elements and writing onto my pre-existing Panoramic Collages. Also I thought I would ask Dina to help me write various phrases on them with Chinese Scripts.
What interested me about this Island, was that this was a Western Colony, which which was trying to be westernized in a place, which was very different, and was a small part of the west trying to integrate into a newness of Oriental Culture. I myself, have been trying to bring elements of my nostalgic past, through my artwork into this very different world (and my work relates to a 80's child in the UK).
At Nottingham University where I work, in Ningbo China (which also seems like a small English colony now). I can relate in some ways to how these people who lived here must have felt then. Also when I first showed my work in China, I was told by some Chinese people, that they have trouble understanding it. Which I guess is to be expected as I represent something quite unfamiliar.
However because our world is becoming more international, via shared media and the internet. Many Characters or Ideas are now proliferated here. So Chinese people of course know now what Starwars and Indiana Jones are. However they probably view these things through very different filters than I do.
It has been a thrill to view this Island. But in some ways it made me sad to know what this place used to represent and how troubling it is that now that this place is now a tourist resort. However I also had a sense of pride in seeing a little bit of England in China and I couldn't help but fantasize about playing football or cricket on the central sport area, against the Sikh Police Force here in the 1920's. And sipping G and T's on the Lawns of the Great Colonial Houses, which are now quite run down and are Restaurants selling Chinese seafood, Ukelale Shops! or Trendy Coffee Suppliers with an Asian twist...
James
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