time to breathe

i finally got some images of recent projects up on the website for your generous perusal. The two new ones are Timestamp and 24Hours. 24 hours was over 3 months ago and I'm STILL working on editing the video of all the performances. there's some really good stuff in there. I swear, they will go up soon.

Also did some video projections for a theater piece at the Capital Theater's Black Box Theater. A modernist play made up of writings from various sources entitled "A Strindberg Love Letter". Honestly, I don't really know what this production had to do with Strindberg, but I suppose there was a little bit of him in there. Also did a little vj-ing for pj party for party-master extraordinaire Cho, purveyor of Beijing's Bed Bar. Was a really nice time and don't you wish you were there because, like, eeeeveryone was there...

hey! couple of my projects was blogged about by we-make-money-not-art. tee-hee. that's so cool.

The past 3 months have been insane. frantically making work, breaking work and exhibiting. I'm going to hang out near the equator for a few days and stuff my face with seafood. Isn't that the best way to spend the holiday?

oh astroturf

just back from the guangzhou triennial and posted some images of the exhibition and my installation at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dancingtoasters

it was tough going. bad equipment ruled the day. in the end everything worked until 4 hours before the show was about the open and then a printer that I had bought from a company in shenzhen just decided to break down. a bad unit! I ran around town to get a loaner printer and found out that that one was incompatable with my system. blah! so basically for the opening, I had sculpture. luckily Li Zhenhua had some live rabbits in his installation that for some reason decided to hang out in my space instead, so they saved the day. animals and children- always steal the show.

not a good day for technology art. not a forgiving crowd to be showing broken technology art. I think the piece looked ok, but kind of a lot of stress for a less than ideal result. Everyone kept telling me that I should give up trying to use machines as art, but I don't think that's the solution. part of the solution is to stop using no-name chinese brands- haha.

18 MMW at the LA Festival of Sketch!

for those 18 MIghty Mountain Warrior fans out there, a performance in the LA area. Tell your Lala-land friends!

(I'm in beijing, but am there in spirit.)

**** THE 18 MIGHTY MOUNTAIN WARRIORS ****
"the world's most psychotic Asian American comedy group"
(November 1, 2005)

18MMW hopes this email finds everyone well! Please pass on the message
to any friends and family in So. Cal. Thanks much!

• LA Festival of Sketch! Novembber 4, 5
• 18mmw named "Bay Area's best comedy group"


"... biting, incisive, devastating comedy ..."
-Ossie Davis, actor, "Do the Right Thing," "Get on the Bus"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18mmw at the
LA FESTIVAL of SKETCH COMEDY!
http://www.4lafs.com/performers.php
(323) 463-2942


NOVEMBER 4,5 Friday, Saturday 8pm
The 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors are proud to be a part of the 4th
Annual LA Fest of Sketch!

18mmw will be appearing with a bunch of great groups. Check them all
out! And check us out! Look for audience favorites:

- World Cup 2002!!
- A John Woo Family Dinner!!
- And maybe…some NEW MATERIAL?

Well, you'll have to show up to find out! Our set will be 40 minutes
of non-stop hilarity!

DOUBLE-PLUS BONUS: On Saturday, our good friends OPM will perform at
7pm. Check out both OPM and 18mmw on Saturday 11/5 for a double-blast
of Asian American sketch comedy!

WHAT: 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors at 4th Annual LA Fest of Sketch!

WHEN: November 4, 5 Friday and Saturday 8pm

WHERE: The Lillian Theatre, 1076 N. Lillian Way, Los Angeles, CA 90038
(one block West of Vine, on the SE corner of Santa Monica Blvd.)

PRICES: Tickets: $10 a show, $40 five show pass, $65 ten show pass,
Cash only at the door

Reservations/Info: online at: http://www.4lafs.com/performers.php or
(323) 463-2942
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
18mmw named Bay Area's best Sketch Comedy Group by the San Francisco
Bay Guardian!

http://www.bestofthebay.com/2005/best_entertain.php?show=203

Thanks to all our fans over the last 11 years that made this great
honor possible!

18mmw Contact:

18 Mighty Mountain Warriors
P.O. Box 590356
San Francisco, CA 94159-0356

v: 415 646 0868
info@18mmw.com
http://www.18mmw.com

mercedes bends

we survived.

24 hours of art making, 24 hours of hotel california, 24 hours of breathing in dust. Photos will be uploaded soon for those who couldn't drag themselves to Beijing Film Studio #1, but from the looks of it, I would say it was a success. we had people coming in at all hours of the day and night to do a enthusiastic renditions of Hotel California. Spoken word, interpretive dance, electronic noise and more karaoke than you could shake a stick at. Surprisingly, no one complained, but I think it was because they were too polite.

As I was setting up my stage, I heard the hired performers in Yu Ji's installation next to mine say to each other, "Oh great. We get to see the show." I didn't have the heart to tell them that they were going to hate me after the first couple of hours. What's worse is that at about 11pm one of them turned to me and asked, "What time does this event end?" I told him it was 24 hours, and his jaw dropped. Apperently SOMEONE forgot to mention to the actors that this was an all night gig. Amazingly enough, they didn't just get up and leave.

We also got off to an absurd start when Wu Ershan's crew spent 1.5 hours trying to get a tranquillized mule to lie down. I was asked to turn down the music so the mule would sleep and everyone was standing around watching this bizarre and semi-cruel scene take place. A sleepy mule refusing to lie down, a camera crew trying to push a mule over, and a roomful of silence.

From about 4-9am I slept on the stage wrapped in a projection screen. No,no, I didn't have the music running. The guy running the generator had to go get more gas, so we were powerless for 30 minutes. That was long enough for me to pass out on the floor.

jiazhou luguan

here's the chinese version of the call for "Hotel California" performers:

亲爱的北京人你们好:
联合现场艺术计划将在9月21日下午3点至22日下午3点进行第五个展览项目,展览的名称叫做"24小时",8位艺术家将在这段时间里在北京电影制片厂的一个摄影棚里进行一场艺术的实验.
我个人的计划是在现场搭建一个舞台,诚挚邀请各色乐队,DJ,诗人,电脑噪音师,现代舞舞者,戏曲表演艺术家使用各种方式参与表演英文歌曲"加州旅馆".我很讨厌这首歌,所以我计划在24小时中一直演唱这首歌直到唱吐了为止.如果你感兴趣参与请与我联系.如果你没有舞台经验也没关系,只要你愿意参与.联系方式.rania@dancingtoasters.com

please pass it on.

all day and all night in a motel

ok Don Henley Fans! here's the official notice for the 24 hour show:
www.caep.com.cn

This is where the Hotel California (aka motel cali) madness will take place. (see post below)

Here is a map to get there.

everyone has a week to rehearse an inspired version of this insipid song. it doesn't have to be well rehearsed, it only has to be inspired. I can't wait. it's like an exorcism. it's going to be glorious. I can already taste blood...

motel cali

Lovely and Talented Beijingers,

The Complete Art Experience Project (www.caep.com.cn) will open an exhibition on Sept 21 called "24-Hours" as one of the satellite exhibitions of the Beijing Biennale. A group of 10 artist will present an exhibition that will run for only 24 hours from 3pm on Sept 21 to 3pm on Sept 22 in Studio 1 of the Beijing Film Studio.

I am setting up a small stage and am soliciting for variations on a theme of "Hotel California." I would love to schedule bands, djs, poets, computer noise generators, spoken word artists, interpretive dancers, musical sawers - whatever- to come and play this song to death. I hate it as much as the next person. I am hoping this 24 hour non-stop "Hotel California" will kill the tune completely. Unfortunately this gig doesn't pay, but I can provide beer and/or food (depending on the time of day and your preference), will have some basic audio equipment available and it will all be for a GOOD ART CAUSE. (oh, and it will be a fun party.) The process will be taped and edited to dvd. Copies will be distributed to all participants. If you or anyone you know is interested in participating, please contact me ASAP! either leave a comment or email me: rania@dancingtoasters.com

no experience necessary. all levels of expertise (or lack thereof) are welcome.

Thanks for your attention. If you have performance anxiety, fear not. We'd still love to see you at the show. Maps and directions will be forthcoming.

please feel free to forward this message to any and all interested parties.

Oh, it's just a china month

Lately, I've been in a state of mind where I never leave the house unless absolutely necessary. Every time I leave the house something just truly exasperating happens and it makes me just want to stay indoors some more. People careening around corners at top speeds on scooters and nearly hitting me head on. Bad attitude shopkeepers. Getting kicked by other swimmers (hard!) at the pool and the kicker says NOTHING about it - not even "oops." Just the words "meiyou" sometimes makes me want to pound people. It all sounds very petty, but over time it adds up and amounts to either doing something rash, violent and stupid, or the alternative, which is avoiding the outside world. Is it me? or is chinese society completely devoid of civility? Either I should get over it or I should leave. I will probably end up doing neither.

built

ok art fart fans. here are some images to the recent super duper fantabulous HELLA CHIHUAHUAS show in Beijing. A wacky time was had by all. In 7 days time we all managed to source materials, build work and install it at the exhibition space. Thanks so much to Jamie, Erik, Tammy and Amanda for enduring some of the most heinous weather conditions and for being such good sports about the whole thing. The gallery looks great (as you can see from the photos). X-treme Art-making! I think it should be an annual event.
Just in case you missed it the last time www.caep.com.cn has all the details.

hella

we're opening an exhibition tomorrow at 3pm.

hella chihuahua

things are nutty. I made a big inflatable flesh colored pod.

once bit

I was bitten by a two year old child at a bbq last weekend. I have never seen this kid in my life. I am generally good with kids. he was jumping on a couch. I attempted to play along as he made "kung fu" moves at me. the next thing I know he lurched and voila I had a child attached to my forearm. my first instinct was to try and pull away. that was probably a bad choice as his teeth just dug in deeper. I finally pried him off and stumbled back out to the bbq stunned, screaming, "I just got bit!" I showed the red swelling teeth marks on my arm to anyone who would listen and all the parents looked, turned away and then nonchalantly said, "oh yeah, we forgot to tell you. He does that."

Hello? "He does that?"

A few minutes later monster child comes running up the walk and does a flying leaping spit. the little blob landed just in front of me. the bbq party goes, "ohhhhhhhh." who is responsible for this demon and can we get an intervention here? no reaction from his parent who was savouring a marinated chicken wings. very surreal and bizarre.

monster child was literally kept at spitting distance for the rest of the afternoon. I was traumatized for about 5 days.

some things I've eaten thus far on my trip home:
cherry pie from a bakery in santa cruz- part of a wedding banquet
grilled oysters in point reyes
raw oysters in point reyes
fruit cobbler busy bee bakery somewhere in point reyes
vietnamese pho beef noodles from turtle towers
chipotle grilled shrimp from pancho villa
crepe with nutella rasberries and ice cream at ti couz

fun link I found today:
www.nationmaster.com - hours of entertainment.

I really should get some work done while I'm here in sf but the weather is too nice and i'm having too much fun.

mocha blend

a few photos of me in the internet cafe in narita airport killing time. as you can see, the caffeine from the boxed coffee is starting to kick in.

damn this is fun. I'm sure this isn't interesting to anyone but myself.

killing time

here are some fun and exciting things to do at narita airport:

- yahoo internet cafe
- sony playstation playroom (for ahem... kids only)
- go to the town of narita and visit the temple. only a 20 min train ride and much more amusing than the hypnotic image of watching planes take off one after another.
- eat unagidon (grilled eel over rice) at the cafe
- find an open spot to do yoga in the middle of the airport

I am partaking in the first one at the moment. I will move on to the playstation playroom soon, once email loses it's charm. a 4 hour layover is enough time to go to town, but only just barely. yoga will commence once the idea of sitting on another plane for 9 hours really sets in. I guess I'm still in denial about it.

hooboy. are we having fun yet?

airbourne

getting on a plane tomorrow morning bound for san francisco. got 2 -count 'em *2* -weddings to attend, so I'll be soaking up fresh air for about 10 days or so. good excuse to get away from this 100% humidity. can't say it will reverse any of the damaging effects of Beijing smog though (oh sorry, I mean, Beijing FOG).

and now for something completely different...
link to a recent exhibition: www.caep.com.cn
I made a inflatable fat suits for audience members to try on and wrestle each other in. The suits also were recently shown at the EMAP Media Exhibition in Ewha University, Seoul, Korea

... and a running collection of euphemisms for bad China days:
"Bad China Day" - obvious way to start the list
"Random Acts of China" - thanks to Sharon Ruwart for this
"Low Level energy drain" - Lovely insight from Weiru Cai

for those uninitiated to the Bad China Day, be thankful.

re:load

ok. i'm going to attempt this again. I have to say that after my last post I suddenly had a fit of perfomance anxiety and couldn't bring myself to write again for over 6 months. I'm not exactly over it but I've decided to face my fear. Here I go...