New Issue Out! TBJ September 2009

The heart and soul of modern Chinese art is Beijing. This is fact. This is no mystery.

But how much do you really know? If a lot, then you’re aware this month is the celebration of 30 years of Chinese contemporary art, and that the 798 Beijing Biennale 2009 is going on right now (until Sep 12).

To those who know maybe not so much but are yearning to learn more, we offer you this month’s Cover Feature: a crash course in Modern Chinese Art 101 and an introduction to eight of its biggest players – Huang Rui (The Pathfinder), Zhang Xiaogang (The Arrived, pictured on cover), Aniwar (The Outsider), Cao Fei (The Dreamer), Song Dong (The Beijinger), Sheng Qi (The Returned), Jia Aili (The Discovered) and Pei Li (The Edge).

We’ve also got reflections from artist Gu Renquan (aka Maomao) on the origins of the scene, while Fashion Five-Oh offers commentary on tattoos. And where would Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, M.C. Escher and Andy Warhol party in Beijing? PLA takes a wild guess.

Writer David Quammen, before opening The Bookworm’s science festival, explains why humans are “weedy.” Then our new Ecology section breaks down genetically modified rice, and how to eat like a locavore.

Take 5 gallery shops, bars to ogle, arts of the martial and places to have your cake, then say happy birthday to Acupuncture, Yugong Yishan and Plasteredtshirts.com.

Plus: up-and-coming blues band Wu & The Side Effects, Zhang Ziyi on Revenge, Bollywood Merchants, and – as always – all the latest shop, restaurant and bar openings around town.

All that and more in the latest issue of the Beijinger!

Find PDFs of the latest issue here.