2022 Festival Review & Publication of Accounts｜The 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival

The UP-ON International Live Art Festival was founded in 2008 by artists Zhou Bin and Liu Chengying, and is committed to building an international standard platform for live art exchange. It has been held for nine editions to date, with a total of 88 international and 179 domestic artists participating. During the festival, in addition to artists’ live creations, thematic lectures and workshops are also held in several universities and art galleries, providing public educational resources for society.

The four cornerstones of the Arts Festival:

Non-profit, international, academic, public

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Today is November 26th, a full month has passed since the end of the arts festival, and the summary tweet is belated, half a month later than in previous years. Real life continues to be magical and harsh, requiring considerable mental effort and willpower to face. I, who have always insisted on being the “third kind of person”, often have to silently recite Mr. Mu Xin’s words from prison: “You want me to be destroyed, I won’t!” to gain a sense of peace. At the beginning of this year’s arts festival, an artist recruitment announcement was issued as usual. As epidemic prevention and control policies became increasingly severe across the country, the working group repeatedly deliberated and adjusted the method of publicly recruiting artists to only inviting artists who work and live in the Chengdu area, euphemistically calling it “internal circulation”. This was done for two reasons: firstly, it was a realistic strategy at the operational level, and secondly, it strengthened the response to the current context: why has the 10th UP-ON Arts Festival become “pseudo-international”? Even “pseudo-Chinese”?! It is not easy to hold an arts festival, with more than half a year of planning, organising multi-party cooperation, and investing a lot of materials and manpower, so the first thing to ensure is that the arts festival can be held smoothly and come to a perfect conclusion. Faced with the difficulty of personnel moving across regions due to epidemic policies, uncertainty has become the norm. We needed to do our best to maintain our own work and life rhythms, ensuring that all aspects of the arts festival could be advanced according to plan. This requires constant perseverance, flexible wisdom, and even more understanding and cooperation from like-minded people. After adjusting the artist recruitment method, the working group sent apology letters one by one to the more than 30 artists who had submitted their work, and were touched by everyone’s understanding and support! The UP-ON Arts Festival has emphasised international exchange since its inception, and many foreign artists have been invited to participate in each session, striving to build an international platform for live art exchange. However, since the epidemic in 2020, from only two foreign artists participating, to only Chinese artists participating in the 9th edition in 2021, to this year’s participation of only artists from the Chengdu area, the changes reflect the reality, which tastes meaningful and evokes many emotions.

The 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival · GuangHui Art Museum Opening Ceremony

As scheduled on 17 October 2022, amidst anxieties of it being potentially called off at any moment, and concluded perfectly on 26 October. A total of 42 artists participated, listed as follows: Bai Xiaomo, Cang Xin, Dai Guangyu, Deng Shangdong, Dong Jie, Gao Yuan, He Liping, Huang Yixin, Jiang Kunjin, Jiang Kunying, Liu Chengying, Li Aixiao, Li Nu, Li Kun, Li Xin mo, Li Yongzheng, Li Rui, Li Yaoyao, Li Zhiyang, Liu Libin, Liu Wei, Liu Yintao, Liu Ke + Huanghuang, Mo Nijian, Qiu Wenqing, Sun Haili, Sun Wei, Wang Yanxin, Wang Ximan, Xiao Qing, Xiang, Little Sheep, Ye Caibao, Yang Junfeng, Yang Dezhong, Yang Ran, Yu Mingjing, Yan Jiameng, Yang Qindi, Zeng Qunkai, Zheng Zhihai. This extensive list basically encompasses the live art creation community in the Chengdu area. The artists implemented live creations and screenings at the Guanghui Art Museum, Dapu Contemporary Art Museum, A4 Art Museum, and other public spaces, with creation mediums including performance art, sound art, experimental theatre and modern dance. 7 artists held lectures at the Gao Xiaohua Art Museum of Southwest Minzu University, the Chengdu Academy of Fine Arts of Sichuan Conservatory of Music, and the School of Art and Design of Geely College. Artist Dong Jie hosted the “The Body Knows the Answer” workshop; young curator Tian Meng hosted the “Art Action in Urgent Reality” thematic seminar, with the participation of 21 scholars, critics, and artists.

The 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival · TUFF Contemporary Art Museum Opening Ceremony

Let us break down the above in more detail. First, when the list of artists was drawn up, the working group was astonished. They marvelled at the sheer number of live artists in Chengdu, all of whom met the festival’s basic requirement of at least three years’ creative experience. After the festival, critics such as Cui Fuli and Tian Meng commented on the high overall quality of this year’s works. At first, I did not dwell on the reason, but on reflection, I realised the outcome was only natural. Consider performance art in Chengdu: since it emerged in the mid-1990s, it has grown steadily. The torch has been passed on, artists have supported one another, and in recent years, a wealth of newcomers has appeared, raising standards to an inspiring level. Among them are locally nurtured artists, those returning from study abroad, and others who have moved to Chengdu from elsewhere in China. After years of accumulation and cultivation, Chengdu’s performance-art ecosystem is now unrivalled in the country. Critics, curators, scholars, volunteers, the public, art institutions, universities, and the media interact positively, jointly propelling performance art forward. Moreover, the relatively untamed, inclusive, and diverse historical, cultural, and social environment of Sichuan and Chongqing providesa living space for experimental art. Thus, while it might at first sound limiting that only Chengdu-based artists took part, the reality is quite the opposite: precisely because so many outstanding Chengdu artists were able to appear together, a high level of creativity became inevitable.

Opening ceremony of the 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival · A4 Art Museum

The overall standard of this year’s works is high, thanks in no small part to the professionalism and variety of the creative spaces offered by the co-organising institutions. From state-of-the-art galleries, theatres and studios to art venues hidden in lively neighbourhoods that interact seamlessly with public spaces, artists have been free to choose whatever best suits their concepts and realise them fully. The institutions’ complete respect for the artists’ proposals, along with the professional and enthusiastic support of the working teams, are the fundamental reasons for the festival’s impeccable presentation. Ms Zhang Gefang, Director of Guanghui Art Museum, said: “The very first use of our main venue has been dedicated to the UP-ON Festival.” Her words are genuinely moving. Without the festival organisers’ knowledge, Guanghui Art Museum even went so far as to prepare a grand banquet to celebrate the festival’s tenth anniversary, which was all the more touching.

GuangHui Art Museum has prepared a birthday party for UP-ON’s 10th anniversary.

UP-ON is a live art festival, not a performance art festival, although performance art is its main medium. The festival also showcases sound art, experimental theatre and contemporary dance. In these fields, many of Chengdu’s experts are equally formidable—big names with resounding reputations in the scene. In fact, there are no clear-cut boundaries between the different media of live art; sharing the same stage and conspiring on site is meant to foster cross-infection and genetic hybridisation, sparking even more possibilities for everyone involved and cultivating creations that defy classification.

The eighth festival in 2020 introduced, for the first time, a screening section for international artists who could not attend in person because of the pandemic. It was not included at the ninth festival. This year the screening section has been reinstated, and its concept is clearer and more defined than before. The festival has long had a shortcoming: artists were required to realise their works at a fixed time and designated location, so any proposals that needed a specific site or moment were excluded and could not be implemented during the event. By establishing the screening section this year, works created for the festival in other places and times were shown in the cinema, while the artists themselves came to the venue to observe and interact with the audience. The outcome has been excellent, greatly broadening the range and richness of works that can be presented at the festival.

10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival Screening Section · A4 Art Museum

Since its inaugural edition, the festival has seen university art students as its principal target audience, believing they are the key force that will drive experimental art forward and improve the artistic ecosystem in the future. In recent years, ever-tighter university controls, together with the pandemic, have created the most serious obstacles yet to cooperation between this year’s festival and the academies. On-site productions at campus venues such as the Sichuan University Art Museum and Southwest Jiaotong University, once commonplace, are now impossible, and even lectures and workshops face strict scrutiny and are difficult to approve. Despite these circumstances, seven artists still managed to give lectures, both online and in person, at the Gao Xiaohua Art Museum of Southwest Minzu University, the Chengdu College of Music and Fine Arts, and the School of Art and Design at Geely University. This was no easy task. We extend our sincere thanks to teachers Zhai Yitao, Wei Yan, Ma Fei, Xu Liaoyuan, Cui Fuli and Li Xinmo for their support.

An important change that is easily overlooked in this art festival is the invitation of five writers (Cui Fuli, Cheng Ai, Jian Liting, Miu Linrui, Tian Meng) to participate in the festival as commentators. These five writers, after preliminary communication and exchanges, are willing to provide independent commentary on the art festival from their own perspectives.

Before the festival began, veteran media professional and writer Ms Cheng Ai published an article entitled Without its “International” tag, can A Pang with the same old faces come up with something new?, in which she not only questioned the new creative outlook of this edition, which had invited only Chengdu artists, but also expressed concern and posed questions about the building of the artistic ecosystem during the pandemic and the work of the UP-ON Live Art Archive. Her arguments were clear-cut, and her attitude sincere. Now that the festival has closed and Cheng Ai has departed for further study in Italy, one wonders what she would make of it. After the festival, critic Mr Jian Liting wrote Observations on the 10th UP-ON Festival 2022, which systematically reviewed the works from an academic standpoint, discussing them from three angles: the relationship between performance and duration, the relationship between site and performance, and the stylistic positioning of this year’s pieces. It is a rare, high-quality text in the field of performance art and well worth reading. For many years, the vast majority of Chinese commentary on performance art has remained at a superficial level, describing events and phenomena in a schematic, formulaic way. Articles with genuine academic depth and a distinctive research perspective are extremely scarce. Jian Liting’s essay makes me optimistic that things are changing and that we are at a turning point. Researchers capable of patiently sorting through performance art are about to emerge, and academically rigorous studies will appear one after another. Meanwhile, critic Mr Zha Changping, serving as an observer at the festival, was under no obligation to write, yet, true to his customary academic rigour, he penned Action, Theatricality and Live Art. He opens with: “When an ordinary person turns on a light, he need not know how it works, but the engineer who designed it must; likewise, the ordinary art lover can enjoy art without understanding the conceptual mechanisms behind it, but the artist cannot. At present, many so-called artists in China’s contemporary art scene shun deep thinking and differentiated viewing, so their grasp of concepts remains on the level of the average art lover. This is why I have written this essay.” These lines immediately convey Zha Changping’s incisive and lucid scholarly stance and style. Articles by the other three reviewers – Cui Fuli, Miao Linrui and Tian Meng – are also in preparation. Around these texts, we will organise conversations between writers and artists on the “Night School” platform of the UP-ON Performance Art Archive. The first session, on 2nd December, will see Mr Zha Changping in dialogue with the seven artists mentioned in his piece. Appointing reviewers will become a fixture of future festivals. Through the latest live works and the accompanying commentaries, we hope to create a benign interaction between practice and theory, sharpen viewpoints and, at an academic level, explore possible futures for live art. These essays and summaries of the discussions will be compiled as documents and will constitute an important scholarly outcome of the festival. Another encouraging aspect of this year’s festival was the steady growth in live audiences. Over the five days of on-site creation and screenings, more than 1,300 people attended in person, most of them new faces from a wide variety of backgrounds. More than 20,000 watched via the Zaiyi streaming platform. Although audience numbers are not a goal of the festival, this phenomenon does suggest that the ecology in which experimental art survives is improving, which is heartening. Below is a full review of this year’s festival (in chronological order):

01

GUANG HUI ART MUSEUM

Let Those Who Open Their Eyes to the Rose Also See Its Thorns / Liu Ke & Huanghuang / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Golden Tofu Fruit / Dong Jie / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Parcel / Dai Guangyu / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Art Makes Life Better / He Liping / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Correspond / Li Kun / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Skipping Rope / Jiang Kunjin & Jiang Kunying / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Inside of Me / Liu Yintao / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Will My Body Remember Me / Xiang / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Irreparable / Wang Yanxin / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

If Sisyphus Were in 2022 / Li Aixiao / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Private Pool / Wang Ximan / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

I Am Outside the World / Xiao Qing / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Shadow / Li Rui / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Would You Be with Me? / Yu Mingjing / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Fish Meat 2 / Liu Libin / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Going Through the Motions / Yang Junfeng / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Every Grain Takes Hard Work / Ye Caibao / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Between Opening and Closing / Li Yaoyao / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Red Sea / Li Xinmo / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Targeting / Liu Chengying / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

The Answer / Liu Wei / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

Contemplation / Bai Xiaomo / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

I Still Dissolve / Sun Haili / 2022 / Guanghui Art Museum

02

TUFF CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM

Foam Separation / Li Zhiyang / 2022 / TUFF Contemporary Art Museum

In Front of You, Behind You / Xiao Mianyang / 2022 / TUFF Contemporary Art Museum

The Hole / Huang Yixin / 2022 / TUFF Contemporary Art Museum

Temporary Space / Sun Wei / 2022 / TUFF Contemporary Art Museum

Altar of the Human Body / Cang Xin / 2022 / TUFF Contemporary Art Museum

03

A4 ART MUSEUM

Before Dawn / Yang Qindi (dancer: Cheng Yunchuan)
2022 / A4 Art Museum

The East Is Red / Yang Dezhong
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

Untitled / Qiu Wenqing
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

Today, Just Like Any Other Day / Li Nu
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

The Orange Game / Yu Mingjing
2022 / A4 Art Museum

Dust / Deng Shangdong
2022 / A4 Art Museum

I Am the Creator / Zheng Zhihai
2022 / A4 Art Museum

Earth Net — Birth / Yan Jiameng
2022 / A4 Art Museum

People’s Park / Mo Nijian
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

A Storm Is Brewing / Gao Yuan
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

Emergency Mode / Zeng Qunkai
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

Render unto God What Is God’s, unto Caesar What Is Caesar’s / Yang Ran
2022 / Screening, A4 Art Museum

Having come this far, it is time to thank the many friends who have supported us. This year marks the tenth edition of the festival, and at the opening ceremony we invited Ms Jiang Yijia from Nongyuan International Art Village, sponsor of the very first UP-ON Art Festival, to speak on behalf of our benefactors. We often say the festival has been brought up on “meals from a hundred households”; over the past fourteen years it has continued to grow and thrive thanks to the backing and help of so many peers. We are grateful to all the artists for their participation and support. Although the materials budget was modest, their wholehearted approach to creation has gifted the festival a wealth of outstanding works, thereby enhancing its value. We also thank the festival’s critics and observers: the fruitful interplay between practice and theory is something the art world always longs for yet rarely enjoys, and it depends on everyone’s genuine love of art, candour and sincere exchange. Finally, we are delighted to have joined forces with so many talented, passionate volunteers and colleagues to bring the 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival to a perfect close. Next year “UP-ON” turns eleven – let us meet again then!

Group photo of part of the working team of the 10th UP-ON International Live Art FestivalAs we often say, A-Pang grew up on meals from a hundred households and has matured thanks to the care and support of many fellow travellers. Over fourteen years and ten editions, we have reached today through trials and tribulations while staying true to our original aspiration; remaining non-profit is one of the festival’s four core principles.For this edition, a total of 90,000 yuan was raised, of which 81,186.62 yuan was spent. The balance of 8,813.38 yuan will be transferred to the account of the festival’s organiser, the UP-ON Action Art Archive, as working funds. The Archive, itself a non-profit organisation, is a professional platform focused on advancing contemporary performance art practice and exploring its future directions. (For details, please visit the Archive’s WeChat public account.)Our thanks to every sponsoring organisation and individual, to the artists for their understanding, and to the working team for their dedication!

Expense Disclosure Form for the 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival

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Group photo of part of the working team for the 10th UP-ON International Live Art Festival

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