"Majestic Theatre" (美琪大戏院)
// BLURB //
They say it’s more difficult to restore an old building than it is to demolish it and build a new one. This was the inclination of the postmodernists, with their focus on deconstructing systems, language, and the rest of the glue that holds our fragile world together. If it’s not good, then it’s goodbye. If it resembles power, then there’s no place for it here in this world of continuous PoMo revolution. Full stop. Restoration in the face of what’s easy is how you beat this tiring and tireless process of constant renewal. Newer and bigger are not always better. Sometimes it is better to salvage what’s salvageable than to throw away the comfort and the warmth of memories past. Zhang Ming, the lead architect in charge of the 2011-2016 restoration of the Majestic Theatre, remembered watching films there as a student in the 1940’s. With those memories, she was able to spearhead the daunting task of the renovation of the broken, practically abandoned theatre. Her team was able to breathe new life into a Shanghai cultural icon, giving new meaning and context to a space ravaged by time and circumstance.
They say it’s more difficult to restore an old building than it is to demolish it and build a new one. This was the inclination of the postmodernists, with their focus on deconstructing systems, language, and the rest of the glue that holds our fragile world together. If it’s not good, then it’s goodbye. If it resembles power, then there’s no place for it here in this world of continuous PoMo revolution. Full stop. Restoration in the face of what’s easy is how you beat this tiring and tireless process of constant renewal. Newer and bigger are not always better. Sometimes it is better to salvage what’s salvageable than to throw away the comfort and the warmth of memories past. Zhang Ming, the lead architect in charge of the 2011-2016 restoration of the Majestic Theatre, remembered watching films there as a student in the 1940’s. With those memories, she was able to spearhead the daunting task of the renovation of the broken, practically abandoned theatre. Her team was able to breathe new life into a Shanghai cultural icon, giving new meaning and context to a space ravaged by time and circumstance.
STATUS
SOLD. Public Collection, Villa 33, Changle Lu, Shanghai (PRC).
SOLD. Public Collection, Villa 33, Changle Lu, Shanghai (PRC).
EDITION, MEDIA, SIZE & WEIGHT
Unique Edition, Shanghai 2019
RGB LED display, acrylic painting on Plexiglass, paper collage, teakwood frame
47(W)×66(H)×5.5(D) cm // 9.75 kg
TECH SPECS
• 1×SLC SD Card
• 3×MWLPV20-5 (INPUT 100~240VAC@0.55A / OUTPUT 5V@3A)
• 2×RGB P4-L830-8S-1921V3.5 / D180264
CRATE SIZE & WEIGHT
61(W)×81(H)×22(D) cm // 24.4 kg
EXPOSURE
“Who Needs Men Anyway?” at island6 Shanghai Main Space
CREDITS
Owen 欧文 (painting) • Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 (production supervisor) • Thomas Charvériat (art direction & animation) • Carlin Reinig (blurb)
Unique Edition, Shanghai 2019
RGB LED display, acrylic painting on Plexiglass, paper collage, teakwood frame
47(W)×66(H)×5.5(D) cm // 9.75 kg
TECH SPECS
• 1×SLC SD Card
• 3×MWLPV20-5 (INPUT 100~240VAC@0.55A / OUTPUT 5V@3A)
• 2×RGB P4-L830-8S-1921V3.5 / D180264
CRATE SIZE & WEIGHT
61(W)×81(H)×22(D) cm // 24.4 kg
EXPOSURE
“Who Needs Men Anyway?” at island6 Shanghai Main Space
CREDITS
Owen 欧文 (painting) • Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 (production supervisor) • Thomas Charvériat (art direction & animation) • Carlin Reinig (blurb)
CLOSE-UPS
VIDEO