The University of Nottingham’s iconic Trent Building will be transformed into a huge digital canvas as part of Chinese New Year celebrations.
Nottingham Lakeside Arts will host Jixiang (Propitious), a world premiere of a specially-commissioned digital projection in a series of free 15 minute outdoor shows, on 28 and 29 January.
Digital artist Barret Hodgson has collaborated with Chinese artists; Ningbo brush painter Jiang Hongsheng, winner of the ‘National Golden Prize for Chinese Painting’, and virtuoso erhu player Ling Peng, to inspire his 15 minute ‘Jixiang’ projection which will be set to music, celebrating contemporary and traditional Chinese culture.
Director at Nottingham Lakeside Arts, Shona Powell OBE, says: Barret and I have long shared an ambition to use the Trent Building as a canvas for a digital art commission. This year we’re realising that aspiration and marking the fact that we’ve come a full zodiac cycle since first celebrating Chinese New Year.
"This is a great occasion for families and friends, and we wanted to create a visually stunning free event which people of all ages can enjoy, and which we hope may also become one of many highlights in our Vice-Chancellor’s final year in post."
Barret’s company Vent Media creates and stages visual media for international live performance events including theatre, music, art and dance.
Barret has been a national VJ for many years, collaborating with DJ Yoda, Fat Boy Slim, Ghostface Killah and Roni Size. His recent work in theatre has taken him to Shanghai touring with choreographer Tom Dale’s Digitopia dance theatre performance, created and presented in partnership with MOKO in association with Warwick Arts Centre but also premiered at Nottingham Lakeside Arts.
The Chinese New Year celebrations continue to fortify Nottingham’s strong cultural links with China. In 2003 The University of Nottingham was invited to become the first foreign university to establish an independent campus, under new legislation passed in China. University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) is located in Ningbo, a historic city on China's eastern coast close to Shanghai.
Dame Barbara Woodward, DCMG OBE, HM Ambassador to People’s Republic of China commented on a visit to Ningbo last year,“Students and universities provide an exchange of ideas, culture and creativity that is at the heart of the new ‘Golden Era’ of UK-China relations.”
The events will take place on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 January at 6.30pm, 7.15pm and 8pm. Tickets are free but booking is essential.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham has 43,000 students and is ‘the nearest Britain has to a truly global university, with a “distinct” approach to internationalisation, which rests on those full-scale campuses in China and Malaysia, as well as a large presence in its home city.’ (Times Good University Guide 2016). It is also one of the most popular universities in the UK among graduate employers and was named University of the Year for Graduate Employment in the 2017 The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide. It is ranked in the world’s top 75 by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16, and 8th in the UK for research power according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014. It has been voted the world’s greenest campus for four years running, according to Greenmetrics Ranking of World Universities.
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