Beijing

Rare images

Photographer Weng Naiqiang has donated 143 of his photographs to the Central Academy of Fine Arts, most of which he took during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). They are now on display at CAFA's art museum. The rarely seen pictures captured historic moments such as when the late Chairman Mao Zedong met Red Guards on the Tian'anmen Square. They also recorded Red Guards on their way to "da chuan lian (mass exchanges)" to see the country, and zhiqing (educated youths) working on Beidahuang in Northeast China. Born in Indonesia, Weng was sent back to China in 1951 by his patriotic father. He learned oil painting at CAFA and later became a photographer.

9:30 am-5:30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, until June 19. CAFA Art Museum, 8 Huajiadi Nanjie Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.

Capturing ethnic life

Beijing Fine Art Academy's current exhibition at its museum displays more than 40 artworks that portray the vivid life of ethnic groups. On show are Chinese paintings, oil works, sculptures and prints, which 20 artists created after traveling to Guizhou province and the Tibet autonomous region in recent years.

9 am-5 pm, no admission after 4 pm, until June 18. Art Museum of Beijing Fine Art Academy, 12 Chaoyang Park Nan Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6502-5171.

Light as a medium

Peruvian interdisciplinary artist Grimanesa Amoros displays a large-scale light-based work, called The Mirror Installation, at her solo exhibition at the Central Academy of Fine Arts' museum. She uses numerous pipes that contain white LED lights to connect several metal domes, which together form an intricate network. Amoros says the interwoven tubes look like the many overpasses in Beijing, and she was also inspired by the exhibition venue to complete the whole work.

9:30 am-5:30 pm, Tuesday to Sunday, until June 22. CAFA Art Museum, 8 Huajiadi Nanjie Street, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-6477-1575.

Celebrating in song

Ma Xiaohan will hold a solo concert to celebrate her graduation from the China Conservatory of Music in July. Ma started singing when she was a third-grader at primary school. After being admitted to the conservatory, she studied with professor Guo Xiangyi, who says Ma has exceptional perception that will help her master highly demanding vocal works in the future.

7:30 pm, June 14. Guoyintang Concert Hall of China Conservatory, 1 Anxiang Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing.

Shanghai

Indonesian star

Indonesian artist Entang Wiharso is having his first solo exhibition in China. Born in 1967, he has exhibited in Asia, Europe and America. He is also one of the six artists featured at the Indonesia national pavilion in the Arsenal for the ongoing Venice Biennale. His debut show in China features paintings and sculptures, including Crush Me, a sculpture in the shape of a 6-meter-long wall that reflects such ideas as borders, privacy and status.

10 am-6 pm, until June 28. Pearl Lam Gallery, 1F, 181 Jiangxi Road M, Shanghai. 021-6323-1989.

Reviving knowledge

Beijing-based artist Zhou Wendou collected 100 used books, and in his attempt to rejuvenate and challenge the idea of human knowledge, he broke them into pieces and made them into pulp to mold into the shape of books. This is the main project for his ongoing exhibition The Study. In the exhibition the artist built a "formal" study, as well as a "deconstructed" one, where everything - books, newspapers, maps, paintings and so on, are remade into something new but familiar.

10 am-6 pm, until July 14. Other Gallery Shanghai, 101, Building 9, 50 Moganshan Road, Shanghai. 0138-1890-4562.

En garde!

French Comedy Duel Piano & Cello Fighting Show is a remarkable standoff with equal "weaponry". Two virtuosos face off in a carefully orchestrated and side-splitting performance. If you think a classical performer has to be stuffy, Laurent Cirade and Paul Staicu will prove otherwise, playing cello and the piano while lying on the ground, handcuffed and blindfolded. Tremendous comedy meets genuine virtuosity.

7:30 pm, June 17. Shanghai Concert Hall, 523 Yan'an Road East, Shanghai. 021-6386-2836.

Guangzhou

Down-to-earth diva

Hong Kong jazz diva Sandy Lam will be in Guangzhou on Saturday to amaze her fans with her new look as an electronic rock singer with songs from the acclaimed avant-garde new album Gaia, which means Earth in Greek. The dark and depressed tracks in the experimental album will occupy the first half of the concert, embracing big themes such as people's relationship with space and Earth. During the second half, Lam will resume her image of a soothing love song singer, bringing her fans classics such as At Least I Still Have You and When Love Was Gone.

8 pm, June 15. Guangzhou International Sports Arena, 2666 Kaichuang Avenue, Luogang district, Guangzhou.

400-108-8808.

Jazz up your weekend

Three concerts presented by musicians from China, the Netherlands and France are set to jazz up the weekend for music lovers in Guangzhou. Chinese singer Zhao Ke will take the stage on Friday night, bringing jazz adaptations of Chinese pop classics including Nostalgia and When Will the Full Moon Appear. The Franz Von Chossy Quintet from the Netherlands will showcase a perfect mix of jazz and classical music. Wrapping up the amazing jazz weekend is female vocalist Natascha Rogers who is based in Paris. Instead of French songs, the frequent visitor to Latin America and Africa will serve up a feast of electrifying Latin music.

8 pm, June 14-16. Chamber Hall, Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Lu, Ersha Island, Yuexiu district, Guangzhou. 020-8735-3869.

Jade splendors

Ninety-two jade antiques dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) are on display at Guangdong Museum until June 23. Jade accessories were used to represent the wearer's rank in the Ming Dynasty. The art of jade carving thus came to its peak during this period. The exhibits in Guangzhou are glamorous jade pieces dug out from the tombs of two vassals based in Jiangxi province.

9 am -5 pm, daily until June 23 (closed on Mondays). Guangdong Museum, Zhujiang Donglu, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe district, Guangzhou. 020-3804-6886.

Quick pick

Brightman tours China

British soprano Sarah Brightman will kick off her China tour this weekend, traveling to Guangzhou on Sunday to perform her broad repertoire of musical highlights, arias, artistic songs and pieces from her new album Dreamchaser. The bel canto soprano revolutionarily mixes classical singing and pop music, and has achieved worldwide success. The coming concert tour is her last China tour before she takes her own dream-chasing voyage to outer space in 2015. The new album was inspired by her space travel plan.

8 pm, June 16. Guangzhou Gymnasium, 783 Baiyun Avenue South, Baiyun district. 400-108-8808.

- Xu Jingxi

China Daily

(China Daily 06/14/2013 page20)