island6 & Rockbund Art Museum’s Christmas Project!

Just Call Me Nick!

For the 2011 Christmas Holidays, the RockBund Art Museum has specially commissioned Just Call Me Nick, a unique interactive artwork. This unique Christmas-themed installation will be featured at RAM’s 2011-2 Hap...Read more

“Many Men and One Lily” (迷人的上海百合)

“The notorious White Flower of China. You’ve heard of me, and you always believe what you’ve heard.”

Shanghai Express, 1932

ANOTHER striptease?

Why, you say that like it’s a bad thing. Disrobing girls have been an inspiration for Liu Dao, well, because (ok let’s get this out of the way) we love beautiful girls who love their bodies and want to show them to us; but on a more cerebral level – YES REALLY – these LED goddesses represent the celebration and reclamation of feminine strength and sexuality. D...Read more

“Chasing The Dragon’s Tail” (只见龙首不见龙尾)

Artspiration:

People now talk about the travails of globalisation, but these are not contemporary issues. The massive opium trade that plagued China’s coffers and destroyed the lives of addicts is a tragic side-effect of the pockets it padded. As port cities opened up and cargo ships sailed in from distant lands, it is worth remembering that not all that glitters is gold. In Chasing the Dragon’s Tail, the empty opium bed and the forlorn dog that sits under it waiting in vain for a master that is no longer himsel...Read more

“Fuck Me Like You Love Me”

Liu Dao’s neon artwork is not just about the ‘wow’ factor, but also captures the sentiments of the time. While pondering the very social fabric of this madhatter city, its crazily transient nature, the right-here-right-now mood, soaring ambitions and last night’s regrettable encounter, the artists didn’t have to long to consider before adopting this inspirational slogan as their rallying war cry.

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“Blossom Fever on Avenue Joffre” (桥富李街上的花季)

Visitors are often intrigued by this striking artwork, which features four hands, closing and opening slowly, like flowers blooming and withering. Instead of the classic rice paper background, these LEDs glimmer through a layer of sand. The inspiration for Blossom Fever comes from the touching traditions of the desert bedouins of Saudi Arabia, who greets fellow tribesmen from other parts of the country by saying “ Fih hayah ?”, literally, “Is there life?”. The weathered folk who survive harsh desert conditions mus...Read more

“Paramount Peaches” (派拉蒙桃子)

The Paramount Ballroom 百樂門 was the largest and most famous – some say notorious – one of its kind in Shanghai. Built in Art Deco style in 1933 by Chinese bankers, the ballroom is now host to elderly couples drinking tea and doing the slow waltz on lazy Sunday afternoons. Liu Dao steps back into a more robust time in the dancehall’s history, and resurrects some of its most colorful moments.

“Blue Cloth Robe For Dancing” 跳舞用的蓝色长袍

Last month, the island6 crew was blown away by 2 awesome mime artists who graced our green screen for an evening. Indeed, the silent ones are the deadliest. The caged fury and angst of the prowling man in the cage is palpable even through the tiny blinking LED diodes that represent his figure. Blue Cloth Robe for Dancing will join Jolly Jumper and What Would Dante Do? in Singapore at Art Stage 2010 with Read more

“The Sound of Leaves Departing From a Silent Tree” (落叶归根)

The story of love and loss is an age-old one. The Liu Dao artists found one such tragic tale, almost lost in the hazy dark alleyways of Old Shanghai 老上海 , and brought it back to life with new technology in an old mirror.

Gender dynamics in modern-day Shanghai is an intriguing issue. In a country still la...Read more

“Famous Flower 1932″ (上海花后1932)

1930s Shanghai could not have been the Whore of the Orient without, well, whores of the Orient. The Famous Flowers, however, were more than just paid sex partners. They were celebrated not just for their beauty, but also their grace, dancing skills and vocal talents. island6 pays tribute to these plucky lasses who strove to survive in a harsh and frequently dangerous world.

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“Jolly Jumper” (跳绳真痛快)

Our Jolly Jumper is a child of the world. The tree is native to tropical Malaysia; performer and jolly jumptress Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 hails from Hong Kong; the rice paper that forms the backdrop is shipped from Anhui province in China; and of course, the island6 Art Collective that put it together is from… everywhere else.

Now, as if that isn’t enough, this happy piece will be joining her compatriots Blue Cloth Robe for Dancing and Read more