kaspar könig

(PR of China in the sign of the olympics, Herzog and DeMeuron have made the “real” olympic mascotte)

dear family and friends,

a little earlier then last year the first freshimpress (part 2) of the peoples republic is being continued. Remember: my impressions and experiences in a country sofar from what I would call home…
This time: the new nightwatcher. Workshop where students start to recycle (again), carrefourcounters… how much mooncookies can one buy?

At the airport I got picked up by my friend and charming host mr. Tao Kai Zheng and 3 of his students. My plane landed a half hour earlier than sheduled and so I was suprized I was already awaited. We went inmediatly to the City Life Style Design Department of the School of City Design which is part of the CAFA (Central Academy of Fine Arts) This department though is a little further to the north-east. Not far (25min) from the airport. Luxury real- estates are rising and publicity on the fences happily anounce: extreme international life in airport city. It’s all next to Monet’s park and europe-ville and today I saw chateau de vie on my way to a shop.
This time I borrowed a bike which I probably occasionally need though riding to the center of the city won’t be my ambitious goal. No, I better get used to campus life soon. Anyway the guarded communities are expanding and I see more fences and cameras. After being introduced to my new dormitory, we said goodbye for this day, and I just went for a walk on the campus to get rid of my jetlag. And there it was, the first shock. A stiff guard standing in front of a side entrance of the dormitory watching closely every step.
I nodded friendly but couldn’t see him clear in the darkness. No move, no reaction, no smile as I ‘m used too. I was a little scared so I just quietly went back to bed in the hope i would get somehow another introduction to this guard. The next day I got up at 8 to go to an opening of a creative market and a new shop, one of the student had recommended it. A shop full of boxes, where young artists can rent a box and sales are done by the owners. Quite central and next to the biggest carrefour I’ve ever seen in the center of a city. Great stuff was made by the young creatives,
slightly different from things i’ve seen but quite a couple of new things too. Basicly funny japanese kind of manga diversications and later I bought a shirt with sound sensor that lightens up whenever the sensor gets a sound input. Also the carrefour was impressive with over 50 counters of course with long lanes and yes every counter had 3 till desks in a row. At least 150 places to pay and a many more people waiting to do so. O.k. the traditional harvest is celebrated. Or is it the mid-autumn-festival? Well if I believe the students it is the mooncookie festival, and everyone gives eachother many many cookies where the package counts even more than the cookie!

Now a little more to the reasons i’m staying here. I’m invited to do a 4 week workshop on recycling, sustainability and re-use, at the same CAFA. 15 students of the 3rd year of the city design school are participating. We are succeeding slowly in a consumptive world like this one. Although we’ve many many resources due to that. So mooncookie-packagerecycling is on top of the list….. or not? see/read for yourself in the next secondimpress 2.