Shanghai Blue
The background story: In 2011, I was thrilled to learn that my application had been accepted and was finally to come true: I was going to experience Shanghai!
The Swatch Group AG Biel (CH) selected me for a 6 month long artist-in-residency at their new Swatch-Art-Peace-Hotel in Shanghai. I read that the costs for my flight, the hotel and my visa would be covered. My challange was to organise art marterials and to pay for basic costs of living. The people from Swatch articulated the wish that I leave some sort of artwork on site.
Shanghai. I began to get to know the city. At first, I wandered around the strange city carefully, reserved. Then I began to gather information and found people to translate for me thanks to the hotel personnel. Graudally expanding my radius and experiending generally friendly, open-minded people. I had an old mini-dv camera with me; with it I began to document my surroundings working in film, photos and recycled materials.
Description
Shanghai Blue describes my experiences in this fascinating city. I wander around Shanghai with my camera always within hand’s reach. I documented what I encountered, the friendly reception, my artistic reflections of what I experienced as well as the influences of others on me. I showed my visitors as well as those I make to and with local artists, preparations for my exhibitions, and visitors to said shows. I filmed discussions, which I documented, although I couldn’t understand what was being said. The language and culture around me has the same effect as music does on me. In this context, my understanding of editing the film incorporated, in addition to direct quotes, a poetic text I wrote, which I had translated into three languages, Chinese, English and German, which holds the film together and functions in lieu of music as an acoustic background. The relationship between the images and sound reflects the sensory experience of having spent 6 month as an artist-in-residence, hosted by the Swatch-Group-China, which invited me to spend this period at the famous Swatch-Art-Peace-Hotel, thereby making this film possible.
What I need your support for
Berlin (2012-14): Yun Yang, the editor of the film Shanghai Blue, worked on the basis of payment when funds come in and should receive 2.500 Euros for these months of editing once the week, side by side with me. The Postproduction costs, however, have to be attained by mid-June (c. 2.000 Euros). The fee for submitting a film for potential selection to the Berlinale (150 Euros), als well as for printing essential publicity materials like a poster and press kit would cost about 350 Euro.
Only with your help I can finish the film
Rosi S.M., filmmaker and artist, invested for this film nearly 10.000 Euro privat money. I cannot pay more, even if I would like to.