THESE NOTES ARE STRICTLY PRIVATE PLEASE DON'T FORWARD.. THEY ARE MEANT ONLY FOR A FEW FRIENDS I FORWARD IT TO.. PLESAE. DO NOT FORWARD AT THIS PONIT OT HTE BIENNALE OFFICE.. THANKS

HERE SEE THE FILM AND STILLS: WHAT IS OFFICIAL

March 6, 2008

Dear Rainer,

Thank you for your letter.

we have some suggestion on the bycicle: we prefer to use the local produced bicycle, because China is the biggest bicycle produced and used country in the world, around 1/4 Chinese people use bicycle as their transportation tool everyday, if the local audience can see their bicycle daily used would be one of the part as art piece showed in Museum that will make them feel familiar, interesting even more proud.

So could you please use the bicycle produced here? I can sent some examples as attached.

Hope get your understanding.

Best Regards

Hua Yi

March 11, 2008

Dear Rainer,

Thank you for your letter, I think it is nice for us to communicate and know each other more like this way, Since Dr. Julian commend you as one of the participated artist into our Biennale, we should regard you as our very important guest. So if we want to realize the project, we hope we can try our best to do these points as below:
(1) we hope the intention of your work is no relationship with political, as you said “THEY ARE POETIC AND ARTISTIC AND NOT POLITICAL...”
(2) the piece “the apprentice in the Sun” such like communism come down parabolic can NOT be showed in China, I think you can understand.
(3) I read your letter very carefully, I think use local bicycle is more POETIC AND ARTISTIC, let the audience like your work more. Because we really hope the work can be PURE POETIC AND ARTISTIC.


Hope you can agree our sincerely suggestion. And before we come to our agreement, hope you can postpone your schedule.

Best Regards
Zhang Qing
Hua Yi

March 13, 2008

Dear Rainer,

I am sorry I can't open this berlin video link and although you said this piece is " has absolutely no political meaning." I still find this sentence regarding Berlin videos in your website: "PS: From arepressive state that was supposed to be inspired by Marx against the grain, against rules and laws, against the flow and walls,towards the WEST."

We will have a meeting with the academic committee and give you an response as soon as possible and please postponed your flight scedule at the moment.

Bests

Hua Yi

March 14, 2008

Dear Rainer,

Thank you for your letter.

As the theme of our Biennale "Translocalmotion" and you promise to us that your work will be "POETIC AND ARTISTIC AND NOT POLITICAL... " but it is not true due to your belin video and bucharest video in your public websit, it defined very clearly that these two work have much political meaning.
And as our experience we do believe as an artist's whose works is continuity and integrative, so it will cause misunderstanding and influence to Chinese people.

So I am sorry to say we think it is not suitable for your work in this Biennale, hope we could make another cooperation in the future.

For the any charge may caused by returnning the ticket, please send the invoice to us, we will make the reimbursement to you.


Best Regards

HUA YI

march 16

insipite of the clear NO NO .. i was taking the plane on my own risk and with my own organization..

I arrive and got help thorugh paul de vautour and his assistan, frank a tawanese man. who is amazing.. he was super helpful and really understood it to make things happen

the curator looks very impressive. usually, oppressive regimes produce oppressive guys when it comes to control and censorship. but not in this case. we have a very sensitive looking, smart guy - an intellectual.. - he starts suspiciously to check me up --- and I feel as if I am in 3rd grade , smashed a school window and wait now for the director what to do next... but also a strange curriosity which is a mixtures of investigation and serious curiosity ... since my impression is always a bit comical due to my currently long hair, and my usually disorganized appearance.. (often people mistake me as a bike messanger guy)

my man, the director, doesn't speak a word of english, has emotional burst... lashes out on his stuff.. and doesn't know Caspar David Frierich.. a key painter of the romantic period - a postcard arstist.. like modigliani or picasso

now: my project: to cross the soon to be open hanghzou bay bridge: soon to be opened. 38 km. long, longest brdige inthe world.. about 200 km away from shanghai...

bascialy there is nothing i could do on my own. the bridge security chased us (frank, my taibpei assitatnt)) away like dogs.. the lowest guys helped a bit.. let us enter 10 min.. but the main boss who came chased us away.. with threats

they were even yealling..

then i was calling biz art (a place every body with 'connection and inside' referes me too... -- (( the two european people there , davide and dafne are outside china currently... ) to my surprise.. teh lady who responded, gave me the same logic we get from the security team: .. we are not having the " authroity" to call.. the bridge managemtn.. etc.. i was about to threw the mobile phone into the sea
(was a woman. not dafne)

soon I realised that WE ARE IN A HIGHLY UNFLEXIBLE PLACE.. AND DEAL WIHT A STUPORN TOP TO BOTTOM RULED BEAUREAUCHRACY and for that reason all i can do is to use one that can deal iwth it: the biennail itslef again.. so lets work them now:

i decided to call the biennail..

and i get now a meeting..

we head back to shanghai.. 3hours later sitting there.. negotiating with them:

I promised to do only this bridge video and nohting else..
and they agreed -- and I m back on board.. I get even a hotel:

now I stay in a super posh hotel and we get the video adn teh security with the bridge fixed..

they complained how terrible bjorks remark on Tibet was.. but not mentioning that right now they just had had the biggest slaughtering of people in tbiet for a long time

more notes;

we took the bus. the bus stops and police controlls all teh people.. .. regular bus into the coutnry side.. this happesn all the time..

quite strange.. ID control of evrybody...

the bike.. ++= "we buy you a great bicycle.. """ but all we could find was total trash .. they hvae.. they don't let me use.. my hummer bike

also... the pollution impressive...

the funny thing: they don't le me use my "hummer bike" i brought becuase i told them that thisb ike is used by the usa army
- otherwise would ahve been ok..

but now they purachesed a china bicyle. . a really trashy bike you buy it ride it 10 times and throw it away..

]my idea now: I will make two verison..
back an forth.. the official china verison with chinese bike for the biennale. then i make an internation version.. with hummer bike on teh way back for hte rest of hte world.

hua yi asked me:
" did you here a out bjork. how terrble.. the are calling bjonr now name. on blogs.."

whle we have the biggeset slaughger.. in TV

meanhwile..I have to log on Austrian news papers on line.. NYtimes is blocked.. all the toher big us uoutlest blocked.. and also yahoo news etc.. blcoked..... nothng is on..

nonthing on TV either

i m listening for hours on the englsh speaking china tv. no mention of T

my asstatnt conferms: on chiense speaking state news.. barely anynews on T

the next meeting that overlapped with my meeting: was a man who come with two books.. one was dliiroius ny, koolhas the ohter was Berlin: The Politics of Order 1737-1989, alan balfour, (1990)

alll about hitler and its fascis regims.. and about totaliarianism..

it gave me the chills.. particular sin

ce i got all the lectures aobut not using anything poltical..

here some imagesL

me with the HUMMER im not allowed to use

this is another view of the same complex near the bridge. .new developing zone

view from uner the brige.. a wast dumping area already

this is the bridge.. this foto I m not allowed to use it.. tehre can not be hummer in any foto or video.. (because I told htem that hummer had somethign to do wtih military.. tc.. since then thye are freaked out..

mach 17th

some report on Tibet

dalai lama cleak.. dala clique... they are confusing right from wrong

the riot out of a joint conspiracy by dala-clique. master minded and organized by dalalama..

roit a crime.. doomed to fail

tibet images; .. chinese school kids.. back to biz as normal.. (only chinese ethnics) ..

"restauration of monasteries by china is the biggest proof to maintain the tibetian culture.. "

my taipai freind here tol d me. .there is no link to taipai...today

my taipai assitant, right now here.. (not provided by the shanghai biennail) frank .. is not finding anything on chiese state news..

(some report on the chinese speaking english broadcast:. they reporte.. something but not the rest)

all links are blocked...

on the chinese state programs. that speak english we get the translations and views by the chinese leader on china.. but not on the others..

of course. no death toll, no numbers -- from europena news papers, germans stuff. get the number 80 , 80 or more were reported to be killed.. chinese report:"some people died".. and showed images of chinese kids in Tibet..in school who were scared..

HU Jia (also a civil leader for political rights is going on trial.. --- the english speaking china hongkong program. translates into englsih: the congress. q&a sesseion: brings what they ask him on the big party day today.. an american jouranilst asks.. : his answer;

wen gia ba: (prime minister)" the critics view is that china cracks down on dissidante before the olympics. but this is not true. at all.. we are working actievly to work on teh judicial reform.. to adjieve judicial justice. to have independent judicial department. major steps ahve been taken.. for example.. bla bla bla.. nothing concrete

the latest in all this is: we get the permission to only enter the bridge for 3 km.. whcih is not much. given the fact it is 38km long..

security reasons they claim. we will go and see.. there is in fact no extra. support.no car. no nothing. so I have to really use again the same way and pay it myself: taxis and bus , taxi

also: in case there is bad weather or lots of fog .they will not let us..

we just went out:

I just interviewed for about 15 minutes people in the street and asked them what they thought about Tibet.. most freaked out and left. some said: they dont know what's going on.. and some said that tibet is china.. but my questions were infuriating reallly some people.. (I always introdcued myself in chinese and stumbled some sentences in chinese : they were nice .. but then we switched to politics:

after 15 min. my great translating assistant frank had to go for an an appointment.. .. .. I understood that he didn't feel confortable in this shopping mall kind of street, police not far away, cameras eveyrwhere.. and i understood, tthat this could get me and him into trouble..

in general the people understood..that there was something going on in Tibet. about half the people understood.. only one person liked our questions.. i approached about 15 - 20 people --- h

below see some faces from the interview (I don't like this style of interview.. but I had no choice but to confront people directly -right into their face: -- and here some of the faces: Ps; not everybody responded)

about copying: this did actually matter a bit since i was subjected to a CHINESE BIKE not produced for export and also the temperature in the room: whether it is the way they talk on the news in English, the bicycles, tv design, and so on: they do it badly..even the breakfast in the mornig.was some kind of fake in a funny way.. (concerning the European aspect of it -- of cosure. the chinese part was great.. and I also can't expect paris hotels put on great korean or chinese breakfast.. it would be the same.. but at least they don't try to do that.. )

but what unnerves me right now are the windows: they look like fancy modern alluminium windows.. but in fact.. they don't close properly and i can put my finger through the closed window. .i have never seen anyhitng like that: . today it is coldand i'm freezing.. and the wind blows in: I used masking tape to keep teh wind from entering ... "chinese way" to fix it.. (((I m aware how eurocentric and arrogant i sound))) -- hte bike thing was also annoying: they copy latest designs.. all these cute little foldable bicyle.. and i was about to purchase one since i can never really say no to them.. but it fell apart already in the shop.. and the bike i was forced to buy , all china for chinese market.. also does't work... .. in fact. the breaks didnt' work and i almost crahed on the brdige.. in the joints of the birdge an dcouldnt' slow down))))

BUT I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT.. SHANGHAI IS TERRBILY BEAUTIFUL.. SUBLIME so to say

also,, there is a lot of really good architecture as well... it cannot be dismissed at all.. and it rocks.. the old part of the city are a dream.. and the place has some of the beauty we can already observe in tokyo.. that is strikingly opposite to allt he prejudiced that ruminate in the west... so I do already love shanghai.. nontehless..

the news , even biz news. sound a bit like some ambitious student who copys everything together without realy udnerstandin the concepts. (( i know now i m arrogant and mean. myself. saying this.. but something is there.. )

in the office.. they made me sign my proposal.. to only show the bridge video and I can' t use hte hummer bike.. and follow hte rules..

i was given basic lessons how everything is about following the rules.. (I got that msg)

march 19

I just witnessed the most BASIC WAY TO CENSORSHIP; capping the signal: while watching bbc here in this hotel, they talked about tibet.. the dalai llma and yes.. suddenly the image turns off.. as if the TV is off.... I switch to other channels and now... .. and just now comes back the image

so there is really somebody sitting around watching BBC and simply turning the signal off.. very primitive, very effective

here i was just able to catch the same segment again.. click for 1. 20 min

its i s 4 10 am china time.. (jet lag. i fell asleep at 9pm - couldn't even have dinner. too tired)

-- later in the evening.:

OK we, frank, my taiwanese asssitant friend frank.. today, we went back.. two bicycles in small chinese taxi.. that is a great PLUS FOR china..

you can do almost anything with them.. the bicycle hangs out form the back.. and they don't care.. we stuff the other foldable bike hummer on the back seat and they don't complain.. even if we make their white back seats dirty.. we sit like monkeys in the car.. so first withe hte taxi to the busstaion 45 min.. shanghai is gigantic and quite amazing. so far the biggest city i have seen. it starts to outdo tokyo.. from the 3 days i ahve the impression that shanghai is bigger then tokhyo. .and makes nyc look a village

then comes the bus station.. each ride another condition. the frist day.we entered with my Hummer bicycle and everybody comes to look at it as if they hadn't seen a bichycle yet.. (I come to udnerstand that they only sell shitty bichycls but still) even the security came to ask --- everybody alwasy has the same question: how much was it.. and they give already anumber.. actually not so far off..: it cost me over 900 dollars ---- but today. they didn't let us enter.. so they kicked us out. .but soon we realized that we can purchase a bike ticket. and so we did: the price:more then what we paid for ourselves.100 RMB (about 14 us dollars) on the way back.. the frist day , they charged us 15 RMB and today on the way back 20 RMB..

tehn we arrived.. the musum communicated with the brdige managmente and a woman was waiting for us.. (quite a different reception. the security people who told us to go to hell were nice and stepped back.. )

we were told that FOR OUR OWN SECURITY we can only bicycle 5 km ..because afterwards its not finsihed and its too dangerous.. and so I bicycles.. me filming and frank filming me filming...after 5 km they stopped us.. in the middle of the bridge.. without any reason.. there was absolutely no traffic. and no works on the way.. but we left the bicycle there. .unlocked and accepted her offer to drive us over hte bridge.. so we crossed the bridge. hte rest of it with the car.. so basically 38 km.. 25 minutes by bicycle and 20min driving..

(there two was a kind of strange little interruption: she was driving.. about 3 cars passed us.. the drive was really beautful.. incredible playground this bridge. ... --- so about 5 min.. before we arrived on the other shore..she stopped (which isn't really what i intended for my film) and suddenly wanted to turn around saying our bicycles aren't safe.. (before she told us. they are safe. since nobody is on the brdige and htey have security on both ends) .. .. but i told her.. I don't care, even if they throw them in the sea.. "over board".. .. and she finally gave us the remaining 5 mintues....

on the other shore I could do what i first intended: the make a second version:

one wiht the chinese bicycle.. - i couldn't use hte HUmmer scine they hated that.. (in one eamil i wrote them that Hummer also makes military technolgy -- which company doesn't - ) so goint i used hte chinese bicycel. ( at one point, i almost crashed because of the really wide distance of two cumms.. taht connect hte bridges.... i cound't use hte brakes since the brakes didnt' work with the chinese bicycle..

the seocnd work.. I was going back.. iwht the hummer.. so here we go..

i have now a C HINESE VERSION and an internation version

BBC reports on tibet work at this moment..

basic english for frank: today.. i exlained the english word censorship, yesterday teh word Kitsch.. and tehre was clarification: we searched religion on hte translation machine (his mobile phone) and he knew it..

herer some images of the brige:

here wiht the hummer.. on my way back. whcih htey hate here.. (the academic committe wouldn't approve it)

see the the heavy indutry in the back. the taxi driver told us large parts of that complex belongs t the daugher of the current chinese president) - ihave no proof . repeat only what the taxi driver told me.. -why not?

here is frank.. and me.. on the hummer me on the chinese bike

so harmless these photographsn and yet such a drama about it

also, I was able to sell it as "romantic:

now the chinese version will be:

CROSSING THE HANGHZOU BRIDGE - thinking of Caspar David Friedrich 1774 – 1840

monk by the sea

Monk by the Sea is a single figure nearly absorbed by the seas, tthe rocky sea and the dramatic sky make the man disappear.. but we know.. the power of the sublime. to whithstand it... a wonderful metapher or today

NEEDLESS TO SAY. THAT I CANNOT PUT HTE TITLE... (MONKS..... AND .. TIBET ETC.. )

and look at this man: even more grandiously surrounded by rocks and mist and sky.. a bit like on the bridge

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog
1818; Oil on canvas, 94 x 74.8 cm; Kunsthalle, Hamburg

the contrast between the individual and the infinite Unheimlichkeit.. (unhomeliness) of the surrounding.. .remember: Burkean or Kantian confrontation of the Infinitely Sublime.

also remember...: trade and manufacturing catapulted Germany's nation states into rivaling world powers competing Englad France Beligum the Dutch... a threat so to sa.. a new awaking to the rest of europe

some also argue.. that they see in CAspar david friedrichs' paintings expressions of panteistic religious mysticism -- a new spirituality that could withstand the new challenging times...

does it ring some bells?

ps: the museum guy , chief curtor of the biennial.. who censors me. .he didn't know caspar david friedirch..

neither did his englsih speakin assistant.. miss YI.. ( a former computer person - working at the museum now for over 10 yaesrs or so) who writes me his letters..

but i showed the imags and they agreed and had some "deja vue".. of cousre. how can you not have seen these imags..

and they approved: if somebody doesn't tell them (and this time I will not) they don't understand the revolutionary and subversive character of these images...or ROMANTICISM in general.. JUST TO STAND THERE AND GAZE AND GIVE INTO BEAUTY IS SUBVERSIVE

but this time.. i have learned and will not inform them about it..

IWILL ADD A NICE AMBIVALENT INTRODUCTION TEXT ON TEH VIDEO... TO ILLUSTRATE THE TITLE

march 20th

I m leaving shanghai in 4 hours.. i just got up.. 6 12 am ..

I m watchen BBC .. again on china.. again they block the BBC broadcast. the screen just turns black and no sound for 20 seconds.. unteil the segment is over..

HERE SEE THE FILM AND STILLS: WHAT IS OFFICIAL

last note:

the word ACADEMIC COMMITEE WAS CONSTANTLY COMING UP. .

THEY ARE AFRAID OF THE COMMITTE WHICH IS REALLY THE OFFICIAL CHINESE CENSORSHIP AUTHORITY..

i do understand that the biennial direction has ot go through that.. -- we are after all in a repressive authoritarian state that is currently massacring people in regard to the tibetian protests...

but I don' t understand how they are inflexible with dealing with this academic committee...

the accadmic committee would never have understood the subtleties of the history and context of products and contexts. they would never have guessed that HUMMER bicycle has a military connection since Hummer dealerships exist in China..

they also would never have had aproblem wiht the video I made in berlin and bucharest (see my web site www.ganahl.info go video)

and that is the problem... they don't even try

below find some thoughts on censorship in china... exchanged with Hongkong based Christina Li, who was trying to help me in this ( she consented on putting it on line.. ---- even though I don't publish this blog.. since I'm afraid of the repercussions: so please.. do not forward this link to people yet.. -- I might accuse myself and being accused of opportunism.. not publishing what i think--- but the sitaution is very complex:

skype conversation (me from seaoul on my way back.. ) she in hongkong:

rainer ganahl
1:49 PM
christan.. many thanks. i fixed the rpoblems. in a special way..
christina
1:52 PM
hi rainer - it's great to know it worked out at the end !
1:53 PM

and thanks for the link, i really liked the tibet part
rainer ganahl
1:55 PM
IT WAS AMAZING.. THEY JUST TURNED THE SIGNAL OFF on the tele
1:56 PM

asking people in the street about Tibet was also an experience in itself...
christina
1:56 PM
yeah you can feel the oppression in the air
rainer ganahl
1:56 PM
to see people switch from the friendly 'I like foreigneres and I speak a bit of engosih " to "fucky you - you are a monster opening a can of worms" ..
1:56 PM

is hongkong also affected by that.? it is true. you are also part of china
christina
1:56 PM
hmm hong kong is a little bit better
1:57 PM

we have had news reports about tibet
rainer ganahl
1:57 PM
n the end htey also got them but the content was the problem.. this was upsetting: only showing chinese kids being scared in tibet in shool ...and claiming that it was all organized by the Dalailama clique
christina
1:58 PM
yes and the fact that closed the borders was very ridiculous as well
rainer ganahl
1:59 PM
during hte riots... of course, it was terrible for the poor chinese guy in teh street who got caught in the cross fire and was beaten up.. but still... teh reaction, the overall situation, a disaster for Tibetians and now the 'REAL THING starts. the crackdowns. the prosecutions,. the arrests.. the new repression... : people arrestted and round up.. also the numbers of casualties
2:00 PM

it was also .. still is actually, a good experience to see the shanghai curatorial people being afraid of anything.. (the curators) and their accademic committee....
2:00 PM

how they can be afraid of literally anything.. like a bicycle.. or a bike ride...
christina
2:00 PM
well for them it's always we have to say no first
rainer ganahl
2:00 PM
now.. I link it with caspar david freiedrich... the romantic painter.. and they approved it . since they liked the paintings when I showed it. but they don't know how revolutionary these paintings were
christina
2:01 PM
i have to say that they have no idea about western art
rainer ganahl
2:01 PM
also. my curator Julian sits in germany and he was never an issue.. as if he simply doesn't exist.. and the total control was in the hand of people out of hte picture.. acadmeic committes an d people afraid of it
2:01 PM

its judgment.. how kafkaesque and unreal
christina
2:01 PM
that's how most of the officials in the museums are like
rainer ganahl
2:02 PM
i have no doubt about htat.
christina
2:02 PM
art forum had a huge thing with the shanghai art fair last year
2:03 PM

the officials censored the magazines but returned it to the booth and the people distributed copies of it
rainer ganahl
2:03 PM
that guy was amazing. because he looked kind of intersting... nad yet.. he acts as censor: the fact that i couldn't talk to him direclty made the impression more uncunny: literally talking to somebody from another universe: ... I was having news/media/movie flash backs from what i know about really uncomparably differnt times .. where the question was about death and life... .: >>> some of the more viscious people of the 20 century history also looked quite sensitive
2:03 PM

but by saying this i don't want at all to link this guy wiht those really viscous people... but I had this "film" in my head
christina
2:03 PM
i know you can't help but associate it that way
rainer ganahl
2:04 PM
no doubt about that
christina
2:04 PM
so what is the story now
2:04 PM

you are back in the show?
rainer ganahl
2:04 PM
yes..
2:04 PM

if they dont' get to read my blog..
christina
2:04 PM
that's true
rainer ganahl
2:04 PM
i m back in the show witht only the bicycle piece i made.. (isnt' the brdige beautiful !!l.._=)
christina
2:04 PM
i know it must be a great experience
rainer ganahl
2:04 PM
but the story is not over.. now i start to talk again to my curator Julian and may be we can add sometthings...
christina
2:05 PM
so who is this curator you are working with
rainer ganahl
2:05 PM
it was wroth it.. also i prefer to work through this bullshit than just be arrogant and say: fucky ou
2:05 PM

i think it is worth dealing with them and playing hte game... and find ways to outgamble them.. like now with bringing in caspar david friedrich and "pure beauty" and 'romanticism"
2:06 PM

of cosure.. this is so so poltiical. the bridge alone.. but all these thigns i will disclose separatley..
christina
2:06 PM
kind of like guerrila tactics
rainer ganahl
2:07 PM
also I like the fact.. that i have now TWO SEPAETAT VERSIONS.. taht almost look the same.. identical.. going North-south and going back south north - ((( evne how I was not allowed to take the bicycle but had to switch to the car "due to security issues".. - the SECURITY ISSUE. is so so interesting.. a tremendous cynical application of this concept ---- so I went on two differnt bicycls.. a the censored one with the chinese bicycle.. and the non-censored one with the HUMMER bike and a little intro - talking about censorship
christina
2:07 PM
hold on a sec
2:07 PM

rainer ganahl
2:08 PM
this is of cousre. a tricky things... dealing with that kind of china.. but i think we have to do it and work it out..
christina
2:09 PM
i think it's important to deal with the system and understand it sometimes

rainer ganahl
2:09 PM
for you in hongkoing. it s in particualr intersting becaues it soimehow awaits you
2:09 PM

what do youthink..
2:09 PM

do you thnk in the future you have to "consider sensitive issues"
christina
2:10 PM
we kind of see it coming
2:10 PM

and always think well we better enjoy the freedom while we can
rainer ganahl
2:10 PM
i see it coming as well.. it s inevitable..
2:10 PM

but the lesson there is to see: how it all goes through the channel of SELF CENSORHSIP
2:10 PM

so eventualy a very subtle process.
christina
2:11 PM
well china had a long history of indoctrinating the people
rainer ganahl
2:11 PM
and so did europe
christina
2:11 PM
true true
rainer ganahl
2:11 PM
even the usa
2:11 PM

even now..
2:12 PM

we applied for funds for my swedish show. the cullutral person there looked at my web site adn said: we would have given you money but hte artist is too "controversial"
christina
2:12 PM
i guess it's just a matter of degree and strategies
2:12 PM

do you think your work is controversial ?
2:12 PM

or "controversial" more like
rainer ganahl
2:12 PM
we would have to first aks what is a controversy
2:13 PM

I useually act - react to contexts and if I find myself standing againt the wall.. it become controversial
2:13 PM

I realized that in japan..
2:13 PM

everywhere..
2:13 PM

I was doing a show in japan.. about 10 years ago and criticize dthem.. and sinc ehten. no show
christina
2:13 PM
i guess your intent is to not to achieve that
2:14 PM

to be controversial
rainer ganahl
2:14 PM
even my taipei mediator frank who was very kind and alwasy on my side.. he didn't stop suggestiong that for my own itnerest . and becaue china si important - I shouldn't upset them...
christina
2:15 PM
how did he feel working as a taiwanese on this project with you ?
rainer ganahl
2:15 PM
I don't think of provocations.. i don't seek provocations... but sometimes there is no way around.. depending on what I do.. like in the shanghai example. i only wanted to do this silly bike ride.. over the brdige and show my "don't steal my HUMMER bicycle" and "don't steal my BMW bicycle." and hten it all started..
christina
2:15 PM
yeah i see that
2:15 PM

it's how people percieve it i suppose
rainer ganahl
2:16 PM
I kind of indulged in a simple "we and them" feeling including him, frank in the WE... . but of ocusre, it is more complicated then that: he lives in china..
christina
2:16 PM
how are his views towards the sino-taiwanese politics
rainer ganahl
2:17 PM
interesting also, during hte chinese big party congress questiong of the chinese premier or president.. the question of taipei was also on the table.. second to tibet.. since they are in an election process and have included a referendum about official independence.. etc
christina
2:17 PM
yeah i think the tibet situation would effect the taiwanese election
rainer ganahl
2:18 PM
there was no immediate threat.. or anything and it wasn't a topic but he was listenging very carefully.. also when i checked out this morning at 7 30 am.. he asked me to stay to 11 in the room and listen to bbc.. whcih he did
2:18 PM

so htere is quite some curiosity.. he mentioned to me taht in these days chinese officials blocked all the taipei internet news connections he usually consulted. and he couldn't get much news out of taiwan
christina
2:20 PM
the chinese gov't is very paranoid right now i think
rainer ganahl
2:20 PM
what is interesting is that now.. we have suddenly an economically and technically and demographically super advanced power , china.. that engages in practices associated only with under-developed or developing countries.. russia or the DDR or other totalitarian regimes where never really ahead the curve but with china. .it is about to bypass the USA and Europe ... and that makes this question of authoritarian controll and censorship --- democracy at large - a real challenge
2:21 PM

it is also very complicated. i wouldn't want to see the chinese regime just fall apart and the coutnry enter a civil war or so.. but of course, there needs to be real change..
christina
2:22 PM
and the fact that such political regimes are tolerated by other countries and nobody can contain it
2:22 PM

that's problematic
2:22 PM

anyway hey i have to run for a meeting
2:22 PM

might catch you later
rainer ganahl
2:23 PM
ps: can i take parts of this dialog and put it on the blgo.. chinanotes>
2:23 PM

thanks so much. for it
2:23 PM

i m here for anothe r5 hours. befero my flgiht contineus
2:24 PM

in case you agree. what is our full name?
christina
2:30 PM
hi yes my full name is christina li

see: C HINESE VERSION of video..