Ming Wong re-interprets cinema and popular culture to consider how identity is constructed, reproduced and circulated. Through imperfect translations and re-enactments, the artist portrays multiple key characters irrespective of language, gender, ethnicity, nationality or historical period. His videos, photographs, installations and performances uncover the gaps and slippages that haunt the notions of “authenticity” and “originality” in self and society. The Singapore-born, Berlin-based artist represented Singapore at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 with his solo presentation Life of Imitation, which was awarded a Special Mention.The talk begins at 5:00 pm in Kresge Theater (map), and is free and open to the public.
In July, as part of his Welcoming Pittsburgh Initiative, Mayor Bill Peduto announced the [ ] We Move series, an assortment of ten community-led cultural celebrations. The [ ] We Move events are focused on promoting immigrant, Latino and African American inclusion in Pittsburgh while celebrating our diverse cultures. The Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition is proud to have been chosen to host one of these events and receive the $1000 mini-grant!. . .
As a result, the last Night Market this summer will be an Asian/Pacific Islander inspired celebration: [With Asian/Pacific Islander Beats], We Move! Featuring special performances from the K-Pop Dance Club (KPDC) of Carnegie Mellon University and Steel City Ukuleles, the market will have you dancing in the streets!
Also scheduled are fun Asian games and traditions, such as the classic board game, Go, origami and a Kimono/Yukata photo booth! Market goers will also be able to experience a unique summer treat: Nagashi-somen. Part game, part dining experience, nagashi-somen is the act of catching noodles as they rush past on a water filled bamboo ‘stream’ before dunking them in sauce and devouring them. It promises to be a real treat!The night market will also include some yet-unannounced performers of particular relevance tot he theme. It will run from 6:00 to 10:00 pm near the intersections of Forbes and Murray Aves (map), accessible via buses 61A, 61B, 61C, 61D, 64, and 74.
Graduated from a top architect school, Wu Xie (Lu Han) is fascinated with old architecture and antiques. He was raised by his Uncle Wu Sanxing (Wang Jing Chun), a renowned archaeologist. One day, Xie heard that his uncle has gone missing. After some digging, Xie found a notebook which was full of secrets that belongs to Uncle Wu. Xie decides to find his uncle at all costs.In spite of negative reviews for the plot and special effects, the movie is one of the most financially successful in Chinese history.
Surprisingly, Xie is not the only one who is looking for Uncle Wu. He teamed up with Uncle Wu’s best friend Chubby Wang (Zhang Boyu), Zhang Qiling (Jing Boran) & assistant Ning (Ma Si Chun). After much hardship, they found the place Uncle Wu last visited: The Heavenly Palace --- tomb of Ming dynasty Fengshui Guru Wang Canghai.
In this first-ever Korean dance presentation for Pittsburgh Dance Council, the Seoul troupe Bereishit presents contemporary work that draws upon eastern Asian culture. Witness Bereishit’s amazing display of space and rhythms choreographed with kinesthetic clarity and power. Elements of street dance and multimedia add to Bereishit’s potency.Tickets range from $10 to $60. The theater is located at 101 6th St. in the Cultural District (map).
Sport meets dance in the rigorous male duet BOW, inspired by the Korean tradition of archery. The intensely physical Balance and Imbalance juxtaposes the dancers alongside some of Korea’s most revered traditional storytelling genre drummers and pansori vocalists.
Join us for HOW, a series of hands-on workshops for adults and teens. Learn from skilled craftspeople. Dig in and try things out in a creative, supportive environment. Join us for one or all of these free programs. Materials provided.The event is free and open to the public. Carnegie Library's main branch is located at 4400 Forbes Ave. in Oakland (map).
In China, the ancient art of paper cutting is used in festivals to symbolize good luck. Join us to make your own decorative cut-out.
No registration is necessary for these sessions. Seating for all workshops is available to 20 participants on a first-come, first-served basis. You’ll want to come early to be sure you MAKE it on time!
Superdry, a UK-based Japan-inspired clothing company, will open its first Pennsylvania location on August 20 in the King of Prussia Mall. One of its features is nonsensical Japanese, inspired by the Gibberlish seen throughout Japan and East Asia. It currently has stores in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Chicago, and Las Vegas. The King of Prussia Mall was the site of the first Uniqlo in Pennsylvania, and is located roughy 20 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
Led by the internationally acclaimed male singer Tao Jiang, Beijing Opera singer Chi Yang, and violinist Rong Guo, the delegation including 33 award-winning Chinese musicians and artists will perform a magnificent and elegant show to Pittsburghers, including folk songs, classical dances, and Peking Opera.The event runs from 6:30 to 9:00 pm at Mars Area High School (map), roughly 27 miles north of Pittsburgh. Tickets are available online for $25, though a $5 discount is available with promo code OCA.
This gala will also kick off the celebration of 2016 Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Festival, which will be held on September 10th in Schenley Plaza in Oakland.
Bring the whole family for an afternoon of unique storytelling with Kuniko Yamamoto. Charming folktales are combined with traditional musical instruments, magical masks, origami and mime to create storytelling that will have audience spellbound in their seats.More information, as well as an RSVP form, is available from the City of Asylum events page. The free event is from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm. The City of Asylum is located at 330 Sampsonia Way on Pittsburgh's Northside (map).
Join us for a panel discussion about Ai Weiwei in the broader context of contemporary art and politics in China. Panelists include Cindy Lisica, art historian and gallery director; Taliesin Thomas, director of contemporary Chinese art organization AW Asia; and John Wagner Givens, Asian Studies Center associate and adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh. The panel is moderated by Jessica Beck, The Warhol’s associate curator of art.A Next Pittsburgh write-up provides more information. The Andy Warhol | Ai Weiwei exhibit will run at The Warhol through August 28, and Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads will be at the Carnegie Museum of Art through the 29th. The Warhol is located at 117 Sandusky St. on the Northside (map). It's open every day but Monday, and adult admission is $20.
Celebrate Japanese culture and the U.S. – Japan friendship with the Japanese community in Pittsburgh on September 10. Summer is a time of matsuri festivals in Japan, and we plan to celebrate with a festive picnic. Participants can experience Japanese cultural activities, learn more about Japan-related organizations in Pittsburgh, and try bon dancing and taiko drumming.The event runs from 12:00 to 4:00 pm in Mellon Park (map).
Marking the subtle transitions in the lives of three sisters after they take under their wing a teenage half-sibling they never knew, “Our Little Sister” is so meticulously shot and gracefully orchestrated that it can be considered a worthy contempo successor to Kon Ichikawa’s masterpiece “The Makioka Sisters.” Yet, in attempting to evoke an overwhelmingly femme-centric universe for the first time, Hirokazu Kore-eda adopts an approach so serene that his protagonists’ pain as well as their personalities remain largely muffled as they drift soulfully through the seasons. While gently engaging throughout, the pic nonetheless doesn’t reverberate as deeply as the helmer’s 2013 Cannes jury prizewinner, “Like Father, Like Son,” but Kore-eda’s standing among the worldwide culturati will ensure a warm response at festivals and arthouse cinemas.The movie stars Haruka Ayase (Hotaru no Hikari, Cyborg She, Masami Nagasawa (The Crossing), Kaho and Suzu Hirose.
Operation Chromite takes off where 8 South Korean soldiers formed by US army General Douglas MacArthur (Liam Neeson) operates under the special mission to infiltrate North Korean army and secure the Incheon landing for US troops. Captain Jang Hak Soo (Lee Jung Jae) leads the 7 men into their dangerous mission to gain insights on the North Korean naval mines. Will they be able to carry out the mission successfully?Tickets and showtimes are available at the AMC Loews Waterfront website. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.
The new version sees Shu Qi, who plays an editor of a Chinese fashion magazine, jetting about Europe, attending fashion week in Milan and getting up to wedding shenanigans in London.Tickets and showtimes will be available at the AMC Loews Waterfront website next week. The theater is located at 300 West Waterfront Dr. in the Waterfront shopping complex in Homestead (map), across the Monongahela River from Greenfield, Squirrel Hill, and the rest of Pittsburgh.
Like the original, the Chinese remake follows two childhood friends after one of them announces he’s getting married to a young rich woman who has been studying in the UK.
Suddenly realizing that she's actually in love with him, Shu Qi’s character vows to stop the wedding at all costs. When she’s invited into the bridal party, things get even more complex.
Use your language expertise to help Japanese speakers learn English.
Duolingo is looking for a native-level Japanese speaker to help us improve the way we teach English to our Japanese-speaking users in Japan. If you have a strong background and familiarity with Japanese, this is the perfect position for you.
matrix is a series of sound installations employing pure sine waves and white noises as a sculptural material. The installations are designed in response to specific gallery spaces or public sites selected by Ikeda. Sine wave are one of the purest forms of sound, white noise contains the full frequency spectrum randomly. As visitors pass through the sound field, subtle oscillation patterns occur around their ears, caused by their own movements interfering with the sounds. It is a very personal experience, and only through the visitors' physical engagement in the sound space can the real character of the work be perceived.Ikeda will play a live set on September 23 at 10:00 pm at Pierce Studio in the Cultural District (map).
