Babel Me

‘Babel Me’, the first of 6 exhibitions planned for the period between 2015 and 2016, approached the topic of urban renewal and explored how its effects on society can be gauged on multiple layers, differing for separate strata, segment, community and individual. ‘Babel Me’ examined how the changes inherent in city regeneration, the destruction and rebuilding of both property and communities, affects an individual’s and therefore a community’s thinking and relationship forming process.

We asked a group of local and international artists, to express their views through a selection of mixed media installation artworks. Several artists researched the impact of the developments on the local communities around different urban renewal developments, the outcome of their research fed directly into their exhibition pieces.

The first exhibition happened in the Glass Museum Shanghai Baoshan, as part of an urban renewal project itself the chosen venue opened an interesting dialogue between the public, industry and the body politic which was explored through the involved artists expressed research.

‘Babel me’ illuminated questions about urban regeneration and development, it’s speed, direction, accountability and associated benefits.

‘Babel Me’ artists include, Artis Nimanis (Latvia), Chen Yujun (China), Chrisophe Demaitre (Belgium), Fifth Floor Farm (International), Hadas Zucker (Israel), Li Xiao Fei (China), Lise Kolstad Yuen (Norway), Liu Zhen (China), *LLND Collective (France), logArton Collective (International), ‘Ready’ Performance Collective, Roland Darjes (Germany), Saul Zanolari (Swiss), Virginie Lerouge Knight (France), WeAre Art Collective (International), Yang Hailun (China), Zane Mellupe (Latvia), Zhang Xuebo (China), and Zhao Yue (China).