Chinese View '86 logo (GB3451/OC/A/8/1/2)

Chinese View Arts Association

In November 1986, Manchester based artist and radio producer Amy Lai arranged the Chinese View Arts Festival. The event aimed to address the lack of awareness of Chinese culture in Manchester and to reconnect the local Chinese community with traditional Chinese arts and crafts.

Due to the success of the Festival, the Chinese View Arts Association (CVAA) was incorporated on 4th June 1987. The mission of the CVAA was to advance the education of the public in all forms of Chinese culture, through organising and promoting Chinese cultural events, and providing a bridge between local organisations and Chinese arts and cultural groups.

The CVAA also organised the 2nd Chinese View Arts festival in February 1988.

Photo of kites, c.1990 (GB3451/OC/A/6/9)

Poster: Film Posters of Hong Kong, 1991 (GB3451/OC/A/1/15)

Origami workshop, Oct 1992,(GB3451/OC/A/7/1)

In October 1989, the CVAA opened the Chinese Arts Centre (CAC) in Charlotte Street at the edge of Manchester's China Town. The Centre aimed promote an appreciation of Chinese life, culture, philosophy, and values by providing cultural activities to reintroduce Chinese skills and culture to the local Chinese community as well as raise awareness in the wider population.

The Centre also arranged exhibitions featuring traditional and contemporary art forms

Exhibitions

• Descendants of the Dragon, (1989 Oct 31 - 1990 Jan 14)
• Spring Festival, (1990 Jan 17 - Apr 08)
• Chinese Ink Paintings, (1990 Apr 14 - Jun 03)
• Kites of the Far East, (1990 Jun 09 - Oct 14)
• The New Four, (1990 Oct 27 - 1991 Jan 13)
• Looking Back, 1990 Oct 27 - Dec 02)
• A Postcard from Manchester, (1990 Dec 03 - 1991 Jan 13)
• Film Posters of Hong Kong, (1991 Jan 26 - Apr 14)
• The Creative Chinese Paintings of Jing Xiang Yuan, (1991 Apr 23 - Jul 14)
• From Red to Red by Moses Lee, (1991 Jul 20 - Sep 29)
• Encounters touring exhibition, (1991 Oct 10 - Dec 01)
• The New Four, (1991 Oct 27 - 1992 Jan 13)
• Meditative Art, (1991 Dec 07 - 1992 Jan 21)
• Papercuts from China 1940-1990, (1992 Jan 29 - Mar 29)
• Contemporary Batik Art by Feng Ge, (1992 Feb 24 - Apr 19)
• Beyond The Chinese Takeaway touring exhibition, (1992 May 29 - Sep 16)
• Chinese Origami, (1992 Sep 26-Dec 06)

Other Programme Events

• Chinese New Year Concerts, (1992 Feb)
• Karaoke Competition, (1992 May 17)

Dragon boat festivals workshops poster, 1994 (GB3451/OC/A/6/10/11)

Chinese Arts Centre programme, Spring 1996 (GB3451/OC/A/6/16)

Despite an optimistic start, the Centre had struggled to make an impact. The Centre's programme was paused while the CVAA reviewed its operations. The Chinese Arts Centre was relaunched in October 1993 with a revised mission and values. The Centre's programme was largely based off site, and did not regularly programme exhibitions on site until September 1995.

Exhibitions

• Sight & Sound: Sculptural Ceramics, (1993 Mar 08 - May 23)
• Journeys' West, (1994 Mar 11 - 1994 Apr 29)
• Seascape (West Meets East), (c.1995 Jun)
• Vibrant Energies by John Lyons & Tang Lin (1995 Sep 25 - Oct 27)
• The British Art Show 4, (1995 Nov 12 - 1996 Feb 04)
• New Generations,(1996 Feb 17 - Mar 17)

Other Programme Events

• Arranged a Manchester wide Lunar New Year festival (1994), including:
  • Ceramic Workshop with Henshaws Society for the Blind, (1994 Jan 29 - Feb 13)
  • Brushstrokes, Yellow Dandelions poetry project and book launch, (1994 Feb 08)
  • Fiddles Three concert, (1994 Feb 14)
• Dragon boat race at Salford Quays (1994 Jun 11)
• Hosted the youth drama project Moon Chant, (Autmun 1994)
• Involved in the 1st Manchester Chinese Film Festival at Cornerhouse, (1994 Sep 16 - Oct 11)
• Pink Ladies Poetry Party, (1995 Oct 14)
• Talk Women, Multi-culturalism and British Art, (1995 Nov 19)
• Talk British-Chinese Culture and Contemporary Art, (1995 Dec 07)
• Art Education Sunday Workshops, (1995 Dec)
• Talk The Impact of Mainland China on British Art and British-Chinese Artists, (1996 Jan 22)
• Lunar New Year festival (1995), including:
  • All Aboard the Sampan, book launch (1996 Feb 22)
• Links 96 season of arts and crafts events (1996 Oct 04 - Oct 25)

Scenery in the Zero (1997), Adam Hongshan Wei. © Chinese Arts Centre. (GB3451/OC/6/2/1/3)

Poster: 'Retrospectre', 1997, (GB3451/OC/6/2/5/15)

Chinese Arts Centre programme Spring/Summer 1998 (GB3451/OC/6/2/7/2/3)

Representing the People catalogue (1999) (S4.011)

In March 1997, the Chinese Arts Centre moved to new premises on Edge Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter. The Centre's programme was mostly centred on UK-based contemporary artists, but it also began to show works by international artists. The Centre also worked towards become a UK agency for Chinese arts and crafts, acting as a bridge between artists and other organisations.

In August 1998, the new venue was closed after it had been damaged by a fire. Planned exhibitions were moved elsewhere and the organisation concentrated upon its external activities until the venue was refurbished. During this period the Centre organised the exhibition Representing the People, which toured the UK in 1999, and was one of the first large scale exhibitions in the UK to feature works by contemporary artist from China.

Exhibitions

• Scenery in the Zero by Adam We, (1997 Mar 31 - Apr 26)
• Julie Fu solo show, (1997 Apr 28 -May 31)
• Face of China by Lip Lee and Dinu Li (1997 Jun 12 - Jul 27)
• Exhibition of Calligraphy by Mary Tang and workshop participants, ( 1997 Jul 28 - Sep 14)
• Exhibition looking at the relationship between the UK and China to mark the Hong Kong handover,(1997 Sep 22 - Sep 24)
• Pakistan as depicted by Lin Yong and Su Hua exhibition (1997 Oct)
• Retrospectre / UN- (Part 6) by susan pui san lok, (1997 Nov 10 - Jan 16)
• Galaxies by Nora Fok, (1998 Feb 02 - Mar 28)
• The Desires of the Golden Lotus by An Hong, (1998 Apr 15 - Jun 05), including performances by the artist
• 'Going Back to China': The Funeral by Lip Lee, (1998 Jun 23 - Aug 14)
• Alien Invasion: Fu Manchu vs White Devil by Tone Balone, ARC Gallery, (1998 Sep 02 - Oct 23)
• Brain by Yin Xiuzhen, Manchester Craft Centre, (1998 Oct 31)

Other Programme Events

• A New Vocabulary for Chinese Arts? conference at Place Theatre, London, (1998 Oct 03)
• Representing the People, national touring exhibition (1999 Jan 30 - Nov 7)

Sauce (1999), Anthony Key. © Chinese Arts Centre, (GB3451/OC/6/2/11/5).

Seeing: Out of Time (2000), Suki Chan. © Adam Green, (GB3451/OC/6/2/17/3/44).

Heart Sutra (2001) Chun-Chao Chiu. © Chinese Arts Centre, (GB3451/OC/6/2/22/8).

New Sharawadgi (2002) Yu-Cheng Chuang. © Chinese Arts Centre, (GB3451/OC/D/2101/81).

The venue was reopened in February 1999 with a new purpose-built gallery space. Initially the Centre continued to programme shows featuring existing works, but it was felt that the new space should be used in a different way. Between 2000-2002, the Centre commissioned eleven site specific works by emerging UK-based artists as part of its New Commissions scheme. The works would use the Centre’s space to the full whilst helping developing the careers and artistic inspection of the artists involved.

The scheme also lead to the development of other projects which offered career support to artists, including the Creative Diversity : Greater Manchester (CD:GM) project and the Artist's Database.

The Centre also further developed its links with east Asia, including a second national touring exhibition, Made in China, featuring works by contemporary designers from China. The Centre also began to develop exchange programmes with arts organisations in east Asia.

Exhibitions

• Sauce by Anthony Key, (1999 Feb 22 - Mar 26)
• The Word Made Modern, Contemporary Calligraphy from China by Chen Guangwu, (1999 Apr 19 - Jun 11)
• Digital Disquiet by Wong Kit Meng, (1999 Jul 16 -Sep 17)
• The Golden Emporium selling exhibition, (1999 Nov 20 - Dec 18)
• Seeing: Out of Time by Suki Chan, (2000 Feb 07 - Apr 21). First work produced by the New Commissions scheme
• Past Perfect : Perfect Sense by Pamela So, (2000 May - Jul 17)
• Tree Survival Game: Between Nature and Culture by Ahn Sung-hee, (2000 Aug 07 - Sep 29)
• Grazing by Lisa Cheung & Emil Goh, (2000 Oct 20 - Dec 15)
• Imported by Anna Lee, (2001 Jan 29 - Apr 06)
• Heart Sutra by Chun-Chao Chiu, (2001 May 07 - Jul 13)
• Mappa Manna by Gayle Chong Kwan, (2001 Aug 10 - Oct 19)
• The Sound of Self-Exile by Tsia-Wei Chen, (2001 Nov 02 - 2002 Jan 25)
• New Year Dream exhibition (2002 Feb 15 - Apr 04)
• The Red March by Joshua Jiang Jiehong, (2002 May 03 - Jul 05)
• New Sharawadgi by Yu-cheng Chuang, (2002 Jul 17 - Oct 04)
• The Cherry Tree by Jenny Chong, (2002 Oct 25 - 2003 Feb 14). Last work produced by the New Commissions scheme
• A New Year Installation by Lisa Cheung, (2003 Jan 31 - Apr 11)
• Made in China (2003 Apr 27 - Jun 02)
• Gathering Momentum, a retrospective look at the New Commissions scheme (2003 Jul 03 - Sep 26)

Other Programme events

• New Moves: Chinese Arts Conference, V&A Museum, London (1999 Dec 18)
• Made in China national touring exhibition (2001-2003)
• Chinese Contemporary Arts in the International Arena Conference, British Museum, (2002 Apr 18 - Apr 20)

Living World 2 (2003) Xu Bing. © Tim McConville, (GB3451/OC/D/1708/19/49).

Long Life (2004) Denise Kum. © David Hancock/Chinese Arts Centre, (GB3451/OC/D/2101/459).

Objects of Demonstration (2004) Community Museum Project. © Tim McConville, (GB3451/OC/D/1708/16/6).

Another City? (2005), Panni Poh Yoke Loh. © David Hancock/Chinese Arts Centre, (GB3451/OC/D/2102/332).

Horizon (2005) Maria Chen Pascual © David Hancock/Chinese Arts Centre, (GB3451/OC/D/2101/600).

Years (2006) susan pui san lok © Tim McConville, (GB3451/OC/D/1708/4/3).

In 2001, the Centre secured £2.2 million from Arts Council, England, Lottery Fund to outfit a new building and support operational and marketing development of the organisation for three years of the venue.

The new venue was opened in November 2003 and featured a large gallery space, a resident artist studio and living space, an education suite and a shop with a tea shop. The new space gave the Centre the room to expand their activities acting as an agency for Chinese arts in Britain and inviting collaborations with other organisations.

The Centre also began to host resident artists: ‘Breathe’ 3 month residencies aimed at more established artists from UK and elsewhere, and ‘Whisper’ short residencies aimed at UK-based emerging artists.

The Centre also continued to support the career development of artists through its Professional Artist Development (PAD) (2005-2008) and East Asian Strategic Training (EAST) (2005-2007) schemes. The 'First Step' exhibition space was also created in 2004 s an alternative space for new artists to show their work.

Main Exhibitions

• Xu Bing solo show, (2003 Nov 28 - 2004 Jan 04)
• Home curated by Dinu Li, (2004 Jan 16 - Feb 22)
• Whodunnit? by Ming Wong, (2004 Mar 12 - May 09)
• People Used to Dream of the Future, (2004 May 21 - Jul 18)
• Far Away, So Close by Guo Wei and He Duoling, (2004 Jul 30 - Sep 12)
• Happy and Glorious by Mad for Real, (2004 Sep 24 - Nov 21)
• Water Works by Song Dong, (2004 Dec 03 - Feb 13)
• Persistent Visions by Erika Tan, (2005 Feb 25 - Apr 24)
• re-fashion exhibition (2005 May 06 - Jul 17)
• Reassurance exhibition (2005 Jul 29 - Oct 02)
• Patty Chang solo show, (2005 Oct 23 - Dec 23)
• British Art Show 6 exhibition (2006 Jan 28 - Apr 02)
• Re-Visit Chinese Arts Centre retrospective exhibition,(2006 Apr 13 - Apr 30)
• Golden by susan pui san Lok,(2006 May 12 - Jul 02)
• Cockaigne by Gayle Chong Kwan, (2006 Jul 14 - Sep 24)
• Out of Nowhere by Conroy/Sanderson, (2006 Oct 13 - Dec 22)

Artist Residencies

• He An Breathe residency, (2003 Nov 27 - 2004 Feb 27)
• Gordon Cheung, Breathe residency, (2004 Mar 01 - May 31)
• David Lau Whisper residency (2004 Jun 03 - Jun 18)
• Denise Kum Breathe residency, (2004 Jun 22 - Aug 29)
• Amy Cham, Whisper residency, (2004 Sep 29 - Oct 11)
• Shu Yang, Breathe residency, (2004 Oct 11-Dec 04)
• Eric Fong, Breathe residency, (2004 Nov 22 - 2005 Feb 28)
• Panni Yoke Loh, Whisper residency, (2005 Mar 02 - Mar 16)
• Pamela So, Breathe residency, (2005 Mar 21 - Jun 20)
• Margaret Tran, Whisper residency, (2005 Jun 25 - Jul 06 & Oct 10- Oct 24)
• Stella Lai, Breathe residency, (2005 Jul 08 - Oct 06)
• Ken Chu, Breathe residency, (2005 Nov 02 - 2006 Feb 08)
• Sophia Hao Whisper residency (2006 Feb 01 - Feb 27)
• Karen & Peggy Ngan Breathe residency (2006 Mar 06 - May 06)
• Wai Yan Chan Whisper Residency (2006 May 09 May - May 22)
• Jessica Emmett Whisper Residency (2006 Jun 01- Jun 15 & Sep 20 - 3 Oct)
• Owen Leong Breathe residency (2006 Jun 18 - Sep 13)
• Leung Po Shan Breathe residency (2006 Oct 06 -Nov 06)
• Karen Tam Breathe residency (2006 23 Nov - 2007 Feb 09)

First Step

• First Step by Ying Kwok (2004 Sep 25 -2005 Jan 25)
• First Step: Horizon by O Zhang, (2005 Jan 27 - May 01)
• First Step by Raymond Yap, (2005 May 05 - Aug 07)
• First Step by Alfred Chow, (2005 Aug 14 - Nov 14)
• First Step by Nina Chua (2005 Nov 15 - 2006 Feb 15)
• 13 Portraits of Lin Dai by Wen Wu, (2006 Feb 16 - May 15)
• First Step by Lam Tung Pang, (2006 16 May - 15 Aug)
• First Step: Blobette Doodles by Kai-Oi Jay Yung, (2006 9 Aug - 14 Nov)
• First Step by Weng Fung Man, (2006 Nov 19 - 2007 Feb 15)

Other Programme Events

• Identity fashion show & exhibition with Wai Yin Chinese Women's Youth Group, (2005 Oct 06 - Oct 09)
• China Live national tour (2005 Oct)
• Cherish: Chinese Families in Britain, National Portrait Gallery, London, (2006 Sep 23 - Jan 03)
• Vital International Chinese Live Art Festival (2006 Nov 02 - Nov 05)

Chinese Arts Centre advert, Dec 2006, (GB3451/OC/D/1801/269).

In late 2006, the Centre began to look for alternative sources of funding and many aspects of its programme were developed in collaboration with other art organisations.

In 2007 most Breathe residencies were commissioned by other organisations or held by self-funded artists. The Centre also began facilitate more external exhibitions by acting as an agency for art organisations looking to work with east Asian artists.

The Centre also held a series of events to mark the 10th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong as well as its own 21st anniversary in 2007

Exhibitions

• Collective Identity, (2007 Jan 12 - Apr 01)
• Chain, (2007 Apr 13 - Jun 17)
• The Pivotal Decade: Hong Kong Art, 1997-2007, (2007 Jun 30 - Sep 23)
• Boutique [21st anniversary exhibition], (2007 Oct 05 - Dec 21)
• Death by a Thousand Cuts, by Gordon Cheung, (2008 Jan 18 - Mar 23)
• Contemporaneous, by Chen Shaoxiong and Qiu Anxiong, (2008 Apr 05 - Jun 15)
• What Are You Looking At?, by Tsang Kin-Wah, (2008 Jun 27 - Sep 28)
• Interval II by Suki Chan, (2008 Oct 10 - Dec 22)
• Seeing Beyond, by Eric Fong, (2009 Jan 23 - Apr 05)
• Memento, by Ed Pien, (2009 Apr 24 - Jul 04)
• Birdhead, by Ji Weiyu and Song Tao, (2009 Jul - Sep 26)
• One Degree of Separation, (2009 Oct 9 - 2010 Jan 09)
• Negotiable Values, (2010 Jan 22 - Apr 03)
• Lan Wei, by Stanley Wong, (2010 Apr 16 - Jun 12)
• Liberation, (2010 Jun 25 - 2010 Aug 14)
• Infinite Strokes: Chinese Ink and Painting, by Mary Tang and Cathy Wu, (2010 Aug 20 - Sep 18)
• Empire's Borders II – Western Enterprises Inc, by Chen Chieh-jen, (2010 Oct 02 - Nov 20)
• Contemporary Art Auction, (2010 Nov 25 - Dec 02) Auction held on Dec 02

Artist Residencies

• Ma Yong Feng Production Residency [Artsway] (2007 Feb- May 21)
• Jason Ho Whisper residency (2007 May 25 - Jun 06)
• Karen Tang Breathe residency (2007 Jun 08 - Sep 08)
• Yan Preston Whisper residency (2007 Sep 10 - Sep 23)
• Alma Tischler-Wood Breathe residency [Space for 10](2007 Sep 24 - 2007 Dec 23)
• Ping Qiu Breathe residency [Birthrites], (2008 Jan 10 - Feb 28)
• Mao Yan Yang Breathe residency [501 Artspace/ ATM08], (2008 Apr 12 - Apr 30)
• Kong Kee Breathe residency [Tatton Park Biennial], (2008 May 01 - Jun 29)
• Ed Pien Breathe residency, (2008 Jul 01 - Sep 01)
• Kai-Oi Jay Yung Whisper residency (2008 Sep 03 - Sep 17)
• Wen Wu Whisper residency (2008 Sep 15 - Sep 30)
• Philippa Hadley Choy Breathe residency, (2008 Oct 03 - Dec 22)
• Pei Yuan Jiang, Whisper residency (2009 Jan 12 - Jan 26)
• Christine Wong Yap, Breathe residency, (2009 Jan 29 - Apr 30)
• Li E Chen, Whisper residency (2009 May 04 - May 18)
• Jessica Tsang, Breathe residency, (2009 May 21 - Aug 21)
• Ying Mei Duan Breathe residency, (2009 Aug 25 - Nov 25)
• Daniel Staincliffe and Sarah Sanders, Whisper residency (2009 Dec 01 - Dec 23)
• Jamie Lau, Whisper residency (2010 Jan 09 - Jan 22)
• Wang Jun, Breathe residency (2010 Jan 20 - 2010 Apr 23)
• Cindie Gottlieb-Cheung, Whisper residency (2010 Apr 26 - May 09)
• Eastman Cheng, Breathe residency (2010 May 12 - Aug 21)
• Fiona Long, Whisper residency (2010 Sep 11 - Sep 25)
• Wu Chi-Tsung, Breathe residency (2010 Oct 04 - Nov 29)
• Philip Davenport & Nicola Smith, Whisper residency (2010 Nov 30 - Dec 14)

First Step

• First Step by Jessica Tsang, (2007 Feb 16 - May 14)
• First Step by Louise Hagger, (2007 May 15 - Sep 30)
• First Step by Brendan Fan, (2007 Oct 01 - 2008 Jan 13)
• First Step by Wuon Gean-Ho, (2008 Jan 18 - Apr 15)
• First Step by Mediha Ting, (2008 Jul 15 - Oct 15)
• First Step by Sin Yi Law, (2008 Oct 20 -2009 Jan 14)
• First Step by Wen Wu, (2009 Jan 15 - May 05)
• First Step by Andrew Lim, (2009 May 06 - Sep 09),
• First Step by Lu Di, (2009 Sep 18 - Dec 23)
• First Step: Circus by Sarah Tse, (2010 Jan 09 - May 09)
• First Step: Note to Self by Tasha Whittle, (2010 May 15 - Sep 19)
• First Step by Sonia Kan, (2010 Sep 23 - Dec 23)

Other Programme Events

• Arrivals and Departures, Urbis, Manchester, (2007 Jan 18 -2007 Mar 11)
• Film festival Made in Hong Kong: A Decade of New Cinema, Cornerhouse, Manchester, (2007 Jun 04 0 Jul 30)
• Symposium Made in Hong Kong, Cornerhouse, Manchester, (2007 Jul 07)
• The Cretaceous Period, Ma Yongfeng, Artsway, Sway, (2007 Jul 28 - Sep 16)
• Vital 07- The Essence of Performance live art festival (2007 Nov 20 - Nov 21)
• Vital Bodies International conference, Liverpool John Moores University, (2007 Nov 22 - Nov 23)
• China at Harewood, Harewood House, Leeds (2008 May 17 - 2008 Aug 03)
• Dragon, Bede and Beijing festival, 2008 May 25- Jul 31)
• Soundwalk (Un)familiar Territories by Yan Jun and Hitlike, (2008 May 24 - Jun 22)
• EAST showcase Soho Theatre, London, (2008 Jun 11)
• Film screening My China Now, (2008 Jun 11 - Jul),
• Book launch 21: Discussions with artists of Chinese descent in the UK, (2008 Oct 09)
• Strange World, Blackburn Art Gallery, (2009 Sep 04 - Nov 21)
• Symposium China: Birth and Belonging, Wellcome Collection, London (2010 Feb 26 - Feb 27)

During the period the Centre began to fully concentrate upon promoting Chinese contemporary art. In 2012 the former teashop was transformed into a new gallery space named 'Project Space'.

Exhibitions

• Main Gallery

  • Human Error, by Household & Dario Utreras, (2011 Feb 19 - Apr 30)
  • Intrinsic, by Angie Atmadjaja, (2011 May 12 - 2011 Jun 11)
  • everythingeverywhere, Stockport College degree show, (2011 Jun 16 - 2011 Jun 19)
  • Structure, by Angie Atmadjaja, (2011 Jul 01 -2011 Jul 23)
  • Everything Must Go, by Foreign Investment, (2011 Aug 05 - Sep 17)
  • Institution for the Future, [Asia Triennial Manchester, 2011](2011 Sep 30 - Nov 26)
  • Newtopia, Caldershaw Primary School [START education], (2011 Dec 13 - Dec 23)
  • Chen Man, solo show,(2012 Feb 09 - Apr 07)
  • Super-human, Piperhill School, [START education], (2012 Mar 28 - Mar 31)
  • 60 Minute Cinema, (2012 Apr 27 - Jun 09)
  • Forever Changing Times, Alder High School, [START education], (2012 Jun 12 - Jun 16)
  • degree show, by Stockport College, (2012 Jun 18 - Jun 25)
  • Dao Gives Birth to One, by Hung Keung, (2012 Jul 06 -2012 Sep 01)
  • Han Feng, solo show, (2012 Sep 14 - Oct 13)
  • Yan Xing, solo show, (2012 Nov 01 - Dec 08)
  • Hidden Traces, Cheetwood Primary School, [START education], (2012 Dec 17 - Dec 22)
  • Ma Qiusha solo show, (2013 Jan 18 - Mar 02)
  • Journey to the Centre of Colour, Saint Paul's CE Primary School, [START education], (2013 Mar 12 - Mar 16)
  • Nina Yuen, solo show,(2013 Mar 22 - May 11)
  • Cast fromn the Past, Alder High School, [START education], (2013 May 25 - Jun 08)
  • Quartet/Living Room, by Lee Mingwei, (2013 Jan 28 - Aug 17)
  • Zhang Bin, solo show, (2013 Aug 06 - Aug 17)

• Project Space

  • Irrational Exuberance (Asst. Colors), by Christine Wong Yap, [first 'Project Space/Gallery 2 show] (2012 Oct 26 - 2013 Feb 16)
  • Re-Conventional(2013 Mar 22 - Apr 20)
  • Tumbler, curated by John Millichap,(2013 May 09 - Jun 01)
  • The Pound Shop, (2013 Jun 8 - Jun 22)
  • Sum of All Parts, Stockport College Degree show, (2013 Jun 13 - Jun 16)

• Residency Studio

  • Museum of Curious Creatures, Piperhill School, [START education], (2012 Dec 12 - Dec 22)

Artist Residencies

• Chien-Ni Hung, Whisper residency, (2011 Jan 31 - Feb 26)
• Yu-Chen Wang, Breathe residency, (2011 Feb 21 - May 14)
• Liu Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu , Breathe residency, (2011 May 18 - Jun 15)
• Daksha Patel, Whisper residency, (2011 Jun 20 - Jul 03)
• Utopia Group, Breathe residency [ATM11], (2011 Sep 12 - Oct 07)
• Jen Wu, Breathe residency, (2011 Nov 07 - 2012 Feb 12)
• Ting-Tong Chang, Whisper residency, (2012 Apr 04 - Apr 17)
• Life Friendly Project, residency, (2012 Apr 24 - May 05 )
• Luke Ching, Breathe residency, (2012 Jul 16 - 2012 Sep 16)
• Han Feng, Breathe residency, (2012 Sep 20 - Oct 31)
• Li Cao, The People's Residency (Breathe), (2012 Nov 2 - Dec 04)
• Antonia Low, Breathe residency, (2013 Jan 14 - Apr 20)
• Rosanne Robertson, Whisper residency, (2013 Apr 29 - May 12)
• Chou Yu-Cheng, Breathe residency, (2013 May 13 - Jul 21)
• Nicola Colclough, Whisper residency, (2013 Aug 12 - 2013 Aug 31)

First Step

• First Step by Jessica Wan, (2011 Jan 14 - May 14)
• First Step by Xinyi Liu, (2011 May - Sep 17)
• First Step by Neesa & Friends [ATM11 trailblazer], (2011 Oct 01 - Nov 19)
• First Step by Jessica Longmore, (2011 Nov 25 - Dec 23)
• First Step by Jeremy Hutchison, (2012 Jan 14 - May 12)
• First Step by Samantha Y Huang, (2012 Sep 21 - Dec 23)
• First Step by Meiling Tse, (2013 Jan 12 - Mar 11)
• Kaleidoscope by Jennifer Yang, (2013 May 18 - Sep 14)
• First Step by Wendie Xie, (2013 Sep 21 - 2013 Dec 23)

Other Programme Events

• 90 Degrees East, by Stephen Nuttal, (2011 Jan 11 - 2011 Feb 05)
• START education project, (2011 - 2014)
• Chinese Wishing Tree, by Olivia Glasser and Ludi, (2012 Jan 10 - Jan 28)
• Life Friendly Programme , (2011-2012)
• Performance Song for my Grandmother, by Seaming To and Judy Kendall, (2012 Feb 01)
• All Are Guests, curated by by the Hong Kong Museum of Art and the Hong Kong Development Council, Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, (2012 Sep 15 - Nov 25)
• Book Launch The Song of the Machines by Yu-chen Wang, (2012 Oct 25)
• Symposium Chinese Film Forum UK (2013 Jan 09- Jan 30)
• Year of the Snake by Nicola Dale, (2013 Feb 25 - Mar 09)
• Don't Feed the Artist, Tuheen Huda, Nicola Smith, & Mike Chavez Dawson, (2013 Apr 26 - 2013 Aug 23)
• Symposium From Print to Publishing (2013 May 09)
• Little May Day by Ahmed and Carpenter, (2013 May 18)
• Symposium Social Intervention and Critical Geographies(2013 Jul 01)

Projects

In October 2013 the Centre was renamed the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art (CFCCA) and developed a commissioning partnership with the University of Salford. In 2014, the First Step commissioning scheme came to an end as the Project space (renamed Gallery 2) became the location for presenting work by emerging artists.

Exhibitions

• Main Gallery

  • Haze and Fog, Cao Fei with Eastside Projects, (2013 Oct 26 - 2013 Dec 07)
  • City of Lights, Cheetwood Primary School [START Education], (2013 Oct 26 - 2013 Dec 07)
  • Tipping Point, (2014 Jan 17 - 2014 May 16)
  • Shadow Warriors, St. Paul's CE Primary School, (2014 Mar 22 - 2014 Mar 30)
  • The Voice Currency / Making Community, (2014 Apr 11 - 2014 Jun 01)
  • The Market, Alder High School, [START education](2014 Jun 07- 2014 Jun 15)
  • Urban Farmers, by Nie Zhengjie, (2014 Jul 03 - 2014 Aug 31)
  • Harmonious Society, various venues [ATM14], (2014 Sep 26 - 2014 Nov 23)
  • Stately Shadows, by Sun Xun, (2014 Dec 18 - 2015 Mar 22)
  • Social Behaviours, by Li Binyuan, (2015 Apr 09 - 2015 May 31)
  • Micro Micro Revolution, (2015 Jul 02 -2015 Sep 06)
  • Both sides now: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times?, (2015 Sep 25 - 2015 Dec 6)
  • Fifteen, Soup Collective (2015 Dec 18 -2015 Dec 20)

• Gallery 2

  • Augment: 10 Years Celebration, (2013 Oct 26 - 2013 Nov 24)
  • All That Glitters..., by Chen Hangfeng, (2013 Nov 29 -2013 Dec 23)
  • The Mane Attraction by Lydia Meiying, (2014 Jan 14 - 2014 Feb 10)
  • Unknown Monsters by Dan Staincliffe & Rob Dunne, (2014 Feb 21 - 2014 Mar 30)
  • The takeaway by Stanley Chow, (2014 Apr 11 - 2014 Jun 22)
  • Normal Pool Level by Jorge Manes Rubio, (2014 Jul 03 - 2014 Sep 07)
  • A Tiger's Skin by Chris Paul Daniels, (2014 Dec 17 - 2015 Mar 22)
  • Simulacra by Clemens Wilhelm, (2015 Apr 15 - 2015 Jun 21)
  • Health Records by Claire Tindall and Nicky Colclough, (2015 Dec 11 - 2016 Jan 24)

• Residency Studio

  • Lights Camera Action, Piperhill School, [START education], (2014 May 17 - 2014 May 24)
  • Clockwork Dreams, Ting-Tong Chang, (2015 Jul 17 - 2015 Aug 02)

Artist Residencies

• Will Kwan, (2013 Sep 03 - 2013 Nov 23)
• Anthony Clarkson, (2014 Jan 06 -2014 Jan 19)
• Kao Jun Honn, (2014 Feb 21 - 2014 Mar 14)
• The Temporary, (2014 Apr 17 - 2014 May 11)
• Nie Zhengjie, John Moores' Painting Prize China residency, (2014 Jun 01 -2014 Jul 31)
• Bi Rongrong, (2014 Aug 02 - 2014 Nov 02)
• Matthew Tom, (2014 Nov 04- 2017 Dec 07)
• Matthew Tom, (2014 Nov 04- 2017 Dec 07)
• Wu Ding, (2015 Apr 08 - 2015 Jun 08)
• Enoch Cheng, (2015 Sep 14- 2015 Sep 27)
• Wong Ping, (2015 Sep 28 - 2015 Dec 05)

First Step

• Karaoke, Darius Chang Jui-yu, (2014 Jan 11 - 2014 May 04)
• Spectras 0.001, Chris Shen, (2014 May 10 - 2014 Sep 14)
• What’s Left is Unsaid, Susie Tsang, 2014 Sep 26 - 2015 Jan 18

Other Programme Events

• The Floating Cinema, Open Air Weekender Central, London, (2014 Jul 11 -2014 July 13)
• Performance Call and Response: Chinese Whispers, (2015 Feb 11)
• Symposium Transcultural Landscapes of Art and Ecology, (2015 Jul 03)

Projects

In 2016 the Centre celebrated its 30th anniversary. For the first 6 months of the year, a timeline of the Centre's programme history was presented alongside new works by notable artists who had previously worked at the Centre.

In July-December the Centre also held a season of exhibitions to mark Manchester's status as the European City of Science for 2016.

Exhibitions

• Main Gallery

  • Book from the Ground, Xu Bing, (2016 Feb 5 - 2016 Feb 28)
  • Little Town, Cao Fei, (2016 Mar 4 -2016 Mar 27)
  • First Trumpet in the New Millennium, Tsang Kin-Wah, (2016 Apr 01 - 2016 Apr 24)
  • Between Going and Staying, Lee Mingwei, (2016 May 06 - 2016 May 29)
  • RoCH Fans & Legends, susan pui san lok, (2016 Jun 03 -2016 Jul 03)
  • Zheng Haozhong : John Moores' Painting Prize China, by Zheng Haozhong, (2016 Jul 07 - 2016 Aug 07)
  • Remnants of an electronic past, aajiao, (2016 Aug 19 - 2016 Oct 09)
  • Extrastellar Evaluations II: A dialogue concerning two chief world systems, Chen Yin-ju, (2016 Oct 21 - 2017 Jan 15)

• Gallery 2

  • Rare Kind, (2016 Feb 05 - 2016 Apr 03)
  • Gordon Cheung, by Gordon Cheung (2016 Apr 08 - 2016 Jun 19)
  • Yu-Chen Wang, by Yu-Chen Wang (2016 Jun 24 - 2016 Jul 31)
  • James Stanley, Earl of Derby, by Lu Pingyuan, [Liverpool Biennial] (2016 Aug 06 - 2016 Oct 16)
  • How I learned to stop worrying (1945-2016), by Kirsty Harris, (2016 Oct 21 - 2017 Jan 22)

• Other

  • InStanGram, Stanley Chow, (2016 Feb 03 - 2016 Jul 31)

Artist Residencies

• Kuo I-Chen, Taipei Artist Village Exchange Residency, (2016 15 Aug - 2016 Nov 14)
• Chloe Ting, Art for the Environment International Artist Residency (2016 Nov 20 - 2016 Dec 04)

Other Programme Events

• Talk: A Window on...China and the Cultural Revolution, Chris Payne, (2016 Feb 24)
• Talk: A Window on...contemporary art in mainland China, Dr Katie Hill, (2016 Mar 30)
• Talk: A Window on...contemporary art in Hong Kong, Rachel Marsden, (2016 Apr 27)
• Talk: A Window on...contemporary art in Taiwan, Yu Wei, (2016 May 25)
• Film Screening: Call & Response: susan pui san lok, HOME,(2016 Jun 16)
• Performance: Yu-Chen Wang, (2016 Jun 23)
• Talk: A Window on...contemporary art and the Chinese diaspora, Pamela Kember, (2016 Jun 29)
• Talk: Contemporary Painting in China,Walker Art Gallery, (10 July 2016)
• Talk: A New Chineseness,,Bluecoat, (30 July 2016)
• Performance: Retired Cybernetic Organism #2, Dani Ploeger, 2016 Sep 24
• Talk: A Window on...new media in Chinese contemporary art, Mike Stubbs, (2016 Sep 28)
• Performance: MovISee, Yen-Ting Cho, 2016 Oct 22
• Talk: A Window on...Virtual reality in Chinese Contemporary art, Rachel Marsden, (2016 Oct 26)
• Performance: Origin, Shen Xin, 2016 Nov 17
• Talk: A Window on...China, art and environment, David Buckland, (2016 Nov 30)