27 September 2006

Strengthening links between Dundee and China

Links between Duncan of Jordanstone College in Dundee and institutions in China have been strengthened at the Shanghai Biennale, China’s largest and most influential contemporary art event.

Duncan of Jordanstone College, part of the University of Dundee, was the only UK institution represented at the Students’ Exhibition of the Biennale, alongside other art & design colleges from Australia, China, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the USA.

Twelve students from the College exhibited at the Biennale and Marlene Ivey, course director for the Master of Design programme at Duncan of Jordanstone, delivered a keynote speech.

"We enjoy strong links with Tongji University in Shanghai, who help organise the Students’ Exhibition at the Biennale, and they were kind enough to invite us to take part in the Biennale," said Ms Ivey, who has just returned from Shanghai.

"We currently take Masters students from Tongji at Duncan of Jordanstone, and the Biennale is an excellent example of the further benefits that come from the links between Dundee and Shanghai."

"The Biennale is a major international event, and for our students to have the chance to exhibit there is a fantastic opportunity for them. It is also a chance for the University of Dundee to explore new opportunities for teaching and research."

Ms Ivey and other research staff from Duncan of Jordanstone College are set to return to China in November for another high-profile event, Business of Design Week.

The Shanghai Biennale has been staged since 1996, and has become an important gathering for the advocates and enthusiasts of contemporary art in China.

The Students’ Exhibition is a satellite show for the Shanghai Biennale 2006. The theme for this year’s event is `Hyper Design’, which encourages the rethinking of relationships between art and design, creation and industry, life and production, in order to resume and rejuvenate the connection between art and daily life.

The Hyper Design theme was further explored during the first week of the exhibition in a conference titled New Visions of Design Education, at which Ms Ivey gave her keynote address.

The exhibition runs from Sep.5th, 2006~Nov.5th, 2006 at the Shanghai Sculpture Space, 570 Huaihai Xi Road, Shanghai.

The catalogue for the exhibition Hyper Design 2006 (ISBN 7560823351) is available from the Duncan of Jordanstone library.

Contact: Marlene Ivey, Course Director, Master of Design
m.ivey@dundee.ac.uk
01382 385290

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