The press and the public are invited to attend an introduction and review of the Computer Art Residency for the artist Jiawei Gong. This press conference will take place at Immigrant Social Service at 137 Henry St where the Residency will take place. Sponsored by Asian American Arts Centre with support from a collaboration with Immigrant Social Service, the artist Jiawei Gong will be in residence for this week from July 27 to July 31, 2009 Monday to Friday daily from 3pm to 6pm. He will install some of his new art work as it is developing and work on his computer in the basement community space of Immigrant Social Services where local teenagers gather daily. During the Residency he will interact with these teenager on a casual, informal basis, spending time with them, answering their questions and curiosity, and in this way introduce young people to creativity & how technology can be used to further creative goals.

This is a pilot program of AAAC with funding from the Asian American Arts Alliance, investigating innovative ways for the arts to be effective in a community setting. Local community centers and facilities as sites for contemporary artists work enables AAAC to reach non-traditional audiences and encourage new and interesting perceptions by participates and viewers. Visitors are welcome to see Jiawei Gong’s installation, see the process of bringing work from the digital realm to realization, and witness the learning environment that will be created -- visitors will be permitted in from 4pm to 530pm daily.

By presenting the work of an artist outside of a traditional gallery context, AAAC seeks audiences typically overlooked by the contemporary art market: Immigrants, Non-English speakers, youth, low income individuals, especially youth thinking about college. Despite the spread of galleries & art establishments in the neighborhood, few opportunities are available in Chinatown for viewing art where residents feel comfortable, and can view a creative process that is addressed to them. By showcasing art-making as a viable and socially valuable profession, the arts and creativity can be realized as a necessary component in Chinatown to develop a community radiant with cultural vitality.

Jiawei Gong "Liquid Emotions"

The artist Jiawei Gong was born in China and received a BFA degree (painting & drawing) from China National Academy of Fine Arts in 1992 and an MFA degree (Digital Media) from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2007. Formerly he has worked as a graphic designer, a newspaper art editor, and a college professor for over ten years. Currently, he teaches in the Fine Arts department at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania.

He has said, “In my artwork I am exploring the fundamental human experience and contemporary social commentary. I primarily choose digital media, such as digital video, sound and interactive web art, to practice my artistic ideas. I find that the temporality of moving images and sound is comparable to that of living beings. It makes me aware, not only of the transience of art, but also of our own transitory existence.”

“I draw my inspiration from my daily life and cultural background. Traditional Chinese philosophy and literature serve as a dominate and informative resource for my artwork. At the same time, I find many similar values and insights which are shared by different people around the world. My series of video and sound installations address some of the fundamental concerns of human beings, such as the perception of reality and illusion, time and space, physical existence and spiritual potentials. These installations are personal reflections concerning universally charged ideas of existence. My artwork provides viewers a few meditative moments apart from the ordinary world.”

“Contemporary technology plays an important role in my work. However, I am not interested in making art about new media. In my digital video and sound projects, I obscure the hardware responsible for the visual-audio experience. I believe all artworks are about creating new experiences shared both by artist and viewer”

More about Jiawei Gong can be found at www.jiaweigong.com More can be found about AAAC & its programs at www.artspiral.org More can be found about Immigrant Social Services, Inc. and its programs at www.issnyonline.org

Asian American Arts Centre, Inc. is supported, in part with public funds from The New York State Council on the Arts, and The National Endowment for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. This Residency program is supported by the Asian American Arts Alliance. Additional funding and support comes from Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, 9.11 Fund, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Manhattan

Mini Storage/Edison Properties Inc, Materials for the Arts, Pearl River Mart, United Orient Bank, New York Cosmopolitan Lions Club, Con Edison, Dedalus Foundation, Expedi Printing, Inc., Charles Yuen, Jody and John Arnhold, Danny C.K. Li, Jeanne Lee Jackson, Linda Peng, Wing Lee Yee, Mikyung Kim, Richard Kenny Esq, John Yu, and the many generous friends of the Asian American Arts Centre.

The Asian American Arts Centre is located in Lower Manhattan at 26 Bowery (just below Canal Street, 3rd floor above McDonalds. Press bell #3.). It is a short walk from the N, Q, J, M, Z, and 6 trains at Canal Street or the B and D at Grand Street or the M103, M15, or M9 buses to Chatham Square.