When I was growing up art was my least favorite subject at school. Subsequently, visiting an art gallery had absolutely no place on my list of exciting things to do in my free time. Things changed when I met my husband and I was helped to see that art can be meaningful and galleries can be fun.

Now that I’m a parent, I want my children to sample the buffet of life and be exposed to a wide range of experiences and activities. In this vein, it’s not uncommon for me to be found wandering around the 798 Art District with my three children in tow, popping into random galleries and waxing lyrically about ornate sculptures and colorful pieces of graffiti.

When I heard about a free exhibition that pays homage to the concept of finding beauty in the unspectacular, my ears perked up.

The exhibition is called SIGNAL and is the work of American artist, Stephen Gleadow. The showcased pieces reflect the fact that Beijing is a city that is in a constant state of flux. Old structures are torn down without regard. The pieces that survive the bulldozer are carted off and disposed of without a second thought. This exhibition is about pausing to look deeply at the ordinary and marginalized; it’s about finding beauty in what is so often overlooked.

By producing an entire exhibition from materials that most people happily toss upon a trash heap, Gleadow creatively challenges the assumption that if something is old, worn, and no longer in vogue it ceases to be of value and is thus suitable only for disposal.

Art is such that it can be interpreted and appreciated on so many levels. I can’t say my three year old fully comprehended the subliminal message behind the exhibition but she certainly was intrigued by what she saw.

She took a particular liking to an enormous work in the main exhibition room. I enjoyed watching her stare somewhat mesmerized at the gigantic blue and red piece of art and point out things that I hadn’t even noticed. Her level of engagement was beautiful to behold and made venturing out in the sub-zero temperature completely worth it.

Telescope
Free. Ends Jan 13, 2019. Opening hours are Thursday-Sunday, 11:00 – 18:00, 10 Caochangdi

Photos: Pamela Djima

The art gallery district is always full of eye candy and thought-provoking installations, but on Saturday afternoon when we took the kids to 798, this particular exhibition called “Elmgreen & Dragset: The Well Fair” at the UCCA got them excited with its bright colours and huge canvases.

My daughter has been showing a lot of artistic skill. At just four and two months old, she draws details into her work that surprise us all. Frills on dresses, eyelashes separate from eyebrows, braided hair on her princess drawings, etc. Then she painstakingly colours them with her tongue out, concentrating while gripping the pencils in her left hand. She is a lefty like her grandfather—my dad. And he is an exceptional visual artist. Genetics never seemed that amazing until I began to witness their power in my own children .

So, when their dad suggested we take the kids to see some galleries, my daughter was excited and she bounced around in the large gallery spaces taking in the colours and forms with a huge grin on her face. The fact that she rather matched the colour scheme with her bright yellow jacket had me smiling too.

Even though the art was interesting to her, the highlight of the excursion were the cupcakes, however. Even when we returned home, the feedback to her grandmother was all about the yummy white icing and the “cute box” that the cupcake had been packaged in. I suppose the craft of cupcake-making and its interesting packaging ought to count as a type of art too. After all, it was purchased in the gallery district!

All life is art, if you use your eyes.

 Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift

Dana is the beijingkids‘ Shunyi Correspondent. Originally from the Philippines, she moved to Beijing via Europe in 2011 with her husband, two sons and Rusty the dog. She enjoys writing, photography, theater, visual arts, and trying new food. In her free time, she can be found exploring the city and driving along the mountain roads of Huairou, Miyun and Pinggu.

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And watch this space as we get ready to upload our next online gallery!