MEDIA RELEASE
30 March 2012

With a number of high achievers already descending upon Perth from X | Media | Lab (XML) in April, the city will extend its welcome to the influential China Film Group and light up the Perth Cultural Centre with the interactive and cultural works of celebrated Chinese artists.

Rabbit God Goes South, the project of celebrated Chinese media artist Been, is inspired by the traditional Chinese three-section flipping pictorial book. This will bring the ‘Rabbit God’, avatar of moon who blesses the children, to Perth. Pedestrians will be able to trigger the flipping of the figure onto the big screen, which can also be downloaded to your smart phone as wallpaper.

Artist, Designer and Associate Professor at the China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Fei Jun’s work for the Perth big screen, 798 Talk Show, is the follow-up episode of All about the VILLAGE, a social game series which aims to establish a regional social media for people to speak, connect, perform and share in public space via an entertaining, casual and humorous approach. This mode of media helps the user release the fear of public speaking and stimulates wise and indirect expression of social or political concern.

The Perth Cultural Centre screen will come to life from 6pm on Thursday 12 April, and an artist Q&A session will be held at 6pm on Friday 13 April.

Writer, Producer and Artistic Director of China Museum of Digital Art, Yang Lei, will be speaking at XML Perth as one of 16 international mentors.  He will also curate a special Chinese digital art program for the Perth big screen during the three-day conference. The program, entitled Jiao Cha Vol. 1, kicks off an ongoing exchange series between XML and China in digital art.

Jiao Cha, Chinese for ‘intersect’, refers to the nature of cultural exchange as well as the interdisciplinary nature of digital art. Jiao Cha Vol.1 explores the public space via embedding avatar based social game triggered by smart phone, a traffic generated avatar puzzle and a Chinese digital animation screening program called Cocoon.

The Cocoon screening commences at 5pm on Sunday April 14, with a Q&A session with Yang Lei at Northbridge Piazza.

To coincide with XML Perth 2012, the city will also welcome the arrival of influential Chinese film industry representatives.

Song Zhenshan is the Deputy GM of China Film Group and Manager of Television Company of China and has extensive experience in China’s film and television industries, having financed and produced a number of films.

Song Qiang is the Head of Film Special Effect Studio of China Research Institute of Film Science and Technology (CRIFST.)  With the organisation becoming one of the most valuable brands in China today, Mr. Song was instrumental in introducing advanced technologies from abroad to the Chinese film industry. Working closely with famous Chinese film directors, Mr. Song is invited regularly to international film festivals and plays a significant role in promoting Chinese film technologies globally.

With the Chinese tourism market in Australia growing rapidly, the arrival of China’s film industry representatives is an auspicious one. Four series of a hit Chinese TV show were filmed in South Australia recently, with an estimated 100 million Chinese viewers tuning in, giving the project an estimated publicity value in excess of $100 million.

XML Director Megan Elliott believes the timing of the XML conference and the Chinese delegates couldn’t be better.

“At XML, we are all about the frontier of industry innovation and helping businesses or individuals reach their potential by merging global expertise, says Ms. Elliott.

“Mr. Song Zhenshan and Mr. Song Qiang’s experience and influence within China’s film industry is impressive.  Their visit to Perth and the implications that it brings, is a huge coup for this city.”

XML Perth’s three-day event titled “What’s Your Story?” New Narratives/New Markets will be held from April 13-15 at the Heath Ledger Theatre. 

X | Media | Lab is proudly supported by the Department of Culture and the Arts, ScreenWest, the City of Perth and Murdoch University.

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For further press information and for interviews, please contact:
Samantha Whiteley
Buzz Corporate Communications
M: 0431 927 812
E: sam@buzzcommunications.com.au