State of the Arts: A Doll's House Gets the Beijing Treatment

原创 Drew Pittock theBeijinger

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State of the Arts is our regular arts column wherein we take a look at the newest moves in Beijing's creative scene and highlight art news as well as exhibitions, artists, and openings that you should seek out.

It’s becoming less and less necessary that we celebrate the reopening of this, that, and the other thing, as such events are becoming so frequent that it truly does feel like we’ve reached some state of normalcy and equilibrium. What is still worth celebrating, however, is the fact that we’re finally getting to enjoy events that aren’t in some way couched in COVID-19. The days of every exhibition being a “response to” or “dialogue about” the pandemic are growing fewer and farther between, and while art is doubtlessly a necessary medium to make sense of what was otherwise a completely senseless first half of 2020, I think we’re all a bit ready to move past it – or at least not be inundated with it.

So, on that note, let’s take a look at some of the decidedly non-COVID-19 related art events around town.

A Doll’s House: National Center for Performing Arts

Originally written in 1879 by Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House tells the story of Nora, a lawyer’s wife who commits fraud to save her husband’s life. Unfortunately, however, when the crime is exposed, Nora’s husband shows little gratitude, and instead castigates her to preserve his own reputation. Largely regarded as a work of feminist theatre and one that doesn’t have a clear cut happy ending, the creative team behind the NCPA’s rendition has eschewed these themes, and instead chosen to focus on “the more contemporary issues of marriage and family conflicts, aiming to arouse more contemporary thinking and empathy,” while still recognizing the “far-reaching impact” the play, as originally written, has had on “the development of Chinese ideology, literature, and drama.” Which is to say… should be interesting? RMB 120-360. Aug 25-30, 7.30-9.30pm. NCPA.

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Salvador Dali: Memories of Surrealism

Okay, I know we weren’t supposed to talk about the pandemic, but if one word captures the last eight months it’s “surreal,” and what better way to step out of that world then by stepping into another, more whimsical if not slightly haunting world of surrealism, as imagined by one of the father’s of the artistic movement, Salvador Dali. Equally known for his iconic melting clocks and thin mustache, Dali is the quintessential artist, a character who transcends the limits of reality, both in life and on his canvases. It’s not every day you get to see the work of such a true genius, and to behold his art is to stand in the presence of greatness. RMB 118. 10am-7pm. 798 Bridge Gallery.

Nan Goldin at Light Society

American photographer, Nan Goldin made her China debut at Shunyi’s Light Society this year. During the 80s and 90s, Goldin unabashedly turned her lens on parts of American society that others wanted to ignore, such as addiction, queer communities and the AIDS epidemic, and a crumbling New York City infrastructure. Now considered an innovator of modern "diary," or documentary photography, the Light Society collection spans the breadth of her career-defining projects, such as The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, The Other Side, and I’ll Be Your Mirror. RMB 60. 11am-4.30pm. Light Society.