island6 art collective (Liu Dao 六岛)

ABOUT

Liu Dao 六岛 (or Liù dǎo, a Pinyin phrase meaning "island number 6") is a Shanghai-based art collective composed of multimedia artists, performers, writers, curators, and tech-geeks driven by innovation and interaction.
The collective produces cutting edge art that constantly contemplates the future of Asia, engages sights and scenes from old and new China and elevates the skills of new talents by working in the inspiration of a communal forum.
Liu Dao's art ranges from the visual, to the interactive, conceptual, humorous, and somber - but it is always striking, always involving fresh takes on modern technology, and always the product of collaboration.
Since Liu Dao's beginning, painters, sculptors, photographers, filmmakers, new media artists, software and digital imaging artists, dancers, writers, and engineers have worked together to produce original, intriguing work.
island6 Arts Center often features guest directors and guest curators for different exhibitions, allowing an international and cross-cultural foundation for original ideas to be born from many sources of input rather than one.
The island6 art collective (Liu Dao 六岛) has appeared in acclaimed art fairs around the world, including Art Paris¹ , the Hong Kong Art Fair², SHContemporary³, Scope New York⁴ and Basel⁵. The collective has been invited to show at Louis Vuitton Cultural Space in Taipei⁶ and Macao⁷, and has been on display in the Opposite House⁸ in Beijing, represented by Red Gate Gallery where the group had its first ever solo exhibition⁹ in August, 2010. Recently, Liu Dao has also travelled to Bangkok¹⁰ and New York¹¹, Singapore¹² and Dubai¹³.

PHILOSOPHY

The spirit and purpose behind all Liu Dao artworks, literary contributions, and exhibitions is collaboration. The group places emphasis on interaction in order to engage artists, curators and technicians in the process of creating and experiencing art focusing on collective rather than individual values, with the direct aim of benefiting a young Chinese contemporary art scene promotionally and creatively.
An appealing comparison is to the film industry: the island6 gallery acts as the producer for the artists (actors), curators (film directors), while utilising the skills of cameramen, set designers, choreographers, scenographers, and writers. The digital artworks produced by island6 also use postproduction editors, such as Affect Effect experts or sound designers. Each artwork and exhibition has a cast with credits for people of different skills.

PRODUCTION PROCESS

The art collective is sponsored by island6 Arts Center, an art gallery and production studio in Shanghai’s Moganshan art district. The Arts Center provides all materials and hires the necessary skilled labor or technicians, including volunteers and interns, to assist art production. At island6, all the work exhibited is made on site and specifically for the theme of the show.
The collective works on a flexible open platform process that ensures all artworks are the result of synergetic thought between multiple collaborators who come from different backgrounds but have a passion for contemporary art or experience in technology-based artwork. Brainstorming takes place in the form of conversation, written statements, spontaneous film shoots, and experimentation with prototypes. After the curators conceptualise a theme, the artists create pieces specific to the theme of the exhibition. Through this close collaborative process there is an ongoing dialogue between curator, art director and artist.

PEOPLE

The island6 team consists of artists, art directors, curators and guest curators as well as a technical team. When the collective is not making art, each individual is helping voluntarily in running the exhibition space.
• Thomas Charvériat is founder of island6 Arts Center and Liu Dao. He is an artist and curator from Paris with fine arts degrees from the School of Visual Arts and Columbia University in New York and Audiovisual Institute (Pompeu Fabra University) in Barcelona.
• Rose Tang 罗丝唐 is a zoologist and an architect, a self-taught photographer and stage designer. Rose is proficient in Photoshop, and works fervently in sculpture, video art, and LED animation.
• Loo Ching Ling 吕晶琳 is a Singaporean writer, researcher and critic in contemporary Asian art. She is a writer, curator, video assistant and part-time choreographer for Liu Dao.
• Jack Mur is an American writer for Liu Dao who conceptualizes themes and artwork series while studying Chinese language and culture in Shanghai.
• Pete Bradt is a freelance conceptual director and writer for Liu Dao. With a degree in Film Studies from the University of Pennsylvania, he formulates exhibition themes as part-time assistant curator.
• Yeung Sin Ching 杨倩菁 is production supervisor and gallery manager for island6. She is also a performance artist for Liu Dao who specializes in traditional Chinese dances. She also operates laser engravers for the collective.
• Katharina Droste is a reseacher for Liu Dao. Having studied in Austria, Katharina assists in artwork creation as well as gallery curation.
• Matt Carols is a conceptual artist who works in painting, ceramics, Graphic Design, digital graphics and photography. His famous anti-French works have been exhibited regularly in New York City.