saansausau documenta — Airing Paper (offline): Rise of Self-publishing Waves

Exhibition Opening & Special Screening from the “New Being or Real Being” Section

The 9th and 10th issues of 44 Monthly reconstruct the local/global historical narratives of radical theories and actions. Activism and advocacy in the early 20th century facilitated exchanges among different geographical regions and ethnic-lingustic groups and simultaneously fostered the growth of local anarchism in China. These historical traces include the publication of Les Temps Nouveaux (published in Paris, and renamed as Nouveau Siècle) and Journal of Natural Justice (published in Tokyo), a myriad of cultural translation and intellectual debates, and the very first tofu factory in France founded by Chinese anarchists. In 1912, Shifu Liu and his comrades established the first Chinese anarchist organization Cock-Crow Society in Guangzhou and published Cock-Crow Journal (Huiminglu in Chinese). Fast forward to the present, their descendant 44 Monthly remains active in the political and social experiments in the Guangzhou scene. The momentum of the early 20th century outlives its era and gains its afterlife today.

Our display section, “New Being or Real Being”, pursues the thread of 44 Monthly production and interrelated practices, self-publications, and moving images from different collectives, Gongyi, Wanqing, Prickly Paper, Instance, qua, Energy Waving Collective, Abracadabra!, among others. This section demonstrates the vibrance of alternative culture and communal infrastructure in the Guangzhou region from 2016 onwards.

About the films

Three Giant Salamanders in the Basement (with audio description*)
50‘15’‘，2022

Three Giant Salamanders in the Basement fictionally captures the process and discussion of the writers of the ninth issue of 44 Monthly as they expanded their writing into Ampere Foreign Firm, a historic building in Shanghai. The writers gradually became involved during writing and shooting, and transformed into anarchists in exile who hid in Ampere Foreign Firm in the name of art in 1938, and also transformed into “new being” or “real being” who will be reincarnated three thousand years later with an uncertain gender.

Energy Waving Collective, 2020-2022
14‘28’‘，2022

During the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the disappearance of public space had disrupted personal and communal connections. In response to a compelling need for low-cost health and mental care, a few of our good friends initated gatherings regularly at their homes to practice internal Chinese martial arts (Neijia Quan in Chinese pronunciation) — relaxation, standing exercise, and pushing hands and exchange topics of concern. Subsequently, in order to meet more new friends, their gathering transitioned to street corners, for example, alternative spaces, open spaces in parks, and so forth. To adhere to the principle of equality and counter hierarchical mastery from a master (shifu) to the disciples in traditional martial arts education, Energy Waving Collective seeks to make martial arts more accessible to peoples of different contexts and worldviews. To bring to the fore the mutual awareness of physical and mental state, attentive listening, and stress-free responses, their gatherings cultivate collective bodily perception and tacit understanding through constant bodily interactions.

Initiated by Chunwah Fung, Wanqing, and Feihung Ou, Energy Waving Collective is active in Guangzhou and has been spontaneously spread to different parts of the world by participants. In Taoist thinking, “softness” and “weakness” are regarded as the gateways to the generation, flow, and transmission of energy. Overcoming the fear of being soft and weak is of paramount importance. In 2023, Energy Waving Collective initiated a project “Together with Softness and Weakness” (Tongrou Gongruo in Chinese pronunciation) to manifest and explore the notions of softness and weakness in various forms beyond the realm of martial arts, including collaborative creative work, screenings, performance, and workshops. In opposition to the capacity-oriented ideology, such an initiative enriches our apprehension of daily life and help us explore various forms of mutual aid and reactions.

Lively and joyful!
Embrace gender-inclusive environment and active listening!
Interact playfully to stimulate body and mind!

A Walk Invitation to the Police
9’，2022

While pushing hands(Tai Chi) in the park, the police suddenly came to check our IDs without any reasons. I offered a quid pro quo when I was besieged by the assistant police: a walk together.