Text by Xiao Xiong, the then artistic director of Long March Space since the installment of the Project.

Project Rationale:

Since the beginning in 2002, the Long March Project has been a complex, multi-platform, independent, international arts organization and ongoing art project for 7 years, that can be simultaneously considered a curatorial lab; a publishing house; an artistic collection; a gallery space; a consultancy; a commissioning and production atelier; artistic facilitator; and author. From a critical distance, all of these avenues of production aim to provocatively construct, and in turn renew, presumed action and thinking concerning ‘contemporary art’. On the grant narrative of international geographical and cultural background, we searching for the roots and investigate the forming of certain discourse. Through the questioning, the following issues been investigated: the self and others, see and seen, writing and written by, self-formed and created by others. By the on-site practice and the reconstruction, Through the practice in contemporary art in China, bridge up the utilitarian and cultural idealism which has formed in the development of history. In the past 30 years, the changes in Chinese contemporary art and changes in society and political, as well as the changes in ideology are waved together with rich meaning and formed symbolize significance. The international relationship of China have been mirrored with the mixed self-confidence and inferiority in the history, which become rich material for nowdays thoughts production. The spectacle of Chinese contemporary art auction which was built on the mirage of self-contemptuous and the dreams of glorious. When these mirages are challenged in the economical game logical and the lack of freedom in the art value system is revealed, should we look back? Should we slow down to face and consider and discuss it? What is the international contemporary art heading? Has the Chinese contemporary art been developed? Who wins the game between art and ideology? Long Marchers need to continue its propaganda journey, by it’s formed methodology of collective creation, within the openness of criticism and self-criticism, to unite with the art practitioners and thinkers all around the word, to target the current problems and searching for the continuity of discourse on contemporary art in this new era for the future. Long March will build up a open space which is educational, to borrow the freedom, boardless, unlimited, uncharacterized, non-subject and not-for-final-and-correct-answers character from folk education. To question and exchange questions within participants, practicable as a priority, to based on the success or failed case studies of Long March Projects, to collect and sort out a set of effective methodology on contemporary art practice, through the building of the methodology, doesn’t mean it will valid universally, doesn’t mean it is a standard textbook, it will not to a power instrument at all, instead, it will be a kind of resource re-integrating, a way to contribute in writing, and to make use of which is leaned on the site, the ability of problem solving. Education is a way to share resource, opportunities and the power of interpreting/discourse, rethink and examine history writing on geographic, cultural, political, and will clarifying the writing relevance and beneficial power distribution. The educational space will be workshop venue, debating venue, operating room and experimenting space, it could be social projects to work on planning and curating of site visiting. You bring questions and exchange more questions back. To bring knowledge and got the all-round knowledge and methodology back.

Metrology:

Questioning: Self-questioning and questions from others
Answering: Self-answering, answers from others and answer, questions from others  
Practice: Reading Experience, individual practice, collective experience, others experience
Exchange: psychology space, visual space (perspective), Self-awareness (attitude), space of others

Courses:
Contemporary philosophy
Visual economy
Individual case study
Successful and failed project case study
Study and criticism on the contemporary Chinese art practices
Exhibition making and institutional procedures
Art management
Foundations and organization studies

Core skills:
Problem solving ability
Material gathering
Working on-site
Sociability

Teaching resources:
Artist from national and international
Curators from national and international
Critics from national and international
Socialists from national and international
Educators from national and international
Museumlogist, collectors, foundations from national and international
Art teachers and students from national and international
Long March Education team members

Study length:
One year

Who can apply:
Artists, curators and anyone who enthusiastic about contemporary are (no nationality and age limitation)

Financial resource:
Long March Project, and external foundations

Tuition fee:
Free
Students to be applying from other resources to cover their travel and living cost for the duration of stay in Beijing

Location:
Long March Space––E Project Space