Author Archives: admin
‘WORKERS 工人’ on exhibit in Beijing featured in Accademia Apulia News
Helen Couchman’s work on show in Beijing In December 2007 Helen Couchman, member of Accademia Apulia UK, photographed a large group of Chinese workers engaged in the construction work of the 2008 Olympic park. Couchman chose a specific group of labourers, employed to build the iconic ‘bird’s nest’ stadium and the Olympic swimming pool. The 143 [...]
Posted in exhibition
Tagged Accademia Apulia, China, Italy, migration, UK, WORKERS 工人
The WORKERS 工人 series on exhibit in Beijing, 8th April – 8th May
Four years ago the book, WORKERS 工人 was very difficult to print and now, finally, thirty portraits are being shown in Beijing in a group show curated by curatorial duo Wong Jun and He Bing. About the project ‘WORKERS 工人’ – www.helencouchman.com/workers/workers.asp About the publication ‘WORKERS 工人’ – www.soloshowpublishing.com/workers.html ——————— You are cordially invited to the opening ceremony [...]
Posted in exhibition, private view
Tagged 798 Art District, Beijing, China, Gabriela Salgado, WORKERS 工人
WORKERS 工人 on exhibit in Beijing
8th April – 8th May 2012, 798 Art District, Beijing, China. Invite WORKERS 工人
Posted in exhibition
Tagged 798 Art District, Beijing, WORKERS 工人
China Daily feature – ‘Globetrotting British artist blooms in Beijing’
Feature in the China Daily newspaper, ‘Sunday Expat’, 25th March 2012. ‘Globetrotting British artist blooms in Beijing’ Taken from the ‘Capital Creations’ feature published in the China Daily European newspaper, 16th – 22nd March 2012
Posted in interview, newspaper
Tagged China Daily
Images of the talk – ‘The limits of Seeing.’ Cambridge Science Week
‘The limits of Seeing – Art, Space and Perception’ at Cambridge Science Festival 2012
Featured – China Daily European Weekly, People – Helen Couchman ‘Capital Creations.’
Feature in China Daily European Weekly, 16th – 22nd March. To download readable pdf version link here Capital Creations By Zhang Xi (China Daily) Last year, Helen Couchman armed herself with three mirrors and a camera and headed straight into the streets. The mirrors were placed in various positions to “fuse the different elements” of the scenes she took, [...]
Posted in newspaper
Tagged 'In Beijing', China, China Daily, China Daily European Weekly
Talk – ‘The limits of Seeing – Art, Space and Perception.’ Cambridge Science Festival 2012
EXPERIENCE THE LIMITS OF SEEING an art and science panel, part of Cambridge Science Festival. Continuing Visualise’s exploration of the boundaries of inner and outer space we invite all to the second ART AND SCIENCE CIRCLE: a starry, thought-provoking, fun, interactive, public discussion on The Limits of Seeing, on THURSDAY 22nd MARCH at 7.30 pm, LAB 028, Anglia Ruskin University. With Professor [...]
Radio interview – ‘Helen Couchman – Making art in China’
Interview for ‘Expat Tales’ broadcast on CRI, China Radio International, Beijing and ‘Heartbeat’ broadcast on Strait to Taiwan. Talking with Julianne Page in Beijing it aired at 4.40pm 1st February. Listen to ‘Expat Tales’, http://english.cri.cn/8706/2012/02/01/1942s678699.htm 01/02/2012 Helen Couchman is an artist who first arrived in China via the trans-Mongolian railway from Moscow in February 2006. Since that time [...]
Posted in interview, radio
Tagged Beijing, China Radio International, CRI, Expat Tales, Heartbeat, radio, Strait to Taiwan, Taiwan
Happy Chinese new year of the water dragon, 2012
Posted in drawing, printmaking
Tagged 2012, Chinese New Year, dragons, printmaking, woodblock
First drawing for ‘Untitled (Collecting and Dropping)’
First drawing for ‘Untitled (Collecting and Dropping)’ 2007
Happy Christmas & Happy New Year 2012
Posted in photography
Tagged Beijing, China, Happy Christmas and Happy New Year 2012, Wholesale Christmas market
Feature – ‘An Artist’s space’ – Agenda magazine, The Art issue
An Artist’s Space Artist Helen Couchman talks about her visual exploration of the capital’s changing landscape Interview by Jennifer Thomé. Years ago, Helen Couchman had a feeling that China was changing fast and she knew that she had to see it before it was too late. And so she did. For [...]
Posted in interview, magazine
Tagged 'Untitled (Collecting and Dropping)', Agenda Magazine, Jennifer Thomé
Beijing Excavations: An Interview with Helen Couchman – Whitehot Magazine
Beijing Excavations: An Interview with Helen Couchman whitehot | August 2011 by Travis Jeppesen The hutongs – or traditional lanes – of the Xicheng area surrounding Houhai Lake in downtown Beijing present a picture of a rapidly disappearing facet of city life. Filled with hidden courtyards and single-story [...]
Posted in book, exhibition, interview, magazine, online
Tagged Travis Jeppesen, Whitehot Magazine
Closing drinks – In Beijing
Recent exhibition In Beijing closed overnight last month due to unforeseen circumstances. Because of its untimely closure a selection from the series is on show at Amilal until the 24th August. By way of thanks for your support and the continuation of the exhibition there will be a Closing drinks at Amilal 48 Shoubi Hutong [...]
Posted in exhibition, private view
Tagged Amilal, Beijing
Q&A about exhibit, In Beijing – CityWeekend
Q&A with CityWeekend www.cityweekend.com.cn/beijing/articles/blogs-beijing/art/helen-couchman Beijing and London-based artist Helen Couchman talks about her latest work, “In Beijing” showing at Amilal until August 24. Can you explain a bit about what fascinates you about land in Beijing, and land in general? I came the Beijing for a couple of reasons. The main one being rapid [...]
Posted in interview, online
Tagged Beijing, CityWeekend
Review article – The Global Times, ‘Mirror Images’
Artist reflects on hutong development by Song Yuanyuan In a small gallery on Guloudong Dajie hang 23 framed photographs. They document the changes in the Gulou (Drum Tower) area as seen by British artist Helen Couchman, 38, who’s lived in a nearby hutong for over four years. But what’s especially striking is her use of [...]
Posted in exhibition, newspaper, review
Tagged 'In Beijing', Aluss Art Photography Space, China, Global Times, Song Yuanyuan
Exhibition: In Beijing
Press release ‘In many parts of China mirrors are placed outside the house to frighten away evil spirits… Mass production of mirrors in the early 20th C. reinforced cosmological conceptions, and mirrors were placed in many different settings to help improve the flow of energy and money, and keep a confined space from becoming dead [...]
Posted in exhibition
Tagged Aluss Art Photography Space
One of five pieces at Affordable Art Beijing
Two etchings (from ‘Cloud series, Yellow lining’), two woodblock prints (from the ‘New work, Dragon panel’ series) and one photograph on aluminum (‘Boy with Firework’). 10am-6pm, 14-15th May. 798 Space www.affordableartchina.com
Posted in exhibition, photography, printmaking
Tagged 798 Art District, Affordable Art Fair Beijing
WORKERS 工人 and Mrs. West’s Hats now available at UCCA
Check VISIT for gallery shop opening times. Check UCCASTORE for online sales. UCCA, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, 798 Art District, No. 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. 北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路4号798艺术区 北京8503信箱 www.ucca.org.cn
Posted in book, online
Tagged 798 Art District, Mrs. West's Hats, UCCA. Ullens Center for Contemporary Art, WORKERS 工人
Mrs. West’s Hats – available at Transition Gallery
Transition Gallery, Unit 25a Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Road, London E8 4QN www.transitiongallery.co.uk
Posted in book
Tagged Transition Gallery
Workshop – Easter weekend photography
Posted in back stage, photography, talk
Tagged Beijing, Beijing Improv Festival, Penghao Theatre, photography, workshop
‘Sheltering from the Storm – Artistic Residencies and Environmental Change’ – Leonardo Journal Transactions
Extract from the essay: Living as an artist in Beijing on an open-ended mostly self-generated residency, UK artist Helen Couchman independently navigated the construction site for the Bird’s Nest Stadium in December 2007 before the 2008 Olympics where she asked construction workers to pose for 143 haunting photographic portraits whose anonymous faces look out of [...]
Posted in interview, magazine, online, photography, printmaking, residencies
Tagged Bronaċ Ferran, Leonardo Journal Transactions, residencies, Royal College of Art
Shot for The New York Times – found on the cutting room floor
Although shot in December 2009 I have not seen these images until this week. Taken by freelance news photographer Shiho Fukada we agreed to do the shoot at Beijing Central station where I very first alighted in China from the Trans-Mongolian train – departing Moscow, stopping in Ulaan Baatar and onto Beijing, February 2006. Images [...]
Posted in newspaper, photography
Tagged The New York Times
