HONG KONG & SHANGHAI CONTEMPORARY ART IN CHINA MARCH 28 APRIL 4, 2019 TOUR LEADER: DR MIKALA TAI

HONG KONG & SHANGHAI CONTEMPORARY ART IN CHINA MARCH 28 APRIL 4, 2019 TOUR LEADER: DR MIKALA TAI

HONG KONG & SHANGHAI Tour dates: March 28 April 4, 2019 Tour leader: Dr Mikala Tai Tour Price: $5,180 per person, twin share Single Supplement: $1,240 for sole use of double room Booking deposit: $500 per person Recommended airline: Qantas or Cathay Pacific Maximum places: 20 Itinerary: Hong Kong (3 nights), Shanghai (4 nights) Date published: August 22, 2018 Overview Hong Kong and Shanghai are China s most cosmopolitan cities. Both cities have been shaped by their historic role as the point of contact between Chinese and western cultures, but they have retained distinctive local identities which is reflected in their architecture, cuisines, way of life and in their art. Yet their unique histories make them vastly different, revealing different aspects of China s past and present. Both cities share in common an extraordinary reputation as centres of contemporary art. Hong Kong s profile has grown substantially over the past decade, thanks in part to the transformation of the Hong Kong art fair into Art Basel, and the growing number of art shows taking place around the signature event in March. Shanghai the colonial Paris of the East and the third largest city in the world has extended its role as a creative capital, with former industrial spaces being transformed into galleries, studios and art venues. The growth of world-class private collections has been remarkable too, and ranges from museums of traditional art, such as the Tadao Ando designed Aurora Museum, to China s largest private art collection (whose owner, Liu Yiquan, made headlines when he bought a Modigliani for US$170 million). This new 8-day tour explores the art and history of these two cities, with a special focus on modern and contemporary art. The tour starts with 3 nights in Hong Kong, with VIP access to Art Basel and exploring the city s architecture and history. It continues with 4 nights in Shanghai, home to many of the finest collections in China and its most stunning contemporary architecture. The tour is rounded out with fine dining, an exploration of traditional Chinese art and architecture, and a day trip to Suzhou, a beautifully preserved traditional Chinese watertown famous for its gardens. Your tour leader Enquiries and bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jamal@academytravel.com.au Dr Mikala Tai is the director of 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney. As a curator, researcher, and academic specializing in contemporary Asian art, she has collaborated with local, national, and international organizations to strengthen ties between Australia and Asia. She received critical acclaim for her organization of the performance program at Art Central Hong Kong (2016-2018), and has curated numerous exhibitions. Mikala s doctoral work focused on the influence of the global city on China s local art infrastructure. and contributes regularly to exhibition catalogues and journals, such as Art Monthly Australasia, Broadsheet Journal, Ocula and Photofile. She has taught at Monash University, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), and the University of Melbourne in both undergraduate and postgraduate programs.

Tour Highlights ART BASEL IN HONG KONG Art Basel Hong Kong is the Asia-Pacific region s premier art fair. Each year over 200 commercial galleries from around the world show off their best works of modern and contemporary art. The scale and quality of the work on display is extraordinary, and it has become the centrepiece of Hong Kong s thriving arts scene. HISTORIC CHINESE ART Contemporary art in China often draws on millennia old traditions. Explore how these traditions from porcelain, to bronze, lacquered wood, painting and calligraphy inform recent generations of artists, or just appreciate these works in their own right for their beauty, refinement and the insights they give into an ancient civilisation. SHANGHAI Get to know China s most glamorous city, from the fusion of Chinese and Western colonial cultures that helped make it the Pearl of the Orient, to its stunning transformation into the country s cultural capital. Explore its streetscapes, cuisines and fantastic art collections, and enjoy a day trip to Suzhou, a traditional Chinese watertown outside of Shanghai. PRIVATE COLLECTIONS Hong Kong and Shanghai are global financial centres, like New York and London. As such they attract residents whose wealth and love of art have led them to create exceptional private collections, such as the Aurora Museum and the Long Museum in Shanghai, and to attract exceptional artists, curators and gallerists to these cities. STUNNING ARCHITECTURE From traditional temples to playful contemporary museums and soaring towers, the architecture of China is stunning. See masterpieces by I. M. Pei, Tadao Ando, Norman Foster and the host of others who ve found patrons with the will (and money) to enable them to unleash their creativity and push what is possible with modern engineering.

Detailed itinerary Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D. Tour Start & Finish Time The tour starts at 8.00pm in the Park Lane, Hong Kong. The tour ends after breakfast at the Central Hotel, Shanghai. Above and below: The vibrancy and colour of Hong Kong Central in painting and photography Below: Large sculpture and installations are exhibited among the Galleries section at Art Basel Hong Kong. In this case Dan Buren s work captures the colour and forms of urban living Thursday 28 March Arrive Flights from most Australian cities arrive in Hong Kong in the late afternoon or early evening. We meet in the hotel for an introductory talk and then enjoy dinner, where we will be joined by some of the artists on display. Overnight Hong Kong. (D) Friday 29 March Hong Kong and Art Basel Hong Kong s extraordinary history, from its early foundations, to its growth as the centre of British trade and finance in Asia and its transfer back to China almost twenty years ago, is evident everywhere. This morning we explore the island s history and culture through a tour of Central originally Victoria City whose architecture ranges from British Colonial through to stunning buildings designed by I.M. Pei and Norman Foster. After a break for lunch, we visit Art Basel Hong Kong, where well over 200 internationally respected commercial galleries, mostly from the Asia-Pacific, showcase their wares. Your Tour leader, Mikala Tai, will guide you through a selection of the exhibition. Mikala works with Art Basel to organise its performance program, and has extensive knowledge of the art, artworld and artists, and access to VIP areas. After our guided visit, there is time for independent exploration, and you may want to visit some of the other sections of the fair, which are dedicated to large-scale sculptures and installations by international artists. Overnight Hong Kong. (B) Saturday 30 March Po Lin Monastery And Contemporary Art Despite its modernity, Hong Kong retains close links to its ancient culture. This morning we travel by coach to the Po Lin Monastery, a Buddhist temple founded by three monks in the early 20th century. The traditional Chinese Buddhist architecture of the temple is beautifully situated with views across the bay, over which gazes a 34-metre-high bronze Buddha. In the afternoon, we continue exploring the contemporary art on display in and around Art Basel, taking in a selection of the year s best offerings. Evening at leisure. Overnight Hong Kong. (B)

Sunday 31 March To Shanghai This morning we take the short flight to Shanghai. After checking into our hotel, we tour the Bund district. This district, where the British, American and French settled as their main point of contact with mainland China, gave Shanghai its reputation as the Paris of the East. After a group lunch, we explore the colonial architecture along the river front is well preserved, and it remains the most fashionable place to be seen in Shanghai, not least for the views it offers across the skyline of Pudong. Our tour concludes with a visit to Yu Garden, the private garden of Shanghai s 16 th -century rulers, and today one of the best examples of Ming-era garden design. The evening is at leisure. Overnight Shanghai. (B, L) Monday 1 April Suzhou Today we visit Suzhou, the Shanghai region s most beautiful watertown. The town sometimes called the Venice of the East is famed for its well-preserved traditional architecture and for its extensive canal systems, which were the main form of transport in trading centres along the Yangtze Delta. After touring the town, we have lunch in a traditional restaurant. In the afternoon, we visit some of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed gardens of Suzhou, which in addition to their beauty give insight into hundreds of years of Chinese garden design. Evening at leisure. Overnight Shanghai (B, L) Tuesday 2 April art and architecture in Shanghai Shanghai s museums have collections befitting the cultural capital of one of the world s largest economies. After a talk in the hotel this morning, we visit the China Art Museum, an extraordinary collection of modern and contemporary art. The core of the collection is the old Shanghai Art Museum, which rebranded in 2012 when it moved to the China Expo building an impressive red structure that resembles a traditional Chinese crown. After a break for lunch in the area, we visit the Aurora Museum, the private collection of the Aurora Group s chairman, housed in the company s headquarters which was designed by Tadao Ando. After our visit, we take an architecture tour of the Pudong, where teams of internationally acclaimed architects and engineers have given the city its new, futuristic landmarks, such as the twisting form of the 632-metre-high Shanghai Tower and the Pearl Radio Tower. In the late afternoon, there is the option of visiting the Rockbund Art Museum, a contemporary art gallery housed in what was originally the museum of the Royal Asiatic Society. Evening at leisure. Overnight Shanghai. (B) Above: The Giant Buddha at Po Lin Monastery, surveying the mountains and the bay; and a mosaic from Zhuang Hui and Dan Er s Image Library series Below: The beautiful, traditional atmosphere of a Chinese watertown Wednesday 3 April Contemporary art in Shanghai Art has been central to Shanghai s growth as a modern cultural capital. Today we explore Shanghai s fantastic collections and

exhibition spaces, starting with the Power Station of Art, whose utilitarian architecture on the banks of the river have been transformed into an excellent venue for temporary exhibitions, followed by a visit to the West Bund Long museum. This museum contains part of the largest private art collection in China. We return to the hotel via M50 a creative space housed inside a former cotton mill. After returning to the hotel, there is time to relax before we have a farewell meal in an excellent restaurant. Overnight Shanghai. (B, D) Thursday 4 April Departure The tour ends after breakfast in the hotel. If you have booked your international travel through Academy Travel, we will include a transfer for your outbound flights. Hotels 4-star hotels have been selected for their central locations and modern conveniences. Hong Kong, The Park Lane Hong Kong (3 nights) www.parklane.com.hk Shanghai, Central Hotel (4 nights) www.shanghaicentralhotel.com Weather on Tour It will be the beginning of spring and weather can be quite changeable in both Hong Kong and Shanghai. Hong Kong can, however, be quite warm with temperatures reaching the mid to high 20s. In Shanghai, average maximums at this time of year are 20C, with some days and evenings much cooler. We recommend bringing clothing that can be layered according to the weather, good walking shoes and a coat. Images left: the stairwell connecting the floors of the Aurora Museum Shanghai are an excellent example of Tadao Ando s gentle minimalism and use of materials; and The China Art Museum, whose design mimics the form of a traditional Chinese crown

Tour Price The tour price is $5,180 per person, twin share (land content only). The supplement for a single room is $1,240 per person. A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to secure a place on the tour. Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price Land travel by private, air-conditioned coach Economy class airfare for the flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai All accommodation in hotels as stated in the itinerary Breakfasts, lunches and dinners as indicated by the letters B, L and D in the itinerary Drinks at welcome and farewell meals Background talks by the tour leader Services of a Tour Leader throughout the tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned in the itinerary Local guides at some sites Tips for drivers, local guides and restaurants for included meals Not included International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour we recommend Qantas or Cathay Pacific, which offer daily flights into Hong Kong and out of Shanghai from most Australian cities. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers. Enquiries & bookings Fitness Requirements of THIS tour GRADE ONE It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness required to participate on our tours, we have given them a star grading. Academy Travel s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you instead to consider carefully your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour. Participation criteria for this tour This Grade One tour is appropriate for travellers in good health with good mobility. You should be able to comfortably participate in up to three hours of physical activity per day on most days, including walking at an easy pace, sometimes on uneven terrain, climbing stairs and standing in galleries. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 2-3 kilometres at a moderate to slow pace with only short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and museums negotiate stairs and bridges get on and off a coach, ferry or boat with steep stairs unassisted move your luggage a short distance if required A note for older travellers If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You may have to miss certain activities and may not get the full value of the tour. Before submitting your booking form, please contact Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition. For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jamal@academytravel.com.au

About Academy Travel Each year Academy Travel organises around 60 journeys to Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas, each focusing on a distinctive historical, artistic or cultural theme. The aim of every Academy Travel journey is to combine the pleasures of independent travel with the benefits and shared enjoyment of a group. Academy Travel is an Australian-owned travel company, founded in 2004. The company s staff includes both academic experts and travel professionals with over two decades industry experience. We also have our own office in Rome which organises our tours in Western Europe. This means we have direct control over the selection of hotels, restaurants, coaches and local guides, guaranteeing superior quality. Great itineraries Academy Travel works hard to create itineraries that provide a balanced experience walking tours, museum and gallery visits, live performances, city and countryside. We re proud to be constantly innovating, from opening up new destinations, creating tours around festivals and special exhibitions, to providing unrivalled depth in our residential tours. Like-minded groups Over the years we ve been in operation, we ve developed a loyal band of Academy Travellers, some of whom have travelled with us more than 10 times. They say the small groups (maximum 20, average 17) and distinct themes of our tours attract like-minded travellers and create a relaxed, convivial atmosphere. Long stays Feedback from our clients consistently tells us that creating itineraries with three and four-night stops, or even longer, is far more appealing that rushing from place to place. Wherever possible, we plan our tours around a limited number of stops, making your travels more relaxed and more meaningful. Special Events A private viewing of the Sistine Chapel? Tickets to a sold-out concert by the Berlin Philharmonic? A worldfamous art fair? Access to private homes and gardens? Behind-the-scenes visits? Many of our tours feature access to places and events that are usually not offered on most group tours. Expert tour leaders We work closely with a team of academically qualified and highly experienced tour leaders. They don t just rattle off the facts they help us plan our itineraries and, on tour, freely share their deep knowledge and genuine passion. Most of our tour leaders are still teaching at an advanced level and many are still undertaking academic research. Years of experience Academy Travel was founded in 2004 by a team with decades of prior experience in small group travel. On average, our tour leaders have over 11 years experience, some with 25 or more years. To ensure quality, we have our own office in Rome, Italy and a network of trusted suppliers around the world. ACADEMY TRAVEL TAILORED SMALL GROUP JOURNEYS Email: info@academytravel.com.au academytravel.com.au

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