15 excellent things to do in Beijing this week
Your weekly guide to the best of Beijing
With pollution making the skies grey, make sure your mood doesn't follow suit: head out to these great events in Beijing this week to lighten up your own sky.
Artist Talks: Process + Place
The Bookworm. Tue 16. 60RMB.
Celebrating 45 years of diplomatic relations between China and Australia, Process + Place is an international exhibition that explores migration and exchange, urbanisation and globalisation, exploration and enquiry. Four of the six artists featured in Process + Place will talk through these ever-changing conditions and how process and place impact art. Head to The Bookworm on Tuesday to hear Kate Anderson, Vicki Grace, Bernadette Olle and Tony Scott discuss their work.
Sean Patton
The Bookworm. Sun 21. 180RMB; 150RMB (presale).
Sean Patton's got a rather impressive rap sheet: Just for Laughs in Chicago, Toronto and Montreal, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Edinburgh Fringe and numerous TV appearances, just to name a few. The New Orleans-born comedian goes for storytelling with an edge, bringing his acerbic wit to everyday life circumstances.
Schnellertollermeier
Dusk Dawn Club. Tue 16. 80RMB; 60RMB (presale).
This Swiss trio reckons their music defies genres, and their blending, bending and minimal, modern sounds have earnt them praise worldwide. Back in 2015, their third album X topped charts and ranked in the Wall Street Journal's top 12 albums of the year.
Angerfist
One Third. Fri 19. 120RMB.
Danny Masseling, aka Angerfist, is a Dutch DJ and producer well known for his hardcore techno stylings. What? He currently ranks at number 40 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs List, making him the highest-ranking hardcore DJ in the world, with top hits such as 'Knock Knock' and 'The Deadfaced Dimension'.
Wednesday Campanella
Tango. Fri 19. 360RMB; 300RMB (presale). Wednesday Campanella is a Japanese music group that combines EDM, J-Pop, and hip-hop. The trio consists of KOM_I, Kenmochi Hidefumi and Dir.F, and have garnered a huge following in Japan and now worldwide, since featuring on Chvrches' single 'Out Of My Head'.
Bake
Zhao Dai. Fri 19. Tickets tbc.
Glasgow-based Bake brings a unique sound to the decks. Commanding a broad spectrum of music, he takes new, old, unknown and known music to the crowd, to create a brand that's seen Resident Advisor describe him as 'one of the UK's most eclectic and vibrant DJs'.
Slushii
Sir Teen. Sat 20. 150RMB. Slushii, aka Julian Scanlan, is an LA-based producer, DJ, vocalist and giant slushie, with music that's light, fun and happy. Future bass and progressive house vibes from this distinct dance maker.
The Fratellis
'Der der der, der der der, der der der di-er der der, der der der, der der der, der der der di-er. Der der der, der der der, der der der di-er der der, der der der, der der der, der der der di-er der der.'
Rent
Century Theatre. Tue 16-Sun 21. 80-880RMB.
A re-imagining of Puccini's La Bohème, Rent follows a year in the lives of seven impoverished artists struggling to survive in the thriving days of New York City's Alphabet City, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. This Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant twentieth anniversary touring production.
Anne-Sophie Mutter
NCPA. Wed 17. 200-1,200RMB.
Anne-Sophie Mutter has been a fixture in concert halls around the world for the last 40 years. A four-time Grammy Award winner, she's given world premiers of over 20 different works, playing on the world's best stages. She's joined this week in Beijing by the Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, a Polish orchestra that has performed on equally esteemed stages for the last 30 years.
Xu Bing: Thought and Method
UCCA. Until Thu 18. 100RMB.
Globally renowned for his conceptual and installation pieces that reflect on language and communication, Xu Bing creates a space in which viewers can immerse themselves within his world here at the largest ever retrospective of his work on the Mainland. This excellent exhibition – one of the best of the year – ends next week, so we highly recommend to catch it while you can.
The Constant Gardener
Image: Focus Features
China Film Archives. Thu 18.
Based on John Le Carré's novel of the same name, The Constant Gardener is a story of intrigue, death and love. Ralph Fiennes is Justin Quayle, a British diplomat who is posted to Nairobi, so introducing his new wife, Tessa (Rachel Weisz), an outspoken political activist, to the post-colonial world of cocktail parties and backroom deals. It’s a world that conflicts with her own world view, and Justin becomes suspicious when his wife is found dead in a remote area of the country. What follows is part murder mystery, part political thriller, part examination of grief and love.
The Spy Who Dumped Me
Trailer via QQ
In Cinemas around Beijing from Fri 19.
Two best friends get entangled in shoot-outs, car chases and an international conspiracy when one of them is dumped by her spy boyfriend. See Kate McKinnon and Mila Kunis star in this new American comedy.
Smallfoot
Trailer via QQ
In cinemas around Beijing from Fri 19.
Smallfoot follows the animated film trend of zany, family-friendly gags, colourful characters and catchy songs playing out a story with contemporary and politically relevant themes. The cast is too good to pass up: Channing Tatum, James Corden, Zendaya, Common, LeBron James, Danny Devito and Justin Roiland of Rick and Morty and Adventure Time fame.
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
Image: DreamWorks Pictures
China Film Archives. Fri 19.
This 2006 psychological thriller tells the story of Jean-Baptitse Grenouille (Ben Winshaw), a young man in eighteenth-century France that will go to great, and deadly, lengths to find the perfect scent. Directed by Tom Tykwer, the film also stars Alan Rickman, Dustin Hoffman and Rachel Hurd-Wood.
The Last Pig
Image: Argo Films
Camera Stylo. Sat 20. 35RMB.
The Last Pig is a lyrical meditation on what it means to be a sentient creature with the power to kill. Deeply immersive, the film follows a pig farmer through his final year of raising pigs. Through sparse, intimate musings, the farmer reveals the growing conflict of a life spent 'peddling in death'. Through this personal journey, The Last Pig raises crucial questions about equality, the value of compassion and the sanctity of life.
For more great things to do in Beijing this week, hit 'Read more'.
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