:: over the past few weeks we’ve been posting time-lapse videos of the live art performances from Search for Creative City (寻城记), an event that NeochaEDGE collaborated on with the Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC). Since the graffiti writers who participated in the event are pretty much the best Shanghai has to offer in terms of street-art, we pulled them all together in a single post for everyone to enjoy. Link here to see time-lapse videos of pieces by Dezio, Popil, Mr. Lan, SAIL, AEK, Lamian (拉面), Shier, and HKER.

For more Chinese graffiti on NeochaEDGE, link here.  // AjS

:: it’s not often you see good stencil graffiti in China – see below for a some at Beijing’s 798 / Dashanzi art district. This photograph was taken by Beijing-based Mårten Strassburg. To see more of Mårten’s photography, link here. If you spot graffiti or urban art anywhere in China, please share it with us at . We’d like to document it on NeochaEDGE. For more graffiti in China on NeochaEDGE, link here.  // AjS

This post was originally published on NeochaEDGE, a site I regularly contribute to. To see more of my posts on NeochaEDGE, link here.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

:: my favorite Shanghai-based graffiti artists Dezio and Popil recently returned from Beijing, but not before they left their mark on 798, the capital’s preeminent art district. If you spot graffiti or urban art anywhere in China, please share it with me at , I’d like to document it. For more from Dezio or Popil on NeochaEDGE, link here or here, respectively. // AjS

This post was originally published on NeochaEDGE, a site I regularly contribute to. To see more of my posts on NeochaEDGE, link here.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

:: I recently came across some wet paint in Shanghai on Huating Rd. If you know whose work this is, please let me know in the comments section below. I wouldn’t be surprised to see more pieces going up in that area – it’s home to a fair amount of low-profile wall space. For more graffiti in China on NeochaEDGE, link here. // AjS

This post was originally published on NeochaEDGE, a site I regularly contribute to. To see more of my posts on NeochaEDGE, link here.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

:: see below for a snap taken by Stephanie Wang in Shanghai at Moganshan Rd. It’s great how even simple sketch graffiti can bring to life an otherwise lifeless shed. For more graffiti in China on NeochaEDGE, link here. // AjS

This post was originally published on NeochaEDGE, a site I regularly contribute to. To see more of my posts on NeochaEDGE, link here.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

:: see below for some random graffiti tags and throw-ups I spotted in Shanghai on Xiangyang Rd. close to the Xinle Rd. intersection. These practically cover the entire length of a temporary construction wall that wraps around the southeast corner of the intersection. Nothing too special, but its kinda rare to see so many pieces strung together like this in Shanghai outside of Moganshan Rd. To see more Chinese graffiti, link here.  // AjS

This post was originally published on NeochaEDGE, a site I regularly contribute to. To see more of my posts on NeochaEDGE, link here.

NeochaEDGE is a daily-curated, bilingual website and discovery engine dedicated to showcasing leading-edge creative content and emerging youth culture in China.

:: see the first photo below for a recent throw-up by Shanghai’s most prolific and probably most talented graffiti writer Mr. Lan. Does anyone recognize the other pieces / tags? If so, please let me know in the comments section. These photos were taken by fifty 5-reader Roach C. in Shanghai near the Anshan Xicun subway station. Thanks for sending them my way Roach C.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai on Fahuazhen Rd. near Jiaotong University; a very well done chalkboard Haibao – the official mascot of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai.  // XD

:: taken in the small town of Chuzhou in Anhui province, China. I found these to be ingenious advertising efforts. The first photo says, “There is a noodle shop across the way.” The second photo says, “The old Ao De fried chicken shop is across the street.” Sure enough, in both cases, these shops were directly across the alley – less that 10 meters away. I was curious about the necessity and effectiveness of such advertisements, so I took the time to observe pedestrian reactions to them.

Not that these figures represent statistically sound research, but, in 30 minutes (the time it took me to finish my bubble tea), 47 people walked by these two signs (they were right next to each other). Only a few people didn’t notice them, but every person that noticed them looked across the street to confirm what they had just read. 22 of those people people crossed the street and went to one of the two restaurants. Fascinating.  // AjS

:: I snapped these photos on a recent trip to Beijing. To my regret though, the top two are only half as fun as they should be. They were taken earlier in the morning because I didn’t have a proper camera with me when I first spotted them the previous evening. Unfortunately, both pieces were harmonized overnight. At any rate, they’re still worth sharing. The top piece was a distressed bunny stuck behind the bricks asking in despair, “唯, 有人吗?” meaning, “Hello, is anyone there?” I ask the question: what looks better, a playful piece of street art or this random blob of pinkness? Sigh. The second photo was a flying sofa – I’m not sure where the sofa went, but it left its wings behind. Can anyone help identify the tags in the other pictures?  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai, just outside the main entrance to my apartment building. Is someone trying to send me a message?  // AjS

:: I met up with Nial O’Connor today, a Shanghai-based artist who I’ve written about before on 56minus1 and have had the privileged of working with on a video production. While chatting, I learned of some stencil experiments he did in Shanghai with his comic character Jing Jing. The below photographs capture this work; taken last year in the pre-demolition abandoned neighborhood at the corner of Shimen Yi Rd. and Weihai Rd (just across the street from the Four Seasons hotel). That same neighborhood has since been leveled and is now being prepared for high-rise development. In the coming weeks I’ll be documenting more of Nial’s stencil work in Shanghai – watch this space.  // AjS

:: taken in Shanghai at the vegetable / meat market (2nd floor) on Wulumuqi Rd. close to the Wuyuan Rd. intersection. The owners of one stand at the market have two small children that spend a lot of time with their parents at work. As a result, the walls of their shop are covered with all sorts of fun, playful ink drawings. I only had time to snap this lone photo, but there are probably hundreds of small characters in dozens of different scenarios dotting the walls. Isn’t it interesting how all the characters in this scenario are looking down to the right?  // AjS

:: Popil and Dezio did some painting this past weekend in a partially demolished building near the Moganshan Rd. art district with Artof Popof (also on ), a well-known French street artist who is visiting Shanghai. Popil sent me these photos this morning, saying: “然后一涂完, 从小朋友到大朋友都接二连三地ＰＥＥ在那里. 很搞笑.” Meaning: “As soon as we were done painting, little kids and adults come along one after another to pee on the lot. It was pretty funny.” Artof Popof did the dragon, Popil did the ladies and panda, and Dezio did the lettered pieces. Enjoy.  // AjS

:: I’m confused. I spotted this bike at CROSSROADS, a small hipster fashion / accessories shop in Shanghai on Xin Le Rd., between Xiangyang Rd. and Donghu Rd. The bike appears to be branded Andre Tout Va Bien. Huh?

For those that don’t know, Andre is a well-known French street / graffiti artist who has been around since the mid-80s. Is he making bikes now or is this some kind of collaboration? Maybe it’s just a sticker. Anyone know more about this? Dezio, as always, please chime in.  // AjS