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Jonah Kessel's videos
49. A Date with the Censors
by Jonah Kessel
1 month ago
48. Wukan Video Journal
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2 months ago
47. The Fate of Old Beijing: The Vanishing Hutongs
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46. We Are Different, We Are the Same
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45. We Are Different, We Are the Same V: A Helping Hand
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44. We Are Different, We Are the Same IV: Hello My Name Is ...
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43. We Are Different, We Are the Same III: China Doll
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42. We Are Different, We Are the Same II: Working Dreams
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41. We Are Different, We Are the Same I: Blind Ambition
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40. We Are Different, We Are the Same - TEASER
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3 months ago
39. Word Crimes
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3 months ago
38. North Korea Opens for Business
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4 months ago
37. British Polo Day China 2011
by Jonah Kessel
4 months ago
36. Just Because: Tricycle Calligraphy 水书法器
by Jonah Kessel
5 months ago
35. At the Desert's Edge
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6 months ago
34. Fortune Global 500, Alstom China CEO Dominique Pouliquen
by Jonah Kessel
7 months ago
33. The Reddest Village in China
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32. Filming China's Dark Side 拍中国的黑暗 面
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31. The Million Tree Project XI: The Man Who Planted Trees
by Jonah Kessel
8 months ago
30. The Million Tree Project XII: A Better Future
by Jonah Kessel
8 months ago
29. The Million Tree Project X: Working Together
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8 months ago
28. The Million Tree Project IX: Education
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8 months ago
27. The Million Tree Project VIII: A Local's Life
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26. The Million Tree Project VII: Life on the Desert's Edge
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8 months ago
25. The Million Tree Project VI: A Volunteer's Life
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8 months ago
24. The Million Tree Project V: Corporate Social Respo…
by Jonah Kessel
8 months ago
23. The Million Tree Project IV: A Wall of Trees
by Jonah Kessel
8 months ago
Media Artist Nicholas Hanna built a tricycle that can also paint Chinese characters on the ground as it moves, just — because.

Water Calligraphy has a long history in China, normally characterized by older Chinese men painting characters on the ground of parks with long brushes and water.

Nicholas' version is a wee bit more complicated.

Learn more about this project at dslrnewsshooter.com/2011/09/25/just-because-tricycle-calligraphy/

For those interested in what Nicholas is writing: they are Dongcheng District Propaganda phrases roughly translated as:

营造 未成年人健康成长的良好环境
Create a good environment for minors to grow up healthy

文明从脚下起步 奉献从身边做起
Civilization comes from every individual, to contribute from every little thing

树文明新风 做文明市民
Be a civilized citizen and build a civilized new atmosphere for constructing s cultured and civilized city

共建文明城区 共享美好家园
Build a civilized city for everyone to share a beautiful home altogether

做文明有礼北京人 建和谐魅力新东城
Be civilized and polite Beijingers, to build a harmonious charm new Dong Cheng district together

美德贵在坚持 文明重在行动
Virtue shows through long term persistence, civilization reflects by actions

和谐东城 你我共建
Harmonious Dong Cheng District constructed by you and me

建全国文明城区 做东城文明市民
Constructs the national civilized district, to be the civilized citizen of Dong Cheng District

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  • Joe Sheffer plus 5 months ago
    Fantastic intro Jonah and great story... did you do the motion work on this? Would make a nice print feature as well.
  • Jonah Kessel plus 5 months ago
    Hey Joe! Yep, but the intro motion work is built off a template and just tweaked. Not sure if Im going to be able to do it, but I've found 5 other people doing similarly weird things now, using tricycles. Would be funny to make a quick series of these.
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  • Beyheef plus 5 months ago
    Bravo !
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  • fei xie 5 months ago
    Absolutely fantastic
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  • Michal MISHOX Svec 4 months ago
    cool
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  • Rick Macomber plus 4 months ago
    interesting. added to HD far East Channel!
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  • blackben 4 months ago
    good job ,well done
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  • Angelo Evans plus 4 months ago
    that was kinda strange, but nice
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  • Alison Friedman 4 months ago
    he had me until "maybe that's a Western approach." yeah, don't stretch it. cool idea, no need for east/west bee-ehss.
  • Jonah Kessel plus 4 months ago
    To be fair, I had asked him about cross cultural communications and what role artists can play. Its an interesting topic I'd love to explore more.
  • Annie Rollins 4 months ago
    I'm fascinated with this project - thanks so much for sharing. I'm a Chinese shadow puppet researcher who does miniature shadow puppet shows in and around the Beijing hutongs and I have the same questions about the cross cultural conversation I'm starting. Or, Alison, perhaps you're right to leave it at a 'cool idea.'
  • Jonah Kessel plus 4 months ago
    Hey Annie - give a shout next time you are puppeting! Would love to come by and watch.
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  • Dave Mercer 4 months ago
    Really enjoyed it man. Very quirky story ... well told. Will check back for more good stuff!
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  • 3D2Dfrente plus 4 months ago
    really interesting! great to watch!
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  • kim duke 4 months ago
    I have been 10 years in China,
    I am a spanish video artist,
    you are the first I know by chance please, visit my blog: lacomunidad.elpais.com/poeta-en-china/2011/10/2/popo-el-jardin-piedra..
    谢谢！！
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  • Robin Schmidt plus 4 months ago
    Intriguing bit of kit. This is a dipstick thing to say I know but surely you wanted to put that radio mic cable up and under the shirt rather than hanging like that to the side!?

    Sorry, genuinely a dipstick comment but I just notice stuff like that.
  • Jonah Kessel plus 4 months ago
    Nah, not a dipstick thing to say. Your not the first person to point it out. I think since it was a pretty casual filming process (i.e. we were really doing this for "fun" or "because") I missed it. But, yes - I agree — its visually annoying. Hindsight is a great thing :) Thanks for checking out the video.
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  • Teresa Marenzi 4 months ago
    I really enjoyed this. But a minute later, I started wondering... what is he actually writing? Something poetic? Or political? Or promoting world peace? Or "Stop looking at me in this funny way"? Would be nice to find out, as these signs are aesthetically pleasing, but also have a meaning... which at least half of the viewers (like me) probably won´t be able to grasp. Very nice video in any case!
  • Jonah Kessel plus 4 months ago
    Hi Teresa - thanks for the comments. Your not the first to ask, so I'll just post the translation here and above for all. The video is filmed in Dongcheng District of Beijing (in the older part of the city). The district has propaganda slogans plastered around on banners and housing developments. So Nicholas was writing those so people would have a relationship with what he was writing.

    The rough translations of the propaganda phrases are:

    营造 未成年人健康成长的良好环境
    Create a good environment for minors to grow up healthy

    文明从脚下起步 奉献从身边做起
    Civilization comes from every individual, to contribute from every little thing

    树文明新风 做文明市民
    Be a civilized citizen and build a civilized new atmosphere for constructing s cultured and civilized city

    共建文明城区 共享美好家园
    Build a civilized city for everyone to share a beautiful home altogether

    做文明有礼北京人 建和谐魅力新东城
    Be civilized and polite Beijingers, to build a harmonious charm new Dong Cheng district together

    美德贵在坚持 文明重在行动
    Virtue shows through long term persistence, civilization reflects by actions

    和谐东城 你我共建
    Harmonious Dong Cheng District constructed by you and me

    建全国文明城区 做东城文明市民
    Constructs the national civilized district, to be the civilized citizen of Dong Cheng District
  • Teresa Marenzi 4 months ago
    Interesting! Thanks a lot for telling me!
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  • Amy Yan 3 months ago
    Amazing idea, the slogans are pretty much every where and quite unnoticeable to the citizens. The machine certainly brought new concpet to them.
    It reminds me of the "sheet show" which people sew these slogans on the sheet they hang out of the belcony :P
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  • steve raffner 1 month ago
    adapted from an installation where the droplets fall from the sky and make words while falling this version extend the longevity of the display, increase the number of words and is a bit more poetic. Love it, cheers.
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  • Vormplatform 1 month ago
    Nice job!
    We placed it on our blog:

    vormplatform.com/2012/01/tricycle-calligraphy.html
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  • Heejoo Yoon 1 week ago
    Thank you for sharing this story! Made me laugh so hard! A fabulous choice! And beautifully, corkily, elegantly told!!! I look forward to many more stories from you, Jonah!
  • Jonah Kessel plus 1 week ago
    Thanks so much Heejoo for the nice words :)
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  • Kevin Sweeney staff 1 week ago
    I would have never thought to use water as a calligraphy medium. Even so, I feel that the messages that were written deserve more permanence!
  • Jonah Kessel plus 1 week ago
    Nothing is permanent in this country ... perhaps the medium has a greater allegorical meaning.
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  • The Method Case 1 week ago
    Really nice video. The Method Case has published it:
    themethodcase.com/water-calligraphy-device-nicholas-hanna/
    Thank you very much.
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