Art beat in September

Sept 18-22

Black is the new black

The National Art Museum of China is presenting Darkness Invisible - a group exhibition of 10 Chinese and American artists. The exhibition explores the various meanings of the color black in Chinese and American cultural contexts. Around 20 works are presented in various forms, including painting, sculpture, print and paper cut. The exhibition will move to be shown in Zhanzhou International Art Park in Fangshan district in Beijing after leaving the National Art Museum of China.

9 am to 5 pm, until Sept 18. Hall 7 and 9, National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

Showcase of up-and-comers

Surge Art Fair is currently being held in Shanghai, showcasing hundreds of works of art from up-and-coming artists from home and abroad. Aimed at building a platform for high-quality artwork at affordable prices, the annual festival is free of charge. All works displayed at the fair are priced under 30,000 yuan ($4,800). The festival will move to Chengdu, Sichuan province, and take place at Dongjiao Jiyi, at the Eastern District Music Park, from Oct 1-5.

10 am-6 pm, Sept 18-22. 800 Show Creative Industry Park, 800 Changde Road, Jing'an district, Shanghai. 021-5213-8000.

Encore for a peacock

Peacock, the much-loved and anticipated dance drama choreographed, directed and led by the "peacock princess" Yang Liping, will stage another round in Beijing. The drama was designed as the farewell performance of the 55-year-old. The dance drama will follow four seasons of a bird's life and explore the symbolic themes of growing up, love and humanity.

7:30 pm, Sept 21-25. Poly Theater, Poly Plaza, 14 Dongzhimen Nandajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6500-1188.

Getting brassy

Presidio, a brass quintet from the United States, will be a treat for fans of Hollywood in Guangzhou, with their show Sounds of the Cinema. Famous songs from the silver screen, including themes from Star Wars and A Space Odyssey, will be played by the upbeat combination of a brass quintet, piano and percussion. Presidio was formed in 2006 and quickly achieved success. It has performed in more than 40 states across the US.

8 pm, Sept 21. Xinghai Concert Hall, 33 Qingbo Road, Ersha Island, Yuexiu district, Guangzhou. 020-8735-3869.

Rock-themed paintings

Female artist Wu Yang embraces a style similar to Super-Realism in her oil paintings. She creates illusive images, such as the extensive land, distant mountains and boundless seashore, and among them as the center of her works are rocks. The cold, hard rocks, either piling up on the beach or floating in mid-air, are wrapped by delicate, soft clothing in a variety of colors and patterns. Her current solo exhibition displays these rock-themed paintings, sculptures and videos, in which she blended her life in Canada and past experiences as a cotton print designer and later, fashion designer.

10 am-6 pm, until Sept 22. 1/F, Building 3 of Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 010-5876-0600 Ext 100. Ticket: 20 yuan.

Ink painting on show

Zhou Shaohua, 84, is presenting his works at China Art Museum Shanghai. The exhibition covers four halls, presenting a panoramic show of the artist's achievements. Zhou joined the Eight Route Army when he was only 12. A medal-winning hero in the Chinese War of Liberation, he began to publish his paintings in newspapers in 1948. He was one of the pioneers in the development of Chinese ink painting in the modern age, and has served as the head of theHubeiAcademy of Art, and exhibited extensively at home and abroad.

9 am-5 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, Sept 7-22. China Art Museum Shanghai, 205 Shangnan Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 400-921-9021.

Peacock

Peacock, the much-loved and anticipated dance drama choreographed, directed, and led by the “peacock princess” Yang Liping, is set to again grace a Beijing stage.

The dance drama will follow four seasons of a bird’s life and explore the symbolic themes of growing-up, love and humanity.

7:30pm, Sept 21 to 25, Poly Theatre, Poly Plaza, 14 Dongzhimen Nandajie, Dongcheng District, Beijing, 010-65001188

It's a dog's life

The protagonist of the play Hi Mick is a dog, played by the mainland actor Peng Ziheng. The play tells about a dog that has dedicated its life to a family. It's a heart-warming story about love and companionship. The play is based on a story by Taiwan writer Tsai Chih-heng. Li Chung-hsi, head of Taiwan Drama Performance, has directed the production, a joint project of Taiwan Drama Performance with Beijing's Zheteng Culture Co Ltd.

7:30 pm,Sept 17-29. Studio D6, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 6F, 288 Anfu Road Shanghai. 021-6473-0123.