SKAGGS Blog

Way back in the summer of 2001, I visited my good friends Ping, Li and Mengye in Kunming, capital of China’s Yunnan Province. In July of that year I was in Beijing, where there was widespread excitement about the Olympic bid. When it was announced that Beijing had been chosen, the city erupted into parties, celebrations on the street and a palpable feeling that Beijing’s moment had arrived on the international stage.

Seven years later, there’s no doubt that the city has exceeded all expectations as Olympic host. Beijing has a new airport, an astounding Olympic stadium, and international focus has turned to emerging Chinese artists and the Chinese role in global media. The world is gearing up for the opening ceremony this Friday, with billions expected to tune in.

Amidst all of this, I was struck by how the vibrant Olympic colors saturate so many images in the news from Beijing this week. There are the splashes of Olympiad color setting off the National Stadium (no mean task considering the impact of the building itself). And then there’s the work of modern Chinese artists such as the painter Li Shurui (above) and others who are increasingly moving into digital media. It seems to me that this color surge reflects the emerging energy of a nation where bold ideas and experience are unfolding every day.