The Donkey Institute of Contemporary Art is a collaboration between Artist Michael Yuen (CPU:PRO) and Yam Lau. The first DICA took place yesterday (with a mule, not a donkey, if we must be pedantic) outside of Beijing’s 798 Art District and attracted a large audience of locals and art world luminaries. Pictures and movies have been added to flickr. If you were there and took some shots, please let us know. Michael and Yam will be organising more events with a Donkey, developing it as a platform for showing artworks in unexpected places.

From their press release:

The Donkey Institute of Contemporary Art (DICA) is an initiative dedicated to supporting experimental contemporary art on the back of a donkey. Established in the Beijing summer of 2009, DICA demonstrates a donkey’s spirit of steadfast oblivion. The DICA and the donkey counter all forms of calculated intelligence, promotion and profit making within the market place of contemporary art. They do so with the slowest possible speed, the most idle tactics and wandering work ethics.

Obstinate, dumb and proceeding on blind faith, DICA meanders throughout cities to meet its potential audience, whoever that might be. Yet, DICA makes no claim or appeal for recognition in these encounters. The institute lives by the charm and rhythm that is unique to the donkey’s soul. In this sense, DICA is the most inhuman and radical fulfillment of the avant-garde. It posits an almost complete sort of “standing-still” that refuses to concede to anything. For its inaugural meandering exhibition, DICA will present video works on portable monitors attached on the back of the Donkey.

Well done Michael and Yam, on a magical, strange evening! Further appearances of DICA will be publicised here.