~DUKE RILEY – SURFACES in CHINA . . . with his CHINESE ZODIAC REMATCH !!
‘DUKE RILEY – THE REMATCH’, is a ‘contemporary’ river race he is staging – between the 12 animals of the ancient CHINESE ZODIAC !!
it will take place – on the CAOGANG RIVER, in ZHUJIAJIAO, CHINA – tomorrow: SUNDAY, APRIL 15, 2012.
RACE TIME: 8 PM.
YOU, LANDLOVERS !! CAN WATCH A LIVE RACE FEED from the CANALS of ZHUJIAJIAO, tomorrow – Sunday April 15, 2012 in MANHATTAN . . .
at the MAGNAN METZ GALLERY in Chelsea – 521 W.26 bet 10 + 11 Aves – with a race viewing party open to all / 6 – 10 PM.
or in BROOKLYN, at the EGG & DART CLUB – a SOCIAL CLUB just off the BROOKLYN NAVY YARD in FT. GREENE – ADVANCED RSVP NECESSARY – as of this am – only 8 tickets left.
according to the water loving’ BROOKLYN DUKE: thousands of years ago, the Chinese JADE EMPEROR initiated the zodiac in order to better organize the measurement of time, and to simplify the calendar – for his people – he decided to assign an animal to each year, in a 12 year cycle. Chinese mythology has it that to determine the sequential order in which each animal would appear – a ‘swimming race’ – amongst the twelve animals would be held, and this would become the SHENGXIAO, or Chinese zodiac. (and still referred to with great reverence & popularity – today, bye the bye.)
It is well known that the RAT, the winner of the race, cheated !! (now you know why the Chinese zodiac still lives on – some truths regarding animal, make that: human nature – never pale). anyways, despite that bit of super sleazy action, and perhaps as a nod to promote it ? the universal war-like ‘me-first’ human impulse – or is that, to . . better beware of it ?!! – this ancient match established a longstanding unchanged ‘order’ – the rat comes first !! – that has remained celebrated for centuries.
ancient flashback: The rat and the cat, both poor swimmers persuaded the gullible ox to carry them across. As the ox began to lead the pack, the rat pushed the cat overboard and jumped off the ox to win the race !! yep, no matter. the first year of the Chinese zodiac was bestowed upon the cheating rat. take note, seekers of ‘truth’ who wish to pull back the veil of the human condition: exploitation, conflict & war. it’s funny the Chinese didn’t try to retro-address this cultural ‘shading’ somewhere along the revolutionary way. well, guess it takes an artist from nifty Brooklyn – to try.
and, maybe they didn’t re-address it, because it’s a hard ingrained truth, that should keep coming up to the forefront, should be first up – in every 12 year Mother Goose cycle. yeah, there are cheaters, because . . . yeah: cheaters win. corporate charlies, papa docs, and aunt piggys – we all, global – face their dirty backwash – everyday. so . . .
IN THE INTEREST of FAIRNESS – the DUKE, DUKE RILEY – PROPOSES A – REMATCH !!
“Working with local artists and communities along the canals of Zhujiajiao, China – in APRIL 2012 – I will re-stage this race. All of the zodiac animals will be represented by actual live animals. Each will be ferried separately through the canals in boats paddled by expert rowers from the community. In addition, each boat will be decorated by a different local artist according to the animal it carries.” . . . “the river race and performance will take place on the Caogang River in the historic water village of Zhujiajiao on the outskirts of Shanghai. Each animal of the zodiac will be transported on a traditional gondola, accompanied by a local rower and an opera singer from Zhujiajiao. The singer will perform songs from the ‘first animal’ perspective, making a musical case for why that animal should have won the original race.”
note: this (artistic) rematch is taking place in YEAR 2012 – the Chinese Year of the (black water) DRAGON – a designation stressing the creative realm & highest aspirations – of the human mind & the imagination – !! aka ‘the leap’ !! from the earthly primitive bonds – to heaven.
I’m guessing, obviously, the mythological Duke Riley ‘dragon’ racer – is going to have be a . . . creative ‘stand-in’ ?
read more: DUKE RILEY – THE REMATCH
PHOTO: DUKE RILEY – THE CANALS of ZHUJIAJIAO, CHINA.
DUKE RILEY, center, with some of the animal costumes, and two of the local contributing artist/performers.
PHOTO: COURTESY DUKE RILEY.