“Super Code Grain“ Mosaic Teaching and Formal Language Research Exhibition – Beijing On 8 November I was invited to the opening of “Super Code Grain” an amazing mosaic exhibition of the mural painting department of the Central Academy of Fine Art in Beijing. Prof Li Chen, her assistant Shi Jiutian and her colleagues and students created this show in a large centrally located exhibition hall of the building that also houses the Daimler offices in Beijings district of Wanjing. Many of the mosaic associations I know would dream to have their works exhibited in such a professional exhibition space. On November 22 I took some friends to the exhibition. Everybody was in awe about this very interesting display of mosaic history, mosaic works and related pixel images. We were shown around by Prof Li’s assistant Shi Jiutian, who’s main project organizing this exhibition was in the last year. Guangming Daily reporter Rongchi about the exhibition: Mosaic is a material with unique beauty. Its luster, color and texture together form the formal language of the mosaic …

In October I went back to Turkey to where I started to get interested in mosaics. It was a special pleasure to have 2 full days on my own to visit the 3 main mosaic places and indulge in these magnificent world of Byzantine mosaics. First I cued early to be the first one inside the Hagia Sophia to have an unobstructed view before the big crowd arrived. The Great Palace mosaic museum, just behind the blue mosque, is always empty and a joy to appreciate the fine mosaics depicting nature and human life, one of the most beautiful mosaics found from the early Byzantine period (early 6 century CE) and beautifully displayed including very interesting explanations of the conservation process. The late Byzantine mosaics 1303-1320 CE of the Chora Church are my favorites. Such fine works and lovingly depicted scenes of Stories the Bible are now to be viewed in full after years of conservation. On my walk across Istanbul in the now hip neighborhood Balat I came across a mosaic tiled facade of …