for the vessel departure. at this point we reached out and called upon the gracious and well-kembinged former arts president, rosslyn swigg, who is not with us. she wrote and e-mail to senator diane feinstein, and before i knew it, the offices of senator feinstein were working on this. i know we have a representative from diane feinstein's office. could you raise your hand? where are you? [applause] thank you so much. within two days we had a letter from senator feinstein that was sent to the shanghai office of foreign owe fares urging their support and expediting the paperwork. now with this very official

letter, we worked with the vice counsel of the chinese consulate and of the shrank high -- shanghai office of foreign affairs, and the director of the asian arts music and his director. we refer to mrs. yang of the shanghai cultural association. i want to say that the shanghai team and others finalized the paperwork, obtained the customs cleernls, not with a moment to spare. we had already missed two boats. this was the last boat in order for us to make this dedication. with that, with the mayor's future and schedule, who knew if we would ever get this gathering together. we are really pleased that it

all worked out. i had a terrific professional team of staff at the arts commission. smart problem solvers with a good sense of humor. i would like to single out alison cummings, wherever you are. [applause] >> alison, our senior registrar for our outstanding work in helping coordinate this project and her ability to stay cool and calm all of the time, as well as kate patterson, our communication expert extraordinarya. >> and gene -- jean, who took care of several things. and last, but not least, our city attorneys, who worked on the details of the loan agreement and procurement to

make sure all sides were protected, and that is what we want. head another contributor. the huntington hotel graciously agreed to not charge for the artist's stay. with so many partners, i have to say this is truly an exemplary public-private partnership. most of the cost of the project has been private contributions. i would like to ask you one last time to applaud this small village of individuals on both sides of the pacific who made this dream a reality. thank you. [applause] >> thank you. so clearly, it takes a lot of work and a lot of people to bring a 10-ton sculpture across the pacific ocean, and bring it to the san francisco civic center. i know everyone wants to get to

the mayor and hear from the artist. i want to quickly bring to the microphone, the consul general from the chinese consulate to say a few words, because we couldn't have done this without the partnership of the chinese government as well. >> honor mayor newscom, president of the commission, ladies and gentlemen, and of course honorable mr. juan, whan. it is my good pleasure to join us in the dedication ceremony of the three hands-six arms. on this occasion i would like to thank the mayor and his colleagues for the great efforts to promote the chinese culture, and thanks to the san francisco arts commission for providing us with this opportunity to enjoy this buhl art work and to celebrate the

sister city relationship between shanghai and san francisco. san francisco is well-known for it's cultural diversity, and it has always a long-standing and profound friendship with the chinese people. the former mayor, diane feinstein proclaimed the inception of the sister-city relationship between the two cities. and thanks to the concerted efforts after these 30 years. this relationship has achieved remarkable and substantial rulls. there have been 225 projects of cooperation between the two cities.

many chinese companies have found a home here. i think what is more significant is that this city is going to stage a san francisco place at the world expo in shanghai. that is an expression of profound friendship and strong special bonds between our two cities, and it will surely give new impetus to the friendship and cooperation between our two cities. this sculpture will stay here for a period of time. i think it will help local people to understand china, understand chinese history, chinese culture and the chinese philosophy of harmony. it will remind us to work hard to promote our mutual understanding and caption.

i am confident with our joint efforts, we will surely make the san francisco exhibit a highlight at the world expo in shanghai, but also we will make san francisco the best gateway to china, a pioneer in the development of u.s.-china relations. shrank thank -- thank you. >> he spoke to the context of what we are here, also putting that in context is the head of the sister city committee as well as your bart board member, james. >> thank you, b.j. we are very delighted to be part of this fantastic physical monument to the cooperation between the cities of san francisco and shanghai. as has been mentioned before, this will be, in june, our 30th anniversary between our two great cities. it has been a wonderful

relationship, and we will be bringing, in june, a delegation of approximately 300 or so people to shanghai to celebrate this 30th anniversary. this delegation will be divided into two components, prime army. a performing component which will celebrate the diversity of san francisco. but the other thing it will also bring, we have a very long sustainable energy component while there. san francisco is the only american city in the united states to be granted official participant status at the world expo. we believe that is in large part due to the wonderful relationship we have had between our two cities. it will be a fantastic trip in june, june 17-june 25.

before i conclude, i wanted to make a couple of quick last points. first, i want to thank many of the sponsors that we have for the sister city committee. this thing is a volunteer organization. i want to acknowledge our presenting sponsor and founders. thank you so much. marsh arvel has been a key sponsor. the second thing i want to say is in chinese culture, the letter 3 is very important. i want to thank the leadership for setting up three. first it was jay and his asian art museum right there, the shanghai commibblet. the second one obviously is this wonderful statue, and third will be san francisco week in shanghai. this shows that the bonds between our city and the vision of our mayor is really incredible to craft this whole year around our 30th

anniversary. it is very well of respected in shanghai and clearly here i know we very much appreciate it. i will say without getting too much political i will miss him when he leaves san francisco. thank you. and i would like to pren -- i was at the opening ceremony of the world expo, and i would like to present an opening program from the world expo to the mayor. thank you very much. [applause] >> as he will soon find out, you never really do leave san francisco. all right. not only is this an incredibly important and spectacular work by one of the world's most important artists, but as my 4-year-old daughter who goes to day care in the basement of city hall said here, that is really could. and i think we can all agree.

i am going to ask the artist to speak next. a city is only as great as its people. san francisco is a great city. and its cultural life is only as great as its artists and the creativity, inspiration and things they bring to the life here. we are glad to be able to call him one of our own. [applause] >> good morning, my friends. [speaking chinese] >> i'm really honored today to share this moment with everybody here in san francisco

, to actually have this ceremony of this giant god from the orient to san francisco today. [speaking chinese] >> he wasn't expecting that the mayor is so young and handsome and has such good taste of art. [laughter] [speaking chinese] >> he was hoping last night that the mayor can honor him as an honorable citizen of france -- san francisco. [speaking chinese]

>> in about five years ago, i actually spent more than 10 years to go performance art, and i was really young and energetic. and i have a strong hormone in my body, so i want to use them all. [laughter] [speaking chinese] >> now i am 45, and the level of my hormone in my body has gradually lowered down, but i want to use my art to give this new hormone to the world and to the arts.

[speaking chinese] >> i want to thank everybody who worked really hard on this project, their intelligence, their hard work, people working in the city hall and the sponsors. [speaking chinese] >> nobody wants war and hurtful things happening in this world any more. so i do hope any work, three hands and six arms, will bring peace and harmony to our withhold world. thank you very much. [applause] >> all right. thank you.

>> moving on from the hormone part of the program, this is usually the part where i talk about how incredible our mayor is when it comes to the arts, and it's true. no mayor has done as much to promote and protect the arts and the cultural life of this city as mayor newscom. you have all been gracious standing here in the sun waiting to get to the america. here is mayor newscom. >> thank you all. based on his comments, as far as i am concerned, he is an honorary citizen of san francisco. so thank you for your comments. thank you for the spirit that brought you here and for your art and for your commitment to the cause of bringing us together, which is the cause of understanding, and an appreciation of our capacity to recognize that we all have some

remarkable and interesting differences that it is right to celebrate. but at the end of the day we are all bound together by the things that bind us together in terms of our common humanity. it is i think appropriate that this day is occurring here in san francisco and not some place else. we are the birth place of the united nations. this is a city with a population of over 30% asian. this is the city with the first and largest chinatown in the united states, a city that is appropriately celebrating three decades of specific relationship with the people of shanghai and china. this is a city that again has always maintained itself as other people oriented, that recognizes that it's real inspiration is by looking for inspiration not just internally, but looking for instance operation around the world. so i am very proud to be here, and proud to be here at this important moment. i am proud of the incredible

team at the arts commission. luis, p.j. johnson and the entire commission, and to the passion, persistence, dedication, focus and follow-through of jill, who deserves a big round of [applause] , wherever you want. [applause] >> and to all of our sponsors. i won't begin again, but the hu family and all of you for your contribution. thank you for making this happen. we did want to be audacious, we wanted something bold, something that would get some attention and generate some controversy. the only thing missing -- were seems to love this thing. it doesn't seem to be particularly controversial, which i am surprised. trust me. 10 years ago if someone said they were going to put a 15-ton sculpture anywhere in this tone

three stories high, there is no way it would generate anything but headlines and controversial columns. remember the days we were trying to put a foot in the embarcadero and a peace sign? there was a giant spider on thedom of city hall, and everyone we want crazy. you thought the sky would fall in because people were so upset. but in the last few years we have changed perceptions and changed people's hearts and minds. you don't have to like everything, but we want to challenge you, get you to pause and reflection and get engaged, and art can do this. i have had the privilege of seeing this go up and how people are reacting to it, the physical changes in their body. they walk by, look up, stop, pause, sit down and reflect.

that is what this is all about, to challenge you. the chief of staff said as the first head went up, what were the other heads and arms? he said where is the torso and the legs? that is exactly what we should be talking about and what great public art is all about. i am very proud of this piece and produced of the -- and proud of the team that brought it here, proud of our work with shanghai as our sister city. this is a big deal. there is no city anywhere in the world that was given a designation to have a separate celebration of sorts in concert with the shanghai 2010 expo. this is a big deal. but san francisco was afforded that privilege and that honor, again because we recognized the importance of that relationship. at the end of the day, that is truly what we are celebrating with this remarkable piece of art. thank you to all of you that

took the time to come out here, particularly these kids. this is what it is all about, those young artists. a bow. well done. [applause] keep up the good work. they are all better artists than i, that one in particular. well done. and to all the other children that are out here that are inspired by this work, and to all of those that maintain that quality of imagination, regardless of your time of life, but your state of mind, for being here, that artist inside of all of us, that creativity that all of us need to cherish, celebrate, explore and share. with that, i will end my thing. nothing more than what i have already said, and wish you all a wonderful afternoon, wish you lots of luck, wish me luck with the budget that i am submitting that clearly is being leveraged

against any cuts to the arts. that is what i'm hearing. that is why they are being so nice. thank you rec and park for letting us do this and breaking every rule. these are things you are not supposed to do. that is another topic for another day. thank you to the city administrator. thank you to virgin airlines for being here and promoting this city around the world. have a great afternoon. thank you. [applause] >> all right. thanks, everybody. we are going to take some pictures. the artist is going to consecrate the piece. check it out, enjoy it and have a great day. thanks very much. >> welcome to "

today we are visiting southern exposure in san francisco alison prepares to launch a fantastic new project called beautiful possibilities.

we will send them on a two-year adventure crisscrossing the united states to investigate american history and contemporary culture. it is using a traveling road show as inspiration. she will sit down and talk with residents in search of stories and experiences that reveals exactly what makes us americans. >> beautiful possibility is a traveling research project that i will take on a five-month journey across the united states and lower canada. i document this tore on a map that i painted for the project and also from previous projects called the road map to lost america. on the map i have taken all of the contemporary borders off the map and replaced them with native territories, and then overlaid it with contemporary

highways. i have scheduled venue stops at different areas along the tour, from california to south dakota, that will serve as headquarters for my local research. when i was researching the traveling medicine show, i came across this. they had put out an elixir, and it referred to the elements that came out because of the high stress, high-pressure life, mostly because of the industrial revolution. anyway, i was fascinated by the term american-itis, and i thought it did a lot about the stress-related illnesses, and i was impressed that they picked up on that and the 1800's. i did a survey to see if it was irrelevant element today. i have a series of eight painted banners that are retellings of

american history. i am particularly interested in transition history between native and european histories and retelling them as if they were a popular myth. there is a mix of eras and characters and times drat these banners. -- and times throughout these banners. i use the olympics and the melting pot, or things reduced down, and come out of this reduction. and something else transforms out of it. they had this strict code of who we should be as americans, and then i had andrew jackson fanning the flames. this first contact, down to george bush in 2008. all of the characters that appear are real characters that are taken from my research. we are an interesting mix and i want to provoke wonder about who

we are. every one of the characters are taken from actual photographs or documents that i found in my research on american history. in a lot of my banners, you conceal -- uc the melting pot, the imagery and myth that we use in our culture. talking about these reductions of all these different mixes of people, how you distill the experience. that is something i want to think about, collecting the ideas and ingredients, and i wanted to do the san francisco de lexie. -- elixir. we found a spring water underneath a church in cow hollow. we put rosebuds in the water to attract peace, and it made a meade. it was sitting in the gallery.

we distill that through local herbs. it was really surprising how delicious it was, because we were mixing a lot of seemingly in congruent ingredients, and it was delicious and different from anything you have ever tasted. i would have been happy if it was medicinal. the idea was more important to me. but it was very good. it is something i think a lot about, especially transition history, native americans, how they have this combination of dress, from the clothing from trade companies, mixed with traditional dress. i love how reflective it is of who they are, and also the merging history's coming together. what would we look like if we carry our history with us? all of the merging of cultures, reflected in our address? i am thinking of my own history with early europeans coming in and intermixing with native

cultures. the one thing i would like people to take away from after seeing my work is a sense of wonder and who we are as americans. that we are really these beautiful mixes of people and we should really be looking backwards at who we are. i think we are all kind of historians in our own life, and there are great presidents behind us -- president behind us that could give us insight into who we are. >> oliver road trip on her website. check at often. new experiences will be added after every stop.

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