BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN PRODID:adamgibbons/ics METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VEVENT UID:21849@offbeat.amsterdam SUMMARY:Chinamaxxing DTSTAMP:20260506T180132Z DTSTART:20260606T180000Z DESCRIPTION:Are we living in a very Chinese time?\n\nAt a time when Chinese culture is becoming more visible worldwide and is part of\nbroader geopol itical shifts\, we find ourselves in what we might describe as “a\nvery Ch inese time.” On social media we’re seeing a trend called “Chinamaxxing\,”\ nin which elements of Chinese culture\, from philosophy to aesthetics and\ nlifestyle\, are suddenly being embraced and glorified. On June 6\, Felix Meritis\nand YIQI Collective invite you to critically engage with a pressi ng question:\nwho holds the power to define Chinese culture\, and how can that power be\nreclaimed by the diaspora?\n\nOn this evening\, we invite y ou to reflect with us on soft power\, Orientalism\,\nauthenticity\, and th e fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation.\nAs for many people in the Chinese diaspora the concept of Chinamaxxing clashes\nwith p ast experiences in which the same culture was stigmatized or portrayed\nne gatively. At the same time\, the program creates a space for reclaiming an d\ncelebrating Chinese identity\, not as an aesthetic or trend\, but as a lived\nexperience and a source of knowledge\, resilience\, and connection. \n\n\nPROGRAM\n\nThe program will start with a collective ritual by Luci R ain creating a shared\,\nmindful space to set the stage for the panel disc ussion. During the panel talk\nmoderated by Zoë Horsten\, two experts with a background in journalism and new\nmedia will provide context and analys is regarding the rise of “Chinamaxxing”.\nThis is followed by an interacti ve conversation where the audience is invited to\nshare and reflect on how their lived experience and how identity and culture are\nexperienced\, re claimed\, and celebrated in practice.\nMovement artist Qiyun Zhen will per form ‘A Knot Manifesto’ combining Chinese\nFolk Dance\, Newway Voguing\, a nd Contortion.\nWe will end the evening with DJ & Drinks and a community m arket where various\nChinese creatives/entrepreneurs will show and sell th eir work.\n\n\nLINE-UP\n\nAbout Yiqi\nYIQI [https://www.instagram.com/yiqi .global/] is a Dutch-based creative platform\nand collective connecting th e global Chinese diaspora through culture\, art\, and\nstorytelling. Roote d in a bicultural perspective\, they explore identity\,\nbelonging\, and h eritage across generations and borders. From campaigns and films\nto commu nity events and collaborations\, YIQI creates spaces where stories are\nsh ared and connections are made\, amplifying diverse voices and shaping a ne w\nwave of Chinese creatives worldwide.\n\nZoë Horsten | moderator\n\nZoë Horsten [https://www.instagram.com/zhorsten/] is a dynamic moderator\,\npr ogram maker\, and creative producer. She is involved with festivals that d ive\ninto different landscapes of the arts\, working with Amsterdam based\ norganizations such as FIBER Festival\, IDFAand Summer Dance Forever. As a \nDutch-Chinese person with an adoption background\, she has always been d rawn to\nthe meaning of home\, belonging\, and identity.\n\nAlongside thei r involvement in the cultural arts sector\, Zoë creates programs\nthat fos ter space-making\, community building and empowerment for queer and Asian\ nidentities. Since 2022 she joined Pan Asian Collective\, and in 2024 she\ nco-founded Eastern Playgrounds\, a queer/Asian-led initiative that organi zes\ncommunity events where people of Asian descent come together to celeb rate\nculture\, art\, and connection through mahjong\, karaoke\, food and creative\ncollaborations.\n\nLees meer\n\nVera Yijun Zhou\n\nVera Yijun Zh ou [https://www.instagram.com/vera_zhouyijun/] is an\ninterdisciplinary ar tist\, researcher\, and publisher whose work is focused on the\nproduction and circulation of images in the new media environment. Her work and\nres earch deconstruct and translate the symbolic language created by conceptua l\ntheories by documenting and analyzing individuals’ narratives.\n\nVera was born and raised in China in the early page of its globalization and\nm oved to the Netherlands at the onset of the pandemic. Her work follows and \nreflects the multiple social contradictions of the post-globalization er a she is\nexperiencing\, she uses the consumption and circulation of image s as a metaphor\nto capture the alienated reality within and underlying im ages of neoliberalism\,\nidentity politics\, and censorship surveillance.\ n\nLees meer\n\nLuci Rain\n\nLuci Rain [https://www.instagram.com/lucirain 222/] is a Chinese artist based in\nAmsterdam\, creating ritual based perf ormances that explore identity\,\nspirituality\, and cultural ownershi. Sh e describes herself as a rebellious\nChinese princess singing the secret s pells. Through mantra\, voice\, and ritual\,\nshe combines traditional wis dom with contemporary sound. creates shared spaces\nwhere audiences are in vited not just to observe\, but to feel\, reflect\, and\nreconnect with th eir own relationship to culture and self.\n\nQotton\nQotton [https://www.i nstagram.com/qottonz/] (Qiyun Zheng) is a dancer and\nperformance artist w hose practice stems from Chinese Folk Dance\, Voguing\,\nContortion\, and Butoh. Rooted in Shanghai’s underground queer clubs\, they were a\nmember of China’s first Ballroom house and are now thriving in the European\nscen e. With a background in English-Chinese Translation\, their work explores the\ncontorting body as a site of cultural hybridity\, queerness\, and res istance\,\napproaching performance as a translatable language between cult ures.\n\n\nABOUT OUR CULTURAL CURATOR\n\nAs cultural programmer at Felix M eritis Savannah specialises in themes at the\nintersection of the creative industry\, (digital) culture and social change. With\nher Dutch-Chinese b ackground she also resonates with themes such as diasporic\nheritage\, bel onging and ESEA representation. Her work is rooted in storytelling\,\nco-c reation\, and community-driven initiatives\, with a focus on amplifying\nu nderrepresented voices.\n\nShe develops multidisciplinary programs that in vite to connect\, to critically\nreflect on dominant narratives and inspir e to collectively create new\nimaginaries.\n\n\nWould you like to attend t his program\, but don’t have the means to pay for a\nticket? Send an email to info@felixmeritis.nl\, we can work something out.\n\nNote: By booking this ticket\, you agree to potentially be photographed during\nthe event. URL:https://offbeat.amsterdam/event/chinamaxxing GEO:52.3699902;4.884254 LOCATION:Felix Meritis - Keizersgracht 324\, 1016 EZ Amsterdam STATUS:CONFIRMED CATEGORIES:amsterdam-centrum,community,dance,discussion,dj,festivals,food,k eizersgracht,performance,queer,stories,storytelling,talk X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Are we living in a very Chinese time?

At a time when Chinese culture is becoming more visible worldwi de and is part of broader geopolitical shifts, we find ourselves in what w e might describe as “a very Chinese time.” On social media we’re seeing a trend called “Chinamaxxing,” in which elements of Chinese culture, from ph ilosophy to aesthetics and lifestyle, are suddenly being embraced and glor ified. On June 6, Felix Meritis and YIQI Collective invite you to critical ly engage with a pressing question: who holds the power to define Chinese culture, and how can that power be reclaimed by the diaspora?

On this evening, we invite you to reflect with us on soft power, Orie ntalism, authenticity, and the fine line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. As for many people in the Chinese diaspora the concept of Chinamaxxing clashes with past experiences in which the same culture was s tigmatized or portrayed negatively. At the same time, the program creates a space for reclaiming and celebrating Chinese identity, not as an aesthet ic or trend, but as a lived experience and a source of knowledge, resilien ce, and connection.

Program

The program will st art with a collective ritual by Luci Rain creating a shar ed, mindful space to set the stage for the panel discussion. During the pa nel talk moderated by Zoë Horsten, two experts with a bac kground in journalism and new media will provide context and analysis rega rding the rise of “Chinamaxxing”.
This is followed by an interactive c onversation where the audience is invited to share and reflect on how thei r lived experience and how identity and culture are experienced, reclaimed , and celebrated in practice.
Movement artist Qiyun Zhen will perform ‘A Knot Manifesto’ combining Chinese Folk Dance, Newway V oguing, and Contortion.
We will end the evening with DJ & Drinks a nd a community market where various Chinese creatives/entrepreneurs will s how and sell their work.

Line-up

About Yiq i
YIQI is a Dutch-based creative platform and collective connectin g the global Chinese diaspora through culture, art, and storytelling. Root ed in a bicultural perspective, they explore identity, belonging, and heri tage across generations and borders. From campaigns and films to community events and collaborations, YIQI creates spaces where stories are shared a nd connections are made, amplifying diverse voices and shaping a new wave of Chinese creatives worldwide.

Zoë Horsten | moderator< /strong>

Zoë Horsten is a dynamic moderator, program maker, and creative producer. She is involved with festivals that dive into different landscap es of the arts, working with Amsterdam based organizations such as FIBER F estival, IDFAand Summer Dance Forever. As a Dutch-Chinese person with an a doption background, she has always been drawn to the meaning of home, belo nging, and identity.

Alongside their involvement in the cultural ar ts sector, Zoë creates programs that foster space-making, community buildi ng and empowerment for queer and Asian identities. Since 2022 she joined P an Asian Collective, and in 2024 she co-founded Eastern Playgrounds, a que er/Asian-led initiative that organizes community events where people of As ian descent come together to celebrate culture, art, and connection throug h mahjong, karaoke, food and creative collaborations.

Lees meer < p>Vera Yijun Zhou

Vera Yijun Zhou is an interdisc iplinary artist, researcher, and publisher whose work is focused on the pr oduction and circulation of images in the new media environment. Her work and research deconstruct and translate the symbolic language created by co nceptual theories by documenting and analyzing individuals’ narratives.

Vera was born and raised in China in the early page of its globalizat ion and moved to the Netherlands at the onset of the pandemic. Her work fo llows and reflects the multiple social contradictions of the post-globaliz ation era she is experiencing, she uses the consumption and circulation of images as a metaphor to capture the alienated reality within and underlyi ng images of neoliberalism, identity politics, and censorship surveillance .

Lees meer

Luci Rain

Luci Rain is a Chin ese artist based in Amsterdam, creating ritual based performances that exp lore identity, spirituality, and cultural ownershi. She describes herself as a rebellious Chinese princess singing the secret spells. Through mantra , voice, and ritual, she combines traditional wisdom with contemporary sou nd. creates shared spaces where audiences are invited not just to observe, but to feel, reflect, and reconnect with their own relationship to cultur e and self.

Qotton
Qotton (Qiyun Zheng) is a dancer a nd performance artist whose practice stems from Chinese Folk Dance, Voguin g, Contortion, and Butoh. Rooted in Shanghai’s underground queer clubs, th ey were a member of China’s first Ballroom house and are now thriving in t he European scene. With a background in English-Chinese Translation, their work explores the contorting body as a site of cultural hybridity, queern ess, and resistance, approaching performance as a translatable language be tween cultures.

About our cultural curator

As cultural programmer at Felix Meritis Savannah specialises in themes at the intersection of the creative industry, (digital) culture and social chang e. With her Dutch-Chinese background she also resonates with themes such a s diasporic heritage, belonging and ESEA representation. Her work is roote d in storytelling, co-creation, and community-driven initiatives, with a f ocus on amplifying underrepresented voices.

She develops multidisci plinary programs that invite to connect, to critically reflect on dominant narratives and inspire to collectively create new imaginaries.

Would you like to attend this program, but don’t have the mea ns to pay for a ticket? Send an email to info@felixmeritis.nl, we can work something out.

Note: By booking this ticket, you agree to potentially be photographed during the event.

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