Dying to see a 1001 Chinese fulfill their dreams of travelling to the land of fairytales? Then go visit Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany. This is Art, as conceived by Chinese architect, Ai Weiwei, and not cheap art, with a budget of 3 million euros. I hope to be there myself with my daughter.  Admittedly, I’ve been saying that since Documenta 1, but I still haven’t gotten there. Maybe the chance of seeing so many Asian faces like mine will get me there this time.

Actually, I’m two minds about this. It strikes me as being too close to a human zoo. No doubt, it will be fascinating to hear the accounts of the Chinese, chosen from all walks of life, and each of whom will be given a camera to record their experiences. I try to remind myself that this is not the St. Louis World’s Fair of 1904, where “primitives” were displayed for the pleasure of fair-goers, where a visitor states, “Viewing man in his primitive state — black, half-clad — it occurs to you why you are the only race not on exhibition.” No, it can’t be 1904.