920 Kg, an exhibition to be launched in August at Shanghai Duolun MoMA, will showcase a group of young artists’ works in form of photography, video, installation, paintings and multimedia, etc.
Guided by cognitive experiences, audiences are enabled to make their own judgments about the show’s intention as well as the qualities of the works, by following the title and index of the exhibition. When high hopes are placed on the title as much as on the exhibits, people are obsessed with a certain kind of denomination which is supposed to be overwhelming, profound, easy-to-read (though sometimes unreadable), yet most importantly, mysterious and covert. It can be found in a variety of dazzling titles since the late 1990s that the title and the experiment of art are both born with a mission. According to the traditional definition, a name, corresponding to a concrete object, must have its significance. Whereas exceptions still exist. Ludwig Wittgenstein held that the value of a word lies in its usage rather than in the connection between word and the signified. Do the establishment and option of a subject correspond to the meaning of the word? Actually those ineffable parts are manifested in practical use.
920 Kg will wind up replaced by the collective weight of participating artists, like a farcical mathematical game. Since weighing our body is likely to provide us with an alternative method. And in this way our horizon of art creation might be broadened. As far as human body is concerned, there is a long history of such a body-as-material approach in which registered a number of cases of abuse. Nudity has got legalized in the context of esthetics, and more attention has been drawn upon the explicit depict of our bodies. A new chapter in art history is calling on us to adopt an updated view of body – no longer reckoned and handled as a taboo – to refine the art of our generation. Then 920 Kg will work as an occasion of examination.
Does the sum of weight of artists, or rather those Arabic figures that we reached at last reflect the show itself? Chances are that this time our good grip of Picture Theory of Language and Basic Semiotics will be of little help. Therefore to understand 920 Kg is a matter of time and effort while contemporary artworks are put in a dilemma by the over-interpretation and the strict pursuit of a private vocabulary. In the end, the only way out is resorting to the works per se.
Date: August 19, 2005 –September 16, 2005
Venue: 1-2F Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art (No.27, Duolun Road, Shanghai)
Opening: August 19, 2005 19:00 Friday
Artists: Li Mu & Zhang Fang, Peng Yun, Huang Kui, Liu Bo, Chi Peng, Li Xiaosong, Luo Xiaodong, Ma Qiusha, Wu Ye, Su Wenxiang, Katja Beneke(Germany), Li Yu, Wang Jun, Shi Wanwan, Sik
Art Director: Shen Qibin
Academic Organizers: Gu Zheqing
Curator: Su Wenxiang
Media Coordinator: Feng Ruoyu
Technical Assistance: Sheng Shanyuan, Bao Zhengyuan
Contact: 021, 6587 5996
More Info:www.duolunart.org
柔软的温度 那中间是个什么的投影啊?作者: 苏文祥 时间: 2007-8-4 13:29
下面是一个蜡做的立方体，上面有强热光，透过人型的遮挡板，因此，蜡上出现一个人型的融化的一块。作者: 苏文祥 时间: 2007-8-4 13:29 标题: Heavy Thoughts Don’t expect warm and fuzzy feelings at curator Su Wenxiang’s ‘920 Kilograms’ exhibit, presently showing at the Doland Modern Art Museum. In fact, prepare for just the opposite. A heap of angst, a healthy degree of patience, and much, much ambiguity will undoubtedly arise during this beguiling 17-piece tour. The show’s sixteen young artists have all worked on previous projects together, with ‘920 Kilograms’ marking the third exhibit curated by twenty-six year old Su. The gentle Anhui native is pleased with the public’s perception of his work, but is also quick to deny any paltry explanations for his or any of the other collaborators’ provocative pieces.
SH Magazine: The title of the exhibit refers to the cumulative body weight of each artist. Who is the heaviest?
Su Wenxiang: Li Mu weighs the most. He’s the guy who did the ‘paranoia of a perfectionist’ video installation. He weighed in at 85 kg. Maybe he’s not such a perfectionist about regular exercise.
SH: Who came up with the ‘920 Kilograms’ concept? Why draw attention to weight?
SW: It’s funny, because it’s supposed to be a name that indicates nothing. We spent so much time trying to come up with the ‘right’ name, but realized this venture was too concrete. We were wasting energy on something meaningless when really we preferred to spend more time on our exhibits. I don’t want the audience to focus on our name, but rather on our names as artists and our pieces as art. I want to avoid a situation where people pay too much attention needlessly.
SH: Your lightbox piece, ‘How come you don’t care about my grief,’ is a photo series of a girl in various stages of intense emotion. What’s going on here? Is she in pain, grief, ecstasy, or love?
SW: Well, I love photography. I love the beauty of this model and the beauty of each picture. It is ambiguous, because I want you to interpret it as you like. Misunderstandings and reactions are intermingled. To be honest, I got the idea from an illegal pornographic website. I wanted to show how something illegal can be turned into something legal simply by labeling it as ‘art.’
SH: There seem to be quite a few pieces in this exhibit that broach controversial or potentially illegal topics, like rape, violence, and death. What message are you sending by compiling so many potentially disturbing works together?
SW: Again, I want the audience to figure out the meanings themselves. The message is in the art. Just like in theatre, the photographs of the girl tied up with blood around her leg, or the video of the girl and boyfriend fighting are both portraying theatrical atmospheres. The questions lie between what makes something real or surreal. What is the difference and who decides how we draw the line when viewing these differences?
SH: ‘920 Kilograms’ includes such a wide variety of mediums, from video and lightbox, to photography and film, even a progressively melting wax exhibit. What is your favorite material to work with?
SW: Personally, I have no favorite medium, because I don’t want to be restricted in my work. It depends on the subject. I have to choose whatever is most suitable for my project. You can see how each piece in this show is altered or affected by the materials used to create them.
SH: Like your interactive pieces, where the viewer is temporarily drawn into becoming part of the art?
SW: Exactly. In this one you become an actor involved. You break the boundary between art and viewer. I want it to challenge how my audience thinks about art. It’s not from a distance, it’s from inside.
SH: Do you have a particular favorite among the works displayed here?
SW: It’s hard to say. I like them all– that’s why I picked them. That was the easy part. I think the public really likes Ma Qiusha’s ‘Stop Motion.’ It took a lot of work for her to make. Each figure in the piece made of plastercine, making it a very intricate and impressive piece.
SH: You’re relatively young in the art world. How do you see the art scene progressing in China?
SW: I worked in Nanjing for two years at an arts center, but that city wasn’t near the caliber of Shanghai. This is a city rich with resources and capital, resulting in an art atmosphere that’s better than almost everywhere else. There are opportunities. Many young artists share a similar idea in their art and creation. We are much more opinionated here than elsewhere. I believe Shanghai is the most promising art center in the country.
SH: Has your work been shown outside China?
SW: Yes. I was in Poznan, Poland and Hanover, Germany in the spring. I was participating in this show called ‘Back into the Future.’
SH: What’s next on tap for you after the exhibit closes in mid-September?
SW: There is a show in Zendai’s MoMA called ‘Asian Traffic’ coming up very soon. I’m ready to start working on it – the Zendai is an amazing space with so much potential.作者: 苏文祥 时间: 2007-8-4 13:29
宇文光，这是一个小杂志的采访，里面有一段应该有我回答的关于那个作品的意思：|
我知道你英文好，你看看吧。我不想在论坛上很正式的阐释自己的作品，呵呵作者: 苏文祥 时间: 2007-8-4 13:29 标题: Artists weigh in with bodyworks --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9/9/2005 8:56
Wang Jie/Shanghai Daily news
In a city where art lovers are exposed to so many choices, it\'s not easy to know which exhibition will be intriguing and which may be mediocre.
Sometimes the choice of which show to attend can be made just by having a look at the name of the exhibition and "920 Kg" seemed sufficiently weird to warrant a trip to Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art.
The exhibition showcases the works of a group of young artists - including Liu Bo, Wu Ye and Li Yu - in photography, video, installation, painting and multimedia.
But what\'s the mystery behind calling the show "920 Kg?"
"That is the sum of the weights of the participating artists," explains Feng Ruoyu, spokesperson for the museum. "It\'s a new way to name an exhibition."
Since visitors are well accustomed to examining and judging the purpose for holding an exhibition as well as the quality of the works on display, they are in somewhat of a dilemma when trying to interpret such a private vocabulary.
"When high hopes are placed on the title as much as on the exhibits, visitors become obsessed with working out why a certain number has been chosen which is supposed to be overwhelming, profound, easy-to-read, yet most importantly, mysterious or hidden," Feng says.
Then "920 Kg" is only a farcical mathematics game. Does the total weight of all artists, or rather the Arabic figures, in the end reflect the show itself?
"In fact, the theme of the show is a discussion about the human body," says Su Wenxiang, one of the artists in the exhibition. "We thought of several names which were closely related to the human body but they were too direct or erotic for a show."
Apparently the final choice was the right move.
Although nudity has long been recognized as valid in the context of aesthetics and is no longer a taboo subject, it would be stupid merely to display nudity without any thought about artistic merit.
"The disadvantage of following traditional aesthetics is the widespread and inappropriate use of the human body," Su says. "For example, (Marcel) Duchamp was the first to put a urinal inside an art museum. But it would be meaningless if he moved it in a second time."
Naturally each artist has his or her own way of pursuing and uncovering the mystery, the struggle, the hurt or the health of a human body.
For example, in a huge photograph entitled "On the Spot," Liu, a young artist from Wuhan in Hubei Province, expresses his concern about acts of violence done to the human body. The photo is of a kidnapped girl\'s body lying among the ruins of a construction site.
"I have been curious in the subject for years," says Liu. "Just imagine that any unexpected incident would change your life because your body is more fragile than you would think."
However, today many people ignore the health of their bodies because of stress and pressure of work.
Li, also an artist from Wuhan, reminds visitors of taking care of themselves through his photograph, entitled "lastic Playground Series."
The picture depicts a newly built plastic playground but while it contains many people, nobody is playing games.
"My purpose is simple," Li says. "I suggest that these men sitting all day in front of the computer should be out doing some physical exercise instead of playing computer games or chatting on the Internet."
Li Mu and Zhang Fang\'s video installation, "The Paranoia of a Perfectionist," instantly and vividly outlines a psychological problem that troubles some people. It captures a person continuously and patiently washing hands under a tap. The scenario is familiar as the scene is typical of a perfectionist. The artist is lamenting that sometimes the only way to ease the pain in our souls is to torture our own bodies.
Likewise, indulging the body can also cause the soul some agony. Su\'s "How Come You Don\'t Care about My Grief," a light box installation, makes this point.
"This exhibition gives various possibilities of ways to extend the topic of the human body," Su says. "In fact, some of us take our bodies too seriously and others do the opposite."
In Chinese tradition and aesthetics, one\'s body always ought to be under control and this has come to be a national characteristic.
"But here, the body is no longer a taboo subject and it is open to public discussion - thanks to the power of \'920 Kg\'," Su says jokingly.
Date: through September 16, 9am-5pm
Address: 27 Duolun Rd
Admission: 10 yuan
Tel: 6587-6902
lastic Playground Series."