DB: 您目前在策划哪些项目,您的任务是什么? What is your current project and what is your mission?

我最近在为即将开业的燕晗高地(The mountain view)文化艺术综合空间筹备建设艺术版块,筹备此空间非赢利艺术中心的开幕展览:著名观念艺术家沈少民的作品。我的使命是推动当代艺术,推动珠三角乃至全国的当代艺术发展,搭建当代艺术与大众之间的桥梁。
“The Mountain View” cultural and arts integrated space will soon open, so I am preparing the opening exhibition for the non-profit art center in the space, displaying works of the famous conceptual artist Shen Shaomin. My mission is to promote the development of contemporary art in the Pearl River Delta and even the whole country. I want to build a bridge between contemporary art and the public.

DB: 您个人的策展哲学是什么?What is your curatorial philosophy?

我的策展哲学是:寻找平凡世界中的不平凡,不朽的艺术作品及艺术家总会发光,那是智者的光芒。
My curatorial philosophy is: Looking for the extraordinary in the mortal world, those immortal artists and their works will eventually give off light, and it is called wisdom.

DB: 哪个艺术作品对您影响深刻,问什么?What work of art has most affected you personally and why?

对我影响最大的一件艺术作品是:Damien Hirst—The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.
理由:Damien Hist是位非常具有冒险精神的当代艺术家,尽管他在国际上具有很大的争议。他的这件作品惊世骇俗,深深启发了我对生命、生死的思索。也令我对当代艺术有了全新的认知。
I was deeply influenced by: Damien Hirst—The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living.
Reason: Damien Hirst is a contemporary artist with a great spirit of adventure, although he has been a controversial figure internationally. His works have shocked the world and deeply inspired me in thinking about life and death. It also brought me a brand new way of understanding contemporary art.

DB: 您为什么喜欢策展? What do you love most about curating?

策展的过程跟拍摄电影的过程非常相似,从某种意义上说,策展人像一部电影的导演及制片人,选择剧本和演员,团队协作,整合所有的资源,有掌控全局的综合能力,也要有对细节的精准处理把控,要呈现出一部精彩的电影绝非易事,策划一场展览也一样,对策展人对挑战也非常大,一位优秀的策展人对时代有敏锐的洞察力,需要具备综合全面的艺术素养以及文学功底,要有敏锐的嗅觉及感悟力,与艺术家之间有高度默契,透彻理解及诠释艺术家的作品,布置展览过程也有许多即兴的成分,最终展览呈现的结果也许会超乎预期,这也是让人着迷及兴奋的。
The process of curating is very similar to the process of filming. In a sense, the curator acts like a film director and producer: selecting scripts and actors, coordinating the team, integrating all resources and they must be capable to control the overall situation as well as handling details precisely. It is no easy task to present a wonderful movie, just like planning an exhibition. An excellent curator must possess a keen insight of the era,a comprehensive artistic accomplishments and literary skills. They must have a tacit understanding with the artists, thoroughly understand and interpret their works. There are also many unknowns in the exhibition process and they may present the final exhibition in a way that goes beyond expectations, which is also fascinating and exciting.

DB: 您在深圳住了15年,后来搬到了香港定居。那您觉得这两个城市的艺术家们有什么不同吗?You lived in Shenzhen for 15 years before moving to Hong Kong. How does the artistic community differ between the two?

香港与深圳这两地的艺术家的不同,跟这两座城市的不同的特征、属性、人口结构及气质是相关的。深圳是一座移民城市,外来人口居多,艺术家群体里也是以外来移民居多,而且有一定的流动性,所以有的艺术家作品里呈现的是跟深圳这座改革开放最前沿的城市的特性有关,比如城市与经济快速发展的几十年来呈现出来的问题,有的艺术家会表达在经济特区里生活的艺术家个体的生存、生活以及精神状态,有的艺术家会关注深圳独特的“城中村”的现象…等等。香港的艺术家相对更具有国际视野,东西方的文化艺术交融汇集,形成具有香港特色的艺术语言,艺术家同时也非常关注本土,表达香港这座城市的面貌及民生状态、香港社会现阶段存在的问题,比如有的艺术家会以作品表达政治主题,但是在深圳就没有艺术家去表达政治问题,因为政治氛围比较稀薄,在北京就比较常见。香港的居住及生活成本比深圳高,艺术家的创作空间比较狭小,所以他们有的会走出狭小的室内空间,去户外进行素材收集及创作,但深圳大多数的艺术家在远离都市的工业区或村庄里有有较大的工作室,那些地方成本也比较低。香港与深圳都是商业气息浓的城市,有部分艺术家需要靠其他的工作来维持艺术创作,要坚持下去也是不容易的事情,城市并没有良好的土壤及氛围供艺术家生存。虽然两座城市都是富裕的城市,但并不代表艺术家群体有好的物质生活条件。
The differences between artists in Hong Kong and Shenzhen are related to the different characteristics, attributes, demographic structure and temperament of these two cities. Shenzhen is mostly a city consisting of a large number of migrants,which means the artists’ groups are also mostly immigrants and very likely to move away. The works of those artists are therefore related to the characteristics of Shenzhen, the most advanced city in reform and opening up. Some artists focus on the problems existing in the decades of rapid development of the city, some will express survival, living and the spiritual status of those artists living in special economic zones. Others will pay attention to Shenzhen’s unique phenomenon of “villages in the city” etc. Artists in Hong Kong have a relatively international perspective. The integration of East and West culture and art forms an artistic language with Hong Kong characteristics. Artists are also very concerned about the local community. They express the environment of Hong Kong and the state of people’s livelihood as well as the current problems in Hong Kong society. For example, some artists express their political themes in their works, but in Shenzhen there are no artists to express political issues because the political atmosphere is relatively thin which is in contrast with Beijing. Due to the higher living costs in Hong Kong, artists usually have limited creative resources, so some of them will go outdoors for material collection and creation. However, most artists in Shenzhen live in industrial areas or villages that are far away from downtown. There are larger studios where the costs are lower. Hong Kong and Shenzhen are both cities with a strong commercial atmosphere. Some artists need to rely on other work to maintain artistic creation. It is not easy to persist because the city does not provide a good situation and atmosphere for the artist to survive. Although both cities are wealthy cities, it does not mean that artists’ groups have good material living conditions.

DB: 您在工作中遇到最大的挑战是什么? What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

在工作中,所有的挑战都是乐趣,工作本身没有什么挑战,说到挑战还是来自于展览资金的问题,往往不充裕。况且策展人多数在财务平衡与数字方面并没有天赋。
All challenges are fun at work. Actually, challenges usually do not come from the work itself, but the exhibition funds. We are always short of funds and in addition, most curators are not skilled in financial balance and figures.

DB: 假如用三个词来描述您的收藏品,会是哪三个词? If you had to describe your collection in only three words, what words would you use?

有趣,共鸣,时代性
Amusing, resonating, and epochal.

DB: 对于想从事策展的读者,您有什么建议吗? Finally, what advice do you have for any of our readers who hope to become a successful curator?

Just do it, 相信自己的直觉。
Just do it and trust your intuition.

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