Wang Gongxin-Wang Gongxin-Wang Gongxin
CHINESE CONTEMPORARY VIDEO ART RESEARCH PROJECT (First Draft) 2008-2010
General Introduction
These last few years, China contemporary art initiated an increasing focus from the international art scene, and the Chinese art market reached unprecedented records. This phenomenon was furthermore intensified by the multiple biennales, art fairs and exhibitions held in China and abroad. However, although numbers of publications on this matter have been written, most of them mainly consist in a cataloguing of Chinese artists without real analysis. With the development of new technologies and its access facility, video art became more and more popular, and is one of the principal media used nowadays. We all heard about the successful works of Yang Fudong and other artists, but none thorough research has been made on the history of video art in China.
Therefore, Art-Ba-Ba is happy to present a study on Chinese video art that everyone will be able to read, comment and discuss about. Although this research will be as objective as possible, collected information will be - consciously or not - treated under a certain angle (like any other studies), if only because of the video artists’ selection. Through this online confrontation with other professionals from the art field (including artists, curators, critics, etc), this research will be continuously developed and cover various aspects of Chinese video art history.
This project is supported by the Prince Claus Fund through BizArt Art Center.
RESEARCH WORKING PROCESS
By Fu Xiaodong
1 – Interviews and collected information analysis (from 2008 to 2010)
1.1 – Study's outlines:
a. General features: outline video art development process, collect any related documents as well as artists’ own descriptions about video art history.
b. Background: video art history is closely related to artists’ social background. Video artists will be classified according to their artistic evolution and thoughts. Main works will be analyzed from their initiation to their production in relation to their social and historical context. Furthermore, links between the works, whether continuous, transitional or discontinuous will be studied.
c. Artists community: through this study, figure out relationships between the artists, their common points, their background and understand their choice for this medium.
d. Key artists: individual research to analyze each artist’s style and particularities, their different creating methods, their way of facing issues, their aesthetic requests, and their specific use this medium.
e. Exhibitions/Activities: research exhibitions and events featuring these video artists, analyze their influences on other artists and the art society.
f. West-East differences: focus on the differences between Eastern and Western world, how Chinese video artists reflected upon Western video art system, their judgment and choices.
1.2 - Relevant issues (to be modified according to the interviews)
a. Why using video?: the choice of video as a medium.
b. Source of the assimilated information and studies’ history.
c. Experiment new media language, is this a progress? Does it stimulate creation’s development? Are there other technical possibilities? How to use new technologies?
d. How technique, artworks’ topics and means of expression correspond to various periods’ thoughts, how to convert and handle these materials?
e. Are there any radical political views? What are the political orientations and beliefs values?
f. What are the best media to express these topics? Relation between video art’s form and content.
g. Gather artworks; analyze artists’ individual creating process, rules, lines, break-troughs and other issues.
h. Relation between video and narration, video and time, video and images, issues related to the structural completion of a video.
i. Relation between video art and other art field: number of artists uses more than one medium, interrelation and influences between these different lines.
j. What are the criteria of perfection for video art in China? How to face and handle the relationship between East and West.
2. Working schedule and interview layouts - Three phases (from 2008 to 2010)
2.1 - 1990s, Apparition of video art in China
Considering that we are already in May and to ensure the quality of the interviews and studies, the First year of research will only cover the parts a. and b. below.
a. Focus on video language starting from the exploitation of this medium.
Zhang Peili 张培力 (b.1957) (various hints)
Wang Gongxin 王功新 (b.1960) (daily life)
Wang Jianwei 汪建伟 (b.1958) (theatrical and textual)
Li Yongbin 李永斌 (b.1963) (abstract)
b. About new media art and the use of interactive installation
Zhou Xiaohu 周啸虎 (b.1960) (animation film and sculpture)
Hu Jieming 胡介鸣 (b.1957) (interactive installation)
Shi Yong 施勇 (b.1963) (sound and performance)
Second year of research – 2009:
c. Combination of video art with various art fields
Xu Tan徐坦 (b.1957) (video and concept)
Li Juchuan 李巨川 (B.1964) (video and architecture)
Lin Yilin林一林 (b.1964)
Yan Lei颜磊 (b.1965)
Chen Shaoxiong 陈绍雄 (b.1962) (video and ink)
Song Dong 宋东 (b.1966) (video and performance)
Zhu Jia 朱加 (b.1963)
2.2 - After 2000, Development of video art in China: video art movement
a. Video art movement (recent period)
Qiu Zhijie 邱志杰 1969 (video art activities curated with Wu Meichun)
b. Pursuance of traditional video language, emphasis on narration and aestheticism: the technique is hidden and artists focus on symbols. Artists and their and main works.
Yang Fudong 杨福东 (b.1971), Seven intellectuals in bamboo forest (5 parts) /《竹林七贤》（5部）
Shi Qing 石青 (b.1969), Anorexia /《厌食症》
Jiang Zhi 蒋志 (b.1971), First finger,《食指》
Chen Xiaoyun 陈晓云 (b.1971), Queen’s Lily’s garden,《关于莉莉花园的一切》
Lu Chunsheng 陆春生 (b.1968), History of Chemistry, 《化学史》
3rd year of research – 2010:
c. Possessing performance aspect, artists and works which focus more on individuals and life experiences.
Xu Zhen 徐震 (b.1977), Rainbow /《彩虹》, Shouting /《喊》 Shouting, 18 Days /《十八天》. (Individual private experience, performance and video art)
Kan Xuan 阚萱 (b.1972), Kan Xuan, Eh! /《阚萱，哎》 (body and daily life)
Liang Yue 梁玥 (b.1979)
Song Tao 宋涛 (b.1979), (performance)
Birdhead 鸟头, My pretty Zhang Jiang, 《我美丽的张江》
Zhang Ding 张鼎 (b.1980), Tools 《工具》 (focus on ethnycal minorities’ religious beliefs, and life, as well as attitude of marginal people towards the society.)
Yang Zhenzhong 杨振中 (b.1968), Watching store /《看店》, Don’t Move /《不许动》
(focus on experimental aspects of video art, combination with daily life, internet art)
Shao Yi 邵一 (Religion)
d. Animation film, computer games and other artists/works using new media elements.
Feng Mengbo冯梦波 (b.1966)
Cao Fei 曹斐 (b.1978), China Tracy, 《中国翠西》 (Related to performance)
Tang Mahong唐茂宏 (b.1975), Orchidaceous finger /《兰花指》
Sun Xun 孙逊 (b.1980), Magician / 《魔术师》
Qiu Anxiong 邱黯雄 (b.1972), New classic of the Mountains and Seas,《山海经》
Cao Kai 曹恺 (b.1969) (games)
Wang Peng 王篷 (experimentation of materials)
Zhang Liaoyuan 张辽源 (performance recording)
The interviews above will all be conducted by Fu Xiaodong.
General Introduction
These last few years, China contemporary art initiated an increasing focus from the international art scene, and the Chinese art market reached unprecedented records. This phenomenon was furthermore intensified by the multiple biennales, art fairs and exhibitions held in China and abroad. However, although numbers of publications on this matter have been written, most of them mainly consist in a cataloguing of Chinese artists without real analysis. With the development of new technologies and its access facility, video art became more and more popular, and is one of the principal media used nowadays. We all heard about the successful works of Yang Fudong and other artists, but none thorough research has been made on the history of video art in China.
Therefore, Art-Ba-Ba is happy to present a study on Chinese video art that everyone will be able to read, comment and discuss about. Although this research will be as objective as possible, collected information will be - consciously or not - treated under a certain angle (like any other studies), if only because of the video artists’ selection. Through this online confrontation with other professionals from the art field (including artists, curators, critics, etc), this research will be continuously developed and cover various aspects of Chinese video art history.
This project is supported by the Prince Claus Fund through BizArt Art Center.
RESEARCH WORKING PROCESS
By Fu Xiaodong
1 – Interviews and collected information analysis (from 2008 to 2010)
1.1 – Study's outlines:
a. General features: outline video art development process, collect any related documents as well as artists’ own descriptions about video art history.
b. Background: video art history is closely related to artists’ social background. Video artists will be classified according to their artistic evolution and thoughts. Main works will be analyzed from their initiation to their production in relation to their social and historical context. Furthermore, links between the works, whether continuous, transitional or discontinuous will be studied.
c. Artists community: through this study, figure out relationships between the artists, their common points, their background and understand their choice for this medium.
d. Key artists: individual research to analyze each artist’s style and particularities, their different creating methods, their way of facing issues, their aesthetic requests, and their specific use this medium.
e. Exhibitions/Activities: research exhibitions and events featuring these video artists, analyze their influences on other artists and the art society.
f. West-East differences: focus on the differences between Eastern and Western world, how Chinese video artists reflected upon Western video art system, their judgment and choices.
1.2 - Relevant issues (to be modified according to the interviews)
a. Why using video?: the choice of video as a medium.
b. Source of the assimilated information and studies’ history.
c. Experiment new media language, is this a progress? Does it stimulate creation’s development? Are there other technical possibilities? How to use new technologies?
d. How technique, artworks’ topics and means of expression correspond to various periods’ thoughts, how to convert and handle these materials?
e. Are there any radical political views? What are the political orientations and beliefs values?
f. What are the best media to express these topics? Relation between video art’s form and content.
g. Gather artworks; analyze artists’ individual creating process, rules, lines, break-troughs and other issues.
h. Relation between video and narration, video and time, video and images, issues related to the structural completion of a video.
i. Relation between video art and other art field: number of artists uses more than one medium, interrelation and influences between these different lines.
j. What are the criteria of perfection for video art in China? How to face and handle the relationship between East and West.
2. Working schedule and interview layouts - Three phases (from 2008 to 2010)
2.1 - 1990s, Apparition of video art in China
Considering that we are already in May and to ensure the quality of the interviews and studies, the First year of research will only cover the parts a. and b. below.
a. Focus on video language starting from the exploitation of this medium.
Zhang Peili 张培力 (b.1957) (various hints)
Wang Gongxin 王功新 (b.1960) (daily life)
Wang Jianwei 汪建伟 (b.1958) (theatrical and textual)
Li Yongbin 李永斌 (b.1963) (abstract)
b. About new media art and the use of interactive installation
Zhou Xiaohu 周啸虎 (b.1960) (animation film and sculpture)
Hu Jieming 胡介鸣 (b.1957) (interactive installation)
Shi Yong 施勇 (b.1963) (sound and performance)
Second year of research – 2009:
c. Combination of video art with various art fields
Xu Tan徐坦 (b.1957) (video and concept)
Li Juchuan 李巨川 (B.1964) (video and architecture)
Lin Yilin林一林 (b.1964)
Yan Lei颜磊 (b.1965)
Chen Shaoxiong 陈绍雄 (b.1962) (video and ink)
Song Dong 宋东 (b.1966) (video and performance)
Zhu Jia 朱加 (b.1963)
2.2 - After 2000, Development of video art in China: video art movement
a. Video art movement (recent period)
Qiu Zhijie 邱志杰 1969 (video art activities curated with Wu Meichun)
b. Pursuance of traditional video language, emphasis on narration and aestheticism: the technique is hidden and artists focus on symbols. Artists and their and main works.
Yang Fudong 杨福东 (b.1971), Seven intellectuals in bamboo forest (5 parts) /《竹林七贤》（5部）
Shi Qing 石青 (b.1969), Anorexia /《厌食症》
Jiang Zhi 蒋志 (b.1971), First finger,《食指》
Chen Xiaoyun 陈晓云 (b.1971), Queen’s Lily’s garden,《关于莉莉花园的一切》
Lu Chunsheng 陆春生 (b.1968), History of Chemistry, 《化学史》
3rd year of research – 2010:
c. Possessing performance aspect, artists and works which focus more on individuals and life experiences.
Xu Zhen 徐震 (b.1977), Rainbow /《彩虹》, Shouting /《喊》 Shouting, 18 Days /《十八天》. (Individual private experience, performance and video art)
Kan Xuan 阚萱 (b.1972), Kan Xuan, Eh! /《阚萱，哎》 (body and daily life)
Liang Yue 梁玥 (b.1979)
Song Tao 宋涛 (b.1979), (performance)
Birdhead 鸟头, My pretty Zhang Jiang, 《我美丽的张江》
Zhang Ding 张鼎 (b.1980), Tools 《工具》 (focus on ethnycal minorities’ religious beliefs, and life, as well as attitude of marginal people towards the society.)
Yang Zhenzhong 杨振中 (b.1968), Watching store /《看店》, Don’t Move /《不许动》
(focus on experimental aspects of video art, combination with daily life, internet art)
Shao Yi 邵一 (Religion)
d. Animation film, computer games and other artists/works using new media elements.
Feng Mengbo冯梦波 (b.1966)
Cao Fei 曹斐 (b.1978), China Tracy, 《中国翠西》 (Related to performance)
Tang Mahong唐茂宏 (b.1975), Orchidaceous finger /《兰花指》
Sun Xun 孙逊 (b.1980), Magician / 《魔术师》
Qiu Anxiong 邱黯雄 (b.1972), New classic of the Mountains and Seas,《山海经》
Cao Kai 曹恺 (b.1969) (games)
Wang Peng 王篷 (experimentation of materials)
Zhang Liaoyuan 张辽源 (performance recording)
The interviews above will all be conducted by Fu Xiaodong.
Art-ba-ba video artists interviews
Starting from today, art-ba-ba will post interviews and information on Chinese video artists.
1. Wang Gongxin
These last few years, video art constituted one of the main medium used in contemporary art. The appearance of video art in China can be situated around the late 80s, beginning of the 90s. At that time, financial issues and technology limited the use of this medium and videos were closer to performances' recordings with basic shots, and a quasi inexistent montage. Wang Gongxin is one of the pioneers of “new media art” in China and became one of its representatives, participating to numerous national and international exhibitions.
An open daily experience, an interview with Wang Gongxin (English)
(Click here to view the Chinese version)
"When an artist uses video to present his art, it is definitely not an expression of public experience. What is public experience? For example, a table is used for writing, eating, or meeting; this is a public language that everybody knows. What if someone puts a table on the river, puts an motor on it, and drives it away like a boat? The table is presented as a unique personal experience and this can be a good work of art. No matter what media you're using, what matters is to present the possibility of a non-public experience. No matter what personal experience you want to present, it should be open, not serving for any particular purpose. My video visually presents my personal experience through plots. It transcends real life context and is open without ending. Art proposes questions, some of which are unknown to you but answered through my personal perspective and based on my personal experience. The more open an art work is, the better and the more powerful it is."(Wang Gongxin)
_______________________________________________________________
About Wang Gongxin (please click on the link below)
Everything about Wang Gongxin
Starting from today, art-ba-ba will post interviews and information on Chinese video artists.
1. Wang Gongxin
These last few years, video art constituted one of the main medium used in contemporary art. The appearance of video art in China can be situated around the late 80s, beginning of the 90s. At that time, financial issues and technology limited the use of this medium and videos were closer to performances' recordings with basic shots, and a quasi inexistent montage. Wang Gongxin is one of the pioneers of “new media art” in China and became one of its representatives, participating to numerous national and international exhibitions.
An open daily experience, an interview with Wang Gongxin (English)
(Click here to view the Chinese version)
"When an artist uses video to present his art, it is definitely not an expression of public experience. What is public experience? For example, a table is used for writing, eating, or meeting; this is a public language that everybody knows. What if someone puts a table on the river, puts an motor on it, and drives it away like a boat? The table is presented as a unique personal experience and this can be a good work of art. No matter what media you're using, what matters is to present the possibility of a non-public experience. No matter what personal experience you want to present, it should be open, not serving for any particular purpose. My video visually presents my personal experience through plots. It transcends real life context and is open without ending. Art proposes questions, some of which are unknown to you but answered through my personal perspective and based on my personal experience. The more open an art work is, the better and the more powerful it is."(Wang Gongxin)
_______________________________________________________________
About Wang Gongxin (please click on the link below)
Everything about Wang Gongxin
2. Zhang Peili
As most artists from his generation, Zhang Peili, started first to realize paintings. He is however often considered as the first artist to have produced videos in China...
He actively participated and organized art events as contemporary art was emerging in China. He also at the head of the New media art department of the China Art Academy in Hangzhou....
Invalid principle - an interview with Zhang Peili (click here)
I regard memory as a material, an element, as if it were a photographic image. Humans are living their lives through their own memories, reality and illusions. And the course of forming new experiences is a process of mixing and confusing the past and present. To me old films represent memory and time. They have the ability to define the principles of their own unique periods in time. What I am most interested in are these principles and their connection to memories. It is a process of deconstruction and dissolved the past into an understanding of time.
As most artists from his generation, Zhang Peili, started first to realize paintings. He is however often considered as the first artist to have produced videos in China...
He actively participated and organized art events as contemporary art was emerging in China. He also at the head of the New media art department of the China Art Academy in Hangzhou....
Invalid principle - an interview with Zhang Peili (click here)
I regard memory as a material, an element, as if it were a photographic image. Humans are living their lives through their own memories, reality and illusions. And the course of forming new experiences is a process of mixing and confusing the past and present. To me old films represent memory and time. They have the ability to define the principles of their own unique periods in time. What I am most interested in are these principles and their connection to memories. It is a process of deconstruction and dissolved the past into an understanding of time.
3. Shi Yong
Shi Yong was born in Shanghai in 1963. He graduated from Light Industrial School, Fine Art Department. He resides and works in Shanghai. Shi Yong has exhibited widely since the early 1990's. Recent shows include Follow Me!, Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, 2005), Second Guangzhou Triennale, Guangsong Museum of Art (2005), Zooming into Focus, China National Art Museum (Beijing, 2005), Felicidad Indecible, Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art (Mexico, 2005), The Heaven, The World, ShanghART Gallery & H-Space (Shanghai, 2004), Shanghai Biennale (2002), Bienal de Sao Paulo (2002) and Bienal de Maia (1999). (Shanghart website)
THE CONFIDENTIAL TRUTH
(click here to read the interview)
"Secret" and the so-called "truth" is a pair of opposite ideas, they are inseparable. The investigation of "Secret" appears to dismantle the "truth". In fact it is associated with human instinct and desire to peer. In one's sub-consciousness, there is always a desire to enjoy the sudden changes of incident provided he is in a safe position. And just because of its popularity, "Secret" mostly constitutes a subversive energy. It could become a lethal weapon for controlling others. And to me, a "Secret" means "killing power". For each individual, "daily memory" is essentially fictitious, it is loyal to our needs for self-realization, it is a self-filter for our current social background. "
Shi Yong was born in Shanghai in 1963. He graduated from Light Industrial School, Fine Art Department. He resides and works in Shanghai. Shi Yong has exhibited widely since the early 1990's. Recent shows include Follow Me!, Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, 2005), Second Guangzhou Triennale, Guangsong Museum of Art (2005), Zooming into Focus, China National Art Museum (Beijing, 2005), Felicidad Indecible, Tamayo Museum of Contemporary Art (Mexico, 2005), The Heaven, The World, ShanghART Gallery & H-Space (Shanghai, 2004), Shanghai Biennale (2002), Bienal de Sao Paulo (2002) and Bienal de Maia (1999). (Shanghart website)
THE CONFIDENTIAL TRUTH
(click here to read the interview)
"Secret" and the so-called "truth" is a pair of opposite ideas, they are inseparable. The investigation of "Secret" appears to dismantle the "truth". In fact it is associated with human instinct and desire to peer. In one's sub-consciousness, there is always a desire to enjoy the sudden changes of incident provided he is in a safe position. And just because of its popularity, "Secret" mostly constitutes a subversive energy. It could become a lethal weapon for controlling others. And to me, a "Secret" means "killing power". For each individual, "daily memory" is essentially fictitious, it is loyal to our needs for self-realization, it is a self-filter for our current social background. "
Wang Jianwei
Wang Jianwei also belong to the first generation of artists who started to use video as a media. He considers himself as an image 'collector'. But Wang Jianwei is mainly renown for his works where he combines theatrical performances and video. He elaborates spaces where stage and moving images are integrated, between fiction and reality.
WANG JIANWEI - DAILY LIFE AND COLLECTION (click here)
Actually, what I am doing is considered as "collecting". Even to a larger extent my actions don't meet the qualification of documentation. A "documentary" includes a series of devices, approaches, and raises questions, and the ways to follow an event; but I don't want to involve myself with other persons' belongings. This boundary line will exist forever. I am not a documentarian, I am an image collector, and I will complete my imaginary story with this collection.
Wang Jianwei also belong to the first generation of artists who started to use video as a media. He considers himself as an image 'collector'. But Wang Jianwei is mainly renown for his works where he combines theatrical performances and video. He elaborates spaces where stage and moving images are integrated, between fiction and reality.
WANG JIANWEI - DAILY LIFE AND COLLECTION (click here)
Actually, what I am doing is considered as "collecting". Even to a larger extent my actions don't meet the qualification of documentation. A "documentary" includes a series of devices, approaches, and raises questions, and the ways to follow an event; but I don't want to involve myself with other persons' belongings. This boundary line will exist forever. I am not a documentarian, I am an image collector, and I will complete my imaginary story with this collection.
