内容提要
Preface
Last October, the well-known composer Professor, Chou Wen-chung gave a speech at Nankai University entitled “The Twenty-First Century Mission of Chinese Culture”, in which he raised the question of art’s cultural content, emphasizing the significance of research on traditional art. His thought-provoking statement that “our future is in the past”, parallels the famous architect I.M. Pei’s view of the development of China’s millennia-old cultural spirit. During the Louvre Museum tribute and gala dinner “Asia Achievers in a Global Setting,” Mr. Pei expressed his belief “modernity is rooted in tradition” (I.M. Pei, Essences, 1997).
I have worked with contemporary art in Hong Kong for many years, and today I feel ever more deeply the profundity of the issues raised by the accomplished artists who have achieved success in the West. Hong Kong is a nexus of Chinese and Western cultural exchange, as well as the birthplace of the fusion of modern ink painting and Western art. My life and work have both led me to think constantly about the question of cultural fusion.
Chinese ink painting and calligraphy date back to ancient times. They have been continually re-interpreted through the ages as economic, cultural and social values have changed, distilling the finest essence from tradition, while continually absorbing elements from foreign cultures. Both two-dimensionally and three-dimensionally, artists have shown powerful vitality and creativity.
I have always loved the innovations that Chinese ink painting has made during its more than three-thousand-year history. I feel that they have a contemporary spirit, even as they stay rooted in tradition. To this end, I recently curated an exhibition titled “New Ink Art: Innovation and Beyond” as part of the Hong Kong Museum of Art’s 2008-2009 “Hong Kong Art: Open Dialogue” series.
Curated by Dr. Zhang Yiguo, the exhibition “I am in it: Contemporary Chinese Art Expressions” was first shown at Florida Gulf Coast University in January 2008. The four participating artists Shao Yan, Pu Lieping, Lan Zhenghui and Yi Liao attended the opening ceremony and participated in a two-week academic exchange. In addition to being a connoisseur of Chinese painting and calligraphy, Dr. Zhang also understands Western art history. Throughout his many years of studying ancient Chinese art, he has paid close attention to the development of contemporary Chinese art and its relationship to Western traditions. His study of Chinese contemporary art has led Dr. Zhang to examine the background and evolution of calligraphic and writing culture. For the Florida exhibition, he chose four artists with completely different approaches. Shao Yan has sought out the future of calligraphy and writing; Pu Lieping has conducted a multi-dimensional exploration of Chinese characters; Lan Zhenghui’s explorations take Chinese materials, tools and writing style and organically merge them with Western compositional ideas; and the works displayed by Yiliao are typical of conceptual calligraphy, always leading the viewer to think about his own condition of existence and presenting a dialogue between Chinese and Western culture.
This important exhibition is a record of the fusion of modern and traditional forms and stands as an unprecedented Chinese art event. It uses the heritage of cultural change and traditional calligraphy training to support this spirit of personal creativity and the influence of individual experience, and to search for artistic identity.
Alice King
Director
Alisan Fine Arts, Hong Kong
November
2008
序言
去年10月，著名音乐家周文中教授，曾在南开大学做过题为“二十一世纪中国文化的使命”的演讲，他特别提出当代艺术的文化内涵，强调对传统艺术研究的意义。他的名言“我们的将来在过去”发人深省，和著名建筑学家贝聿铭先生提倡中国几千年文化精神的发展不谋而合。在巴黎卢浮宫博物馆举办的“在世界框架中亚洲贡献者”的晚宴中，贝先生表述了他的信念，“现代根基於传统”（贝聿铭，《实质》，1997）。
我在香港从事当代艺术方面的工作已经多年，现在更觉得这些在西方成功的艺术大家提出问题的重要与深刻。香港是中西文化汇流的中心，也是西方艺术和现代水墨画结合的发源地。我的生活、工作都让我不断体会和思考这个文化融合的问题。
中国的书画、水墨艺术源远流长。随着不同时代的经济、文化、社会价值观的变化，他们亦不断重新演绎，从传统中撷取精华，也不断接受或吸收西方外来文化。无论是二度空间还是三度空间，都展示了强大的生命力与创造力。
我一直热爱有三千多年历史的中国水墨的创新作品，感到它们既扎根传统，又具有当代气息。为此，我最近策划了“新水墨艺术——创造、超越、翱翔”展览，这是香港艺术馆2008至2009年度“开放、对话”系列展览之一。
这个“自有我在：当代中国艺术表现”展览，是2008年1月在美国佛罗里达海湾海岸大学首先举行的。参展的四位艺术家邵岩、濮列平、蓝正辉和一了到美国出席了开幕式，并进行了为期两周的学术交流和访问。张以国博士既是中国书画的鉴赏家，又了解西方艺术史，在长期对中国古代艺术的研究中，一直关注中国当代艺术的发展状况。在对中国当代艺术的探讨中，张博士考察了中国书法与书写这一文化背景与现象。在佛罗里达的展览中，他从四个完全不同的角度选出四位艺术家。其中，邵岩是一位成功的书法家，也是成功地从书写中寻找未来的艺术家；濮列平则是将汉字进行多维度艺术探索的艺术家；蓝正辉的探索将中国的材料和工具用书写的方式与西方的构成观念进行有机结合；而一了展出的作品则属于典型的观念行为书写，他的作品总能引起人们对于自身存在状况的联想，显示中西文化的交流和对话。
这个重要的展览记录了现代和传统的融合，是空前的中国艺术运动。艺术家以文化变化传承、传统的书法训练为基础，来支撑起这个个性创造精神以及个体经验影响，以寻求艺术的角色。
金董建平
香港艺倡画廊主持人
2008年11月
（文章来源：《自有我在：当代中国艺术表现》）
|
