The following texts were originally published in the 2007-08 Insider’s Guide to Beijing. They have been expanded below, and include content that is “not permitted” to be published within China.    

With such a noticeably short history, the question of from where the Chinese avant-garde emerged is gaining more interest, especially with new developments and tourist-ready accessibility of Beijing’s art zones such as 798, Caochangdi and the Liquor Factory. In a steamy arts climate, social change, economic reform and policy are intertwined with art history, and are  equally intertwined to the development of the avant-garde.  
The long, potholed road to “success” seems to have paid off for some members of the avant garde, the incredible sums they now collect at auction seem almost like compensation for previous eating of the proverbial “bitterness” and years of marginalization and exclusion from both city limits and institutional art systems. An art world that was once “underground” has been exhumed and now features newly paved roads cappuccinos to go, and a firm position in the popular media. The shape of the new artistic vanguard––like everything in modern China––is changing, and at a racecar pace. Keeping the recent 20 years in mind as a foundation, where it will lead to, we can only guess, reminding ourselves that the “art districts” of today were simply unthinkable 15 years ago.

1979-1984 Shaking the Reigns

Even after the bans on individualistic perspectives or themes had been lifted, the political themes of the Cultural Revolution had still not completely disappeared. Realism reigned on the canvas, though there was a tangible rejection and knee-jerk reaction to the practice of socialist-realist art from the extreme left. Emotionally charged, personal subjects were creeping back into the artistic and literary milieu with “Scar Art” (伤痕艺术 shanghen yishu), perhaps today best represented by the almost confrontational oil painting “Father” 父亲. Completed in 1979 by Luo Zhongli 罗中立, “Father” featured an intimate frontal view of this sweat-dripping, sun-withered peasant’s face executed in exceptional photo-realism. Abstract forms, nudity and personal themes, although not forbidden, were still taboo in the mainstream.
Representing the struggle that many Chinese artists still debate, artist Wu Guanzhong 吴关中emerged at the forefront of a continuing movement of traditionally trained painters who struggled to integrate Western expressionist aesthetics with Chinese mediums such as ink and wash. Amidst a politically relaxed, emotionally charged atmosphere the group of radicals know as the Stars 星星 (the notorious Ai Weiwei 艾未未 among them) was busy acting on their bottled-up experimental impulses that were uncorked in a backlash to years of a silenced avant garde.  (more…)

UNIVERSALSTUDIOS-BEIJING｜BOERSLI GALLERY｜U空间
No.A-8 Caochangdi,(P.O.box No.71 Dashanzi),Chao Yang District｜北京市朝阳区草场地村甲八号 May 31–July 13

In this exhibition, the sometimes-dense compositions and concentrated colors of Liang Yuanwei’s canvases nicely contrast with the cool, spacious gallery that houses them. On display are twelve large paintings and fourteen smaller renditions of the same patterns, all from the series “A Piece of Life” and completed in the last year and a half. Each painting is dominated by a pattern, thoughtfully chosen from among the artist’s garments or selected from the many objects surrounding her-a sofa, curtains, swatches of cloth. Repeated evenly for the full length of the canvas, the flowers, spots, and, in one work, what look like palm trees are made by precise brushstrokes in thickly layered paint; they resemble classical Chinese painting’s delicate and detailed gongbi strokes. The repetitive, meditative process required to unfurl these patterns limited Yuanwei to one to three inches of progress per day, and a single mistake or diffusion of concentration would destroy an entire canvas (and, subsequently, up to a month’s work). Each painting thus serves as testament to both her desire to work more with oils and her incredible focus. Although inspired by motifs on two-dimensional fabrics, their shadows and light also give the impression of motion.

These works can easily be mistaken for a feminist/feminine pursuit, as in her earlier, well-received photography series “Don’t Forget to Say You Love Me . . . (When You Fuck Me),” 2005. Those staged boudoir photos of women were a savvy comment on what it takes to break into the fine-art world. This most recent body of work confirms Yuanwei’s observant nature and logical approach.

Originally published on ArtForum.com

Check out the look on this dog’s face: the consternation, the polo shirt.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he has his own start up company, or tickets to the 2008 Opening Ceremony. 
Click on “read more” to see this dog’s head shot.  

Thanks to Joey Guo at the Beijinger for the photos, and his interest in cute puppies.   (more…)

（北京, 2008 年 5 月 19 日）自那次安迪不经意地离开他所熟悉的人和城市，离开那些声音颜色和温度，已经20年了。在他离开的那一刻，这个世界就变成了另外一个样子。不是弓射出了箭，而是弓和它所系的那一端的世界离开了箭，从一瞬间起无限的分裂开来。

在安迪的一生中，一切都显得煞有介事 ，五色缤纷光怪陆离。远在那个时代真正的到来之前，像一个真正能够洞穿时间壁垒的先知，在他目光所及之处，一切都被一次次的放大，一遍遍复制，情感和含义被反复的夸张断裂和抽离。时间与人物都卓越不凡同时又是无关轻重。

安迪依恋那个充满了疑惑的世界，尽管这个世界同样不信任他，他们有着自始至终的难以确定的恩怨情节。它们暂时在一起，又永远的离开，像是一句脱口而出石破天惊的句子却咽了回去，留下的只是愕然。 

荒诞的是，在一九八二年十一月的某一天，安地偶然的来到一个陌生的国家。这里的人们还在红色政权的法术下昏昏欲睡，每一个人的面孔上带着同样淳朴和羞涩。在这一段经纬线上，没有人对这个艺术家表现出兴趣，没有人认得出那张家喻户晓的面具般的面孔。尽管在安迪的不计其数的名人肖像画中，最著名的是关于这个国度的领袖被画了几百遍的标准肖像。这个无处不在的标准像使毛泽东被视为神，在安迪的笔下，毛的肖像所寓意的力量是传统的，巨大尺寸和重复的次数，使他成为抽象的中性的日常用品，抹去了道德价值甚至美学表达的企图。 (more…)

重建－70后艺术家将以义卖全部所得为地震灾区损赠一所希望学校展览日期： 2008年6月15日  至  6 月20日 展览地点： 星空间 / 798 艺术区 / 8456 0591

尤伦斯当代艺术中心｜ ULLENS CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
北京朝阳区酒仙桥路4号院798艺术区
2008.04.12–2008.07.13

单从这次展览的题目“铄石流金”来看，它并未给观众带来印象深刻的体验，与黄永砅比起来，这组参展的国际艺术家们，分量还是显得轻些，黄的回顾展占卜者之屋，依然占据着场馆主厅的位置。此次展览，会集了一批游走在国际艺术界的、刚刚崭露头角的艺术家，他们的作品，被放置在尤伦斯中心边边角角的位置。

展出的作品被夸张地联系在了一起，强调的是艺术过程，是对所用材料的刻意变化以及对日常经验的审视。 Matt Bryans将剪掉的报纸残片穿在一起，创造了一个饱含社会信息的星云图，艺术家为此着实下了不少工夫。在一间幽闭的房间里，是 Amy Granat所创作的被划破了16毫米胶片的 Five Pointed Star, 2007，胶片在不停地转动着; 穿过放映机的声音被扬声器一次次扩大，一遍遍从封闭的墙上袭来。值得注意的还有村田武 (Takeshi Murata)与 Robert Beatty的录象作品，后者为其制作了背景声音。隔音而完全黑暗的房间，成为了数字迷幻时代的萌生地。其它作品概念性的强调，看上去过于简单化，在技巧上也不够打动人，比如林载春的《因为，所以一百只蜘蛛和一枚贴纸在墙上》，比如 Sterling Ruby巨大的用废弃物做成的纪念碑式的作品，在西方的语境里，也许会激起观者的反应，但是在现场，比起外边错综复杂矛盾重重的城市建筑工地，一切显得就不那么有力量了。也许是在新的语境下受到阻碍，也许是毗邻空间的作品分量很重，所以，“铄石流金”看上去只是比较流行时髦，而本身并不具备太大意义。无论是荧光颜料，还是嬉皮文化，都无法弥补其意义上的缺憾性。虽然展览中，也不乏令人叫好的个人作品，但最终，它并没有将西方世界的先锋艺术实践活动真正引介进来。— 文/ Lee Ambrozy, 译/ 王丹华 originally published on artforum.com.cn

“Socialism is Great” is a coming-of-age tale to be sure, but also a good example of memoir writing from an exceptional person living through some extraordinary times. “Socialism is Great” tells of things great and small: a girl becoming a woman and China shedding its socialist shell. It opens doors on a frugal family and its persistence in life, and the gates of the state-owned factory class as it plods to extinction. Along the way are lovable and despicable characters, all drawn to–or repelled by–our heroine Lijia as she careens through her own mind, trying as she must to keep her ambitions and lust contained behind “the strangest pair [of glasses she] could find in town.”  

“Socialism is Great” is a fast read, is passionate and hopeful. Happily, unlike many other memoirs from China it doesn’t end with an escape abroad. In this sense, it captures the spirit of the 80s, as the heroine’s forward momentum brings readers to new depths and acts of bravery, she brings to life a whole new side of China, all without wallowing in self-pity. As she matures, she comes into mature experiences that make this book inappropriate for young audiences, but which definitely left me surprised at the depth of emotion of factory workers and “simple” laborers all. 

All in all, this is a new voice to enrich the canon of memoirs from China, it marks the advancement away from the reminiscing over the cultural revolution, and represents one among China’s newest generation of international, accomplished writers.

Book Talk: “Socialism Is Great!” by Zhang LijiaWed June 18, 19:30-21:00
Venue: CCC Learning Centre, Chinese Culture Club, Anjialou, No.29, Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District.
Price: RMB 20 (symbolic charge for drinks and snack) (more…)

——纪录片《秉爱》小记文／王丹华

上个世纪，某个伟人被大自然的奇伟瑰丽所震撼， 写下“更立西江石壁，截断巫山云雨”的激扬文字。半个世纪后，这项“当惊世界殊”的工程已开天辟地般启动，它势必载入史册，为人类征服自然写下又一恢弘篇章。历史的话语是由伟人写下的，寥寥几笔，光荣的旗帜迎向他们；而历史的生命，却是由无数如蝼蚁般的小人物创造的，他们何时来，何时走，在哪里生，在哪里逝，如何生，又如何去，历史是不会在意的。在人们大唱今日中华梦圆的赞歌时，谁又会记得高峡上平湖畔那些个为生存而挣扎着的卑微生命呢？

张秉爱，近几年来银幕上最动人的女性之一。她不是编剧和演员塑造出来的虚构人物，她就是生活在三峡边活生生的一个女人，是导演冯艳镜头下纪录的一个平凡普通的乡村女性。

这部纪录片的时间跨度为七年。七年的时光，也让我们看到了岁月对一个女性毫不留情的磨砺。几年前，她还是梳着两个小辫子、留着齐留海的清涩模样，眉眼低垂，话也不太多，一个小小的少妇。那绑在小辫子上的红头绳，依然看出未泯的少女心思。倏忽一过的七年后，出现在镜头前的秉爱，已是一个在田间劳作的中年妇女形象，身上散发着蓬勃的泥土气，粗壮皮实，操持着里里外外的一切。丈夫身体弱，一双儿女要念书，房屋即将要拆迁，原本辛苦的生活即将遭遇更多的困难。作为家庭支柱的她，却从没放弃对幸福生活的追求以及对家人真挚的爱。 她勤劳，坚韧，善良，在困境中奋力挣扎，紧握美好的希望不放，以自己的双手去为家人创造着美好的生活。

她的婚姻，没有爱情基础。丈夫身体很弱，村里人也笑话她跟了这么一个男人。但是嫁过去之后，她安安分分地过日子，承担了家里的大部分农活。在田里种柑橘，盘算着收购的价钱，土地就是她的天；雨天的屋檐下给孩子缝补鞋子，嗔怪女儿的学校收那么多学费；榨了辣椒酱，装到小瓶里，拿着仅有的几百块给儿子送去，鼓励孩子要充满信心好好念书，不要因为移民而失去希望；为了自己的生活，和拆迁办的人据理力争，不依不饶。在大江边，她说过一番话。大意是，别人嘲笑我找了个没用的男人，但是我却铁定心，一定要过上好日子，把我丈夫和孩子绑在一块，给他们一个幸福的家。她淳朴的话语，坚定的面孔，直面生活的勇气，令人产生由衷的敬佩之情。画面上，穿着带补丁的绿色衬衫走在山路上的秉爱，仿佛一株蓬勃生长的玉米。腰杆挺立，枝叶翠绿硬实，任风吹雨打，在收获的季节里结出饱满的果实，散发出生命金灿灿的光芒。

世界上，有很多人生活得比我们想像得要艰难许多，但他们也比我们想像得，要坚强勇敢得多。这部纪录片打动我的，正是它细腻的细节和充满生命鲜活力的人物。感谢那些认真坚持着纪录片的朋友们和作品中的平凡而了不起的人物，他们给了我生活的力量，宽容的心境，不放弃的信念。