何谓“排演”？

第八届上海双年展的策展思考

第八届上海双年展策展团队

为什么排演？

在过去的两年中，全球资本遭遇了它的最新危机并又一次绝路逢生。与之相伴随的是，在两届双年展的间隙，当代艺术也陷入了一场全球性危机之中。这不是现代主义者那种创造性个体深处的精神危机，而是一种瘟疫般的世界性疲软，或者说，这是一种“系统病”——艺术体制的生产力远远大于个体的创造力，艺术家无法摆脱被艺术系统雇佣的感觉和“社会订件”的命运，到处是仿像和角色扮演。2010上海双年展将致力于追问：在当代艺术的政治经济学网络中，是什么在抑制着心灵的力量？是什么在阻挠解放的步伐？是艺术系统那只无所不在的“看不见的手”？还是国际艺术市场的“行情”？是千篇一律的国际大展？还是渗透到我们身体深处的大众文化？艺术家的个体正变得越来越健康而空洞，我们莫名其妙地进入一种“后历史”状态。如何来清晰地描述这种状态？在现行的由国际话语、国际大展、世界博览会以及跨国资本所构成的无限-无缝链接的艺术系统中，如何摆脱这种艺术创造之僵局？如何在这个被全球资本主义俘获的“艺术世界”中发现其内在边疆？在“体制批判”（Institutional critique）和“社会参与”（participation）之外，当代艺术实践是否能够开拓出一种新型的生产关系？

第八届上海双年展的主题词是“排演”，强调展览作为一种文化生产的实验性和开放性。“排演”是排布与推演。“巡回排演”是开放性的和流动性的，强调展览的策划情境和展开的过程，强调展览的创作与生产意识。在巡回排演中，展览空间不仅仅是艺术品的陈列场所，而且是生产性的、变化中的、反复试验的感性现场。正如布莱希特所指出：“排演者不希望去‘实现’一个思想。他的任务是唤起和组织他者的创造性。排演就是试验，就是发掘出此时此刻的多种可能性。排演者的任务是揭露一切模式化的、俗套的、习惯的解决方案”。今天，每个展览都呈现为剧场。展览的“剧场化”与奇观化甚至已经成为当代艺术领域的一个备受质疑的问题。对于双年展而言，“剧场”和“排演”不仅是一种展览效果，更是一种创作、展示和交流的方法。排演中的“剧场”首先是一群人，是一个知识共同体的构造，剧场中人在彼此合作与响应的关系中工作，在排演中，当代艺术创作的个体性被改造和修正，艺术家成为一个开放的主体，一个创作-交往中的“跨主体”。本届上海双年展将从剧场、排演的这种跨主体性出发，强调创作的群体互动性，推动当代艺术家集体现场的探索和呈现。同时，“巡回排演”以“双年展剧场”作为现场，旨在呈现当今艺术语言形态的综合性与实验性。近年来，现场、情境、叙事和社会参与逐渐成为当代艺术与视觉文化中的最前沿话题，本届双年展将以“巡回排演”的形式，争取在这一前沿领域有所推进，将双年展剧场打造成一个多领域、跨媒介的公共现场。

作为艺术与公众的交往空间，展览是超脱于日常生活世界的一块飞地，它坐落于日常之中，又超出日常领域，它的存在方式与剧场相类。就当代艺术而言，展览就是其剧场。展览不但是艺术对日常世界进行表述-再现的剧场，也是艺术界自身的代议剧场。同时，展览首先是艺术之自治领域。在这个自治领域中，艺术家成为立法者，这是现代主义留给我们的最珍贵的遗产。但是，为什么艺术家对展览既渴望又心怀疑虑？为什么艺术家对展览的依赖令我们忐忑不安？对艺术家尤其是装置和影像艺术家来说，展览正在成为创作的第一现场，艺术家的工作被展览绑架为一种机制化创作。最近十年以来，甚至机制批判也早已成为一种机制化创作的套路。更有甚者，展览这个艺术自治领域、这块公共领域中的飞地已经成为全球资本生产、展示和消费的集散地……

另一方面，如果艺术果真是一种“日常生活的实践”，那么，展览的必要性何在？

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Closing Ai Weiwei’s “seeds” to the public, for which it was intended, was the depressing sterilization of a great art work. (See report from the Independent here.) I’m torn between being a crabby Beijing resident who breathes similarly noxious air every day and says, “they ruined it,” and being a responsible, compassionate person. But looking through my photos of last week’s opening of “Sunflower Seeds,” I realized there was indeed quite a bit of particulate matter kicked up as guests  happily crunched on the porcelain seeds. The dust was captured reflected in the flash of my Canon G11.

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Recently, an American friend in Beijing told me about the fear of carbohydrates shaking down health/diet freaks in that nation. Here in 798, we scoff at gluten fears, and have produced a cross cultural dish that can put any fortune cookie to shame. Behold, the spaghetti dog: A toasted white flour bun brimming with crisp pan fried wheat vermicelli that has been tossed with bean sprouts and leek tips.This offering was spotted in an advertisement outside a small corner cafe in 798, the hot dog bun gives away its true identity as “Western food,” and testifies to the cosmopolitan nature of Beijing’s art zones. Wash it down, and kick yourself  out of that digestive slump with a cup of pitch-black coffee. A little taste of “the West,” right here in 798. The photo is a photograph taken outside the restaurant. I did not indulge in the spaghetti dog.The artful placement of the two onion sprigs inspires me,  I would love to treat any willing readers to a spaghetti dog. Just get in touch, this place sells churros too.

The 8th Shanghai Biennale “Rehearsal” began in June 2010, and will include four acts. Act I, the “Ho Chi Minh Trail” was in cooperation with the Long March Project, and will be implemented in Beijing from June through September, 2010.”Rehearsal Act I” takes the the Long March Project’s ongoing Ho Chi Minh Trail as a case study to verify the idea of “cultural creation” and explore the significance of paradigm shifts from “creation” to “rehearsal.”

This rehearsal will serve as a platform for artworks and ideas in China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The rehearsal will also provide an opportunity to discuss the role of art and ideas in redefining the combination of “ego-history-society.” The Ho Chi Minh Trail includes stages of research (2008-2009), an educational forum (July 2009), field trips (June to July 2010), Rehearsal Act I (September to November 2010), the “theatre” (October 2010 to February 2011) and a later archive of knowledge. The “rehearsal” and “theatre” components will be included in the Shanghai Biennale 2010.

(the above was excerpted from an article by Gao Shiming, it will be included in the forthcoming “Art in China” magazine, published in co-operation with Contemporary Art & Investment and Iberia Center for Contemporary Art.

Wu Shanzhuan 吴山专

Madein 没顶公司

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