Rockbund Art Museum 上海外滩美术馆

As we’re entering a digital era, digital communication has gradually taken the place of so-called cold media such as paper. Given that, would paper eventually be eliminated from the list of communication media? Or would it continue to secure a place for itself in a different form and sense? TAKEO, a leading Japanese paper distributor, is known for its ingenious exploration into the potential of paper. According to TAKEO, paper is a material that brings happiness and hence could be deemed as a piece of art. Story of Paper, a book recently published by Wenjing Publishing House, and La dépense, the latest catalogue presented by RAM, both chose TAKEO’s paper. During the discussion, the two speakers will share their stories with paper as well as the development and contemporary uses of paper.

人类进入数码时代，数字化传播逐步替代了以纸为主要传播手段的冷媒介。纸张是否就会因此退出传播媒介名列？又或是他将继续以其他方式和意义存在于人们的视野中？例如，世界闻名的日本竹尾纸品公司因为对纸的热爱和珍视，把纸张发展为艺术品一样的存在。竹尾认为，纸张是一种能够为人们带来幸福感的材料。文景新书《纸神》和RAM最新的画册《消耗》用的都是竹尾纸张，本期对谈将围绕纸的发展历史和纸张的当代作用展开讨论，并分享纸与人的故事。

During the long course of human civilization, paper has always been considered of paramount importance. It is almost ubiquitous in our life in a variety of forms: books, letters, paintings, food packaging and greeting cards, etc. More than a medium to contain information, paper is also deemed as a material that inspires emotions. Thin as a piece of paper is, it gives out a unique sense of subtlety and delicacy which could be perceived when we touch, flip, observe and smell it. Such is the charisma of paper. However, the rise of digital technologies has made a profound change on how people communicate and share information. When is the last time we read a paper book or send a paper greeting card? Moreover, the outbreak of the pandemic has further deepened our dependence on a lifestyle heavily online. People are asked to avoid physical contact and most of the communication nowadays is conducted digitally. As we are now trying to gain our normal life back, we hope that through the medium of “paper” we could inspire people to reconsider the relationship between man and the world, and to encourage people to communicate, express and make their voice heard.

纸在人类文明的漫漫长河中被认为是一种很重要的物件。人们在生活中的点点滴滴都会用到它：书籍、信函、绘画、食物包装、祝福卡片等等。除了是承载和传播信息的媒介，纸张还被看作是一种能够让人产生特殊情绪的材料。薄薄的一张纸，当我们触摸和翻动它，仔细观察它，闻到它的气味时，就能体会到当中的微妙变化，这是纸张独特的近人之美。数码科技的崛起改变了人们传递信息的方式，我们越来越少触摸纸质书籍、纸质贺卡等物件。疫情的爆发更让人们的日常生活在很长一段时间内“转居”线上——人们习惯避免接触、大部分的交流都转而在屏幕上完成。在人们的生活逐渐重启的当下，我们希望通过“纸”这一媒介，重新思考人与人、人与世界的关系，鼓励大家交流、传递情感、表达自我。纸张实验室系列活动包括一场讲座、一场对谈以及三场工作坊，敬请期待！