RAM Lecture : Flim of conversation
RAM 讲座：艺术家对谈宣传片
Since 1988 when Zhang Peili created China’s first video artwork, video art has been increasingly known to the public. Over the past thirty years, Zhang has been relentlessly working as an artist to break away from the rigid, patternized video narratives he was used to and explore the basic narrative logics, techniques and practices of video art; and as a teacher to instruct and guide a new generation of new media artists, including Li Ming, the other speaker in this talk.
From the artworks and viewpoints of both Zhang and Li, a sense of solemnness can be identified. For example, against the backdrop of commercialization of art, Zhang insists that the most critical quality of young artists is “staying true to yourself,” meaning that artists shall go beyond mere passions and follow their own rational thoughts and judgments, instead of pursuing money, fame or popular trends. The two artists also share similarity in their productive thinking in the paradoxes between individuals and groups, and freedom and power, which is reflected in their artworks. Although there is a saying in academies of fine arts that “creation is not teachable,” we would like to know how Zhang educated Li, his student and friend, just like “a tree shaking another tree, and a cloud promoting another cloud.” In this talk, two speakers will also discuss how the overall environment, education and knowledge structure that once shaped and limited the generation of Zhang have changed in the “era of emerging artists” represented by Li, and how artists may work in solidarity and stay true to themselves.
1988年，张培力创作了中国第一个录像艺术品。三十年来，录像艺术在中国逐渐走向大众，此间，艺术家张培力不间断地个人探索，对抗自身形式语言的僵化，反思艺术基本语言逻辑、技能与实际问题，而教师张培力则指点、影响了中国新生代的新媒体艺术家，李明是其中之一。
从二位艺术家的创作和话语中，我们体会到相似的严肃气质。面对艺术商品化的浪潮，张培力坚持认为年轻艺术家最重要的品质是“真实”，不浮躁、不功利、不随波逐流，强调艺术家应当超越激情、理性思考、自主判断。二人对个体与群体、自由与权力的悖论都有颇多反思，又落实在了各自具体的艺术创作之中。虽然美术学院通行“创作不可教”的说法，我们想知道亦师亦友的两位艺术家如何“一棵树摇动另一颗树，一片云推动另一片云”。曾经塑造并局限了一代艺术家的整体环境，教育背景和知识结构的约束，在新锐艺术家成长的“当代”有了怎样的改观？艺术家应当如何背靠孤独、保持坦诚？
Zhang Peili graduated from Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (the predecessor of the China Academy of Art) and currently works as Professor of the New Media Art Department at the China Academy of Art. The first video artist in China, Zhang has contributed great pioneering efforts to video art.
Li Ming, born in 1986 in Yuanjiang, Hunan Province, graduated from the New Media Art Department of China Academy of Art in 2008, and currently lives and works in Hangzhou.
His recent solo exhibitions include: “New Directions: Li Ming” showcasing his work named MEIWE at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), Beijing, China (2015) and “Mediation” at the Antenna Space, Shanghai, China (2014). The group exhibitions in which he participated include “No walk, no work” at the Center of Contemporary Art of Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland (2016), “Why the Performance?” at the Ming Contemporary Art Museum, Shanghai, China (2016), “Turning Point: Contemporary Art in China Since 2000” at Shanghai Minsheng Art Museum, China (2016), and “Hybridizing Earth, Discussing Multitude” at Busan Biennale, South Korea (2016).
张培力，毕业于浙江美术学院，现任中国美术学院教授，在录像领域里从事了大量的开拓性工作，是中国最早的录像专家。
李明，1986年出生于湖南沅江。2008年毕业于中国美术学院新媒体系，现在居住并工作于杭州。
近期个展包括：“MEIWE”，北京尤伦斯当代艺术中心（UCCA），2015年；“中介”，上海天线空间，2014年。部分群展包括：“无行不作”，瑞士伊韦尔冬当代艺术中心，2016年；“为什么表演？”，上海明当代美术馆，2016年；“转向：2000后中国当代艺术趋势”，上海民生现代美术馆，2016年；“混杂的世界，议论中的大多数”，釜山双年展，2016年。
Li Qi, Deputy Editor of The Art Newspaper China. He was a senior curator at the Rockbund Art Museum, and has worked in the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing and the British Film Institute (BFI) in London.
The exhibitions he has curated include the “HUGO BOSS ASIA ART: Award for Emerging Asian Artists” (2017), “Felix Gonzalez-Torres” (2016), “Heman Chong: Ifs, Ands, or Buts” (2016) and “CONDITIONS: An Exhibition of Queer Art” (2014).
李棋是《艺术新闻/中文版》副主编，前上海外滩美术馆资深策展人。他策划的展览有2017年HUGO BOSS亚洲新锐艺术家大奖入围艺术家群展、“费利克斯·冈萨雷斯-托雷斯”（2016年）、“张奕满：闲言碎语”（2016年），以及“身体后台：一场与酷儿艺术有关的展览”（2014年）。李棋亦曾任职于北京尤伦斯当代艺术中心（UCCA）和伦敦电影学会（BFI）。
