Rockbund Art Museum 上海外滩美术馆

Imagine if gathering, remembering, eating, working, suffering, and dancing were all forms of knowledge production. This is the heart of AUUUUDITORIUM, a groundbreaking, continuously evolving project that challenges traditional methods of knowledge production. Inspired by the works of cultural theorist Fred Moten and scholar Stefano Harney, AUUUUDITORIUM redefines 'study' as a collective, diverse pursuit that encompasses dialogue, movement, and shared experiences, all under the umbrella of 'speculative practice.'

The AUUUUDITORIUM project is housed on the second floor of the museum, a space that was once the Wu Lien-teh Auditorium, a significant venue inaugurated in 1933. This auditorium served as a central hub for Royal Asiatic Society members to share their discoveries, which were later published in the China Journal (1923–1941). Today, AUUUUDITORIUM hosts Scenography for a Shanghai Science Fiction Opera (2024), a newly commissioned installation by artist Ming Wong. Renowned for his works that delve deeply into the structure and social context of cinema and traditional forms of performing arts, Wong's work creates a portal through which we can collectively envision a future deeply rooted in a specific local past.

The year-long program of AUUUUDITORIUM is led by a polyvocal effort from the museum's curatorial team, inviting contributions from artists, scholars, musicians and performers, weaving together artistic speculations, collective memories, marginalized knowledge, and vernacular fiction. It underscores the crucial need to recognize and respect the intrinsic authority of indigenous knowledge systems in deciphering complex geographical and cultural tapestries.

At the core of AUUUUDITORIUM is a dynamic approach to the act of study, prioritizing motion, circulation, and redistribution over static learning. This new movement of "study" is launched through a series of carefully curated weekend programs and weekday events.

一起聚集、纪念、吃饭、工作、挣扎和跳舞都是知识生产的方式：这个设想正是 “讲———堂” 的核心概念。它是一项革新的、不断演变的持续性项目，向惯常的知识生产方式发起挑战。“讲———堂” 从文化理论家弗雷德·莫滕（Fred Moten）和学者斯特凡诺·哈尼（Stefano Harney）的观点中汲取灵感，将“学习”重新定义为一种集体、多样的活动，蕴含着对话、运动和经验的共享，均在“推想实践”的概念下融合。

位于美术馆二楼的“讲———堂” 处原是1933年落成的“伍连德讲堂“，曾见证亚洲文会成员的重要学术成果，亚洲文会主编的《中国杂志》（1923—1941）收录的许多论文都曾在讲堂分享。今天，“讲———堂”展出了委任艺术家黄汉明创作的全新装置《上海科幻戏曲的舞台布景设计》(2024)。黄汉明因深入探讨电影和传统表演艺术的结构和社会语境而闻名。通过他的装置，我们可以根植于过去并集体想象未来。

“讲———堂”为期一年的公共项目体现了美术馆的策展人们的多样视角，邀请艺术家、学者、音乐人和表演者等参与，将艺术推想、集体记忆、边缘知识和通俗小说编织在一起，承认并重视本土知识体系在解读复杂地理和文化图景中的内在权威。“讲———堂”的核心理念在于对学习行为的动态理解：比起静态的学习概念，更强调运动、流通和再分配，以此培育一种挑战和扩展传统机构定式的集体思维模式。“讲———堂”不仅仅是一场艺术和学术探索，更是知识生产和传播的积极实验。我们通过一系列精心策划的周末项目和工作日活动，发起这场新的 “学习”计划。