2019 ”紆红曳紫” 王学军个展专访 | INTERVIEW WITH WANG XUEJUN


9月21日晚,王学军在其个展开幕酒会中与嘉宾们一起分享了他的艺术创作过程及其灵感。现奉上详细专访内容。

Artist Wang Xuejun shared his inspirations with us. Let’s take a look at his personal interview with Noeli Gallery!

1. 您为何要用“紆红曳紫”作为此次展览的主题?又为何要称此次个展为 “一个人的群展”?

Why is this exhibition titled “Red”?

王学军:“纡红曳紫”出自于“纡朱曳紫”这个成语,形容地位显贵,这次“纡红曳紫”的个展,也是我对新中国建立70周年的祝贺。中国人自古以来偏好用红色作为祝福或庆贺,如今又总以大红大紫来形容一个人的成功, 因为“纡红”是一种社会身份和话语权的象征,也是人生在世价值的认可和体现。

Wang Xuejun: I have been always keen on red since my childhood, probably is relating to my background. My whole family is from the army and my dad is an army officer.

我自小就特别偏爱红色,这与我的生活环境有关系。从我的名字中的“学军”就能猜到我出生于一个军人家庭,父母、姐姐、姐夫军装上耀眼的红色领章帽徽都在我童年记忆里特别的深刻。

这次用“一个人的群展”作为副标题的原因,是因为我希望到现场的每一位观者都能成为这次展览的一部分,他们以这次展览的现场为舞台背景,追忆着过去的步伐进行“现场即兴”的表演, 从而成为展览的延续部分。因此“纡红曳紫”同时也是一个艺术项目,我希望以这个主题能在将来延续出更多的与观者们互动的形式和展览。

The shining red collars and cap emblems from their uniforms impressed me a lot as a child. All different red colors mark in my artworks have become one of my major identical colors. I will feel breathless without red.

2. 您觉得新中国走过的这七十年历程中,哪个年代给您留下的时代记忆最深刻?为什么?

Which period of time impressed you the most from your memory over the past 70-year history of New China? Why?  

王学军:因为我出生于七十年代初,我模糊的记忆里有军队大院高大的语录塔,有残留的“向阳花”宣传画(这也是我这次选用葵花籽作为部分展览内容原因之一)。八十年代的中国给我留下的记忆最深刻。记忆中的哥哥姐姐都在努力学习,物质上没有过度的泛滥,但每个人却那么容易获得幸福感。还记得父母每次给我一颗巧克力,一颗大白兔奶糖,我都会小口小口地咬着,慢慢感受那种奇妙的香甜口味,那时候幸的福是如此的触手可及。而如今的我,在网上商城体验着占有和购买的快感,家里堆放了还未拆封的过期食品……

Wang Xuejun: I was born in the early 1970s in the military courtyards. In my vague memories, I remember the tall towers of Mao’s quotations and propaganda “Sunflower” posters, which is one of the reasons that I chose sunflower seeds as part of the exhibition). Memories about China in the 80s impressed me the most. I remember my brother and sister were studying very hard, there was no excessive material desire and everyone got the happiness easily. My joy was simply fulfilled with a bar of chocolate or one candy of “big white rabbit”, but today, I am experiencing the pleasure of online purchase and my flat is full of unopened expired food…

3. 这次参展的作品中,您对沪上的老字号品牌重新进行了艺术再创作与描述,您想通过这些作品向观者们表达些什么?

In this exhibition, you re-created and re-described the renowned traditional brands from Shanghai. What messages would you like to convey through these artworks?

王学军:为了生存的需要,20年前,大学毕业不久的我曾在4A广告公司任过职,因而我深知品牌的重要性。这一经历使我从不同的视角进行艺术创作。区别于强大市场策略指导下的那些国际品牌,我发现中国很多老字号却是以一种口耳相传的方式进行推广的,其品牌忠诚度是以持之以恒的高质量培养出来的。例如大白兔奶糖,蜂花,百雀羚,永久自行车……我并没有刻意去地区化取材,但就是这么巧,这些品牌都来自于上海,可见上海对于八十年代的国人们对美好生活的追求起了多大的引领作用,我希望如今的中国品牌能在世界范围内起到引领的作用。

Wang Xuejun: I used to work for 4A Advertising Company after my graduate for living in Shanghai 20 years ago. I understand the significance of branding. This experience enabled me to create art from different perspectives. I have noticed that many old brands in China are promoted and got very popular through word of mouth, and the public loyalty is cultivated by persistent high quality. For instance, brands like “White Rabbit Candy”, “Bee & Flower”, “Pehchaolin”, “Forever Bicycle”, etc. I didn’t intend to select a particular region, but all these brands are from Shanghai. It demonstrates Shanghai has played a significant leading role in the pursuit of a better quality of life in the 80s. I hope our local brands can also play a leading role in the world in the near future.

4. 在您的自述中曾提到了“国潮”,请问您是如何看待这一现象的?

You mentioned the “Guo Chao” (the trend of Chinese brands) in your artistic statement. How do you see this trend?

王学军:我觉得“国潮”并不仅仅是一种“新营销”或“新时尚”,其实在我看来更是一种“新自信”!我一直不太完全认同“民族的就一定是世界的”这句话。上世纪九十年代中期,我也做过传统图像的挪用,但在那个西风东渐的时代里,“国产”就是“土”的另一种含蓄表达。我个人比较反感以“洋气”这个词作为审美的标准。有很多时尚品牌和杂志用我的作品进行合作和报道,我也并不认为那就是“洋气”起来了…… 现在很多九零后、零零后突然对中国品牌和图像审美进行大量运用和喜爱的时候,作为一个经历过“崇洋媚外”时期的七零后,我真有点激动地“老泪纵横”了……

Wang Xuejun: I think the trend of overwhelming “Guo Chao” is not only a “new marketing” or “new fashion”, but also a “new self-confidence” in my opinion. I haven’t always fully agreed with the saying that “Nation is the world”. In the mid-1990s, domestic made was another term of “out of fashion”. I personally disagree to use “foreign flavor” as an aesthetic judgment term. Despite of my collaboration with some international magazines and brands, I’ve never considered my works got any touch of “foreign flavor”. As a person who has gone through the period of “western domination”, I am excited and proud to see how the young generations of 90s and 00s are keen on these Chinese brands.

5. 这次的个展中,除了表现国货品牌的作品外,我们同时又看到了“Hello moto”和“ 新古典之Walkman”两幅描述外国品牌的作品,这有何特殊的含义吗?

In this solo exhibition, we noticed two pieces describing international brands, namely ” New Classics-Hello-Moto” and ” New Classics-Walkman” besides the local brands. Are there any messages behind them?

王学军:正逢70周年国庆,我希望从八十年代拉开序幕,而《HELLO MOTO》和《WALKMAN》被选中成为了开场白作品,让我们回到那个在电子、科技、娱乐行业一统中国的两个国外品牌——索尼和摩托罗拉。 作品旁边悬挂的,也是我当年用过的手机和CD机。 然而,十多年过去了,这些曾经熟悉的电子通讯产品已真正消失在我们的生活中了,所以我取名叫《新古典系列》。

作为艺术项目的起点,我希望这次的展览能抛砖引玉,让大家能关注中国的高科技产业的发展和在全球范围内的引领作用。我觉得有很多内容可以做艺术化探讨。

 

Wang Xuejun: I want to start my journey from the 80s on the 70th anniversary National Day, hence “HELLO MOTO” and “WALKMAN” are selected as preface, which bring us back to their times when China’s market was dominated by Moto and Sony in electronics, communications and hi-technology. The mobile phone and CD player I used were hanging next to my artworks. However, they were disappeared in our daily life in less than 2 decades.

I hope this exhibition will give us a few words to pay more attention to the dramatic development of China’s high-tech industry, I think they will play a leading role in the world in the near future and there is more to discuss in my art creation.

6. 这次的参展作品中有一辆引人注目,色彩鲜艳的上海永久牌自行车装置,能与我们谈谈创作这件作品的灵感来自于哪儿,又是如何完成的?

There is a stunning Shanghai “Forever” Bicycle installation. Can you tell us more about it?

王学军:这辆永久自行车装置能得以顺利完成,要非常感谢诺易画廊的参与和帮助。这次参展的《花开永久》的丝网版画作品需要一辆与之呼应的实物永久牌自行车装置,于是我开始了搜寻原版老式永久牌自行车的 “路程”, 但一直未果。幸亏有诺易画廊团队的鼎力相助,不仅在南码头找到了原版的老式永久牌自行车,还请了专业师傅将自行车“肢解”,以便于我完成所有零件的上色与保护膜,最后再将所有拆下的部件安装回位,才形成了今天这辆精神矍铄,色彩艳丽,少女感十足的永久自行车。

Wang Xuejun: So many thanks to Noeli Gallery team, this “Forever” bike installation will not be completed without their great help. One of my silk screen prints of “Blooming Forever” needs a real original Forever bike. Noeli Gallery team helps me to find this bike in Pudong and get a professional shifu to “dismantle” and to “assemble” the bike, so that I am able to complete this installation and it finally becomes the look as a shining, vibrant modern bike in front of our eyes.

7. 您对下一步创作有何打算吗?

What’s your plan of next step?

王学军:我希望将来能朝着系统的实验艺术项目的方向去发展。今年七月我刚完成法国艺术管理学院的硕士课程,主修的是当代艺术和策展。经过本次的研修,我愈发热爱当代艺术了,因为它解放了我的艺术思考和表达方式。

Wang Xuejun: I would like to work towards the direction of a systematic experimental art in the future. Earlier in July, I completed my Master course at French Academy of Art Management, and I find myself fond of contemporary art than ever before, because it frees my artistic mind and practice.

这次《一个人的群展》以及“纡红曳紫”系列可持续艺术项目的系统规划就是我独立策展,独立思考后完成的。认识多年的诺易画廊团队对我的创作思路非常支持,这使得我能最大限度地去实现我的想法。她们团队十几年的专业展览经验会给我很多启发和建议,让展览能更完善地呈现。

This Solo Exhibition and the theme of “RED” will become one sustainable art project. I curated this exhibition under the help of Noeli Gallery. After knowing Noeli Gallery for many years, they’ve been always very supportive and generous to my creative ideas, which enabled me to optimise the feasibility of my ideas to realise this exhibition.

另外,值得一提的是,在我的学校和上海展览中心的支持下,我曾于今年七月初在上海展览中心完成了这次展览的预展,让我从单纯创造个人化艺术作品,过渡到用系统性逻辑关系去构建一个体系化可持续探索的创作和展览模式,并在不确定的展览空间、时代背景以及新媒介手段下解构和重构更多的可能性。

In addition, it is worth mentioning that, with the support of my school and Shanghai Exhibition Center, I have done the preview of this exhibition at Shanghai Exhibition Center in early July this year. It encourages me to transform from individual art creation to a systematic and sustainable exploration of art exhibition, with respect to various spaces and conditions, attempting to have more possibilities of deconstruction and reconstruction through new media methods.