HOW 新展预告 | 我与博伊斯·赵半狄的小窝-后疫情时代的诺亚方舟

展期：2020年11月15日- 2021年03月14日

艺术家：赵半狄

策展人：杜曦云

地址：昊美术馆（上海）二楼特别项目展厅

主办：昊美术馆

Please scroll down for English version.

我与博伊斯 • 赵半狄的小窝

——后疫情时代的诺亚方舟

2019冠状病毒（COVID-19）疫情是当今世界所面临的最危险的挑战之一。2020年1月30日，世卫组织（WHO）总干事宣布新型冠状病毒疫情构成国际关注的突发公共卫生事件。在那之后，这个世界和我们的生活都发生了巨大改变。生活的“新常态”正在迅速形成着，不复以前的生活模式和状态。直至今天，疫情的“结束”依然悬而未决……我们已进入后疫情时代。人类命运未卜。

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赵半狄：艺术是同情和解脱的方式

疫情的阴影下人人自危，对死亡的恐惧从心底频频泛起。由此引发的防护、封锁、隔离、检测等，又让每个人百感交集、一言难尽。2020年的春夏两季，因为疫情，赵半狄被阻隔在海外半年。6月底回到国内，在上海的酒店里隔离14天后，终于可以回到北京的家中。

在孤独、 隔离、无助的漂流之中，在疫情大流行和人类矛盾冲突升级的新时代下，赵半狄相信艺术是同情和解脱的方式。

在昊美术馆的“我与博伊斯”这个展览契机中，《赵半狄的小窝》应运而生。一个属于赵半狄的“诺亚方舟”，呈现在世人面前。

古根海姆美术馆的野餐，2018，纽约

荒岛余生般的“小窝”

艺术家赵半狄

疫情如洪水般袭来时，人们彼此阻隔、相互防范，每个人都如同身处荒凉孤岛。赵半狄的小窝，由竹子窝棚、口罩吊床、散落四周的竹子和竹叶构成。这里，有人类文明的印迹，也有熊猫这濒临灭绝的动物的气息——众所周知，这是专属于赵半狄的前生记忆。

博伊斯的油脂、毛毡与赵半狄的小窝

从1990年代初期以来，赵半狄以各种出人意料的方式挑衅常规、调侃成见。但这些貌似顽劣的越界侵扰行为，和他对古典精神的心领神会是并行不悖的——它们都关乎爱和盼望。他喜欢的艺术家约瑟夫·博伊斯，就是将这二者贯穿起来的。

“我爱美国，美国爱我” ，1974

约瑟夫·博伊斯，

行为艺术作品

二战期间，德军飞行员博伊斯驾驶的飞机在克里米亚半岛坠毁，鞑靼人用油脂敷伤、毛毡保暖的方法救活了他。作为生命与救赎、伤痛与治愈的重要标志，油脂和毛毡在他后来的艺术作品中反复出现。

在疫情让人孤独无助、渴盼庇护时，赵半狄的小窝也异曲同工。用审美的方式，他搭建一个超现实的襁褓、避难所、告解室，让人来到其中治愈和救赎心灵。疫情阴影下抑郁愁烦的人们，如同置身“大洪水”中的人们，可以到这个小窝里来，在美学的灵氛中搭乘心灵的诺亚方舟，逃离沉沦的世界。

绘画和多场派对 

上：古根海姆美术馆的野餐，2018纽约下：赵半狄的中国Party，2017UCCA尤伦斯艺术中心，北京

近几年，赵半狄在纽约古根海姆美术馆，北京尤伦斯艺术中心等空间里举办的系列派对，让他享有“派对之王”的声誉。同时，他又充满热情的拾起画笔。甚至，滞留海外期间，无人愿意在户外停留，赵半狄也时而走上街头支起画具，在画布上用油彩来转换赤道阳光下的缤纷生灵。

艺术家赵半狄

他如此解释自己的两面性：近两三年，在我热衷于创造一个个热闹的艺术派对的时候，另一个我回到画室里，踏实地坐在画布面前。这是有原因的：与这个世界交手之后，我逐渐对所谓"真相”感到失望，而更加在乎“表象”。绘画，这位老情人，此时的归来，有了新人的容貌。

也许是真相太残酷了，赵半狄才搭建了自己的乌托邦。

在这个最新搭建的小窝里，有他在疫情中完成的绘画。在小窝里，他会接受朋友探访，诞生一个个精彩聚会。

赵半狄的逃生方案，也能解救众生么？

这半年来的种种经历，迅猛刺激着他的经验和观念，如今依然历历在目。赵半狄曾自嘲般地发问：面对当下的全球疫情，面对今天的残酷世界，我依然选择卓越的美感，这是不道德的么？

与其说这是他的自我怀疑，不如说这是艺术家对世界深入认知后，在审美中选择的逃离。

赵半狄的小窝，将创造出一个新的维度。在这个维度里，现实与艺术的界限是模糊的。在这个维度里，贫血僵硬的现实被审美的能量渗入，日常被转换为不同寻常，沉重被融化为轻盈……

在世界沦为后疫情时代的今天，在全球遭遇前所未有的冲突与危机的今天，赵半狄给出了自己的逃生方案！

这个属于赵半狄的艺术方舟，也属于我们每一个人么？

关于艺术家

 赵半狄｜Zhao Bandi 

1966年生于北京，现工作、生活于北京，是中国先锋艺术运动的领军人物，其创作涉及行为、绘画、影像、时装、电影、社会介入等。其展览及个人项目如：博物馆日赵半狄在尤伦斯的派对（  北京 2019 ）；赵半狄的派对. 致敬韩熙载夜宴图( 合艺术中心  北京 2018）；“驴之芭蕾”派对 （  瑞士 2018）；古根海姆美术馆的野餐（ 2018 纽约）“1989年后的艺术与中国：世界剧场”（古根海姆美术馆，纽约，2017）；“ 赵半狄的中国Party"( UCCA 尤伦斯艺术中心 ,北京，2017）；“水下肖邦”文化派对（四川，2016）；“赵半狄熊猫时装秀”（东京宫，巴黎， 2009；中国国际时装周，北京，2007）；“一个人的奥运会”（大型行为艺术项目，伯尔尼，2005）；“看啊！熊猫人”（曼彻斯特美术馆；伯明翰Ikon美术馆；普利茅斯城市美术馆，2004）；第48届威尼斯双年展（1999）；第11届悉尼双年展（1998）；“月光号”（翰墨艺术中心，北京，1994）；“中国前卫艺术展”（世界文化宫，柏林；牛津现代艺术博物馆；鹿特丹美术馆等，1993-1994）；“赵半狄的一张新画”（中央美术学院画廊，北京，1992）。1999年至2004年，赵半狄与熊猫相关的公益性作品在中国及海外多个城市的地铁、机场与街头等处呈现，所涉及城市如北京、上海、深圳、米兰、伦敦、曼彻斯特、伯明翰、奥斯陆、东京等。2010年至2013年，赵半狄发起的艺术慈善项目“用创造力换一座孤老院”吸引中国两万多名青少年参与创作艺术作品，他利用所得收入在河南省开封县成立了一幢孤老院，让46名孤寡老人获得安身之所。2013至2014年，由赵半狄执导、依据上述项目创作的作品《让熊猫飞》入选第29届华沙国际电影节，以及多个国际儿童电影节，并在中国的各大影院公映。

关于策展人

 杜曦云 | Du Xiyun 

策展人，1978年生，2000年于陕西师范大学美术学院油画系，获学士学位。2006年于四川美术学院美术史系，获硕士学位。曾任上海昊美术馆副馆长、上海喜玛拉雅美术馆副馆长。

他的艺术观点著述于各类杂志和出版物，并曾创办和主编《艺术时代》等刊物。他曾参与组织、策划多个展览和项目，近期包括：联合构筑，苏州金鸡湖美术馆，2020；我与博伊斯·周啸虎，上海昊美术馆，2019；上海文件：匀速运动，上海喜玛拉雅美术馆，2019年；蒙塔达斯：亚洲礼仪，三影堂摄影艺术中心，2018年；今日之往昔：首届安仁双年展，2017年；走向未来：马德里·北京音乐潮，塞万提斯学院，2017年；萧条与供给：第三届南京国际美展，百家湖美术馆，2016年；北京·798诞生纪（2002-2006），宋庄美术馆，2016年。

Duration：2020/11/15 - 2021/3/14

Artist：Zhao Bandi

Curator : Du Xiyun

Venue：Special Project Space, F2, HOW Art Museum (Shanghai)

Organizer: HOW Art Museum

Me & Beuys: Zhao Bandi’s Hut

– A Noah’s Ark in the Post-Pandemic Era

The still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is deemed as one of the most dangerous challenges of our time. On 30 January, 2020, the WHO Director General declared that the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Ever since then, the world as well as the life of everyone of us have undergone drastic changes. The so-called “new normal” of life is swiftly taking shape, turning the previous patterns and state of life quickly into history. Even today the “end” of the pandemic still seems quite far away… The destiny of mankind is far from certain as we enter the post-pandemic era.

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Zhao Bandi: Art is a Way to Sympathize and Emancipate

Under the shadow of the virus, fear for death lurks at the bottom of our heart more than ever. Consequences incurred thereby such as self-protection, isolation, quarantine and test arouse complicated feelings among different people. Due to the pandemic, Zhao Bandi had to stay abroad in the spring and summer of 2020. Arriving in China at the end of June and after a 14-day quarantine at a hotel in Shanghai, he finally made his way home in Beijing.

Witnessing the spread of the pandemic and the escalating conflicts among different nations, and experiencing the sense of loneliness, isolation and helplessness first-handedly, Zhao Bandi came to the conclusion that art is a way to sympathize and emancipate.

As a result, taking Me & Beuys at HOW as an opportunity, Zhao Bandi presents his version of Noah’s Ark – Zhao Bandi’s Hut.

Picnic at the Guggenheim Museum, 2018

New York

A “Hut” in a Cast-Away Situation

Artist Zhao Bandi

At the outbreak of the pandemic, people actively or passively isolate themselves to protect them from each other, which in a way makes life into a Cast-Away situation. Zhao Bandi’s hut consists of bamboo shack, mask hammock, and bamboos and bamboo leaves scattered around. Inside the hut, traces of human civilization and imprints of panda, one of the most endangered animals, could both be perceived. As we all know, the latter is a signature in Zhao’s practice as well as his pre-life memory.

Beuys’s Grease and Felt of v.s. Zhao Bandi’s Hut

Zhao Bandi has been known for his wittily surprising ways to challenge the rules and ridicule the prejudice since early 1990s. However, as a matter of fact the seemingly mischievous intrusions run parallel with the reverence he harbors for the classical spirit – after all, they are both about love and hope. And his favorite artist, Joseph Beuys, is exactly an example who managed to connect the two together.

I Like America and America Likes Me, 1974

Joseph Beuys

Performance

Being a gunner in the German Air Force during WWII, Beuys’s plane crashed on the Crimean Front. He was rescued by the Tatar tribesmen, who had wrapped him with animal fat and felt. Consequently, as prominent symbols of life and redemption, pain and cure, grease and felt constantly appeared in his later artistic practice.

While the pandemic makes people all the more isolated and longing for shelter, Zhao Bandi’s hut fits exactly such a goal. Aesthetically speaking, he sets up a cradle, a refuge, a confessional in the surreal sense for the curing and redemption of the soul. People who are very much depressed and anxious under the threat of the pandemic are just like those who were in the face of the world-engulfing flood. They are welcomed to come to the hut, to embark on the Noah’s Art of the soul and escape this fallen world within an aesthetic ambience.

Painting and Several Parties 

Up：Picnic at the Guggenheim Museum, 2018

New York

Down：Zhao Bandi: China Party, 2017

UCCA, Beijing

In recent years, Zhao Bandi has organized a series of parties at spaces such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, and UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, which has earned him the reputation as the “King of Party”. Also, he has passionately picked up his painting brushes again. During the time he had to stay abroad, few people wanted to spend much time outside. But Zhao Bandi sometimes went out to the street, setting up his easel and delineating the verves under the equatorial sunshine in the form of oil on canvas.

Artist Zhao Bandi

He’s given explanations of his dualities: In the past two or three years when I had been keen on creating hilarious art parties one after another, the other me chose to go back to studio and spent time quietly in front of the canvas. There was a reason for that: after years of dealing with the world, I gradually felt frustrated at the so-called “truth” and became more concerned about “surface”. Painting, as an old lover of mine, came back to me at this point with renewed looks.

Probably it is because the truth is too cruel that Zhao Bandi chooses to build a Utopia of his own.

In this newly-built hut, paintings he created during the pandemic are put on display. Also in this hut, he’d receive friends, which leads to the series of hilarious parties. 

Rather than self-question, it is more like the artist’s confession of his choice of an aesthetic escape when his perception of the world is deepened.

Is Zhao Bandi’s Escape Plan a Panacea to Rescue All Beings?

Experience during the past six months has greatly stimulated his nerves and perception, and the sense of stimulation is still as vivid as yesterday. Once Zhao Bandi raised a question, in a somewhat self-mocking manner: In the face of the global pandemic and an overwhelmingly cruel world, is it unethical for me to still stick to a fine sense of beauty?

Zhao Bandi’s hut will create a new dimension, within which the boundary between reality and art becomes blurred. To be more specific, within this dimension, the reality that is thin and rigid is to be imbued with the energy of aesthetics, the ordinary is transformed into the extraordinary, and severe heaviness is melted into mellow lightness…

In a time when the whole world descends into a post-pandemic scenario and when conflicts and crises have reached an unprecedented level, Zhao Bandi presents to the world his version of escape plan!

Does Zhao Bandi’s ark of art also work for us?

ABOUT ARTIST

 Zhao Bandi 

Zhao Bandi (b.1966, Beijing) is a renowned artist and pioneering figure of the Chinese avant-garde movement. Trained as a painter, his practice has evolved to include performance, photography, video, fashion, film, and social intervention. Zhao has been included in exhibitions and presented projects including: "Zhao Bandi: China Party" (UCCA, Beijing, 2017); "Art and China after 1989: Theater of the World" (Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, 2017); "Chopin Underwater" Culture Party (Sichuan, 2016); Zhao Bandi Panda Fashion Show (Palais de Tokyo, Paris, 2009; China International Fashion Week, Beijing, 2007); "One Man's Olympics" Solo Performance (Bern, 2005); "Zhao Bandi: Uh-oh! Pandaman" (Manchester Art Gallery; Ikon Gallery, Birmingham; Plymouth City Museum & Gallery, 2004); 48th Venice Biennale (1999); 11th Sydney Biennale (1998); "Moonflight" (Hanmo Art Center, Beijing, 1994); "China Avantgarde" (Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Modern Art Oxford; Kunsthal Rotterdam, and further venues, 1993-1994); and "A New Painting by Zhao Bandi" (CAFA Gallery, Beijing, 1992). From 1999 to 2004, Zhao Bandi's public art projects featuring pandas appeared in metro stations, airports and streets of cities throughout China and abroad, including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Milan, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Oslo, and Tokyo. From 2010 to 2013, his art and charity project "Trading Creativity for a Nursing Home" attracted over two million Chinese youth to submit their artworks, The revenue from which was used to establish a nursing home in Kaifeng county, Henan province, which currently houses 46 elderly adults. From 2013 To 2014, Let Panda Fly, a film Zhao directed based on his previous projects, was selected by the 29th Warsaw International Film Festival and many children's film festivals, and enjoyed a wide theatrical release in China.

ABOUT CURATOR

 Du Xiyun 

Curator, Born in 1978. He received his bachelor's degree in oil painting from the school of fine arts in 2000 and his master's degree in fine arts history from Sichuan Academy of Fine Arts in 2006. He was deputy director of HOW Art Museum, deputy director of Shanghai Himalayas Museum.
His artistic views have been published in various magazines and publications, and he used to work as the chief editor of ARTTIME. He has been involved in organizing and planning several exhibitions and projects, most recently:(2020)Co-constructing, Jinji Lake Art Museum, Suzhou; (2019)Me&Beuys·Zhou Xiaohu, HOW Art Museum, Shanghai;  (2018)Muntadas: Asia Protocols, Three Shadows Photography Art Centre, Beijing; (2017)The future is here: Musical frenzy from Madrid to Beijing, Instituto Cervantes of Beijing; Today’s Yesterday: The 1st Anren Biennale, Anren; (2016)Historicode: Scarcity&Supply/ The 3rd Nanjing International Art Festival, Baijia Lake Museum, Nanjing; BEIJING 798 GENESIS(2002-2006),  Museum of Song Zhuang,  Beijing.

*图片致谢艺术家

文 Text／杜曦云 Du Xiyun

编辑 Edit／madao，Murphy

昊美术馆（上海） 

HOW ART MUSEUM (SHANGHAI)

图片©昊美术馆

昊美术馆（上海）是具备当代艺术收藏、陈列、研究和教育功能的全新文化机构，坐落于上海浦东，共有三层展览和活动空间，总面积约7000平方米，于2017年9月正式对外开放。昊美术馆首创“夜间美术馆”的运营模式，常规对外开放时间至夜间10点，目前特殊时期开放时间为上午11点至下午6点（周二至周日）。此举能让更多观众在工作之余前来美术馆观展，昊美术馆也举办“国际策展人驻留项目”、“户外电影节”、“雕塑公园”等国际交流项目和户外活动，以此建立全新的艺术综合体和浦东新地标。

特殊时期开馆时间周二至周日 11:00-18:00（每周一闭馆）

昊美术馆（温州） 

HOW ART MUSEUM (WENZHOU)

图片©昊美术馆

昊美术馆（温州）延续昊美术馆（上海）的“夜间美术馆”运营模式，是浙江省首家"夜间美术馆"，常规对外开放时间至夜间10点，目前特殊时期开放时间为下午1点至夜间8点（周二至周日）。昊美术馆（温州）将持续为公众呈现丰富的公共教育及户外艺术项目，引领融合艺术、设计、科技的全新生活方式。

特殊时期开馆时间

周二至周日 13:00-20:00

（每周一闭馆）

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