走出去更要走進(jìn)去
——全國中青年視覺藝術(shù)策展人赴美策展工作坊側(cè)記

文王妍峰 Wang Yanfeng 譯張海鷹 Zhang Haiying

走出去更要走進(jìn)去
——全國中青年視覺藝術(shù)策展人赴美策展工作坊側(cè)記

“Going out” and “Going into”——Sidelight on Exhibition Planning Workshop in the U.S. by Middle-aged and Young Chinese Visual Art Curators

文王妍峰 Wang Yanfeng 譯張海鷹 Zhang Haiying

開放式對話現(xiàn)場 The Open Dialogue

“經(jīng)過1年多的精心籌備，中美雙方合作為期2個(gè)月的工作坊如期而至。我相信，這次工作坊是近距離的交流，是學(xué)術(shù)上的互鑒。中國文聯(lián)始終致力于服務(wù)和培養(yǎng)藝術(shù)家，搭建國際化的交流合作平臺(tái)”，在簡樸的開班式上，工作坊團(tuán)長、中國文聯(lián)文藝研修院副院長冀彥偉用“為什么交流”“交流什么”“怎么交流”對這個(gè)已列入中國文聯(lián)2016年度重點(diǎn)工作的項(xiàng)目提出希望和要求。近日，由國家藝術(shù)基金資助、中國文聯(lián)國際聯(lián)絡(luò)部協(xié)助、中國文聯(lián)文藝研修院主辦的“2016全國中青年視覺藝術(shù)策展人赴美策展工作坊”在紐約開啟了合作交流的帷幕。

在短短兩周內(nèi)，工作坊團(tuán)員走訪了位于紐約曼哈頓、布魯克林區(qū)和皇后區(qū)等的18家藝術(shù)機(jī)構(gòu)，其中既有非政府機(jī)構(gòu)，也包含公立與私立博物館、美術(shù)館，藝術(shù)院校、畫廊、拍賣行、藝術(shù)家駐留機(jī)構(gòu)，以及非營利藝術(shù)中介。工作坊團(tuán)員、四川美術(shù)館策展人馮石認(rèn)為，每天的早出晚歸和數(shù)萬步行走“直接丈量了紐約的藝術(shù)地圖，同時(shí)，也讓自己對于藝術(shù)之于社會(huì)和國家的意義、對于自己的使命有了更為清晰的認(rèn)知和重構(gòu)”。

從單向到雙向

“我們這次的項(xiàng)目基點(diǎn)是在同一平臺(tái)平等地雙向交流”，在工作坊的微信工作群里，文藝研修院的項(xiàng)目組成員謝洋藝正與紐約藝術(shù)基金會(huì)的朱迪跨時(shí)差地音頻溝通。

作為合作方，基金會(huì)執(zhí)行總監(jiān)邁克爾·羅伊斯表示：“能為這群杰出的中國策展人搭建和紐約藝術(shù)界領(lǐng)軍人物溝通的平臺(tái)，我們感到非常榮幸，我們希望讓雙方有機(jī)會(huì)互享策展經(jīng)歷，將交流心得帶回各自的工作機(jī)構(gòu)和所服務(wù)的文化社群中”。

工作坊期間，為了讓大家從更高的立意重視此次工作坊，冀彥偉帶領(lǐng)全體團(tuán)員拜訪了在紐約的“家”——中國駐紐約總領(lǐng)事館，文化參贊李立言、文化領(lǐng)事慕享宏、馬曉琛、王萍、郭文梅等熱情會(huì)見了全體成員。李立言向大家介紹了總領(lǐng)事館的基本情況和中國藝術(shù)文化項(xiàng)目在紐約的現(xiàn)狀。他表示，此次團(tuán)員們必須學(xué)會(huì)使用“藝術(shù)”這門世界語言，用自己的智慧和能力，“潤物無聲”地向世界闡釋推介更多具有中國特色、體現(xiàn)中國精神、蘊(yùn)藏中國智慧的優(yōu)秀文化，為提高國家文化軟實(shí)力而共同努力。

對此，冀彥偉說，國之交在于民相親，民相親在于心相通，策展人應(yīng)該堅(jiān)持通過創(chuàng)新、溝通、合作、展示、體驗(yàn)、學(xué)習(xí)與碰撞等方式方法，讓更多更好的中國藝術(shù)作品走入世界民眾的心。隨著世界格局的改變，各國開始感受到了中國綜合國力的崛起與強(qiáng)大。在中國駐紐約總領(lǐng)事館舉辦的此次活動(dòng)，不但讓大家體會(huì)到“家”的感覺，更是喚醒了團(tuán)員的愛國熱情。

從1米到0.1米

走進(jìn)機(jī)構(gòu)，走近策展人。團(tuán)員在講座交流之后進(jìn)入駐留機(jī)構(gòu)工作1個(gè)月。如果說講座交流的物理距離是1米，駐留工作的距離則是0.1米。

重視當(dāng)?shù)匚幕Ｗo(hù)與跨文化交流。多家非政府組織在本地文化保護(hù)和跨文化交流的過程中成就顯著。正如紐約藝術(shù)基金會(huì)發(fā)展部總監(jiān)馬克·羅西耶所介紹的，目前紐約非營利藝術(shù)機(jī)構(gòu)籌款通常包括四種途徑：政府支持、企業(yè)與私人基金會(huì)贊助、個(gè)人募捐，而其籌資前提要基于紐約具體的稅收制度。掌握資金來源之后，他們有針對性地推動(dòng)社區(qū)當(dāng)?shù)鼗蛩呶幕斜就了囆g(shù)的發(fā)展，并開展藝術(shù)教育活動(dòng)服務(wù)于所在地區(qū)的民眾，最大特點(diǎn)是在項(xiàng)目遴選上以當(dāng)?shù)孛癖娦枨鬄閷?dǎo)向，結(jié)合不同藝術(shù)家作品特質(zhì)挖掘潛力推動(dòng)項(xiàng)目，促使多元文化背景的群體增進(jìn)對彼此的了解，并穩(wěn)固當(dāng)?shù)氐纳鐣?huì)結(jié)構(gòu)，同時(shí)也讓民間藝術(shù)參與到當(dāng)代藝術(shù)的話語空間。此外，博物館、美術(shù)館也扮演著重要的文化解說者角色，并極具公共服務(wù)意識(shí)。

在工作坊期間，團(tuán)員們了解到，紐約的藝術(shù)發(fā)展重視公共服務(wù)功能，如布魯克林博物館為當(dāng)?shù)刂行W(xué)生提供藝術(shù)教育的服務(wù)，其一層大廳還為當(dāng)?shù)鼐用裉峁┗檠鐖龅刈赓U服務(wù)；布魯克林藝術(shù)協(xié)會(huì)致力于推動(dòng)紐約布魯克林區(qū)的文化藝術(shù)項(xiàng)目以服務(wù)于本地區(qū)民眾，項(xiàng)目形式涵蓋扶持藝術(shù)家創(chuàng)作實(shí)踐與藝術(shù)教育?？傮w上，美國對于公共藝術(shù)的贊助、策劃、執(zhí)行和評(píng)價(jià)已形成較為完整的體系，對激勵(lì)公共藝術(shù)創(chuàng)作提供良好的資金扶持和相對開放的公共環(huán)境，并以此帶動(dòng)當(dāng)?shù)匚幕囆g(shù)的發(fā)展。

紐約的藝術(shù)機(jī)構(gòu)在發(fā)展策略上非常重視學(xué)術(shù)、科技、商業(yè)平臺(tái)間的資源共享，不僅體現(xiàn)在個(gè)別藝術(shù)家的創(chuàng)作上，也反映在機(jī)構(gòu)的日常運(yùn)作中。工作坊造訪的大都會(huì)博物館，作為世界四大博物館之一，誠然其延續(xù)著大型博物館的展覽策略，較穩(wěn)定地設(shè)立以地域和歷史衍變?yōu)橐罁?jù)而劃分的永久陳列區(qū)，但其展品卻始終處于循序漸進(jìn)的“換血”狀態(tài)，例如大都會(huì)博物館與紐約佳士得拍賣行的合作，為博物館籌集資金維護(hù)藏品、更新館藏資源和開拓全球化市場都提供更有效的渠道。

團(tuán)員、中央美術(shù)學(xué)院副研究員劉禮賓和團(tuán)員、中國文化對外交流集團(tuán)策展人孫鳳為駐留機(jī)構(gòu)雕塑中心的同仁做了關(guān)于中國當(dāng)代藝術(shù)的分享。在被戲稱為魯西口音的英語作為溝通媒介的框架下，劉禮賓介紹了中國當(dāng)代藝術(shù)發(fā)展的情況；孫鳳則介紹了中國藝術(shù)展覽國際交流的歷史，中美藝術(shù)交流中的重要展覽以及近期策展方向，雙方的探討從展覽策劃、學(xué)術(shù)研究、新媒介傳播再到中美文化、中國當(dāng)代藝術(shù)的新動(dòng)向以及價(jià)值等，美方策展人聽得津津有味，都感覺雙向的和近距離的交流是最優(yōu)的。

中國文聯(lián)文藝研修院常務(wù)副院長傅亦軒在接受媒體采訪時(shí)說：“我們在國內(nèi)、國外做過多次策展人研修班，但是像這次這樣時(shí)間長、形式多、距離近、重交流的項(xiàng)目還是不多見的，我們希望這20位策展人在未來20年回頭看時(shí)，能看到這次策展工作坊的價(jià)值和意義”?！皣宜囆g(shù)基金和中國文聯(lián)做的這項(xiàng)工作正逢其時(shí)，作為一名獨(dú)立策展人，我在世界上多個(gè)國家行走工作，讓我想不到的是美國同行乃至其他國家的同行為我們的國家財(cái)政資金支持這么好的藝術(shù)項(xiàng)目叫好，他們認(rèn)為我們很幸福，也很有潛力?；厝ブ?，我將與更多同行和藝術(shù)家分享我這一路的滿滿的收獲……”工作坊團(tuán)員、獨(dú)立策展人郭凈感受到了背后的力量和暖意。

策展人全神貫注聆聽報(bào)告Curators Listened to Lecture Attentively

“After careful preparation for over a year and thanks to the joint efforts of our Chinese and U.S. colleagues, this 2-month-long workshop is launched as expected. I am confident that it will facilitate close-range communication and mutual academic learning. As always, CFLAC aims at providing service and training for our artists by building up international platforms for exchange and cooperation.” Mr. JI Yanwei, vice president of the Academy of Literary and Art, CFLAC (ALAC) made such remarks at the modest launching ceremony, explaining its “why”, “what” and “how”as well as expressing ardent expectations for this key project of CFLAC in 2016. Thus, the “Exhibition Planning Workshop in the U.S. by Middle-aged and Young Chinese Visual Art Curators”, hosted by ALAC and subsidized by the China National Arts Fund, opened up its exchange and cooperation activities in New York.In just two weeks, participants of the workshop visited 18 New York art institutions across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, covering NGOs, public and private museums, galleries, art academies, auction houses, artist residences and nonprofit art agencies. Every day, the participants went through early rises, late returns and over ten thousand counts of footsteps in between. Ms FENG Shi, a curator from Sichuan Art Gallery, regarded such experience as “direct measurement of the artistic map in New York”, “a re-construction of one’s understanding over the significance of arts to one’s society and motherland” and “a reminder for a clearer vision of one’s mission”.

From Single Track to Double Lanes

“The base line of this workshop project is that we conduct equal and mutual exchange over a single platform.” Stella and Miracle, taskforce members at ALAC, went on across-time-zone audio communication via group talk of WeChat APP specially set for the workshop with Judy at New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

Mr. Michael Royce, Executive Director of NYFA, representing the U.S. partner for the workshop project, said, “We feel honored to establish a platform for these outstanding Chinese curators to communicate with leading members of the New York art circles. We do hope that both sides may have opportunities to share curatorial experiences and bring the learning from the exchanges back to our respective organizations and to the cultural communities that we serve”. While in New York, Mr. JI Yanwei led the participants on a ‘home visit’ to the Chinese Consulate General, with a view to enhancing their understanding of the project from a higher perspective. It was a happy gathering with the cultural officials headed by the culture counselor, Mr. LI Liyan. After introducing the basics of the Consulate General as well as the status of Chinese arts and culture programs in New York, Mr. LI Liyan emphasized that participants of the workshop should learn and master the universal language of art, apply their intelligence and capabilities to the interpretation and promotion of Chinese culture overseas, introduce to the world more and more art works that embody Chinese characteristics, spirits and intelligence.

In response, Mr. JI Yanwei re-iterated that heart-to-heart communication holds the key to the amity between peoples which in turn leads the way to sound relations between states. He urged the participants to bring more and better Chinese art works into the hearts of the people around the globe by means of artistic innovation, communication, cooperation, exhibition, experiencing, studying and questioning. This visit to the Chinese Consulate General in New York brought a sense of home to the participants, and enhanced their sense of duty and mission to the home country.

From 1 Meter to 0.1 Meter

The workshop emphasized on going into art organizations and getting close to local curators at work. After lectures and exchange visits, the participants went into corresponding organizations and worked there for one month. If the physicaldistance between the teachers and the students was set at 1 meter, that at the curators’ posts was reduced to 0.1 meter.

團(tuán)員即興創(chuàng)作 Attendees' Improvisation

The workshop also emphasized on cultural preservation and cross-culture exchanges. Several NGOs showcased their outstanding achievements in this regard. Mr. Mark Rossier, director of the Development Department of NYFA, introduced four ways of fund-raising common to non-profit art organizations in New York, i.e., government support, enterprise sponsorship, private foundation sponsorship and individual donation. Such fund-raising is based upon the specific taxation system in New York. After securing the funding wells, such organizations conduct targeted events to promote the art development in local communities and provide art education service for the local people. The major feature is that the projects are selected according to local people’s demands and in combination of individual artists’ characteristics and potentials. The purposes of these activities are to promote mutual understandings among groups of diverse cultural backgrounds, to stabilize local social structures and to accommodate folk arts with discourse space into contemporary arts. Furthermore, museums and art galleries in New York, with a strong sense of public service, play important roles as culture expounders.

Participants of the workshop learned that special attention is given to public service function in the art development in New York. Brooklyn Museum offers art education service to students of local elementary and middle schools. Its lobby hall is for lease to accommodate local people’s weddings. Brooklyn Arts Council makes efforts to promote arts and culture programs within the Brooklyn District in service of its local people. Its programs include those supporting artists’ creative works and art education. In general, the U.S. has established a rather comprehensive system for the funding, planning, execution and evaluation of public arts, which provides sound funding and open environment for artistic creations, and boosts the art development in local communities in turn.

Art organizations in New York attach importance in their development strategy to resource sharing across academic, technological and commercial platforms, as seen not only in individual artists’ creation, but also in daily operation of the organizations. Participants of the workshop paid visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA). As one of the top four museums in the world, it adopts the exhibition strategy common to large-scale museums, i.e., as a rather stable practice, setting up permanent exhibition sections according to geographical divisions and historical development. However, the exhibits within these sections are in constant alteration. As another example, the cooperation between MMA and the Christie’s provides an effective channel for the museum to collect funds for its art crafts conservation, collection resources renewal and global market development.

Mr. LIU Libin, an associate researcher at China Central Academy of Fine Arts, and Ms SUN Feng, a curator from China Arts and Entertainment Group, both as participants of the workshop, made presentations on Chinese contemporary arts for their colleagues at the Sculpture Center where they stayed and worked at the latter half of the workshop. Mr. LIU Libin elaborated on the development of Chinese contemporary arts with a heavy accent of Shandong provincial dialect in his English. Ms SUN Feng introduced the international exchange history of Chinese artistic exhibitions, key exhibitions in Sino-U.S. art exchanges and directions for recent exhibition planning. The twoway discussion extended from exhibition planning, academic study and new media communication to cultures of China and the U.S., new trends and values in Chinese contemporary arts. U.S. curators quite enjoyed the presentations and discussion. Both Chinese and U.S. curators at work felt that such doublelane and close-range communication may bring an optimized effect.

Mr. FU Yixuan, executive vice president of ALAC received media interview on this workshop. He made such comment as follows, “Though we have organized curator trainings and workshops both at home and abroad for many times, it is a rare case that we have a program of such a long span, multiple training methods, close range and heavy emphasis on exchanges. We hope that the 20 participants may look back at this workshop in 20 years’time, and then identify its true value and significance”.“China National Arts Fund and CFLAC have really taken on themselves a timely job to support our workshop. As an independent curator, I have walked through and worked in many countries. Quite out of my expectation, my counterparts in the U.S. and other countries applauded on China National Arts Fund’s support to such an excellent program. They felt that Chinese curators are lucky and full of potentials. Upon returning home, I will share my full load of learning and experience with many fellow curators and artists.” Ms GUO Jing, an independent curator as one participant of this workshop in U.S. felt the strength and warmth in these sentences.