 arning. IF you're afraid of biting criticism of the art world in China, do not read this column. It could be hazardous to your health, for I am the "anonymous critic”. That's right, this magazine has asked me to write anonymous reviews of the art scene in China because the founders say they simply could not find many people willing to tell the truth about what they like and don't like in the art world, at least they couldn't say it in print.
Why are so many people afraid of art criticism in China? Is it because art prices are skyrocketing? Is it because everyone wants to be branded a star? Is it because the art world here is a bit clubby? I'm not so sure, but I've been observing the art world here for some time, and while everyone whispers about who's really good and who's not, no one wants to be heard in public. And that's a shame because the art world is in desperate need of some healthy criticism.
So for the next year or so, or until I'm fired or my identity is exposed, I'm going to write what Ireally think about the art world in China. I'm going to add some refreshing thoughts and questions to try to balance out the glowing art reviews in the Chinese press and the glorification of Chinese artists by the western press.
The truth is, almost every leading art expert in China right now believes that the art scene in this country is in decline. Yes, prices are reaching record highs. Chinese contemporary art has never been more popular. But there is an appalling shortage of fresh ideas in the top ranks of the art world. Most of the creativity these days is coming not from painters, but from video and installation artists.
Ask anyone who was here in the 1980s. Things were a lot more spirited then. Even after 1989, there were artists who were filled with ideas. There was passion. Artists had something to say. Now, everyone wants to be a brand.
Perhaps Wang Guangyi was really doing something profound when he blended images of the Cultural Revolution with western consumer brands. Now, the art world here is populated by brands, and artists who churn out their endless series of look-like portraits. They're brands.
Zhou Tiehai railed against this type of art in the early to mid 90s. He so smartly commented on the sorry state of the art world in China. And now, he too has a brand: Joe Camel.
Wang Guangyi, Fang Lijun, Yue Minjun and Zhang Xiaogang are truly the titans of the art world. These men will go down in history as among the pioneers of the contemporary art world in China. But all of them need to experiment with something entirely new. They are still quite young, and quite rich. And so why not change direction, why not alter course.
And the same goes for so many other artists here, who either stick with a familiar series or simply mimic western artists with works or performances that are nothing more than vulgar attempts to capture attention.
Of course, it is easy to pick on the artists when you're hiding behind the veil of anonymity, so I'm going to make a pledge here. I don't want this column to be vindictive or simply angry and critical for the sake of being critical. I want to simply question what is happening with art.; to ask what the meaning of a particular art work or performance is.
And my friends in the art world are going to help me raise the unpopular questions about certain artistsand certain work.
Of course, there are still some cutting edge artists, like Gu Dexin, Han Lei and Yang Fudong who are pushing the boundaries. And many of the top artists in China are reknowned for good reason: Wang Guangyi, Fang Lijun and Zhang Xiaogang were brave souls and banned from exhibiting here for years.
But where is the next generation of great artists? What are their ideas? Are they painters, videoartists, installation artists? And where are the critical voices to question the artists.
The founders of this magazine promised that I would not be censored, unless I wrote something vulgar, gratuitous or so vicious that they simply couldn't print it. But they promised that if I was critical in a strong and healthy way, there'd be no one I couldn't write about. We'll see. They also said I could take on the magazine itself, if necessary.
Maybe I will. After all, what makes them the experts of the art world? Who are they anyway?
Well, see you next issue. But sorry, you may not like what you read here.
A Note From the Editors: Yes, it's true. We've let loose an anonymous critic. We argued day and night about whether this was the right thing to do; whether someone should be able to critique the art world from behind a veil of anonymity. And we decided, why not give it a try; why not create something that everyone agrees is missing from the art scene: an honest critic. But we also want to keep our critic honest, and to patrol that he or she doesn't simply attack enemies and promote friends. And so we're going to allow guest anonymous critics to contribute to this column from time to time, to keep it fresh and reduce the powers of one or two personalities. We hope you enjoy it. If you don't please respond. We'll print as many responses as we can. So feel free to go after the critic!
|
