第57届威尼斯双年展中国馆由中国文化部支持，中国对外文化集团公司主办，上海明当代美术馆和北京时代美术馆协办。双年展于2017年5月13日至11月26日开放。本届双年展总主题定为“艺术永生” (Viva Arte Viva)，旨在成为“由艺术家与艺术家为了艺术家而设计”的一届双年展，将艺术家置于第一线，为艺术家的自我表达提供机会。而以“不息”（Continuum – Generation by Generation）为题的本届威尼斯双年展中国馆，也将是一个由“艺术家为艺术家策划”的展览，提出关于什么是“永生”理解的中国方案，展示中国智慧的深刻内涵，以当代和民间积极互动的方式，阐释中国文化和中国艺术永生的奥秘。
展览在意象上将以“山·海”与“古·今”两个相互流变、转换的“阴·阳”结构来展开叙事。“愚公移山”和“精卫填海”这两个耳熟能详的故事构成“山”与“海”对应的意象；李嵩的《骷髅幻戏图》和马远的《十二水图》二幅宋代古画共同构成展览的“引文”，由中国人独特的精神世界构成指向“不息”的意象。一位汲取大海能量的当代中国艺术家汤南南与另一位汲取“迷信”能量的当代中国艺术家邬建安；一位雕刻影子的民间工艺美术大师汪天稳与另一位汇集苏绣艺术传承脉络的民间工艺美术大师姚惠芬将对这两个故事、两幅宋画展开一场跨越千年的合作，为展览空间的“叙事”注入了更多的活力和可能。
这二组由民间工艺美术大师和当代艺术家构成的对比叙事，亦共同表达了“不息”所蕴含的“合作”与“传承”的精神气场。苏绣大师姚惠芬不仅将以精湛绝伦的上百种针法再现《骷髅幻戏图》，也将参与汤南南《遗忘之海》的创作。邬建安与皮影大师汪天稳已合作多年，在该展中将针对马远《水图》和山海意象展开新的创作；而出生于剧场世家的汤南南与皮影大师汪天稳，来自上海金山的邬建安与苏州的姚惠芬，也将交叉产生出新作品。民间工艺和当代艺术家的创作在中国艺术的不息再造与重生的能量中相互渗透，构成互文性的集体创作网络——既有两点之间的交互，又有一点对多点、多点对多点之间的交互，每位艺术家还分别与其它三位艺术家合作；同时，更多的策展人、艺术家们也将合作形成一个现场表演。在这片交叉合作的网络中，传统分别由当代艺术家和民间艺术家所继承和阐释。
因此，每一个中国艺术家，都不是一个人在创作。他的创作，总是一种应答和开启，总是在期待唱和，总是可以加批注和题跋。中国艺术绝不是任何一个生死有命的中国艺术家的个体创造，而是一场历时五千年的集体创作，这是一代代艺术家不断卷入的，一场跨越千年的唱和和雅集。本届中国馆向世界展示的当代中国艺术，也将是这场数千年的集体创造的新的生产。它正直坦荡，不是削尖脑袋猴急经营的创造力，而是脱胎换骨后的自然洋溢；不是暴烈的资本炒作的成功，而是感染和召唤所致的认同。它是一种基于中国文明的底色和基因，基于中国人的人情冷暖和匠心文运、通情达理的新的当代艺术。
与往届中国馆截然不同，本届中国馆展厅特别设置了文献区，展示四位艺术家各自的师承，进一步把“不息”由意象和气场，落实为文献的证据。邬建安的老师是吕胜中先生，吕胜中先生的老师是杨先让先生和冯真先生，杨先让的老师是徐悲鸿，冯真的老师是苏联画家莫伊谢延科……汪天稳的恩师是李占文，李占文的恩师是李三喜，李三喜的师傅……汤南南的大学老师是徐里……徐里的老师是林以友、谢意佳；林以友的老师是倪贻德和胡善余先生，谢意佳的老师是黄宾虹、林风眠等……姚惠芬的恩师是牟志红，牟志红的老师是金静芬，金静芬的老师是沈寿……姚惠芬的另一位恩师是任嘒娴，任嘒娴的老师是杨守玉，杨守玉的老师是吕凤子，吕凤子的老师是李瑞清……每一位中国艺术家，有着各自的师承，也都同时是一个教师。在这样一种雅俗新老之间重重叠叠的唱和以及代代相传、无穷尽的接力中，聚集起的是不息的能量场。而这种艺术阐释模型，将完全不同于那种强调个人创造的艺术生产模式，这就是中国艺术和中华文明几千年生生不息的秘密。
当代的中国艺术，一脉相承，这是我们对于“艺术永生”的回答。在长达半年的展期中，不仅可让观者在绘画、影像、装置、雕塑、行为、摄影与苏绣、皮影等多元展演形态中游走古今；并且通过多媒体皮影剧表演、皮影工作坊以及《全球沙滩考古计划》之《威尼斯》和《寻海记》等公众创作活动，不断充实和更新观者的多维体验；而这场持续180天的“不息”的戏剧，亦让“中国元素”在亚得里亚海的波涛中熠熠生辉，奔腾不息。
The Chinese Pavilion in the 57th Venice Biennale will be supported by the Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China, commissioned by China Arts and Entertainment Group, with contributors including Shanghai Ming Contemporary Art Museum and Beijing Times Art Museum. The Biennale will open on May 13th and be on view until 26th November 2017. The theme of this year’s biennale is “Viva Arte Viva,” an exhibition by artists, with artists, and for artists. It puts the artists on the front line and provides them with the opportunity for free expression. The theme of this year’s Chinese Pavilion is Continuum – Generation by Generation; it is also an exhibition curated by an artist for artists. It brings forward a project about the Chinese understanding of “eternity,” and reveals the profound essence of Chinese wisdom. It brings together contemporary art and folk art, and through their interaction, the mystery of long-lasting Chinese culture and Chinese art is interpreted.
The images of “Mountain/Sea” and “Ancient/New” representing “Yin/Yang” are the framework for the narration of this exhibition. Two well-known Chinese fables, The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains and Jingwei Filling the Sea, provide the imagery that correspond to “mountain” and “sea”. Two Song Dynasty paintings, Li Song’s Skeleton Fantasy Show and Ma Yuan’s Twelve Images of Water Surging have been chosen as the “foreword” for this exhibition. The two works both touch upon the unique characteristics of the Chinese spiritual world, especially the outlook on life, death, and time, which all point to the concept of “Bu Xi.”
The images of “Mountain/Sea” and “Ancient/New” representing “Yin/Yang” are the framework for the narration of this exhibition. Two well-known Chinese fables, The Foolish Old Man Removes the Mountains and Jingwei Filling the Sea, provide the imagery that correspond to “mountain” and “sea”. Two Song Dynasty paintings, Li Song’s Skeleton Fantasy Show and Ma Yuan’s Twelve Images of Water Surging have been chosen as the “foreword” for this exhibition. The two works both touch upon the unique characteristics of the Chinese spiritual world, especially the outlook on life, death, and time, which all point to the concept of “Bu Xi.”
Two folk artists and two contemporary artists have been commissioned to convey the meaning of the above narrative. Folk crafts and the works of contemporary artists permeate each other. Suzhou embroidery master Yao Huifen will recreate the Skeleton Fantasy Show through the use of more than a hundred exquisite and unique techniques, and participate in making Tang Nannan’s work The Forgotten Sea. Wu Jian’an and shadow play master Wang Tianwen have been collaborating for many years. For this exhibition, they will create new works inspired by the imagery of mountain/sea as well as Ma Yuan’s water paintings. Tang Nannan, who was born into a theatrical family, shadow play master Wang Tianwen, Wu Jian’an from Shanghai Jinshan, and Yao Huifen from Suzhou will also produce new collaborative works. Thus the entire exhibition will form a network of intertextual and collective creation. Each artist will collaborate with the other three artists; at the same time, additional curators and artists will collaborate to form a living performance. In this intertextual network, traditions were inherited and interpreted by contemporary artists and folk artisans.
Chinese art is not the isolated creation of a single mortal Chinese artist, but is a collective creation across five thousand years. It is a scholarly recital and gathering lasting thousands of years. Chinese artists do not work in solitude. Their creations are always a kind of response, a kind of enlightenment, in anticipation of echoing and of being critiqued and commented upon. Therefore, the contemporary Chinese art we would like to showcase the world, is the new product of this collective creation across thousands of years. It is with great integrity, not wheeling and dealing for fast gains, but flowing freely after being reborn. To be successful is not to have vicious capital speculation, but gaining recognition through influence and beckoning. The contemporary art we will present has a kind of gene based on the backdrop of Chinese civilization, human relationship, inventive craftsmanship, and literary tradition.
Different from the Chinese Pavilion of past years, this year we especially set up an archival area in the exhibition. We strive to transform the idea and image of ”Bu Xi” into archival evidence and to show the educational lineage of these four artists. Wu Jian’an’s teacher is Prof. Lu Shengzhong, Prof. Lu Shengzhong’s teachers are Mr. Yang Xianrang and Mr. Feng Zhen, Mr. Yang Xianrang’s teacher is Xu Beihong, Mr. Feng Zhen’s teacher is USSR painter Moiseenko; Wang Tianwen’s teacher is Li Zhanwen, whose teacher is Li Sanxi; Tang Nannan’s teacher at college is Xu Li, whose teachers are Lin Yiyou and Xie Yijia, Lin Yiyou’s teachers are Ni Yide and Hu Shanyu，and Xie Yijia’s teachers include Huang Binhong and Lin Fengmian; Yao Huifen’s teacher Mou Zhihong, Mou Zhihong’s teacher Jin JIngfen, Jinjingfen’s teacher Shen Shou, Yao Huifen’s other teaher is Ren Huixian, who’s teacher is Yang Shouyu, whose teacher is Lu Fengzi, whose teacher is Li Ruiqing …… Each Chinese artist has his/her own educational lineage, as the same time is also the teacher of other people. This kind of overlaying discourse and echoing of folk art and fine art, new art and traditional art, will create an energy field of “Bu Xi.” This is completely different from the Western way of individual creation. This is the secret of Chinese art and Chinese Civilization passing from one generation to the next for thousands of years.
The Contemporary Chinese art stems from the same lineage. This is our response to “Viva Arte Viva.” In the six months of the exhibition, the Chinese Pavilion will not only offer a journey through five thousand years in various art forms, including painting, video, installation, sculpture, performance, photography, Su Embroidery, and shadow play, but will also provide a multi-dimensional experience through different kinds of public interaction, which include multi-media shadow play performance, shadow play workshop, and workshop Global Beach Archaeology Project – Venice and Searching for the Sea. The 180 days play of “Bu Xi” will enable the quintessence of Chinese culture to shine in the Adriatic Sea.