FOREWORD
FOREWORD
ZhuZhunowprovidesuswithGreyCarneval:ArtinChinasince2000,averysubstantialbookresultingfromtheoutlineproposedtoaninternationaljuryforthe2011CCAAArtCriticAwardwhichmadehimaclearwinnerofthataward.HecertainlyhasmademorethangoodonhispromisetoofferanewandindepthanalysisofthisdecadewhichcarriessomuchweightinshapingnewperceptionsaboutChinesecontemporaryartathomeandabroad.Thisbookcomesverytimely,atamomentwhentheheatismountinginthedebateaboutthecanonofChinesecontemporaryart—aboutwhoisinandwhoisout,aboutwhoshapedthisartandwhenandhow…
ThisbookillustratesparticularlywellwhytheCCAAArtCriticAwardhasbeencreated:thevibrantChineseartscenestilllackssufficientindependentartcriticismofthiskind.Intheearlydays,thislackwasduetoanartoperatingsystemthatwasnotyetdifferentiatedenough—therewasnoindependentmediawithintheculturaldomain,andnoindependencewithinthesemedia.Thissituationcouldnotprovidesufficientmaterialgaintosustainacareerasatrulyindependentwriter.Yetintoday'sboomingartmarket,artmediapublications,artistbooksandexhibitioncatalogsabound.Materialconditionshaveimprovedgreatly.Butmostofthiswritingnowhastocatertotheneedsofthemarket:sincethemarket,almostexclusively,validateswhatisconsideredgoodorbadart.Thisstemsfromalackofresourcesthatprovetobestrongenoughtobalancemarketpowers:resourcessuchasstrongmuseuminstitutionscapableandwillingtoparticipateinthediscoursewiththeircuratorialpractice,andinparticularindependentanalysisandcritique,allaimedateducatingarapidlygrowingaudiencethatcastsaneyeonoriswillingtoinvestinvisualarts.Inaddition,theacademicsysteminsideChinahasbeenveryslowinprovidingaspecificcurriculumforthosewishingtopursueacareerinartcriticism.
TheArtCriticAwardwantstoaddresstheseissuestwofold:byraisingthediscussiononindependentartcriticismwhichissoessentialtoadvanceartcreationinChina,andinseekingtoencourageindependentwriting—byenablinganindepthresearchprojectinChinesecontemporaryartthatmightnototherwisehavefoundfinancialsupport.
FinallymyvividthanksgototheCCAAjurymemberswhohavewithaveryrichdebateandastutejudgmenthelpedtoproducethismostinterestingoutcome.Thejurywascomposedoffivemembers:GongYan(Editor-in-ChiefofArtWorldMagazine,DirectorofOArtCenter,ShanghaiInstituteofVisualArts,FuDanUniversity),LarsNittve(ExecutiveDirectorofM+Museum,HongKong)PhilipTinari(Formereditor-in-ChiefofLEAPMagazine,DirectorofUCCA),WangHuangsheng(DirectorofCAFAArtMuseum)andUliSigg(FounderofCCAA).IamalsoverygratefulforthemostimportantfinancialsupportprovidedbyM+MuseumofVisualArts,HongkongtoCCAAforouractivities.AndIamparticularlyindebtedtoAnnaLiuLi,DirectorofCCAA,whopreparedwithherteamsoefficientlythejurymeeting,managedwithgreatcharmthejuryprocess,allmediacommunicationandthemanystepsthatnowledtothissuccessfulpublication.
UliSigg