November/December 2009 | Volume 8, Number 6 Inside Art Economies Beyond Pattern Recognition Everyone Curates: From Global Avant-garde to Local Reality On Connoisseurship in the Marketing of Contemporary Chinese Art Orientalism and the Landscape of Contemporary Chinese Art Artist Features: Li Dafang, Gao Weigang, Shu Yong, Xu Jiang, Gao Shiqiang, WAZA US$12.00 NT$350.00 6 VOLUME 8, NUMBER 6, November/DECEMBER 2009 CONTENTS 2 Editor’s Note 41 4 Contributors 6 Art Economies Beyond Pattern Recognition Biljana Ciric 20 Everyone Curates: From Global Avant-garde to Local Reality Meiqin Wang 33 On Connoisseurship in the Marketing of Contemporary Chinese Art 61 Robert C. Morgan 41 Orientalism and the Landscape of Contemporary Chinese Art Danielle Shang 51 The Value of Painting as That of Cabbage and Thieves: On Li Dafang Carol Yinghua Lu 61 Blind but not Foreign: Gao Weigang and the New Insider-Outsider Art 68 Robin Peckham 68 Shu Yong: Mediator of Bodies Erik Bordeleau 77 Salvation and Return: An Analysis of Xu Jiang’s Recent Work Sun Shanchun 86 Gao Shiqiang: Agonized Subjects in a Rapidly Changing Society 86 Kim Hyunjin 100 Floating and Theft in Wuhan Stacey Duff 109 Chinese Name Index 100 Cover: Li Dafang, Fumin Brand Dried Noodles (detail), 2009, oil on canvas, 165 x 130 cm. Courtesy of Galerie Urs Meile, Beijing-Lucerne. 1 Editor’s Note YISHU: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art president Katy Hsiu-chih Chien It has been repeatedly proclaimed that the ndin editr Ken Lum economic crisis of the past year changed editr Keith Wallace everything in the art world, yet Sotheby’s October nin editr Zheng Shengtian 2009 art auction in Hong Kong witnessed prices ssite editrs Julie Grundvig rebounding, and even on the increase, for Kate Steinmann contemporary Chinese art. In spite of that, the editril ssistnt Chunyee Li blip that did occur gave rise to a much-needed irltin nager Larisa Broyde reality check about what is genuinely important in d ner Joyce Lin web site editr Chunyee Li contemporary art, resulting in artists and thinkers embarking on a journey in search of other realms of art that are less submissive to the market than disry brd Judy Andrews, Ohio State University they were during the past decade and more Melissa Chiu, Asia Society Museum focused on exploring what it means to be making John Clark, University of Sydney art in society today. Lynne Cooke, Dia Art Foundation Okwui Enwezor, San Francisco Art Institute Britta Erickson, Independent Scholar & Curator Each of the first four texts in Yishu 35 address Fan Di’an, National Art Museum of China Fei Dawei, Guy & Myriam Ullens Foundation this particular historical moment relative to Gao Minglu, University of Pittsburgh contemporary art in mainland China. Some of the Hou Hanru, San Francisco Art Institute Hu Fang, Vitamin Creative Space and the shop ideas and approaches presented may appear Katie Hill, University of Westminster unfamiliar, unformulated, or even naïve, but they Claire Hsu, Asia Art Archive are ideas in process and very much connected Martina Köppel-Yang, Independent Critic & Historian Sebastian Lopez, Institute of International Visual Arts to their communities, and that is what makes Lu Jie, Independent Curator them provocative, exciting, and part of an Charles Merewether, Critic & Curator Ni Tsaichin, Tunghai University inevitable ongoing evolution. Biljana Ciric Apinan Poshyananda, Ministry of Culture, Thailand organized a conference that brought together Philip Tinari, Independent Critic & Curator Chia Chi Jason Wang, Independent Critic & Curator primarily younger artists who are proposing Wu Hung, University of Chicago alternative strategies within the current mainland Pauline J. Yao, Independent Scholar Chinese art system; Meiqin Wang explores the significant influence that independent curators pbliser Art & Collection Group Ltd. wield within the art world and questions 6F. No. 85, Section 1, where that influence currently resides; Robert Chungshan N. Road, Taipei, Taiwan 104 C. Morgan offers a reminder about the role Phone: (886)2.2560.2220 connoisseurship can play regardless of the Fax: (886)2.2542.0631 E-mail: [email protected] tenuous thread that appears to keep its existence intact, and Danielle Shang challenges an often desin nd prdtin Leap Creative Group leaden view of contemporary Chinese art that exists in the West and how the new generation retie diretr Raymond Mah rt Diretr Gavin Chow of artists and the current art system needs to be desiner Philip Wong acknowledged as it really exists. webster Website ARTCO, Taipei A number of the issues brought forth in these printin Chong-yuan Image Ltd., Taipei texts resonate in the artist features that follow. issn - In their artwork, as varied in aesthetic and intent as it may be, Li Dafang, Gao Weigang, Shu Yong, Xu Jiang, Gao Shiqiang, and the collective WAZA Yishu is published bi-monthly in Taipei, Taiwan, and edited in Vancouver, Canada. The publishing dates are January, March, all address a post-Cultural Revolution reality and May, July, September, and November. ways that history, the issues that exist in its wake, and the changing social structures play into All subscription, advertising, and submission inquiries may contemporary Chinese experience. be sent to: Yishu Office 200–1311 Howe Street Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 2P3 Keith Wallace Phone: 1.604.649.8187; Fax: 1.604.591.6392 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.yishujournal.com Subscription rates: YISHU EDITIONS 1 year (six issues): $84 USD (includes $24 for airmail postage); Now available: Five limited-edition prints by in Asia $78 USD (includes $18 for airmail postage). some of the most important Chinese artists. 2 years (twelve issues): $158 USD (includes $48 for airmail postage); in Asia $146 USD (including $36 for airmail postage). Please see back cover for images and contact information. No part of this journal may be reprinted without the written permission from the publisher. The views expressed in Yishu are not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. 2 Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art 典藏國際版‧第8卷第6期‧2009年11 - 12月 典藏國際版創刊於 2002年5月1日 2 編者手記 社 長： 簡秀枝 總策劃： 鄭勝天 4 作者小傳 創刊編輯： 林蔭庭（Ken Lum） 主 編： 華睿思 (Keith Wallace) 6 藝術新經濟 副編輯： 顧珠妮 (Julie Grundvig) 史楷迪 (Kate Steinmann) Biljana Ciric 編輯助理： 黎俊儀 (Chunyee Li) 20 人人策展—從國際前衛到本地實際 行 政： 藍立杉 (Larisa Broyde) 網站編輯： 黎俊儀 (Chunyee Li) 王美欽（Meiqin Wang） 廣 告： 林素珍 33 對當代中國藝術的鑒賞 顧 問： 王嘉驥 田霏宇 (Philip Tinari) Robert C. Morgan 安雅蘭 (Judy Andrews) 巫 鴻 東方主義與當代中國藝術景觀 林似竹 (Britta Erickson) 41 范迪安 尚端（Danielle Shang） 招穎思 (Melissa Chiu) 洛柿田 (Sebastian Lopez) 51 繪畫的價值等同於「白菜」和「騙子」 胡 昉 侯瀚如 的價值 — 談李大方 徐文玠 (Claire Hsu) 盧迎華（Carol Yinghua Lu） 姜苦樂 (John Clark) 姚嘉善 (Pauline J. Yao) 倪再沁 61 盲而不異：高偉剛和游移於局內外 高名潞 的新藝術 費大爲 楊天娜 (Martina Köppel-Yang) Robin Peckham 盧 杰 Lynne Cooke 68 舒勇：身體的斡旋者 Okwui Enwezor Katie Hill Erik Bordeleau Charles Merewether Apinan Poshyananda 77 拯救與回歸：對許江近作的分析 出 版： 典藏雜誌社 孫善春 (Sun Sanchun) 台灣臺北市中山北路一段85號6樓 電話: (886) 2.2560.2220 傳真：(886) 2.2542.0631 86 高士強—巨變社會中的痛苦主題 電子信箱：[email protected] Kim Hyunjin 編輯部： Yishu Office 200-1311 Howe Street, 100 流竊武漢：「30個中國內地 Vancouver, BC, Canada V6Z 2P3 流浪藝人的媒體生命」 電話: (1) 604.649.8187 傳真：(1) 604.591.6392 Stacey Duff 電子信箱: [email protected] 訂閱、投稿及廣告均請與編輯部聯系。 109 中英人名對照 設 計： Leap Creative Group 印 刷： 中原造像股份有限公司 網 址： www.yishujournal.com 管 理： 典藏雜誌社 國際刊號: 1683-3082 本刊在溫哥華編輯設計，臺北印刷出版發行。 一年6期。逢1、3、5、7、9、11月出版。 售價每本12美元。 訂閲：一年84美元，兩年158美元（含航空 郵資）。亞洲地區一年78美元，兩年146美元 （含航空郵資）。 封面：李大方，富民牌挂麵（局部），2009，布面油畫， 165 x 130 公分，麥勒畫廊（北京/琉森）提供 訂閱單可從本刊網址下載。 版權所有，本刊內容非經本社同意不得翻譯和 轉載。 3 Contributors Eric Bordeleau is pursuing a doctorate Kim Hyunjin is a curator and a writer in comparative literature at Université de based in Seoul. She was a co-curator of Montréal. His research is concerned with the 7th Gwangju Biennale (2008) and the relationship between anonymity and has worked as a curator for a number of political resistance in contemporary Chinese institutions, including the Vanabbemuseum, art and cinema. He has contributed to Eindhoven, and the Artsonje Center, several magazines, including Espai en blanc Seoul, as well as the Insa Art Space. She (Barcelona), Fata Morgana (Italy), and Hors- has written for numerous catalogues and Champ and OVNI (both in Montreal). has also contributed writings and reviews to various Korean art magazines including Biljana Ciric is an independent curator Wolganmisool, ArtinCulture, and Vmspace. based in Shanghai. She is also Artistic Her most recent publications include Director of Ke Center of Contemporary Arts Movement, Contingency and Community and the executive curator for the Intrude (Seoul: Darun Books, 2008), Jewyo Rhii Public Art Project, presented by Zendai (Seoul: Samuso/Darun Books, 2008); MoMA. She was Director of the Shanghai Haegue Yang (Berlin: Wien Verlag, 2007); Duolun Museum of Modern Art Curatorial Dolores Zinny and Juan Maidagan (Bilbao: Department and Net-Working Curator Sala Rekalde, 2007). She has recently (China) for the Singapore Biennale 2006. begun work on her Ph.D. in the Curatorial Her ongoing Migration Addicts project and Visual Knowledge Department at was presented at the Venice Biennale 2007 Goldsmiths College, London. Collateral Events and the Shen Zhen/Hong Kong Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism and Carol Yinghua Lu is an independent curator Architecture. She is a regular contributor and art writer based in Beijing. She is the to several Chinese and international art founder and co-editor of Contemporary publications including Yishu, Flash Art, and Art & Investment magazine and a frequent Broadsheet. She has an M.A. from East China contributor to a number of international Normal University, Shanghai. art magazines such as Frieze, Contemporary, and e-flux. A graduate of the Critical Studies Stacey Duff is a Beijing-based poet and program at the Malmö Art Academy, Lund writer.