cybernetics

aaajiao vs régine

aaajiao: why choose to talk about "device art" on getitlouder? is it because device art origins

aaajiao: 为什么这次要在大声展上讲设备艺术 (device art)，是因为它起源于日本，更有东方的色

from japan, therefore it has more oriental sense?

彩吗？

régine debatty: no, that wasn't the reason of the choice. getitlouder presents young creativity

régine debatty: 不， 那不是我选择的原因。 大声展从广义上展示了年轻一代的创造力：无论是产品、

in a broad sense: designers, be they product, fashion or graphic designers, were showing their

时尚或图形设计者们都能与艺术家们一道展出自己的作品。这是你在欧洲不会经常见到的景象。

work alongside artists. that is something you do not see very often in europe. there are tons of

欧洲有无数的艺术展、节，但其存在都是与设计两不相干的。人们基本上不会将两者混在一起。

art shows, fairs and festivals but they exist in parallel with design events. you generally do not mix

所以我认为自己在大声展上起的作用能够反映出艺术与设备的熔合，并且多点东西：科技——因

those worlds. so i figured out that my contribution to gil could reflect that fusion of art and device.

为我在 blog 上写的那些作品绝大多数都与科技有点联系。

with an added ingredient: technology because most of the works i write about in my blog have some tech component.

aaajiao: 在欧洲从事生物方面媒体艺术创作的人多吗？生物作为创作的媒体是不是已经成为热 点，我看到很多关于生物方面的作品，比如给自己胳膊上种植虚拟耳朵，或是给手指里种植磁铁

aaajiao: is there many artists engage in biological media art in europe? biology as a medium for art work has been an highlight, is that true? we've seen lots of works related to biology, for instant, plant an vitural ear on one's arm, or add magnet in one's fingers for sensing electric flow, and use the different shapes and colors of colonies to produce art works , so what do you think about all these?

来感受电流，还有利用细菌的颜色图形进行创作的，你怎么看呢？ régine debatty: 在欧洲并没有很多致力于生物科技的艺术家（或设计师）。对于众多艺术家来说， 这仍然是很不寻常、难以应付的媒介。在手指上种植磁铁是有些极客（geeker），但并不能算艺术， 它可能很轰动，但在我看来与艺术无关。提到科技，人们首先想到的还是数码科技，因为它存在 于我们身边，是我们每天都会用到的，像手机、电脑或者无线射频系统。然而，生物技术确实正 在兴起，实际上它们已经出现很多年了。我认为，出不了多久它就能从实验室走出来进入到我们

régine debatty: there are not that many artists (ordesigners) engaging with bio technologies in europe. it is still a rather unusual and awkward media for many artists. adding a magnet to one's finger is not art though, it's a bit geeky, it might be spectacular but it has nothing to do with art in my opinion. the number one technology one usually think about is digital technology because that is the one that surrounds us, that's the one we use on a daily basis, with mobile phones and computers or through rfid systems. however, biotech is emerging. it has actually been emerging for decades now. and i suspect that it will soon get out of the labs and right into our daily life. and we might not be prepared for it. who asks us what we think of it or what we want from it? what happens often with technology is that it is developed in labs and once it's on the market, it is too late to have a say on it. we have to do with what is being sold to us. that's why it is important that artists engage with biotechnology. each technology has impacts and implications in our life, these implications are cultural, ethical or even political and one of the role of the artists is to raise awareness and make us realize that what is cooking up in laboratories might not be as clean and innocent as the media and the labs themselves might want us to believe. artists are there to raise the alarm. not to judge but to make us notice, reflect, discuss and ask questions we are not supposed to ask. their work might seem grotesque or shocking but the most significant of these art pieces are deeply grounded in scientific research. some of these artists such as symbiotica in australia, even work closely with a scientific laboratories, respecting their requirement and developing their art projects in close collaboration with the scientists.

的生活。而我们可能还没有准备好去接受它。有谁问过我们怎样看它或者我们想从它那里得到什 么嘛？科技通常是在实验室里开发，一旦它们走向市场，我们再想说什么就都晚了。我们不得不 忍受卖给我们的东西（产品）。这就是艺术家致力于生物科技的重要性所在。每一中科技都与我 们的生活有联系并对它造成影响。这些联系有的是文化上的、有伦理上的，甚至还有政治上的。 而艺术家的角色之一便是提高人们对此的认识，让我们明白实验室搞的东西可能并没有他们希望 我们所想象得那么清白、纯粹。艺术家在这里的作用就是敲响警钟，并不评判而是让我们注意到、 去思考、讨论、提出那些我们本想不到的问题。他们的作品可能看起来很奇怪、令人震惊，但最 重要的是这些艺术作品都是以科学研究为根基的。有部分艺术家，像澳大利亚的 symbiotica* ( 共生） 甚至与科学实验室都有亲密合作。 这种所谓的“生物艺术”深深吸引了我，它与我们的生活息息相关，而且我发现它要比任何电子 产品更强有力（虽然我一直推崇机器人和半机械人）。 * symbiotica 2007 年金妮卡（ars electronica 的（hybrid art awards）混合艺术奖金奖）获得者。symbiotica 是从事生命科学研 究的艺术实验室，是第一所完整的对生物艺术（bioart）进行研究的机构，其宗旨是使艺术家能够更容易的在生物领域进行 艺术创作。他们鼓励艺术家利用科学技术完成他们的跨学科创作，使观念不只是停留在纸面上，而是探讨其实施的可能性。

aaajiao: i am profoundly interested in the so-called "bioart", it deals intimately with life and i find it

aaajiao: 你知道我是从事的是 generative art* 的研究，在欧洲，generative art 的状况是怎么样的，

much more powerful than any electronics (although i'm all for robots and cyborgs).

有时候 generative art 的处境很尴尬，我们极力在摆脱”用电脑绘画的人 \\\\\\\”这样称为的人，

régine debatty: now we do research on generative art. how about the situation of this kind of art in europe? it's an awkward situation, we really try hard to pull people from thinking us as

另一方面，在欧洲 new media art 是不是同样处在并不被主流艺术圈所认同的状况，在中国我认 为是缺少相关的研究机构和批评家，在欧洲又如何呢？

"someone who draws pics by computers". is it the same situation that new media art has to face

régine debatty: 这个问题回答起来有些困难，因为我不是 generative art 方面的专家，对它了解

in europe? in china, we tend to think it's because of lacking of relative organizations and critics,

也不深入。不过我还是觉得这类艺术非常吸引人。那些谦逊的艺术家肯于交出一些创造力并留给

how about in europe?

机器，这点我非常欣赏。的确，是电脑在创造作品，但建立规则并有最终决定权的仍然是艺术家 本人。这有点像摄影：当年评论家也说它不过是技术上的问题，毫无艺术性。但现在看看吧：艺 术展上到处都是摄影作品，而且相当有市场。

aaajiao: i find it difficult to answer your question as i'm not an expert of generative art and follow it from afar. i find the genre extremely interesting though. i like the fact that the artist is humble enough to surrender some of his or her creative power and leave it in the "hands" of the machine. yes, the

不过有一点我可以肯定，就是在欧洲涉足主流媒体或出版界又搞现代艺术（不仅是媒体艺术）的 人中，能够胜任的评论家还不多。没有这些人，你就很难进行沟通，让大众对这门学科有足够的 认识。不过这话不仅限于 generative art，用来说任何媒体艺术都是可以的。

computer creates but it is the artist who establishes the rules and gets to make the final cut. it is a bit like photography: critics at the time said it was just technical, not artistic and look now: photography is everywhere in art biennales and is making good money on the art market.

* 衍化艺术（自我衍生艺术，generative art）是由来自人工物件的演化程序所制作的表现。这里的程序并不特指电脑程序， 泛指体系化算法。

régine debatty: one thing i can say though is that europe doesn't have enough competent critics who have infiltrated either mainstream media or publications that deal with contemporary art (and not just media art). without that, it is difficult to get the message through and have the discipline

aaajiao: 我并不是对概念苛求的人，但是我想知道你对 new media art 的 new 的理解，在中国大

get the recognition it deserves. but that is something i can say more generally for any kind of

部分媒体艺术家认为 new media art 是表现形式上的 new，并不代表任何新的观点或是观念，你

media art, not just generative art.

怎么看？ régine debatty: 实际上我感兴趣的并不是媒体艺术，而是艺术——不管是用蕴含高科技的颜料 绘画、摄影师运用灯光拍摄物体、还是用培养皿或手提电脑创作。我有点厌烦人们总要在媒体艺

aaajiao: we are not that excessively exacting about definition, but we really want to know your

术与“传统”艺术间画一条明确的分界线。要知道，你之前提到的那些新点子新概念还有很多更

perception or understanding of new media art. most media artists in china see it as a new form of

有力的表现方式，它们并不一定要与科技有关。比如 miltos manetas* 的操纵杆绘画是媒体艺术还

representation and believe it stands for any new idea or conception, what's your opinion?

是单纯的绘画作品？

régine debatty: i am actually not interested in media art per se. i'm interested in art, wheher the

我在意的是融合了美感并且有意义的创造。而非简单的黑客式的机敏或者极客戏谑的玩意。现在

technology lies in the pigments used to do a painting, the way a photograph uses lights to portray

人们仍然将黑客和极客作品与艺术品混为一谈。我寻找的是超越这些的东西，并称它们为艺术。

their subjects, or whether it uses petri dishes or laptops to create a piece of art. i am a bit tired of people establishing a clear cut between what is media art and what is "traditional" art. there are powerful ways to bring forward these new ideas and conceptions you mention and they do not necessarily include the use of technology. are the joystick paintings of (media) artist miltos manetas media art? or is it "just" painting"? what i look for is creativity fused with beauty and meaningfulness. not just a witty hack or a playful piece of geekery. many geek or hack pieces are still confused with art. i look for something beyond that and i call it art.

* miltos manetas ( 米朵 · 玛尼塔斯 ,1964~) 是位出生在雅典的艺术家，早年画油画，后来则转入新媒体艺术领域 ( 特别是网路 艺术 )。

aaajiao: what do you think about those european organizations like v2 in holland or german zkm?

aaajiao: 你对欧洲的 new media art 研究机构持什么看法，荷兰的 v2*，德国的“zkm”*，他们对

will their effort on new media art be more than it on self-running or self-maintains? we heard that

于 new media art 贡献会多余自我运作或是自我维护吗？我听说 zkm 出来的学生，第一个出路是

students from zkm, their first-choice-job would be weapon production, and becoming an artist falls

去制造武器，第 3 或是更后面的选择才是作为艺术家，这是事实吗，你怎么看机构的运作在欧洲

to the third or even worse, is that true? in your opinion, what kind of role does these organizations

new media art 发展过程中的作用？

play in the development of new media art in europe?

régine debatty: 噢！你有去过 zkm 么？我们喜欢它但也都笑话它，因为它实在“太 90 年代”了。

régine debatty: oh! have you visited zkm? we all like it here and laugh at it too, it is "so '90s".

不过，幸好有 zkm 和 v2 这样支持媒体艺术的机构。媒体艺术并不需要那些机构去迎合它的需求，

anyway, thank for institutions like zkm and v2 who support media art. media art does need

但我希望不远的将来，这些机构能更宽泛地支持艺术，不再计较是否是媒体艺术。

organizations that caters for its needs but i dream of a not too distant future when organizations will

你提到学生们的理想工作，我觉得很有意思。我认为这种事情会在绝大多数艺术学生身上发生吧，

support art in general and not discriminate what is media and what is not.

不论他是不是学媒体艺术的。这些学生是带着成为艺术家（当然经常是在他们浪漫想象中的艺术

your reflection of what the students' dream job made me smile. i think it happens to most art students, media art or not. they enter with the wish to become an artist (often with a somewhat romantic idea of what an artist is) and are very quickly confronted with the laws of the market and the necessity to pay their rent so they hope that at best they'll get a job selling books in an art gallery.

家形象）的梦想开始学习的，不过很快就不得不面对市场法则和付房租的压力，因此他们会想（当 艺术家）最多只能在画廊里找个卖书的差事。 你知道，在欧洲还有另一个很奇怪的现象。每年都有越来越多的媒体艺术节，到处都是。他们大 都自我重复，有些策划真的是非常之糟，有些只注重每天艺术的娱乐性，通常都会请大牌的 dj 和 vj 来为艺术节增色。我不敢说这对媒体艺术是件好事。它将媒体艺术推到了一种不成熟的状态， 也没有认真对待媒体艺术，弄得就好像个大派对。

you know, there is another strange situation now in europe. each year i see more and more new media art festivals. everywhere. they tend to repeat themselves, some are very very badly curated, some only focus on the entertainment side of new media art, most sex up the event by inviting big djs and vjs and i'm not sure that this is very good for media art. it puts it in a not too mature position and make media art look like a giant party, not to be taken seriously.

aaajiao: sometime we think that we-need-money-not-art has less meaning or ispiration than boingboing in china, what do you think the chinese version of wmmna.? and how is your situation in europe? what do you think about the role that blogs play in the development of new media art? régine debatty: i love boing boing but it has nothing to do with wnmna or wmmna. there are just two different contents for different readership, although many of my readers read bb. bb is more mainstream and published dozens of stories per day, i publish 2 of them and they are not always very easy to digest for everyone.

* v2，又称多变媒体中心，是一所致力于在艺术和媒体技术领域，跨学科研究和开发的机构。其创立于 1981 年，自 1994 年 起设总部为荷兰鹿特丹。 * “zkm”为世界上第一个且唯一以 \\\\\\\“互动艺术”（interactive art）为主题之博物馆。它成立于 1990 年，正式开幕在 1997 年 10 月，位在德国西南部卡斯鲁尔（karlsruhe）废置的兵工厂址，一方面保留大部分原建筑风貌，一方面也融合了 建筑大师 rem koolhaas 立方体玻璃建筑。它的宗旨是野心勃勃的想创建一个机构，一个结合艺术与科技的大实验室与媒体城， 一个将掀起新视觉运动的 \\\\\\\“新包浩斯”。

aaajiao: 有些时候我在想 we need money not art 在中国的意义是不是还不如作 boingboing，你怎 么看待中文版的 wmmna，你在欧洲的处境又是怎么样的，怎么看待 blog 在 new media art 发展中 的作用？ régine debatty: 我很爱 boing boing（以下简称 bb），但这与 wnmna 或 wmmna 没有关系。尽 管我的很多读者也看 bb，但这只不过是面向不同读者群的两种不同内容罢了。bb 更趋向主流媒体， 每天都发布很多故事。我也会发上面的一些内容，但并不是所有人都能“消化”它们的。 我也喜欢 wnmna，并非我能读懂其中的内容，而是我喜欢它对内容的“组织”。我能看到哪个

i like wnnma, not that i can read any of it but i like the "curating" of the post. i can see that

人选什么文章翻译，其中对如何提供多元化（主题）都有清晰的视角。不过，wnmna 的选题很

whoever chooses which post will be translated or not has a clear vision of how to offer variety. i am

令我惊讶。比如你们翻译了绝大多数波茨坦交互设计会议上的发言。我觉得有些发言并不令人激

sometimes astonished at the choices though. for example you translated most of the talks given

动，但我喜欢你们花很大篇幅报道这个会议的决定。这表明 wnmna 有它自己的视角。而且，我

at the interface design conference in potsdam. i though some were not exciting but i loved the

也注意到你们有报道中国媒体艺术的文章，这点非常、非常重要。媒体艺术不是只有欧洲和北美

fact that you decided to give a broad space to that conference report. it shows that wnmna has

才擅长的，亚洲和拉丁美洲的艺术家同样可以精通这门艺术，现在印度也传来了相当好的信息。

its own vision. also i noticed that you report on chinese media art and that is very very important. media art is not something that only europeans and north americans are good at. asian and artists from latin america are masters of it and there are also some very good signals from india.

now about the role of blog. i can only talk about what happened to me with my own blog. before

至于 blog 的角色，我只能谈发生在我身上、我自己的 blog 上的事情。在写 wmmna 前，媒体艺

wmmna, media art was something you'd read about in essays, on mailing lists, etc. most of them

术是你在论文、邮件列表上才看得到的东西。绝大多数的对象还是专家和已在媒体艺术圈内的人

were made for experts, people who were already involved into media art. and if you were an

士。如果你是个外行人（就像我曾经那样），要了解媒体艺术到底是什么真的很困难。我的 blog

outsider (like i was) it was difficult to get a good idea of what media art was. my blog presented

以一种易理解接受的方式来展示媒体艺术，我一直试图让 blog 的内容读起来尽可能地简单、轻松、

media art in a very accessible way. i tried to make my posts as easy to read and understand and

易懂。所以那些对新媒体没有任何了解的人也会对此产生兴趣、开始跟随 blog 内容阅读、链接，

light as possible. the result was that people who had no idea of what media art was got interested,

有些现在甚至学起了媒体艺术或开始写相关内容的 blog。

started following the blog, linked to it and some are now studying media art or have written their own blog about it.

aaajiao: 你最近在关注什么，我最近失去了很多兴趣点，众多 new media art 的形式进入漫长的 整合期，让人一震的东西少了许多，我最近总有一种等待的感觉，或许你知道什么。

aaajiao: what do you focus on recently? we've lost interesting for lots of things. for many forms

régine debatty: 我觉得自己一直在等待这种整合，已经等了很久很久了。不过它会不会花上更

of new media art, now comes the long long period of integration. there're not many things

久的时间呢，就好像摄影——诞生之初并不被认作是一种艺术形式，而现在却在艺术拍卖会和画

can impact us really than before, and i get a feeling of longing or expecting. maybe you have

廊展览上大获成功？

something insteresting to tell us?

我现在注意力主要放在生物艺术上。我觉得 wmmna 在拓展电子艺术的认知上已经完成了它的使

régine debatty: i feel that we've been waiting for this integration for a long long time. will it take many more decades like it happened with photography which, when it was born, was not considered an art form and is currently extremely successful in art auctions and gallery exhibitions? what i focus on now is mainly bioart. i feel that wmmna has fulfilled its role of broadening the awareness towards digital art. there are now dozens of blogs focused on that topic. i've also seen so much of it now that i need a break. hence a greater focus on bioart which actually fascinates me, it might be because i'm so stupid whit computers and find biology much more approachable. besides, i have a project together with several owners of art gallery to try to help media art make

命了。现在有很多报道这方面内容的 blog。我自己也看够了需要休息下。因此，对生物艺术吸引 了我的更多注意力，可能是我对电脑太白痴了才觉得生物更容易接触。 另外，我与画廊的一些所有人开始了一个项目，要帮助媒体艺术赚钱！这些美国和欧洲（当然更 欢迎亚洲同仁加入）的画廊主专门研究媒体艺术，当然人数很少，也面临着同样的挑战，相互间 也不认识。因此我想为这些画廊建立一个联盟。我们希望在 art basel（著名的艺术展）上碰个面， 向现代艺术界宣布“嗨，我们在这里！我们要向你们介绍一些非常有天赋的艺术家”。不幸（或 者是幸运）的是，艺术界并不会认真看待你，除非你的作品能卖出高价。不论你策划过多少新媒 体艺术界，你遇见的总是相同的那群人，而且通常他们不是来自最权威的、永远泡在钱海里的现 代艺术界。所以 art basel 策略或许能帮助媒体艺术家在市场上找到一个更好的位置。也许还能赚 到钱，那样现代艺术界才会对他们产生兴趣并接纳他们。

money! these are america and european (but asians are more than welcome to join) gallerists who specialize in media art. they are very few of them, they face the same challenges yet, they hardly

2007.9.18

know each other. so we are thinking of an alliance of these galleries. we hope to have a meeting

翻译：sophywt 刊登：《艺术当代》

at the famous art fair art basel and tell the rest of the contemporary art world "hello, we're there! we have some very talented artists we'd like to present you". unfortunately (or fortunately) the art world doesn't seem to take you seriously unless your works get sold at high prices. no matter how many new media art festivals you organize, it is always the same people you meet there and usually they do not come from the contemporary art world, the prestigious one, the one that swims in money. so that art basel strategy might help media artists find a better place on the market. and maybe make money and thus maybe they'll be considered interesting and relevant players by the contemporary art world.

pixel free, some considerations on new media art in china discovered through a conversation with aaajiao by davide quadrio

“rather than focusing on the cruelty of the massacre guernica depicts, i hope to draw attention to the meaning of impermanence and the beauty which can grow from loss.” “与其执着于《格尔尼卡》大屠杀的残酷，我倒希望能关注短暂的含义和失去带来的美。”

c

ontemporary art in china from the end of the 70's on has been pretty much a tendency of refusal of the past/tradition (recent one represented by the communist esthetics and content and the

traditional one represented by calligraphy and or shanshui) , something that has been read as

obsolete, restricted or simply boring.

lee mingwei, guernica in sand, mixed mediainstallation. 2008 lee mingwei，《沙中的格尔尼卡》，混合媒体装置，2008 年

during this time, many artists have been refusing the idea of perfection through the mastering of the past calligraphers/artists one of the principle to achieve the status of wenren, the literati. this “current” typical of the international contemporary chinese art has been the most acclaimed internationally and has been filling art magazines, galleries and museums all over the world. it has been pretty much the art of the “export”, a sort of contemporary blue and white porcelain produced in china and exported to the west. a tradition that the recent work

“what of the photograph made out of nothing? what about painting with light? is it photography?

by ai weiwei in basel 2010 well represent with a nostalgic simplicity and helas ! with a sort of anachronistic repetition

surely if we can paint with light we can paint with dreams, create the morning mist or the afternoon

of the monumentality so typical of the international contemporary chinese art of the last decade.

glow. is it a fake? hardly. wha tever else may be false in this tenuous existence of ours, imagination is not. all that we value, that we strive to uphold, all that gives us strength, has been made of dreams, and we must dream on. if pixels be the vehicle that realises our dreams, be it so.” “如果摄影是没有意义的？那么光下的绘画呢？是摄影吗？当然如果我们可以用光来绘画，我们就能用梦来

in shanghai this movement has been quite significantly connected to the silence of abstraction. artists as ding yi, qiu deshu, shen fan, huang yuanqing and many others after a period of experimentation quickly got into abstraction more related to a modern international conceptual tradition than to the calligraphic one.

绘画，画出晨雾或暮色。这是一个骗局吗？很难说。在我们脆弱的存在中，其他任何事物都可能是假的，但

it is interesting to notice that in the negation of the tradition, these artists has been accommodating the

想象不会。我们所尊重的一切，我们努力维持的一切，给予我们力量的一切，都是由梦想组成的，我们必须

rituality of the gesture into the mechanic of the gesture or the mixing of tradition and innovation as far as

要大胆创想。如果像素是我们实现梦想的工具，那就是它吧。”

getting to the use of new media. was it a subconscious revolution that actually has hidden a much stronger relationship with its cultural

by shahidul alam, drik, dakha, bangladesh shahidul alam, dirk, dakha, 孟加拉国

identity and esthetics connected to the so hated tradition? this question will be my first question to aaajiao in the following interview but, before getting to this conversation i would like to outline some more considerations that link, in my belief, the calligraphic dot to the digital version of it: the pixel. 自从 70 年代后期起，中国的当代艺术在很大程度上已经趋向于对过去 / 传统的否定（之前的艺术由共产主 义美学和内涵为代表，而传统艺术则由书法和山水画为代表），过去 / 传统常被解读为过时的、受约束的 或者简单枯燥的。 在过去，想要拥有登峰造极的成就，就必须先了解前人（书法家 / 艺术家），这是成为“文人”的一条原则， 但现在，很多艺术家已经摒弃了这一观念。潮流中的国际当代中国美术，充斥于全球各地的艺术杂志、画 廊和博物馆中。它更像一种“出口”艺术，如同销往西方的中国当代青花瓷。在 2010 年巴塞尔画廊博览 会期间，艾未未带着他惯有的简约，证明了这一新传统，重复近 10 年来国际中国当代艺术的伟大历程，但 却时过境迁。 在上海，这股动向与静谧的抽象艺术联系在一起。像丁乙、仇德树、申凡、黄渊清等一众艺术家都在实验 性阶段后，马上进入了与国际现代观念的传统（而非书法传统）相关的抽象中。 值得注意的是，在对传统的否定中，这些艺术家又将传统典范融于现代机械化的艺术形态中，或将传统与 创新混合，直到开始使用新媒体。 这是一场无意识的革命吗？难道这掩盖了文化身份、美学之间之于传统的重要联系？ 这将成为我问阿角的第一个问题。但在谈话开始之前，我想再简单说一些我对像素的思考：我相信这如同 书法的点与数字化之联系。

the pixel

c

像素

alligraphy starts with the perfect dot, the beginning of the artistic creation that it is

书法始于一个完美的点，艺术创作是由精确的动作所触发。正是受到约束的摹本和临摹的行动加

activated by the precise gesture. it is the restrained copy and the action of re-copy that

深了来自他者的特征（前一个大师），从某种意义上说，最终自由存在于完美的摹本中。正如文

deepens into the gesture of somebody else (the previous master) somehow the final

人朱巨澜所说：

freedom lays in the perfect copy. as the wenren zhu julan says:

“我从临摹中学习。所有学习中国传统绘画的画家都要经历这个阶段。我无法独创一幅作品。区

"i learned from imitation. all the painters who draw traditional chinese paintings experience such

别在于你是否善于学习。当有人看到我的画，他们会说我的画和某人相似。会问我什么还画别人

period. it is impossible for me to create an artwork alone. the difference lies in whether you are

已经画过的东西。在这种传统下，个性是不被强调的。仿效是为了去除作者的个性，这与现代 /

good at learning or not. when some people see my paintings, they will say that my paintings are

国际艺术的观念相悖。因为现代艺术强调一个人的个性。要成为一个伟大的艺术家，你需要做点

similar to someone else's. they will ask the reason why i draw the same painting that others have

和其他人不一样的东西。但我认为做不一样的事情很简单，因为人生而不同。如果夸大个性并表

already done. in this tradition individuality is not emphasized. this imitation is in fact to eliminate the

达出来，结果不管怎样也会不同。我认为难的是尽可能的做出接近大师创造的作品。照着做并不

individuality of the author. this idea is opposite to the attitude of modern/international art. because

意味着本质上重复，重复 (replica 模仿 ) 并不是艺术，其只创造了产品。但是如果你善于学习过去

modern art emphasis on one's individuality. to be a great artist, you should make something different

的手势、形态，就会发现传统的秘密，这时作品也就成为过去和将来的一部分。[�]。渐渐就会

from others. but i think it is very easy to do something different because everyone is different. if you

找到自己的表达方式，即自己的感受。最重要的艺术创作就是找到自己的位置和表达。这建立在

exaggerate your individuality or express it, the result is different anyhow. but i think that what is more

对基本问题（伦理、精神）正确理解的基础上。在传统中国艺术里，我们面对的是自然。许多人

difficult is to do something as much closer as possible to the master's creation. to do so, to make it

问过我，我所画的与古代和现代的生活都有所不同，为什么我可以用传统方式作画，我能否表达

alike does not mean to repeat it per se. repetition (replica) is not art. it is only a product. but if you are

自己的感情？我认为我可以表达情感，就在那些微小的对自然的视角中。虽然我们住在城市里，

good in learning the gesture of the past you will find the secret of the tradition and this work is part of

每天看电视或用电脑，山川或自然元素并没有发生变化。在中国文化中，这是最重要的。我们从

the process of the past and the future. […]. gradually you will find your own way of expression. it is

中可以找到创作的灵感。”

your own feeling. the most important of artistic creation is to find your position and express yourself.

万事万物，甚至现存的科技，对于朱巨澜来说都是传统：这一永恒风景的元素。

that is based on the correct understanding of the basic problems such as ethics, spirit. in traditional chinese art, what we are facing is nature. many people have asked me that what i painted is different from the ancient and modern life and why i can paint in the ancient way and whether i can express my feeling. i think i can because from the perspective of nature, the change is not great. though we live in city and watch tv or use computer everyday, the mountain or the natural element hasn't changed. in chinese culture, this is the mostly emphasized. we find the inspiration of creation from it." so everything even the most technological aspects of our existence are for zhu julan part of the elements of the perpetual landscape of the tradition. one dot for ever, and ever, and ever... this is what differs in the new media, and this is where and when calligraphic work looses the voluntary gesture to leave it to an automatic development.

一个点直到永远，永远⋯⋯ 这与新媒体不一样，而正是书法作品失去可被控制的手势、形态，处于一个自然的发展状态之时。

if 'art can never be made by machine alone', statement by the artist zhou xiaohu was true so far,

艺术家周啸虎曾说：“艺术决不可能仅靠机器制造出来”。这一说法目前还算真实有效，如

maybe it is not true anymore. if we see what lev manovitch says about new media in his book “the

果我们看里夫·门诺维奇（lev manovitch）在他的著作《新媒体的语言》（1999 年完成；由

language of new media” (completed in 1999; published by mit press in 2001)

mit 出版社 2001 年出版）中关于新媒体的认识，

" […] to understand the logic of new media we need to turn to computer science. it is there that we may expect to find the new terms, categories and operations that characterize media that became programmable. from media studies, we move to something which can be called software studies; from media theory — to software

“[…] 为了理解新媒体的原理，我们需要借助于计算机科学。在那里我们或许可 以期待找到一些新的条件、类别和运算来描述可以编程的媒体特性。我们从媒体 研究转向那些被称作软件研究；从媒体理论——到软件理论。”

theory." 他在最近的一本书《软件挂帅》( 网上已有免费下载 ) 中对这段话有所调整， and it corrects that in his most recent book "software takes command" (available on line for free downloading): "therefore, i think that software studies has to investigate both the role of software in forming contemporary culture, and cultural, social, and economic forces that are shaping development of software itself." artists are naturally doing so with consequential appropriation of anything new and re-interpreting it together with the values, esthetics and concepts that artistic practices mean. artists are masters of camouflage and they voluntarily make mistakes, errors and creative dissimulations. so my questions are the following: how much of new media creation is a tool that reconnects chinese artists to their own cultural and artistic traditions and how much is a new invention that maybe can bridge with a global phenomenon that keeps distance both from a comparative east-west approach to art in china and from a over exposed conceptual art (gainian yishu) that had and still has such a strong presence in what we know as international chinese contemporary art?

“因此，我认为软件研究一定要研究软件在当代文化形成中的角色，还有那些对软件发展有 重大影响的文化的、社会的、和经济的力量。” 艺术家自然而然地就会这么做，在任何新事物出现之后进行艺术借鉴并用价值、美学和艺术 实践的涵义重新将其诠释。 艺术家是善于隐藏的。他们顺其自然的犯错误、产生误差和创造性的遮蔽。所以我接下来的 问题是：新媒体创造作为一个工具是如何链接中国艺术家与其艺术传统和文化的？如何构建 一个全球现象，又疏离于东西方文化之于中国艺术和过分曝光的国际中国当代艺术概念？

the new territories: the floating universes of aaajiao

新领域：阿角的悬浮宇宙 davide quadrio: 谈及中国传统和中国的当代艺术，你是如何看待上海主流的抽象画现象？

davide quadrio: talking about chinese tradition and contemporary art in china, how do you read the mainly

这是一场无意识的革命吗？难道这掩盖了文化身份、美学之间之于传统的重要联系？你是如

shanghainese phenomenon of abstract painting. was it a subconscious revolution that actually has hidden a much

何把你的“观念”置于此环境下的呢？

stronger relationship with its cultural identity and esthetics connected to the so hated tradition? how do you position

aaajiao: 这只是巧合，并不是革命。我的观念起止于技术，我开始更多关注可被认知但又平

your "abstraction" in this context?

常的事物上。技术层面的巧合就是革命。

aaajiao: it is just a coincidence, not a revolution. my abstraction is started from and ended in technique. i am now putting more emphasis on something recognizable but usual. the coincidence of technique, i guess, is the same as revolution.

davide quadrio: 你如何解读朱巨澜的话，“要成为一个伟大的艺术家，你需要做点和其他 人不一样的东西。但我认为做不一样的事情很简单。如果你夸大个性并表达，结果不管怎样

davide quadrio: how do you read zhu julan statement "to be a great artist, you should make something different

也会不同。我认为更难的是尽可能的做出接近大师创造的作品。”在此语境下，你怎么看待

from others. but i think it is very easy to do something different because everyone is different. if you exaggerate your

你的创作呢？

individuality or express it, the result is different anyhow. but i think that what is more difficult, is to do something as

aaajiao: 对我而言他人或自我并不是我所关注的核心，我更喜欢尝试完成自己没有经历过的

much closer as possible to the master's creation"? how do you position your creations in this context?

创作过程。我不会坚持要创造出接近大师的作品，但是这不失为一种进步的思考方式。

aaajiao: it is far from my main concern whether there is any difference between others and me. i prefer to try finishing a production process i never experienced before. i won't insist on doing something as much closer as possible to the

davide quadrio:“为了理解新媒体的原理，我们需要借助计算机科学”。lev 这么说。你的

master's creation, but just treat it as an approach.

创作绝大多数都是建立在软件基础上。这样开放式软件艺术在中国是很少见的。这种形式的 艺术是怎么吸引你的？在中国，当下是否正有这样一股潮流正在形成？

davide quadrio: "to understand the logic of new media we need to turn to computer science" lev's saying. your creations are mostly software based. this kind of open software art is quite rare in china. how do you explain your attraction for this form of art. is there a certain current in p. r. china that is shaping as we speak? aaajiao: besides acquiring more possibilities, i can be more open-minded in my creation by using open software. what really attracts and excites me is that many of my former works were finished in cooperation with other artists and experts from other fields. open software is not a current that is shaping, but an open creation.

aaajiao: 使用开放式软件除了技巧上得到了更多可能性之外，更重要的是在创作过程中能更 开放，我有很多之前的作品都是与其他艺术家或是别的领域的专家合作完成，这也是真正吸 引我，令人激动的地方。开放式的软件并不是趋势，开放式的创作应该是正在形成的趋势。

davide quadrio: 新媒体创造作为一个工具是如何链接中国艺术家与其艺术传统和文化的？ 如何构建一个全球现象，又疏离于东西方文化之于中国艺术和过分曝光的国际中国当代艺术 概念？ aaajiao: 现在看来只是一种现象，需要更多的时间和作品来验证。个展有一个关于数据度量

davide quadrio: how much of new media creation is a tool that reconnects chinese artists to their own cultural and

衡的系列，看起来又回到概念（观念）艺术的范畴，但其发展过程源于新媒体，所以这种距

artistic traditions and how much is a new invention that maybe can bridge with a global phenomenon that keeps

离感是十分不明朗的。

distance both from a comparative east-west approach to art in china and from a over exposed conceptual art (gainian yishu) that had and still has such a strong presence in the international chinese contemporary art? aaajiao: it's just a phenomenon now. we need more time and works to testify it. solo exhibition has a set of data measurements, which seems go back to concept art but whose process is derived from new media, and therefore, such distance is not clear.

davide quadrio: what is the relationship you see between your art and music, how do you think this relationship can develop? aaajiao: co-existence. i am trying to endow my work with a sort of rhythm, not simple background music. i have to talk about that set of data measurements again. these three pieces of work try to present a sort of rhythm like gasping, flowing or steady.

davide quadrio: 你觉得你的艺术和音乐之间有什么样的关系？可以有什么样的发展？ aaajiao: 共存，我在尝试让作品本身具有某种韵律感，而不是简单的配上音乐。还是要谈数 据度量衡这个系列，这三件作品试图够呈现出某种韵律感，或是喘息，或是流动，又或者是 稳重。

venice/rome july 2010

blogarchaeological 博客考古 size 240*350*140cm materials acrylic, electronic weigher everyday screen shot for the last 10 years from the information of robotwisdom.com, html as the original file information interactive installation 2010 尺寸 240*350*140cm 材料 压克力 电子秤 robotwisdom.com 10 年 blog 每日截屏图像，html 源文件 信息互动装置 2010

gfwlist 长城长 size 76*30*280cm materials corian, thermal printer module, thermal paper the prohibited list of websites from the great fire wall information interactive installation 2010 尺寸 76*30*280cm 材料 可丽耐 热敏打印模组 热敏纸 gfw 封锁网站 url 加密文件 信息互动装置 2010

water measure 水测 size 90*50*230cm materials wood, iron, peristaltic pump, glass jar email list of artmailart information interactive installation 2010 尺寸 90*50*230cm 材料 木头 铁 蠕动泵 烧杯 artmailart 全世界范围艺术家，藏家，机构，画廊 emaillist 信息互动装置 2010

faceing system 脸 size screen part 24*28*20cm aluminium part 205*38*13.8cm materials wasted computer screen, aluminium computer device installation 2010 尺寸 屏幕部分 24*28*20cm 金属支架部分 205*38*13.8cm 硬件来源 旧笔记本屏幕 材料 笔记本饿屏幕 铝合金 电子硬件装置 2010

turritopsis nutricula 道恩灯塔水母 size variable computer generated moving image installation algorithm generated turritopsis nutricula 2010 尺寸 可变尺寸 电脑影像装置 算法道恩灯塔水母 2010

anti-cybernetics 开关 size 36*12*22cm materials wood, led controller interactive installation caution: automatic open and close wood box, with a high volume led light 2010 尺寸 36*12*22cm 材料 木头 led 灯 机关 互动装置 可自动关闭的木盒，内有大功率 led 灯 2010

cloud.data 云 size height 70cm1 height 65cm 2 height 60cm 2 height 55cm 2 height 50cm 1 height 45cm 1 height 40cm 1 height 35cm 1 height 30cm 1 18.4*14.7 cm materials cement, acrylic, screen computer generated moving image installation algorithm generated cloud 2010 尺寸 高度 70cm 1 个 高度 65cm 2 个 高度 60cm 2 个 高度 55cm 2 个 高度 50cm 1 个 高度 45cm 1 个 高度 40cm 1 个 高度 35cm 1 个 高度 30cm 1 个 18.4*14.7 cm 材料 水泥 压克力 屏幕 电脑影像装置 算法云 2010

cybernetics 控制 the study of control and communication in the animal (including human beings) and the machine, emphasizing the mathematic relations in the process. 是研究动物 ( 包括人类 ) 和机器内部的控制与通信的一般规律的学科， 着重于研究过程中的数学关系。

by li zhenhua

forward 写在展览之前

debate on control 浅说控制

i

t

first met aaajiao in rotterdam, in the spring of 2007. at that time, stephen kovats (since 2009 chairman of transmediale in berlin, germany) invited him to talk at v2's deaf festival, (curated by stephen in rotterdam) on the "great firewall", which was a very sensitive topic at that time. the great firewall is prior to the green dam, and

focuses on the technological level of certain information masking systems. before we met in rotterdam, i knew aaajiao

through the website "we-need-money-not-art.com" which he was working on while he was still at university. later that year, i curated the exhibition "sustainable imagination", where aaajiao and yang tao's project "jelly" was invited as the interactive manifesto for the opening, and then as an ongoing artwork during the exhibition. in 2008, after aaajiao had chosen shanghai as his base, we cooperated on the online project "010000.org", this work was invited to participate in the group exhibition "beam me up" by mr. zhang lansheng, and then toured to basel and several other cities in switzerland. and in 2009, aaajiao wrote an article about the history of blogging to participate in the publication for new media archaeology.

he word control is from the english translation of "cybernetics". control indicates the politics implied in aaajiao's work, of the subject's relational status between control and being controlled. clearly, the meaning of control applies to the interaction between control and interactive fact. this kind of the interaction applies to the living form (especially refering

to the reactive systems of intelligent organisms, such as the human's five senses, etc). but the meaning of cybernetics for aaajiao's work has developed a certain process over time. the interaction can be understood within the cybernetics circle. the word cybernetics doesn't share the same meaning with the word control. there is much confusion about interaction, some understand it as human beings controlling the machine, or controlling the computing system, which then effects the machine or computer's interactions under particular instructions. it is a feature formed since the emergence of the computer, to meet the requirements of utility. but there are also aspects arising from a fear of computers, and machines out of control. this perspective is widely spread throughout science fiction, movies and the negative side of human imagination. for example, in 2001: a space odyssey, the scene where

so time flies and four years have passed. i hope this solo-exhibition will present all his contributions and

the astronaut is killed by the computer strengthens our recognition of the coldness of machines and computers.

processes in conjunction with the new media and conceptual art scene in china and the world. we have invited

these movies often end up with a fear of control and the loss of control. obviously, what cybernetics needs here is not

many friends, who have been working with us, from different countries, to write about aaajiao and his work,

complete control, but adjustments during the processes, in order to reach an interactive/reactive process. then the

hoping that this way of working will help us to open up possible criticisms through different perspectives from

dynamic requirements and diversities of control itself can be involved.

their individual cultural contexts.

the cybernetics in aaajiao's series of measurement works transfer invisible knowledge and data into the visible process of cognition in daily life. this kind of work can also be understand as conceptual art, as not only being

认识 aaajiao（徐文恺）是在 2007 年的鹿特丹，那个时候 stephen kovats（现德国转译媒体艺术节主席）邀

understandable in the territory of cybernetics. the visual object's status is still in the context of contemporary art.

请 aaajiao 来做一个关于 great firewall（伟大的防火墙）的演讲和问答，这在当时是一个非常敏感的话题，因

from the concept to the onsite visualization of aaaajiao's projects, one can see what is coming.

其在“绿霸”之前，是针对某些信息屏蔽系统从技术层面理解的问题。在这之前我和 aaajiao 相交于网络，他 是“要钱不要命”（we-need-money-not-art.com）的负责人，当时 aaajiao 还没有从学校毕业，就在鹿特丹 见面了。2007 年我策划的展览“可持续幻想”邀请 aaajiao 和杨韬的一个项目“jelly”参加，为开幕的互动项 目，也作为展出的对应作品存在。再之后 aaajiao 搬到了上海，2008 年我们合作了“零等于一万”（010000. org）这个作品，应张兰生先生邀请参加“打亮我”(beam me up) 展览，并先后在瑞士的几个城市参与群展 巡回。2009 年我邀请 aaajiao 写一篇关于博客历史的文章，文本后收录于场刊《新媒体考古》(new media archaeology) 文献之中。 时间如白云过际转眼已近 4 年，我和 aaajiao 相约此展览，希望呈现这 4 年来 aaajiao 在新媒体艺术和观念艺术 方面的进程，并且邀约了来自不同国家的曾与 aaajiao 工作的老师、朋友，共同协助撰写对 aaajiao 工作之批评。

控制来自于英文词的翻译控制论，将这一词语最终转化为控制，是因为这更加直接的表述了徐文恺（aaajiao）在 作品中所隐含的政治，这一隐含政治的主体就在于控制和被控制之间的关系。这一词义贴切的表明了控制和被控 制之间的互动关系，也只有这样的互动关系，才能让控制本身脱离其带有某种压迫性的普世意义，达成其在不断 的反馈和修正中所能绽放的生命的光辉。（此处生命特指智能生命特有的对外在变化的反应系统，如人所具备的 五感等） 而控制论之于 aaajiao 的创作，是有着一定的发展过程和时间，互动也可以被归纳为控制论的范畴。另外控制论和 控制并非同一概念，因为这一词义上的混淆，经常很多人认为互动来自于人对机器或是电脑的控制从而达成机器 或是电脑在特殊指令下的动作，这确实是之前电脑产生之后满足于工具需要的特征。但是也有来自电脑失控和机 器失控的恐惧所构建的另外一种特征，这类特征广为传播，藉由科幻小说、电影等手段，来完善人类对这一负面 的想象和杜撰，如《2001 年：遨游太空》中宇航员被电脑杀死的场景，往往让我们对这一冷酷的来自机器和电脑 的认知被强化。这一被推导出的结局往往来自与对控制和失控的恐惧，显然控制论在这里所要做的并非是完全的 控制，而是通过不断调整被控的需要达到一个反应的交互过程，所以控制本身的动态需要和多样性才能被涉及。 控制论在 aaajiao 作品度量衡系列中，将那些不可见的知识、数据转化为可见的日常的认知过程，此类作品同样可 被看做是来自观念艺术的范畴，而不仅仅是控制论范畴，因为其视觉化的形态还是来自当代艺术领域的，从观念 到现场其作品可谓“见微知著”。

from video art to new media

v

从录像艺术到新媒体

ideo art began with nam june paik's comprehensive inventions. most of paik's early works are based

录像艺术自白南准开始，白南准早期创作即兴音乐，受到 arnold schoenberg（勋伯格）的影响很大，有些反其

on improvisation and are greatly influenced by arnold schoenberg, although paik's works are the other

道之意味的行动主义的现场作风，曾经与 johncage（约翰 · 凯奇）同台演出，60 年代之后转为录像艺术的创作，

way round. he performed as musician on stage with john cage, later turning to video art making, but still

但是依旧伴随着音乐的现场，如 tv-bra（电视胸罩）1。这一基于艺术从声音方面发展到实验艺术，并介入影像（录

developing live composition and comprehensive performance, such as his tv bra in the 60s, etc. his art forms develop

像和电视）的方式最终将录像艺术引入一个跨学科和复杂的状态。而录像艺术在中国开始自 1988 年，张培力

from sound and improvisation to experimental and complex ways, then involve moving images (videos and tv). finally

的“30x30”中记录着一个不断被打碎和粘连的过程，这一情况和 70 年代奥地利的录像艺术的争论有着关联，

the phenomenon of video art has led us into an interdisciplinary and comprehensive situation.

针对录像艺术是对行为艺术的记录还是录像艺术作为独立的艺术形式存在的问题？

video art in china begins after 1988, with the work "30x30" by zhang peili, documenting the process of a mirror breaking, and laboriously gluing the fragments back together, again and again for 180mins. this work's situation is also related to the debates on '70s video art in austria, is video art only a documentation of a performance, or an independent art-form in itself? video as medium, or, video as media?

录像艺术从一开始就不能摆脱来自其他学科的介入，不过在艺术史的叙述中，这一媒介介入的艺术形式逐渐 的被固定为一种观念，并被研究和学习，到今天录像艺术已经有接近 50 年的历史了。新媒体艺术的出现可以 被看做是对录像艺术的一种补充，将基于录像、电视 2 这一媒介的艺术形态，同时 70 年代白南准作品中出现 的对磁性的探索，在新媒体艺术发展的过程中被推进到使用磁液等材料，并通过光电、磁力控制，将其转为 形式化的视觉装置，如奥地利艺术家 herwig weiser 作品中“死在迪斯科之前”（death before disco）3 中可

video art cannot get rid of the influence from other disciplines from its very beginning. but in the narrative of art history, this medium-involved art form gradually has been fixed as an aesthetic concept and been studied and learnt. video art has an almost fifty-year history. the emergence of new media art can be regarded as a complement to video art. the art forms based on video and tv, for example the exploration of the magnetic in paik's work in the '70s, has been improved with the use of magnetic fluid and other materials which are transferred into visual installations through the control of light- and electricity-related mediums in the process of the development of new media art. for example austrian artist herwig weiser's work "death before the disco". during development, some artists change the effects on film using chemicals, or improve the methods of analog signals from tv, video and 35mm/16mm film. then they step into digital forms of computer production through the possibilities of graphic, plot, special effects, audio/visual techniques, and many other ways of working with moving images. this improvement in decoding means that it is possible for video art to be based on the image and process itself, not only documentation, for example japanese artist ryoji ikeda's sound and visual attempts. and art involved with the field of light, such as bruce nauman's neon installations in '80s, can be seen as a development of contemporary art becoming involved in a broader field of knowledge and materials.

以被看到。这之间还有艺术家通过化学药物的方式改变胶片的效果，或是将基于电视、录 像带这一模拟（analog） 信号的方式，推进到来自电脑可能性的数字化方式，这一解码的推进让录像艺术开始呈现其基于影像本身的 可能性，而不仅仅局限于记录这一特性，如日本艺术家池田亮司 (ryoji ikeda)。还有涉及到光电这一领域的艺术， 如 bruce nauman 在 80 年代所使用的霓虹灯装置等，都可以被看做是从一个更加广泛的领域介入到当代艺术 之发现。 互动可以被理解为控制论（cybernetics）的一个方面，如大量新媒体作品在被解释其定义时往往被冠以互动之名， 究其根本就在于其创造了一种交互的界面或是方法，但是如果比较其交互之间的不同，如一些可被选择的选择 题中出现的 a、b、c、d 之类，和后来逐渐发生的为某些控制设置的活的、无限的循环，这里的演进过程并不明显， 前一种可以被看做是有控制的交互，而后一种涉及到人工智能的是控制论的核心。 新媒体之观念并不难被理解，从文学或是美学的角度都可以被看做是来自科学的、综合的、混沌的视觉化过程。 谈到 aaajiao 之作品，其实就必须要涉及综上所述之观念，如何理解新媒体和录像艺术的关系，以及后来关于 控制论的发展，都与 aaajiao 作品的创作有着直接的关系。aaajiao 早期作品“盒子”（box）这一借助硬件自由 录制观众声音，并将其声音进行自由播放起始，艺术家之于作品就变成了两条线索，这一设置规则和规则之间 诸多可能性的呈现方式，即在艺术家的设置之中，也在预设之外。以及新作品“盒子”中出现的明显的控制悖

interaction can be understood as part of the cybernetics. many new media art works are defined as interactive, for they create an interactive interface or method. however, if we compare the differences among the interactity and cybernetics, the differences are (for example) with four choices a, b, c, d, interaction is the selection of a set of comprehensive behaviors, but without a dynamic or intelligent response to larger variations. the endless dynamic behaviors or responses gives the meaning of cybernetics, which is over a larger area than with interaction. the concept of new media is not difficult to understand. it could be regarded as a chaotic and comprehensive process of visualization from a literary or aesthetic point of view. aaajiao's works are involved in this. how we understand the relationship between new media and video art, and the development of cybernetic theory, has a direct connection with his works. his early work "box", records the sound of the audience with hardware and plays it back to itself. the artist's work develops into parallel meanings. it begins under the rules and regulations between the various presentations of the possibilities that the artist sets up, but also moves outside of the defaults. the apparent paradox of cybernetics appears in the new "box": a work of the dead loop, with a particular sense of humor.

论，一个死循环（dead loop）的作品，带有特别的幽默感。

eternity 永恒的生命

afterword 后记

t

t

his topic is raised in feng mengbo's work "y2k", produced in the year 2000. the computer viruses in our daily life could be taken as living existences in the virtual space. in other words, the forms of viruses begin to have the possibility to generate and change. this synchronizes with darwinian theories

of evolution. in science fiction movies we always see the fear of virtual space, robots and computer

programmes. this accompanies the exploration of decoding dna through a micro coding. there are several possibilities in such imagination: the combination of man and machine, the variations of human intelligence and the machine developing into humanization. the ultimate goal is to have eternal life. this eternity can be seen as constant of survival and civilization. when etoy, in their work "sarcophagus: mission eternity", placed into a digital world all of timothy leary's voice and images related to memories, and the ashes of his body, eternity becomes the digital form of the extension of his living body, and relates to imaginative ideas on the extension of lives. aaajiao's work turritopsis nutricula has to do with this mysterious natural phenomenon, which is beyond all cognition on human nature. the jellyfish reproduces itself asexually and its cells split continuously, from infancy to adulthood, and adulthood back to infancy. it is evidence of immortality found in nature. aaajiao transfers the jellyfish from the living into the digital form, as the examination and reflection on this phenomenon.

his exhibition will present only a small part of aaajiao's creations. stephen kovats regarded aaajiao as one of the best artists in china, but his comment was based on a different cultural context – we don't have to take it too seriously. but it indicates that the artist's works are beginning to get rid of the environments

they grew up in, their identities and political preoccupations, and become the engines of a "super-culture". it weakens the importance of the artist and the artwork from a certain point of view, but it makes it possible to judge the art and the artist in a direct way. the artist no longer stands for a certain culture, nor the medium of culture, but part of culture diversities. i don't want to describe aaajiao's work in great detail, for i would just like to put them in context, especially as the issue is about cybernetics. i hope we can give the audience a chance to experience, and think differently. my understanding and practice is limited. i do hope i can share this exhibition with more people and have your opinions. lastly i would like to thank ms. annette schindler, ms. gong yan, mr. alex adriaansens, mr. stephen kovats, mr.

zhang ga, mr. zhang lansheng, mr. zheng weimin and mr. davide quadrio and other friends who have worked with aaajiao and have supported this exhibition.

此展览可谓牛刀小试，stephen kovats 认为 aaajiao 是中国最好的艺术家，因为评论的基础和文化背景之不同，

dr maria miglietta of the smithsonian tropical marine institute said: "we are looking at a worldwide silent

可一笑置之。但是这多少说明了一种现象正在兴起，就是艺术家的工作开始逐渐摆脱其成长环境和身份、

invasion." - telegraph, uk

政治的预设，逐渐成为这一超级平面文化的发动机。这削弱了从认识艺术家和作品到需要了解其存在线索 的重要性，但是确构建了对艺术和艺术家最直接判断的可能。艺术家不再是某种文化的代言人或是代表，

这一话题在冯梦波作品“y2k”（2000 年作品）中曾经涉及，并且在日常的电脑病毒也可以被看做另外的

也不是文化的传播媒介，而是文化多样性本身的一个分子。

一种存在于虚拟空间的生命体，即此类程序开始具有自我演进和变化的可能，我们经常在科幻电影中看到

我对 aaajiao 的作品没有更多的描述，因为我想这应该被还原到现场，尤其这一涉及到控制论话题的线索，

这一同步达尔文进化论的对虚拟空间、机器人、电脑程序的恐惧。这伴随着人类在不断探索的解密 dna 一事，

希望给出一个引入的机会，让观众自己体验，所谓仁者见仁、智者见智吧。当然我的艺术理论和实践还有

探究生命之微观密码。在此类想象中出现了几种可能性，一种是人机合体、一种是人类智能变异、一种是

很多局限与不足，希望与更多人一道分享这一展览，并希望能得到更为广泛的批评。

机器进化的人性化。其终极目标不过是永恒之生命，这一永恒可以被看做是不断接续的生存和文明。 当 etoy 在其作品“石棺：永恒的使命”中，将 timothyleary 的所有生命体原本，以及关乎记忆的声音、图像， 身体的骨灰等植入到虚拟空间之时，永恒变成了电子化的生命体延伸，这与之前提及的某种对生命延伸的 想象有关。 aaajiao 作品“道恩灯塔水母”涉及这一神秘的自然现象，超越了所有对生命的认识。这一生命现象通过无 性繁殖，并且不断的细胞分裂，从幼年到成年，再从成年到幼年，永生这一概念在自然界中被发现的实证。 aaajiao 试图借助这一启示，将其生命的自然形态转换为电子化的过程，作为对这一现象的反思。 史密森尼热带海洋研究所的米格列塔 ( 音 ) 博士称：“全世界正在遭受无声的侵犯”——英国《每日邮报》

最后我要感谢 annette schindler 女士、龚彦女士、alex adriaansens 先生、stephen kovats 先生、张尕先生、 张兰生先生、郑为民先生、乐大豆先生等曾经和 aaajiao 工作过，并持续的支持着我们工作的朋友们。

on aaajiao by defne ayas

x

and control. trained as an engineer and autodidactic in his study of the arts, aaajiao invents as

度，因为他既不依赖于既存，也不借助他人之视野。他的素材和概念从何而来？那就是代码：他

the situation at hand requires. his skills allow him a range of exceptional breadth since he does not

媒材中经常可以提供的，有趣而抽象的存在。

need to settle for what exists, nor to divert his vision through the agency of another person. his

aaajiao 有武汉大学的理学学位，选择了艺术作为他发掘有限的既存物理世界之编码，他仿佛更偏

main source of material and means? code, and mostly playful abstraction - a gift that his medium

好左脑：哲学的 / 情感的资源和直觉。他的天赋是自省和跨数字领域的能力。

u wenkai (aaajiao) is a prolific artist living and working in shanghai and has worked

徐文恺（aaajiao）是一位生活和居住在上海的多产艺术家，他已连续多年狂热地工作着，孜孜不

feverishly for years, continually exploring new approaches in new media that shimmer as

倦在新媒体中发掘新方法，这些方法在重新构建网络文化、权力、命令和控制中巧妙的尝试。

elegant attempts at re-formulation of questions of networked culture; power, command

aaajiao 专业为技术工程，是艺术领域是自学者，顺应时势发明创造。他的才能使其达到特别的深

generously offers. that aaajiao, with a formal degree in engineering from wu han university, has chosen art as his medium of exploration of the coded limitations of our physical world suggests that he relies as much on philosophical/ emotional sources and intuition as on his left-brain. his genius is the result of self-thought skills and interdisciplinary positions across the digital field .

我们首次的合作为 arthubaisa 的在线平台，arthubaisa 也是我共同指导的一个极具野心的当代艺 术机构。在创建网站的过程中，我第一次被他的实验精神、随机应变、专业技能和温厚本性所感动。 我们的第二次合作发生在中国首个大型零能源 “媒体墙”: 白天收集阳光所产生的能量，夜晚将 能量释放于展示各种数字形式的艺术。日落后，伴随着北京的夜生活，aaajiao 的作品“mindlight.

thus, our first collaboration was for the development of an online platform for arthub asia, an

data” 也开始了。就在 2008 年北京奥运会体育馆 附近，这一凭借白天收集的太阳能的作品约有

ambitious contemporary art initiative i am co-directing. when we set out on the planning phase for

2,200 平方米，覆盖整个娱乐建筑体的玻璃立面闪耀着。aaajiao 是中国三位首次使用光电系统与

its website, this is when i was first astounded by his experimental spirit, resourcefulness, refined

玻璃幕墙结合的艺术家之一。

abilities, and good nature.

我们最近的一次合作，是为了 2008 上海电子艺术节，作为 arthub asia 的项目，乐大豆和我策划

our second collaboration took place on the largest first zero energy 'media wall' in china: a

了《剪影——处理公共空间的新媒体》项目。我们的目的在于颠覆徐家汇的商用 led 屏幕播出的

building-sized movie screen that collects energy while the sun shines, using it to display digital

让人眼花缭乱的高像素、低品位广告系统。我们认为艺术性的内容必须要有广告一样的公共性。

forms of art by night. when the sun set, and the nightlife of beijing came out to play, the entire

我们想通过邀请啊角来测试，艺术内容如何帮助户外广告屏幕摆脱其局限。 他没有向这一充斥

building came alight with mindlight.data" by aaajiao, using the solar energy harvested during

资本主义的物理形态或科技顶礼膜拜，而是通过自由范式，在徐家汇美罗城上的大型球状 led 屏上，

the day to illuminate his moving image on the colossal video 'screen', measuring in at 2,200m2

啊角通过算法处理“mindlight.data”来探索形式、光、像素的抽象组成、隐性运动以及喷薄而出

covering the entire glass curtain façade of an entertainment complex, near the architectural

的现实。在这个作品中，aaajiao 将他的艺术的抽象和随机策略（从编码中产生）提升到理性原则

spectacle of the 2008 beijing olympics stadium. aaajio was one of the three artists to engage with

中。他在模糊了编码的同时简化了艺术，消除了艺术关于真实的独特性。

china's first photovoltaic system integrated into a glass curtain wall. our most recent collaboration with him, this time for shanghai earts festival of 2008 for which as arthub asia, davide quadrio and myself curated final cut-processing new media in public space, we went for an intentional subversion of commercial led screens in xujiahui area and their flashy, in-your-face high resolution yet tacky advertisements. we thought that artistic content must take the wavelengths as much as advertising content. we wanted to explore the limits of how the currently highly commercial use of outdoor screens can be broadened with artistic content, so we invited aaajiao to contribute. aaajiao took over the metro city (mei luo cheng)'s large led globe in xujiahui. with "mindlight.data- write the work's name here pls", he neither paid homage to the riches of capitalism nor to the technology behind its physical form instead he chose free-styling and mainly explored forms, light, abstract compositions of pixels, implying movement, poesis and the overflow of reality through the application of algorithmic processes. in this work, like "mindlight.data," .

aaajiao elevated his artistic strategy of abstraction and randomness (as generated by code) into an

在《剪影——处理公共空间的新媒体》中，aaajiao 还加入了一个舞者和音乐家的实验组合。这一

intellectual principle. he mystified code while demystifying art, and paralyzing those faithful in the

实验精神体现在，aaajiao 把舞者的动作转译为实时的抽象视觉，并将这一环绕舞台的建筑环境与

uniqueness of art.

（由他目前合作者 / 建筑伙伴 王振飞和王路明创作）。 舞者关联，构建有效的、动态的对话和互动。

for final cut-processing new media in public space, aaajiao also joined in an experimental set-up

这就是作品《忍而为人》的产生过程，再通过一系列严谨的工作坊来发掘作品开放的、有创造力

of dancers and musicians. always in the high spirit of experimentation, aaajiao embarked on this

的、跨领域的可能性，“表演者”在工作中互相了解对方，并创造新的艺术内容、意义和方向。

intense collaboration in which he translated dancers' movements into real-time abstract visuals,

来自北京的编舞（编导）alizia borsari 要求 aaajiao 和其他来自上海的表演者（b6、nunu 和翎溪），

facilitating a dynamic dialogue on the stage and fluid interactivity between the dancers, and the

被要求超越其各自熟悉的媒介，与“断续的情感”相联系的表达方式中试炼。结果为基于关联空

architecture that surrounded them. (created by his on-going collaborators/ architectural duo wang

间性和即时性的混合、多层的音景现场。

zhenfei and wang luming).

aaajiao 的贡献在于运用算法，又一次对“形式”进行了媒体考古，不过这次是实时的演练的指挥

this is how "patience for the man" was born, following a number of rigorous workshops to explore

就是他本人。舞蹈家在舞台上情感奔放之时，像素也喷涌而出。

the possibility of an open creative interdisciplinary production, where the single "actorscould,

从这件作品可以看出 aaajiao 的世界充满变数；他更喜欢持续的变化。在这个世界里，粒子喜欢

through the work in progress, get to know each other and generate new artistic content, meaning

带着仅可估算的未来能量同时存在于不同的地方。对他来说，空间，时间和感知是游离的。他的

and directions. aaajiao, along with other shanghai –based actors such as b6, nunu, and ling xi

艺术直觉发现，当试图回答“什么是现实”时，艺术和工程、可能还有玄学，也许有着共同的答案。

were asked by beijing-based choreographer alizia borsari to go beyond their medium and to

aaajiao 是否可以捕获仅通过抽象过程中主观发生的突变？是因为政治还是技术的便利？他的作品

experience new techniques of expressions more affiliated with "decontextualized emotions." the

是否可以被解释为超越规制计算和网络所投射的观念？他的作品融入艺术、代码和诗意，超越界

result was in the form of a live performance within a musicscape featuring heterogeneous and

面并直指全球文化政治的社会媒介之基础。如果我们被通过控制论来理解社会所约束，那么他的

multi-scaled levels of network spatialities and temporalities. aaajiao's contribution was another

作品可以被看做“政治”，因为它不断接近网络，以及它潜在的机制作为一种文化的形态。所以，

media-archaeological excavation of the "formal" through the use of algorithm, but this time in real-

这一作品提供的愉悦可以是多方面的：他对计算和控制论的不断探索，其富有诗意的洞察力和对

time orchestrated by himself. pixels exploded, as dancers cracked open their volatile emotions

中国政治的灵光闪现：一种新的政治的可能性。

through their movements on the stage. it was clear from this work that aaajiao's world tends not to be fixed; it prefers to be in constant movement. it is a world in which particles prefer to exist in many places at once, with their future momentum calculable only in probabilities. space and time and perception are all meant to be elusive for him. he is artistic intentions recognize that art and engineering - and possibly metaphysics - share common ground in their attempt to offer answers to the question of what is reality. is it possible for aaajiao to capture the on-going mutations in subjectivity through abstraction only? is that a choice of politics or technical convenience? can his work also be read beyond a conceptual reflection on the institutionalized computation and networks? his oeuvre brings together art, code, and poetry in order to participate beyond the interface and to address the socio-technical underpinnings of global cultural politics. and if we are bound by understanding of society through cybernetics, then his work can even be seen as "political"—as it constantly approximates the network and its underlying mechanisms as a cultural form. so, the pleasure that this work affords could be multifold: his on-going research into the emergence of computation and cybernetics, his poetic insight and the delight in a glimpsed understanding of，a new possible political in china.

recently, aaajiao utilized the cloud's natural rhythms. in "cloud.data", he was most possibly

最近，aaajiao 利用云的自然节奏。 cloud.data 反映出全球化之下的网络文化中，无处不在的界面

reflecting on forms of participation under a globalized networked culture that entails ubiquitous

运算与云平台的参与形态。

interface-based computing and cloud platforms.

在这个充斥着图像、数字比特、屏幕界面和社会网络的世界中，社会网络包括了那些跨越了物理、

in this world flooded with images, digi-bites, screen-based interfaces and social networks

科技、生物、社会、经济文化等方面，他是否有可能受到浪漫的风景艺术，或藤原浩杉本的海景

that blanket all of us across the physical, technological, biological, social, economic, and cultural

中呈现的佛教之空无所启发呢？（在这一艺术生产的历史中是否有啊角的位置？）抑或是回应中

spectrums, was it also possible that he might have been inspired by romantic landscape art or

国经济发展中建筑业以环境为代价的方式，因此对中国建筑就严重的生态变化问题敲响警钟呢？

the buddhist blankness of hiroshi sugimoto's seascapes? (was there room for his work to be read

很难说。

within such a linear cultural production history at all?) or was he responding to the unregulated

aaajiao 认为变化与观众同在，纯粹的创作才是他的责任。aaajiao 始终避免自我阐释，并不断质疑

economic development that has run rampant in the chinese architecture industry, often at the

现实，那些对其艺术的评价以及什么才是真实，他对追问下去兴趣焕然，并不提供答案，而只提

expense of the environment, thus making a call for chinese architecture for a serious ecological

供理解问题可能的方法。不然，为什么他要来做一个像“称量数据”这样的项目呢？这个项目还

change? hard to tell.

包括测量一个由乔恩·巴杰（他发明了“博客”这一术语，来描述“网络日志”的进程）创建的

aaajiao claims that the transaction shall remain with the viewer at all times, and only creation is his

网站 robotwisdon.com 之数据。

sheer responsibility. refraining from articulating his art himself, and constantly questioning of apparent

aaajiao 在计算机方面有着杰出的才能，执行程序简洁精确，始终坚持 diy 以避免沦为金玉其外的

reality, while harboring his doubts about the received opinion on his art and what is real, aaajiao

风险，使其避免沦为短命的中国新媒体艺术家。请创作并非只有来自政治网络之力量，还有物质、

seems that he will continue on his playful inquiry route, offering not answers but possible ways to

空间和时间的介入，从而带来哲学的、科学的或者艺术的新思考。

understand the questions. otherwise why would he ever engage in a project like "weigh the data" which involved the measurement of data of robotwisdom.com, a resourceful website created by jorn barger who coined the term weblog to describe the process of "logging the web"? a refined simplicity in its execution, and in its constant diy attempt to avoid the risk of becoming mere seduction, aaajiao's computer wizardry hopefully will live beyond short-term sensationalism for new media in china and continue to allow for insight into the attempts for a new thinking of a vocabulary of philosophical, scientific, or artistic discourse to explain the forces of not only networked politics but also matter, space, and time.

defne ayas shanghai 2010 the author is a director of arthub asia. www.arthubasia.org 作者是 arthub 亚洲的董事之一

aaajiao and the management of meaning aaajiao 和意义管理 by edward sanderson

i

want to begin discussing aaajiao's works with a piece which i believe encapsulates one of his

我认为 aaajiao 有一件作品囊括了他主要的关注点—— 意义的转移，我想从这件主要作品开始讨

major concerns – the transference of meaning – and from there move onto other pieces that

论，然后再转向其他一些作品来探究这一关注点的方法实例，其将引发一系列后果。

provide methodological examples of this concern and which will provoke some consequences

那就是道嗯灯塔水母（turritopsis nutricula）这种微小的生命体，对于 aaajiao 来说，它是一个理想

of that activity.

化的有机体，代表着永恒、可更新、可再生和不朽。这一特殊的水母种类通过返回到上一个生存

the tiny jellyfish, turritopsis nutricula, is an idealized organism for aaajiao, representing permanence,

形态，循环往复的生长、退化、再生，这让我们想到不朽。对 aaajiao 来说，这一科学奇迹及其

renewability, regeneration, immortality. this particular species of jellyfish gives us an idea of

属性正好切合他所关注的数据的永恒、意义稳定性的可能，以及这种稳定性的物理表现相关。

immortality based on its ability to revert to a previous generational stage and regenerate itself

作品《道嗯灯塔水母》是数字形态的。因其所触及到的生命的不朽，作品也直接涉及到数据的不

anew. for aaajiao this creature and the attributes that makes it so interesting to science matches

朽：一个不断变化的形态 ，并强调数据的可变性正是不朽的一个成因，在其变化的进程中对其

his concerns with the permanence of data, the possibility of the stability of meanings, and the

解读和理解。数据经历诸多演变 —— 生之意义只是其中之一，意义 —— “有”存在——仅仅是

physical expression of this stability.

一个状态，它自身就是这一特殊意义的体现。数据和艺术之间的关系体现了这一属性——即作为

the artwork turritopsis nutricula reproduces the jellyfish in digital form. as the jellyfish touches on immortality in life, so the artwork touches on this idea of the immortality of data as an immortality

表现事物的方法。它们都是表现的原初方法。从根本上讲，艺术什么也不是，只是再现和对大千 世界的模拟，只要我们触碰其根本，就会发现它不过是任何事物他者化的不懈之运动。

through change, stressing the mutability of data as part of immortality, and an understanding of

综述 aaajiao 的作品，他关注于数据的运用及其展示的多样形式，直指从现实到数据、从数据到

it as it goes through its stages. data goes through many processes – meaning being just one of

现实这一循环往复的问题——既如何在这个过程中来理解含义，历经各种形态之后被再现（作为

them, and meaning—"having" meaning—is just one state, one particular meaning in itself. the

事实，或其他），而艺术如何调控其状态。超越意义的本体，啊角的作品仿佛游移其中，通过转

relationship of data to art begins with these attributes as ways of representing things. they are

换数据存在的系统来转变意义。

both prototypical methods of representation. it could be said that at its base art is nothing but

这有两个阶段——一个是作为数据和将其形态纳入结构的过程。另外是结构本身，也就是通过组

representation, a simulation of a world of simulation where, as soon as we approach it, everything

织数据并构成超越数据的对其他事物的再现。情境（上下文关系）帮助理解数据 / 结构至关重要，

is symbolic of something other in an endless movement.

但数据 / 结构和情境之间的关系却并不易于理解。当结构被再现时候就和数据失去了关联。在另

in his works in general, aaajiao focuses on the use of data and its various forms of display, in so doing pointing up problems with the movement from reality, to data, and back again – how meaning is understood through this process, processed through these various forms and then re-presented (as fact, or otherwise), and also how art manages these situations. more than with meanings themselves, aaajiao's pieces seem to play with these meaning-transfer systems that data resides within. so we have two discrete stages the first being data and the process of its formation into structures. then the structures themselves, which organise the data and are used to represent things beyond the data parts. context assists in the understanding of data/structures, it is in some ways essential to the understanding, but the relationship between data/structures and context is a fraught one. at the same time as the structure is representing, it somehow loses touch with its data. in the other direction, upon reception the audience loses touch with the data's original context and creates a new context within which to understand the data. by simplifying in order to be understood, to a point where we hope we can transfer the meaning without losing data or meaning, actually we have removed an important aspect of that data. complexity and simplicity, context and lack thereof, all in their ways work towards the transference of meaning and at the same time prevent it from taking place.

一个方向，观众在接收数据原有情境时失去与原有情境的联系，并产生了一个新的情境 。让我 们来简化的理解这一现象，重点是我们试图传递某种原意而不丢失其数据和意义，实际上我们已 经去除了数据的一个重要的组成部分。复杂性和简单性，情境和缺失情境，都朝着传送意义并同 时阻碍其传播。

this is not to say that there is necessarily a privileged meaning, e.g. valuing an "inherent" or original

这并不是说必然存在一个占主导性的意义，比如，认为“固有”或者原始意义的价值超过随后在

meaning over one that occurs later in the process. this is as much to say that any artist that claims

过程中所发生的。任何一个声称与意义相关的艺术家都必须意识到他们选择依靠的过程的易错性。

to deal with meanings, must be aware of the fallibility of the processes that they choose to rely on.

这和意义毫不相关，而与沟通相连——沟通被认为是参与者之间有效意义的传送方式。所以，如

it's not about meaning at all, it's about communication – communication judged as an effective

我所述，我相信 aaajiao 对这一进程有着全面的关注。那些表面的意义，以及数据卷入构成的场景，

transference of meaning between participants. so, as i say, i believe aaajiao often takes on this

都可以被看做是沟通在进程中的试炼。

process as an overarching concern. the surface meanings, and the data involved make up a

《博客考古》 是专门为了“研究数据的持久性”而作，与《道恩灯塔水母》有着类似的视角，

scenario in which the process of communication can be tested.

在此价值被投射在集群的信息之上。数据源自一个在历史上重要的博客信息，这些重要的数据被

with similar concerns to turritopsis nutricula, blog weighting is specifically set up to "study the

保存在一张芯片上。称量此芯片的重量，数据价值就可以被另外的方法所解读。

permanence of data", in this case the projection of value onto a mass of information. this data

在“现实”中，虽然一个芯片的重量改变数据的内容，但形式已改：在芯片内，潜在的发生着各

originates from a historically significant blog, this mass of significant data saved on to a chip. the

种微妙的变化，由此产生的电流和昭示数据的存在。没有任何物理上的干预，保存住这些强加在

chip is then weighed, giving an indication of the value of this data interpreted another way.

电流上的分析，由系统经过一系列的解读，被表现出来，达到被感知的程度，即某些部分被设计

in "reality", although the mass of a chip cannot change dependent on its data content, its form does: inside the chip, imperceptibly, tiny switches are flipped this way or that, the resulting

和认知的同时，也脱离了电子化自身阐释的范围，进入了人类阐释的世界和情感世界。所以在这 件芯片称重的作品中，视觉再现是对芯片的本质和其数据的批判。

electrical currents are the effects of these states and represent "data". nothing then is physically

同样，在《伟大的防火墙名单》中，不是呈现一个实体，一群看不见的数据构成一个意义形态：

added or taken away, save the analysis that is imposed on these currents, as read by the system

如同史丹利 . 库布里克的电影《2001 遨游太空》里的黑色巨石，被加密和隐藏数据的意义。这

and which go through a series of interpretations, until presented phenomenologically, reaching the

在电影情节中对物体（黑色巨石）的再现含有超前的意义，难以被理解。《2001 遨游太空》以

level of perception, a point at which something is designed to be perceived and thus leaves the

它晦涩难懂的故事情节闻名，巨石（可能）是宇宙间的链接，这正是 aaajiao 作品的用意所在。

realm of electronic interpretation, entering the world of human interpretation and thence feelings.

艺术的最终形态为打印机持续吐出大量无规则的信息，让数据去除意义，物理上作品呈现为大量

so in this piece to read the weight of the chip and present that visually represents a criticism of the

热敏纸在地面上堆积出的小丘。

nature of the chip and its data. again. in gfwlist, rather than representing an actuality, an invisible mass of data represents a meaningful form: here the black monolith from stanley kubrick's film 2001, which is then encrypted, hiding the meaning of the data. this representation of an object that in the storyline holds advanced meaning but in the film is beyond our understanding. in 2001, with its own famously obscure story, the monolith (perhaps) promises to be a link between universes, so it is appropriate that aaajiao is using the gfwlist in this piece. the final form of the artwork, the printer spewing out endless reams of this seemingly random information, only adds to the apparent meaninglessness of the data. its last stop is where it becomes a physical amount of paper, falling down to a heap on the floor.

and a representation in volume. water measure takes the idealization that is the mailing list and

表现量的作品《水测量》将邮寄名单看做是理想化的事物，并追问我们如何来评价我们自己（或

asks us – how do we value ourselves (or things)? how can we be valued? we are all products

其他事物）？我们又是如何被评价的？我们都是产品——有生产的价值和潜在的收益。作为邮寄

– productive value, potential earnings. as a member of a mailing list, we inhabit a certain

名单中的一员，邮寄名单总体上体现了我们存在的人口统计学范畴，它是包含内在成员的一个概

demographic the mailing list represents in its totality, it is a generalization of the included members.

括。自我选择或搜集垃圾邮件，我们可以想象自己成为这个列表的一部分，我们也被这个邮件列

self-selecting or spam-trawled, we can then think of ourselves as part of this list in a certain way,

表的主人斟酌思考。

and we are thought by the list owners in a certain way.

从特别设计的邮件列表是针对某个特定小组（全球艺术家、艺术团体、画廊和收藏家们），去除

the artwork, from its origins in a mailing list specifically designed around and tailored to a certain

列表的专业性，转而回到更大范围的信息中。这个臃肿的小组，从它的新意义上剥离了意义，是

group (global artists, arts organizations, galleries, collectors), omits the specificity of the list and

作品的一个要素。它剥离意义，同时在新关联中加入新的意义——取出和放回，忽略它许多先天

reverts into a great mass. this lumpen group, stripped of meanings apart from its new meaning

或假定的特性，只关注当下让你兴奋的，一个你所期望的点。

as an element of the work, takes meanings away and adds new ones based on a new context

这个作品的意义表现为其循环进出的形态。每一个水滴都代表了列表上的一个人，水从容器中漏

– taking a volume and stripping it back, ignoring many of its features, innate or assumed,

出，落入量杯中，在下落的时候一滴水象征着一个存在的人，落进量杯中就又回到了被测量的水。

concentrating on those which interest you at that moment, for the particular point that you wish to

水滴 = 数量 = 人，人简化为数量，与其身份和意义剥离，前提是人们满足于列表的参数，并增加

make.

和扩充这一量的变化。水滴在量杯四周溅落——失去的水滴、失去的人，未测量的 / 已测量的都

the work figuratively funnels meaning in and out again. every drop represents a person from that list, as the water drains away from the container, falling into the measuring jar below where it

被遗忘，渗透和蒸发成为其他系统的一部分，可以又一次被测量。价值不会完全覆灭，只会失去 存在于特定系统中的价值：这就是“数据“的真相。

transmutes from drop to an implied person for a moment during its fall, reverting to drops which

云是从计算机生成的实物装置和模拟现实的运动。电脑图形系统通过算法来模拟云层——数据可

add up to an amalgam measured in the jar. drops = amounts = people, people simply as amounts,

以被模拟为事物和（或者）现实的再现，这只取决于应用的算法。装置增强了模拟的效果，悬挂

divorced from their identity and meanings, except insofar as they satisfy the parameters of the list

在头顶的屏幕，在下方盛水的平面上，创造出了一个由数据再现的模拟景像。

and add up to fill a volume. the illustration shows the water splashed around the jar – lost drops,

原始数据就好像建构建筑的基础“原子”。但数据与其他事物、其他事物的关联，以及它涉及到

lost people, unmeasured/measured then forgotten, soaking and evaporating away to become

的事物的局部和整体之间的联系，产生出意义的迷失和损耗。

part of some other system in which they can be measured again. never completely lost, but losing value in themselves to this particular system: this is the truth of "data". cloud.data is the movement from computer-generated into real installation and imagined reality. the cgi showing on the arrangement of displays uses an advanced algorithm for simulating clouds – data can be manipulated to be a representation of things and/or reality, in this case dependant on the algorithm used. the simulation is reinforced by the installation, on the screens suspended overhead, over trays of water below, creating a simulated landscape of data-becomingrepresentation. raw data is understood as a basic "atomic" building block on which things are built up. but data has a strange relationship with other things, the things it is part of, its relationship between part and whole, producing a loss of meaning, and a wastage of meaning.

when data, or the structures data produces, come into contact with reality there is a mismatch and

当数据或结构数据物，与现实接壤时，常常发生不匹配和损耗，正如《水测量》中的水或《伟大

wastage which occurs physically, as with the water in water measure, or the paper in gfwlist. the

的防火墙名单》中的纸。体现想法的物，无法与想法的范围相近。当遭遇到有限的物质时，想法

material used to embody the ideas as expressed by data cannot keep up with the extent of the

满溢而出。损耗的概念及对围绕伦理的思考，可以被解释为潜在的无限损耗和潜在的无限性。从

idea. up against a finite materiality, ideas overflow. hence concepts of wastefulness come in, and

数据到现实的运动中，想象有着解决这些问题的优势，或是保有这两个不能解决的问题，不产生

ideas of ethics form around this wastage – potentially endless wastage, potentially infinite. this is

消耗。但是在相反的运动中，在物理损耗的方面，数据可能需要被想象成为宝贵的，即每一个比

where imagination has the upper hand in resolving these problems in the movement from data to

特都是重要的时候，应该被有效地利用起来，不浪费，而这种浪费一直在兆字节的容量中被我们

reality, or where it can hold the two irresolvable, sans wastage. but in a reverse movement, in the

所忽视。

way in which we are aware of physical wastage, perhaps data needs to be thought of as precious

那么，可被想象的主体在哪里呢？在任何我谈及的特定情境中，我是各种感官的主体。我被作品

in and of itself – each bit is important and should be used economically and without waste in

主体化，我也通过我所处环境与作品之间的关联，构建了我的认知的主体。我试想主体处于作品

relation with the imagination, something which has been ignored in our terabytes of capacity.

数据处理行为之外，即疏离且纯粹，但事实是这些都直接参与了意义的产生，都处在意义产生之

so where is the imaginative subject in all of this? in any given situation that i address myself to, i am

所，并行的数据生产和数据处理活动。管理着从数据到现实的消耗，例如在作品《反控制》（这

the subject in a number of senses. i am "subject-ed" by the artwork, but i also "subject" myself by

个作品否认了展览题目）：这个作品的意义之一是与控制的定义反其道而行之，即“控制功能，

my understanding of my place in relation to the work. it's tempting to think of the subject as sitting

以及专门设计用来取代这些功能的系统”作为控制论之终极意义。在这件作品中我们看到了“反”

outside of all the data-wrangling activities in the pieces, aloof and untainted, but they are right in

控制，或是“移除”控制，又或者说是控制消除了自身。一个关掉自己的开关，一种自我毁灭的

the action of the formation of meaning. they sit at the point where meaning is produced, a separate

欲望，一个清除自身运动的动作，因和果正面相对，一个去除意义的意义产生。

activity to the data production and manipulation. they manage the wastage of this movement from

aaajiao 着眼于技术乌托邦，即把科技当成对意义的救赎，但他同时也清醒地意识到，潜在的无意

data to reality. for instance in the work anti-cybernetic (the piece which negates the title of the

义或意义本身的任意性，即那些溅出容器的水滴，计算机芯片内在变化的状态。看上去意义并不

show) one meaning of which could be a going against of the "control functions, and the systems

是在“意义”自身里面，而是由一种形态转向另一种形态，从一个人到另一个人，在转变中产生

designed to replace them" as the definition of cybernetics. in this piece we have "anti-" control,

和存在。正如道恩灯塔水母的成形和再生的能力所蕴含的不朽一样，所以 aaajiao 的艺术作品通

or the removal of control, or control which obviates itself. a switch which switches itself off, a self-

过意义形成的过程，强调的不仅是意义的易变性和多样性，而是意义本身的观念。

destructive impulse, an act that removes itself, cause and effect facing off against one another, a meaning which is the removal of meaning. aaajiao looks to the technocratic-utopian level of meaning which trusts in technology as some kind of redeemer of meaning, but he is also quite aware of the potential meaninglessness or arbitrariness of meaning in itself – the drips which splash out from their measuring container, the change of state in a computer chip. meaning seems not to be in the "meanings" themselves, but in their movement from one form to another, from one person to another, this transference. as turritopsis nutricula embodies immortality in its ability to form and reform, so aaajiao's art works with the process of the formation of meanings to highlight the mutability not just of meanings, but of the concept of meaning itself.

edward sanderson august 2010

the paradox between control and losing control 控制与失控的悖论

by Isaac Mao

a

aajiao is a neuron, same to everyone of us, but his function is unique. he surprised me when he mentioned to me about his new curation named“cybernetics”

which i suppose not many people understand that. many artists in china, as well the

whole world, know more about control whether from family, social or politics. it's quite normal because it's not same training to them. i felt pressure as a trained engineer. not all the people i know can link science, art and religion. mash them up? i think only aaajiao can handle. when i was young reading the theory of weiner in chinese, i believed think the name of “control” is disaster to the real meaning of cybernetics. it misled everyone that ‘cybernetics' is about ‘controlling', you know what's that mean in a communism country. amazingly, aaajiao use it now as a metaphore to indicate our ‘harmonious' society, which is now losing control. the real spririt of ‘cybernetics' is actually not controlling, but adapting. early cybernetics is really about controlling. the most famous example of and navigating rockets. we know the goal to launch a rocket, so we need a system to ensure it can reach the goal with considering all kinds of possible influential factors. the goal is very clear, we can use positive feedback and negative feedback to adjust. however, the doom of a rocket is to destroy itself. so the perfect controlling of a rocket is to destroy it accurately. in the human being track, we had many many big debate over the function of the “goal”. those many perfect ‘social dreams', either communism or socialism, were designed as simple rocket, it's alwasy impossible to roll back. let's associate the doom with chinese history which includes many failures, till today. there comes

阿角是一颗神经元，每个人都是，但是他的作用很特殊。 他刚和我提及 cybernetics 的时候，我吃了一惊，因为从中国艺术家最里面讲出家庭控制、社会 控制或者政治控制我都不稀奇，但是能够冒出控制论令我这种理科生要有危机感了。穿透科学、 艺术、宗教的细胞壁，进入和糅合的人并不多，阿角这颗神经元从一开始就渗透得绰绰有余。 以 cybernetics 理论中最常用的火箭的控制作为范例，我们知道火箭的目标是很明确的，所以需 要一套系统来保证它排除各种因素达到预定的目的地。这时候你去控制的目的是清楚的，而且能 够透过正反馈和负反馈机制达到目标。但是无论控制火箭的系统设计多么高超，火箭的结果就是 毁灭，所以完美的火箭控制就是完美的毁灭控制。社会比火箭还要复杂，社会是没有特定清晰的 目标的，即使有，也是千千万万，难以用唯一的标准去衡量。在大的趋势上，人类社会本来已经 经历了多次大辩论，也用鲜血生命去铺垫了少数精英的社会“梦想”，最终那些梦想，无论是共 产主义还是社会主义，他们都把自己当作简单的火箭去控制，不管那个目标多么令人激奋，都是 一个劫持整体的不归路。 当初翻译维纳的理论时，把 cybernetics 的简体中文名称定为控制论可真是悲剧，因为会简单地 误解为“是关于如何能够加强控制的学科”，而如今因为“控制”一词在某些国家与“和谐”、 “维稳”一样令人崩溃。但是却恰好被阿角这颗神经元巧妙地拿来搭成一个新的隐喻，那就是“也 许控制会变成失控，而不控制也许会成为最佳的控制方式”，这是符合 cybernetics 学科后来发 展出来的精神的。 联想到对社会的控制让整个中国历史变成是一个重复失败的历史，延续到如今。马上浮现出半个 悖论，一个希望精准控制结果的系统却总是失控。

a half-paradox, why a system with many dreams of accurate control ended up with always losing

控制的结果是注定的，就是自我结束。可是控制论不是这样的，控制论希望达到的是可生存的目

control.

标，用时下的名词来说就是可持续性。在控制论的延伸中，我最欣赏的是那些更加实际应用的模

controlling will end up with self-destroying. but cybernetics not. it's more than controlling, but sustainable goals. in the extended researches along cybernetics, i love the model called viable system model which developed by stafford beers in 1970s. in the vsm, the 5 sub-systems show us the viability of a wholistic system, which then formed the core theories of managment cybernetics guiding our social system. the basic principle of vsm is about variety and diversity. the organizations with enough variety can survive itself. otherwise, it will destroy itself and all components within it.

型，例如 vsm（可生存系统模型）。这是 stafford beer 在 20 世纪 70 年代将控制论应用于组织机 构的的最突出贡献。vsm 用五个子系统模型，展示了作为一个系统（大可致全球人类，小到政府、 企业机构）都可以用这样的五个子系统去展示生命力，都可以成为了管理控制论的核心，也给我 们提出了最关键的问题，“什么是可以生存的系统”。vsm 的一个基本原则就是系统产生的多样 性（在控制论中为 variety）必须在和系统环境的多样性相互匹配，才可能生存延续，否则就是朝 生暮死，朝生暮死的组织自己终结不算，永远都是害人的。

so the next half-paradox is about how to keep individual units in a system in a status of free

这就浮现出后半个悖论的猜想，如果让越来越多独立单元保持自由不受控制状态，创造多样性的

will. the more diversified, the more order emerged in higher level. the whole system will be more

机会，只是在高阶层浮现有效的法则，是否就可以协同产生足够多自我生存的可能性，让整个系

secure and sustainable. it's a safe control without control. it's a political wisdom every sparked

统更加安全可控。这种智慧在中国哲学思想中或曾有所闪现，但永远没有系统地作用于整个社会

in chinese classic philosophies, however, it never been really adopted by rulers in history. arts can

体系，艺术作品应当创造改变这种思维方式的机会。

change it in their works imaginatively.

所谓在高阶层的法则，并非如期望控制者所定义，而是来自于进化的升华。这一点现在更加清晰

the higher level of orders will be not definable by any single unit in a system, instead, it emerges

地从科学哲学家 stuart koffman 的进化上帝学说得到阐述。在 "reinventing the sacred" 中论及上

from evolution. the post-modern scientist, stuart koffman, cleary give us an image about

帝造物的宗教过程是可以被科学逐层重演的，意识和人性也都是复杂进化的结果，所以宗教的造

evolutionary god. in his book "reinventing the sacred", he argued that the ‘god' which supposed

物主不是必须的。这与我提出的＂分享主义＂ （sharism）不谋而合，分享主义将独立个体的群

to create everything is actually a evolutionary power. it takes effects on everything we have today,

体如通人类大脑的神经元一样各自分享到周边，透过递归叠加产生高阶智慧。叠加智慧理解为一

from single cell to complicated society. the rules run in different layers all come from evolution and

个高阶超能力，所以会产生“社会性上帝”（social god）现象，更整体地产生嬗变，个体无法

pre-adoption. it quite match my theory on sharism.

理解，但是个体可以感受到神圣。

sharism define every human as a social neuron, the more we connect to each, the more we see a

我在 2009 策划奥地利电子艺术节研讨会时提出＂云智慧＂（cloud intelligence）作为主题，让科

higher level of intelligence. someday we can see the effect of "social god", which is super powerful

学家和艺术家同时兴奋，因为科学家探求云计算对知识的结构，艺术家探求云计算对社会的结构。

beyond today's democracy, much more intelligent than totalitarian system. any single individual

研讨会异常成功，其中来自加拿大的教育学家 stephen downes 也是主讲者之一，和我谈到宗教

can't understand the whole, however, they can feel the scared of the powerful intelligence.

创造了人类未来的镜像，那就是在宗教中“上帝”是存在的，但是在现实中不是自初始就存在，

i was curating ars electronica 2009 symposium with david sasaki. we defined "cloud intelligence" as the them of the conference. those artists and scients gathered and exited about that because

而是在进化中产生，因此就算如今上帝也可能只是在很婴儿的时期，我们每个人都是他大脑的一 个神经元而已。我们摆脱了“上帝”概念的控制，就成为了新上帝的一部分。

it's just like artist like cloud the shape and scientists like the forming. it's very successful. one of

阿角就是这样一个社会神经元，社会性上帝大脑的一部分。他不控制，他只在乎艺术与科技如何

the speaker in the symposium is a pedagogist from canana whose name is stephen downes. you

在山顶会合。

can find his blogging histroy back to 10 years ago. he told me that religion is just like the mirror of our future. in religion, the god created. in the future, we got another god from ourselves. so we have a infant god now, which we will grow with him. we can feel the power of ourselves because we are part of the god. the new god won't control us, it's just sustainable. aaajiao is such a social neuron in the social god brain. he doesn't like to control, but caring more about the meeting point in the peak of art and science. they share same peak, luckily.

isaac mao 毛向辉

wissen ist macht. 知识即权力 ——评徐文恺新媒体艺术作品 by annette schindler

c

aution. this maschine has no brain. use your own. steht wuchtig auf einer postkarte,

“注意，这机器没有大脑，用你自己的。”在我电脑旁放着的卡片上，写着这样的醒目的话语。

die an den bildschirm meines rechners angelehnt ist. wir verlassen heute kaum mehr

事实如此。现如今，无论是去哪儿，我们总是随身携带着各式各样的装备：电话 , 相机，电子记事本，

die wohnung, ohne mit einer vielzahl von geräten gewappnet zu sein: telefon, kamera,

更妙的是所有这些功能都已集成在了一台机器上。没有了互联网和计算机，我们是不是还能记得

elektronische agenda, nicht selten alles in einem gerät. zu hause und am arbeitsplatz verlassen

某趟火车，或者某人的电话号码？无论如何，设备与技术早已与我们的生活与工作休戚相关。它

wir uns auf gedeih und verderb allerhand geräten und technologien – wären wir ohne internet und

们都没有能够思考的大脑，却赢得了我们最大程度的信任。习以为常地，我们从它们那里获取知

computer überhaupt noch in der lage, eine telefonnummer oder eine zugverbindung in erfarhung

识（数据），甚至是有限制的权利。

zu bringen? alle diese geräte und technologien haben kein gehirn, und dennoch trauen wir ihnen vieles zu, beziehen oftmals unser wissen und manchmal auch unsere limitierte macht daraus. aaajiao's arbeiten gehen aus von der alltäglichkeit von technologien, aber sie fragen nach der symbolischen und semantischen bedeutung, die sich in unseren gebrauch davon einschreibt.

啊角的作品源于技术的日常应用，却对其中所包含的符号与语义象征提出了诘问。 在作品“data archeology”中，他使用一台高精度秤测量小型存储卡的重量，试图以此表达媒体 时代前，技术概念中不经意的暗示与它的极限。德语经常会用物体的重量单位来计量数据。比如 当电子邮件因附件过大而无法发送时，我们会说这附件太“重”（zu schwer）了。然而存储卡

in „ data archeological “ lässt er hochpräzisionswaagen das gewicht von kleinen speicherkarten

上所载有的信息，真的只有语义学上的重量，还是也同样拥有着某种物理意义上的质量？或许，

ermitteln, und spielt so mit den unbeabsichtigten implikationen und limitationen vor-technologischer

测量存储卡重量的行为本身，还象征着那些能够获取卡上信息的人们所能支配的社会“重量”？

begriffe im medienzeitalter: als masseinheit für digitale daten werden im sprachgebrauch oftmals gewichtseinheiten verwendet, etwa wenn ein attachment als „zu schwer“ beschreiben wird, um mit einem email versandt zu werden. hat die information auf den speicherkarten aber nur ein semantisches oder auch ein physikalisches gewicht? oder symbolisiert das wägen der karten das gesellschaftliche „gewicht“, über das diejenigen verfügen, welche zugang etwa zu jener information haben, die auf den karten gespeichert ist? der massive skulpturale block der arbeit „ gfwlist“ erinnert an den monolithen in space odyssey 2001 von stanley kubrik. dort stellt er eine mysteriöse masse dar, die oft als kinematische türe interpretiert wird, durch welche eine parallele welt erschlossen werden können. aus dem monolithen schiebt sich ein papierband, das laufend mit einem unlesbaren code bedruckt wird: mit dem code der gfw. was für eine parallelwelt verbirgt sich hinter dieser gfw? ist diese bloss ein mysterium oder bedeutet auch hier die kontrolle des zugangs zur parallelwelt kompromisslose gesellschaftliche macht?

大型雕塑装置“gfwlist”让人联想起斯坦利·库布里克的影片《2001 太空漫游》中巨大的黑色石碑。 在这个作品中，啊角为我们展现了一种神秘的质量。它被解释为一扇扇运动的门，通过它们能够 开启一个平行的世界。巨石吐出长长的纸带，上面源源不断地打印着难以辨认的代码——gfw 代码。 在 gfw 背后，究竟存在着一个怎样的平行世界？这只是一个单纯的迷，还是这森严的门禁，也象 征着毫不妥协的社会权力？

ein harmlos aussehendes holzkistchen mit einem handelsüblichen kippschalter fordert geradezu

看似无害的小木匣子上装着一只标准的拨动式开关，让人忍不住伸手拨弄。扳下开关后，一套传

zum hand anlegen auf. beim umlegen des schalters wird ein mechanismus in gang gesetzt, der

动装置随即被触发。木箱轻轻打开，从里面伸出一只小手，而这只手能做的别无其它，只是把开

nichts anderes macht, als den schalter wieder in seine ausgangsposition zurück zu schalten.

关重新扳回原位——我们在此面对的，是不是对个体自决，一种极简的表达呢？这套可称之为“别

dazu öffnet sich das kistchen leicht, ein kleiner arm reckt sich heraus, der nur etwas kann: den

烦我”的机械装置虽然没有独立的行为，但至少在一定程度上抵消了介入者的行为。毫无疑问，

schalter zurück kippen – haben wir es hier mit der minimalsten form der selbstbestimmung zu

这只小小的木箱并不具备大脑，但艺术家啊角依然赋予了它一种内在的反抗本质，令人为之惊叹。

tun? ein ‚ich-lasse-mir-nicht-dreinreden'- oder ‚lass-mich-in-ruhe'-mechanismus, der zwar keine eigenständigen handlungen vollziehen aber immerhin diejenigen seines menschlichen gegenübers gewissermassen annullieren kann. wenn auch das kästchen zweiflesfrei nicht über ein gehirn verfügt so hat ihm der künstler aaajiao doch einen widerständischen wesenskern verliehen, der uns durchaus verblüffen kann. ausgediente monitore werden in „“ von eisenstangen durchbohrt und wie perlen auf einer kette aufgereiht. zusammengedrängt bilden sie einen länglichen körper statt der vertrauten, an das klassische tafelbild mahnende erscheinung. der stapel der monitore wird in die horizontale gekippt und bildet so eine reihung, ein multiplikation von erblindeten gehäusen. die bilder haben aufgehört,

在 facing system 中，若干被淘汰的显示器如珍珠般被钢管串在一起。它们紧挨着构成一个长条 形的躯体，取代了它们传统的形态。一字排开的显示器，如果被堆叠后不慎倾覆盖，展现出的是 一个由失明的的壳体所组成的行列与集合。屏幕上已不再有熠熠生辉的画面。它们已彻底丧失技 术功能，取而代之的是一种庞大而笨重的美学效应。 在上述作品中，徐文恺通过对技术的逆向梳理，将它引申为新奇的美学。他懂得媒体的力量，懂 得人们从技术中所获取的知识，并通过精确的设定将其呈现在我们眼前。他狡黠地在自己的作品 中埋下线索，按图索骥的我们却依然伫足，为自己已有的感知与经验所困惑。但我们知道： gps 与维基百科，无法将我们带向终点。

auf den monitoren zu flimmern, sie haben ihre technische funktion verloren. dafür erhalten sie jetzt eine sperrige ästhetische funktion. aaajiao bürstet in seinen arbeiten die technologie gegen den strich, und führt sie dabei einem originär ästhetischen diskurs zu. er weiss um die macht der medien, um das wissen, dass wir aus technologien beziehen und führt uns diese mit präzisen setzungen vor augen. er legt uns mit seinen werken augenzwinkernd eine fährte, auf der wir jedoch angehalten sind, unsere eigene wahrnehmung und erfahrung einzusetzen. kein gps und kein wikipedia führt uns zum ziel – das wissen tragen wir schon in uns.

annette schindler 阿妮特·辛德勒 stand 11. august 2010