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December 2009 issue of Shangri-la, “Nine people’s 2009” Column
Zhu Wei: Play Ice Hockey in the Studio
Article/Wang Jing Photographer/Yu Long
Today, the Chinese artists have rapidly become ‘the richest’ class. ‘While all Chinese people are pursuing a better life, I am pursuing something simple.’ Zhu Wei said.
In the contemporary art circle, Zhu Wei was one of the earliest artists that emerged in the then burgeoning art market back under normal operation in the 90’s. Since 1993, he has been working with Plum Blossoms Gallery whose affiliated agencies could be found all over Europe, America and Hong Kong. In the year of 1994, “Exhibition of Zhu Wei in Plum Blossoms Gallery” was held in Hong Kong. Two days after the exhibition, all the mass media in Hong Kong reported interesting details about the exhibition: some collectors nearly got into fight because of making a mad rush for Zhu Wei’s paintings. Afterwards, all the paintings were robbed to the last pin. This close cooperation lasted until 2005. In those 12 years, Zhu Wei’s ink and wash paintings attracted a lot of attention from overseas collectors to major art institutes. Zhu’s painting records an era and a country as well.
Zhu Wei’s new studio locates at Pingo Apartment near Today Art Museum. The simple fashion loft building properly consists with Zhu Wei’s humble and free attitude to life, and the space without a trace of dust is different with most artists' studios. When nightfall, looking through the five-meter height window, the most gorgeous CBD night scene greets the eyes.
The studio is empty, “this place can be only used for working, but not living”. Zhu Wei is always satisfied with his CBD studio, “This studio was bought by myself, at present, it is rising to be double the original price. At leaset, I will never worry about my studio being dismantled. Moving here and there would damage the atmosphere of a studio to the ground.”
The objects on Zhu Wei’s worktable are so plentiful that we cannot but feel dazedly that this is an amusement park: professional skateboard, perfect hockey stick, Sanyo manual operation radio, tape measure, dumbbell, basketball, painting tools could all be found on it. No wonder we could always find three-thousand great worlds in Zhu Wei’s paintings, work, leisure and entertainment could all be done in his studio.
However, Zhu Wei is exploring in painting during all these years. Someone said he is a “system rebel”; someone calls him as a “Chinese avant-garde painter”, someone give him the title of “the sticker of ink and wash improvement”. Maybe it is just his explorations that make his painting an odd in this era but exactly the right thing. In the year 2004, the IBM Building located at No. 590, Manhattan Street in New York, installed Zhu Wei's bronze sculpture “China, China”, and next to it, are the works of many famous artists, such as Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder and others. Zhu Wei is invited as the first visiting artist from mainland China by Singapore Tyler Print Institute. Not only that we could find Zhu Wei’s works on auctions like Christie and Sotheby, but also, some reputable collectors, institutions and museums also collected works of Zhu Wei.
Nowadays, the Chinese artists have rapidly become ‘the richest’ class. While every Chinese are pursuing a better life, I am pursuing something simple.” Zhu Wei said. Zhu Wei attends the world top art exhibitions like Art Basel, Venice Biennale, and Kassel Documenta almost every year. However, after taking a broader view, he fortified himself to go on the way of ink and wash painting. ‘I care contemporary art of China very much. Currently, people are all imitating from the West, which led to the danger that their works are neither Chinese nor western.’ As a pioneer of this generation with many years famous reputation, he knows that he is very lucky, because he could do whatever he likes on his competence. ‘Calm as I am, pursuing a better life is not my goal.’
Today, his amazing ink and wash paintings are still full of loose characters as well as tones between fashion culture and respected tradition. During our chatting, I always “see” the flash from his mind. His passion is never dying as the days pass by. He said: “In fact, I have little interest in painting now. I hardly chat with my friends about painting. I like talking about something other than painting. Painting itself cannot trigger a lot of inspiration to me, while other kinds of arts And the relaxing life gives me more thinking and innovation. ”
A list of my life quality in 2009
Shangri-la: Where did you have your happiest trip in 2009? What have you played?
Zhu Wei: I spent three months in Boston when I went to the U.S.A for the export of labor service. I basked myself in the sun by the side of the pool, and roast for three months without doing anything. Just eat and sleep, sleep and eat without answering any phone-call.
Shangri-la: Which is your favorite thing you bought for yourself this year?
Zhu Wei: A top professional hockey stick.
Shangri-la: Where did you enjoy your most delicious meal this year?
Zhu Wei: “1949” dining hall behind Pacific Century Place Beijing.
Shangri-la: Compare your drinking capability with last year, how is it?
Zhu Wei: I am afraid of drinking too much now, doctor told me in October that I am suffering a high blood lipid.
Shangri-la: Which sport does you like most this year? Have you fall in love with a new sport?
Zhu Wei: Ice hockey.
Shangri-la: What kind of literature and art work do you like most?
ZHU Wei: The raree show I watched at the temple fairs this spring festival.
Shangri-la: Can recommend a book you read this year?
Zhu Wei: The novel Cang Huang.
Shangri-la: Which phenomenon do you hate the most this year? And what do you support the most?
Zhu Wei: Don’t always mention “beat anything”. A lot of movements happened one after another in the 60 years. There would be one movement every three or five years, and each movement lasts on average three to five years. No matter big or small, families need to take a long view in life, rather than moving forward depending on one after another movement. Don’t always be as if there are wolves running after you or be like cannot find a toilet when you are caught short. I strongly suggest people to get rid of such defect; we are no longer kids now.
Shangri-la: Which aspect in your life changed most?
Zhu Wei: We plan to have baby this year.
Shangri-la: In the social environment, what has made the greatest impact on you this year?
Zhu Wei: The whole society is stepping backward with big strides as a result of the economic crisis. Everyone has been influenced, so do me.
《香格里拉》 2009年12月刊 “九个人的2009”栏目
朱伟：在工作室里玩场冰球
文/王静 摄影/于龙
中国的艺术家今天已跃然成为“最财富”阶层，“中国的每个人都在追求更好的生活，我只是追求简单的东西，”朱伟说。
当代艺术圈里，朱伟是上世纪90年代初最早一批被正规在商业运作的艺术家，从1993年便开始与分支机构遍布欧洲、美国和香港的万玉堂画廊合作，1994 年，香港举行了“万玉堂画廊朱伟作品展”。展后第二天，香港各大媒体报道了展览花絮：几个收藏者因为“哄抢” 朱伟的画差点打起来了，后来，所有的画都被一抢而空，这一紧密的合作关系持续到2005年。在这十余年的过程中，朱伟以水墨为创作媒材的作品得到了海外藏家和艺术机构的关注和认可。朱伟的画记录了一个时代，也记录了一个国家。
朱伟的新工作室选在今日美术馆旁的苹果社区，时尚简约的Loft建筑恰好符合朱伟低调和自由的生活态度，干净得几乎一尘不染的空间有别于大多数艺术家工作室。夜幕落下，透过5米多高的玻璃窗望出去，收入眼底的是全北京最绚烂的CBD夜景。
工作室很空，“这种地方只能工作，不是住人的地儿”。朱伟对自己的CBD工作室一直倍感满意，“工作室是自己买的，现在不是升值嘛，已经double了。买个工作室起码不用担心被拆，工作室搬来搬去，把那点儿气都搬没了”。朱伟的工作台上丰富得让人恍惚觉得是个游乐场：专业轮滑鞋、得意的专业冰球杆、三洋手摇收音机、卷尺、哑铃、篮球、画画的家什，难怪朱伟的画中总有三千世界，合着他的工作室已经集工作、休闲、娱乐多功能于一身。
娱乐归娱乐，这些年来朱伟一直在创作的路上探索着，有人说他是“体制反叛者形象”，也有人说他是“中国前卫画家”，还有人说他是“水墨改良的坚持者”。或许正是因为这样的探索，才会让他的画显得与这个时代格格不入，却又恰到好处。2004年，位于纽约曼哈顿大街590号的IBM大厦安装了朱伟的一尊铜雕塑“中国，中国”，紧挨着的一些作品，其作者的名字都耳熟能详，如安迪·沃霍尔和亚历山大·考尔德等。朱伟也是新加坡泰勒版画研究院邀请的第一个从中国大陆来的访问艺术家。不仅在Christie's和苏富比的拍卖会上时常可以看到朱伟的作品，世界各地的一些有声望的收藏家、收藏机构和博物馆也多藏有朱伟的作品。
中国的艺术家在今天已跃然成为“最财富”阶层，“中国的每个人都在追求更好的生活，我只是追求简单的东西”，朱伟说。世界艺术界最顶尖的巴塞尔艺术博览会、威尼斯双年展、卡塞尔文献展，朱伟几乎年年到场，然而放宽了艺术的眼界之后，却更加坚定了他要在水墨道路固执地坚守下去的决心，“我很关心中国当代艺术。现在都在模仿西方，做出的作品不中不西，这是很危险的。”作为这一代人的先锋和一个早已出名的艺术家，他知道他非常幸运，因为他可以以他的能力做他喜欢做的任何事情。“我很冷静，追求更好的生活不是我的目标。”
如今，他那让人惊奇的水墨画仍然充满了他标志性的散漫人物形象，以及介于流行文化和尊崇传统之间的那么一种调调儿。和他聊天的过程中，我无数次“看见”他脑海里闪现的火花，他的激情从没有因为岁月而磨灭过。他说：“其实我对画的兴趣已经很低了，我很少和朋友聊画， 我喜欢聊画以外的东西。画本身并不能触发我多少灵感，反而是其他的艺术门类、轻松的生活给了我更多的思考和创新。”
我的2009之生活质量清单
《香格里拉》：2009年最爽的一次旅行是去哪里？玩了些什么？
朱伟：去美国劳务输出顺便在波士顿休假三个月。在游泳池边活活晒了三个月太阳，啥事也没做，吃了睡，睡了吃，连一个电话都没接过。
《香格里拉》：今年给自己买的东西里，最喜欢的是哪件？
朱伟：一款顶级的专业冰球杆。
《香格里拉》：今年最美味的一餐是在哪里吃的？
朱伟：北京盈科中心后面的“1949”餐厅。
《香格里拉》：酒量和去年比，感觉如何？
朱伟：不敢多喝了，十月份体检的时候医生说血脂偏高。
《香格里拉》：今年最喜欢什么运动？有没有喜欢上某种新的运动？
朱伟：冰球。
《香格里拉》：最喜欢的文艺作品是什么？
朱伟：今年春节庙会的时候看到的一出拉洋片的。
《香格里拉》：推荐一本今年读到的书吧。
朱伟：《苍黄》。
《香格里拉》：今年最看不惯的现象是什么？最赞成的又是什么？
朱伟：别老提“压倒一切”。六十年来大小运动一个接着一个，平均每三五年就有一个，每个运动平均持续也是三五年。无论大家还是小家，过日子要从长计议，别靠一个接一个的运动推动着往前走。别总弄得跟后边有狼撵着似的，或者是憋着泡屎找不着厕所，老采取不择手段的办法。 最赞成的是把这毛病改改，都老大不小的了。
《香格里拉》：生活上最大的一件变化，是在哪方面？
朱伟：今年准备要孩子了。
《香格里拉》：大环境中，今年对你影响最大的是什么？
朱伟：整个社会因经济危机而引起的多方面的向后大踏步的后退，每个人都受影响，我也在其中。 |
