Ai Weiwei - Photo: Sina.com

In the previous article World Class Art Critic Turns the Lights on China in 2009 (Part 1 of 2) one of the world’s foremost interviewers of artists, thinkers and designers, Hans Ulrich Obrist, met with a select bunch of China’s top creators. This article hopes to add a little more detail to the image of some of the key characters mentioned in part 1.

Ai Weiwei (One of China’s foremost modern artist)

I think that the internet and text era is the Man’s greatest era and it is only now that that Man can be called liberated. We can independently send and receive information, and although that information can sometimes get restricted, we are still much more independent than before.

Presenter: What is the time you most look forward to? What is it that we are all waiting for?

Ai Weiwei: The time we can’t even imagine.

Presenter: What is your dream job?

Ai Weiwei: To be an interviewer.

Presenter: What would be your least favorite job?

Ai Weiwei: Ending the interview

Cao Fei (One of China’s up and coming conceptual artists)

Presenter: What most excites you?

Cao Fei: Love!

Presenter: Is there any job that you would refuse to do?

Cao Fei: No.

Presenter: If there is a heaven and you got there, what would you like God to say to you?

Cao Fei: Welcome!

Jia Zhangke – Photo: Sina.com

Jia Zhangke (Film director involved with the Olympics and the Shanghai Expo)

Mankind has loads of different ways of remembering things. I have chosen film, as it is an extremely good way of remembering events and can help us recollect so many details that would have previously been lost. Film isn’t merely just a way to remember, but moreover is a form of enjoyment, which by building a record of so many details can really express our emotions.

Presenter: What time are most people looking forward to?

Jia Zhangke: Next year

Presenter: Apart from being a director what other job would you like to do?

Jia Zhangke: To be a singer, something I can’t see happening.

Presenter: What’s your favorite word?

Jia Zhangke: Vigor. When ever our team cheers each other on it always gives us more vigor.

Xiao He (One of China’s brightest experimental musicians)

I can only think about what is happening now. I might be able to try and think about what I might do next year, but for me something big or terrible happening, like a bomb landing on me, I can just go to a quiet place to wait for it. I don’t think people should always think the worst. There are lots of things that are skrewed up, what counts is how we react to them, this is how we change. The way I express myself on the surface doesn’t always show how what I am capable of feeling. I am not that scared of the future, neither do I really care about it.

Presenter: What is your favorite word?

Xiao He: My favorite word is ‘word’.

Presenter: What’s your least favorite word?

Xiao He: That is my least favorite word.

Presenter: What is your favorite sound?

Xiao He: Snoring

Ma Yansong (Bright, young Architect)

The modern protection of ancient buildings is the protection of the dead, not the living. It is like protecting a park, for people to come and look at, or for rich people to posses and it just becomes like a villa. So what is important is the people that originally lived there. You give them better quality of life, like a toilet where there was none before and add a study to make it more amenable for their kids to stick around. You’ve got to make life better for the original inhabitants.

Zhang Da (Fashion Designer)

The Chinese translation for fashion is (literally) ‘time clothes’, giving the broader meaning of clothes for a period of time, not just from season to season, but for Chinese people, unlike the big fashion houses of Europe the biggest difference is that change comes quicker brought about by many different pressures. This creates a very fast paced and exciting environment.

Wang Jianwei (Artist)

A couple of days ago I spoke of an idea “The Correct Way to be an Artist” and I think this ‘correct way’ is in fact how we should develop modern art in order to grasp rising challenges. The most interesting thing to come out of the discussions today with so many different people is indecisiveness of everything. This is very important for modern day, how to utilize this type of experience to lead to ways in which to display our works.

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China Media > World Class Art Critic Turns the Lights on China in 2009 (Part 1 of 2)

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