◎ Science and Technology Daily reporter Dai Xiaopei
On January 7, the reporter came to the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing's 798 Art District. Exhibiting here is the "Out of the Anthropocene" Future Science and Art Exhibition jointly produced by the Future Forum and the Xi Chun Foundation, of which nearly 10 works of art are jointly created by scientists and artists, including Pan Jianwei, Wang Yifang, Xue Qikun, Ma Dawei and so on.
Artist Liu Ke and scientist Wang Yifang collaborated on a work titled "Black Hole: My Heart Vortex". The work is an open oval opening on a metal checkered floor, inspired by the painter Malevich and his understanding of the concept of "hollowness". The reporter saw at the scene that this work was stepped on by people who came and went.
Science and Technology Daily reporter punched the scientist artwork. Video Production: Zhou Weihai Dai Xiaopei
Gu Zhenqing, the curator of the exhibition, explained in an exclusive interview with a reporter from Science and Technology Daily: "This hole can take the audience into another abstract high-dimensional space that is different from the material space; but at the same time, this hole can be trampled and is material. ”
Gu Zhenqing believes that "Black Hole: My Heart Vortex" has the typical characteristics of contemporary art. Contemporary art is no longer a temple-like art with a halo, but a walk down the altar, more intimate, into the daily experience of people. Therefore, when everyone can step on it at will, the distance between the work and the art is closer. Everyone can be a recipient of art, or even an artist.
"When art becomes an everyday necessity and is no longer elevated, art is more than just an aesthetic object, a carrier of healing, a decorative background or a way of aesthetic education. Both our memories and the meaning of our lives can be awakened through art. Art, very close to us, is part of the experience of life. Gu Zhenqing said.
"Out of the Anthropocene" Future Science and Art Exhibition. Science and Technology Daily reporter Zhou Weihai photographed
"Schrödinger's cat" is probably the most famous "pet" in the scientific community, and its death and life are still in a superposition state, which is difficult to determine. The only thing that is certain is that it will always be in the "black box".
At the exhibition site, the reporter saw the "Schrödinger's Box" cooperated by artist Li Hui and scientist Pan Jianwei. The work is composed of black sponges composed of "black boxes", and when the black boxes are closed, they become dark and silent, and the objects in them can no longer be observed.
Gu Zhenqing liked this work very much, he said: "Other works are appealing to your vision and perception, while Schrödinger's Box does not allow you to observe, or even block and strip away your perception. If you don't enter the installation, you won't feel the wonder of this artwork. ”
After visiting the laboratory of scientist Xue Qikun, the artist Wang Du created the artwork "X. phy V x.o w=e E v=0 UN W. Laboratory" together. This group of silver pieces presents a futuristic feel.
Gu Zhenqing explained that the title of the work is a set of virtual quasi-physical formulas. The symbols in the formula are abbreviations of different words, and in the eyes of the artist, this set of formulas that cannot be calculated can be understood as abstract concepts of cognition of the material world. It is these concepts that mark the ambitions and dreams of scientists, the exploration and deciphering, the power and the achievements.
Talking about the original intention of allowing scientists and artists to create together, Gu Zhenqing applied a sentence by the French literary scholar Flaubert: Science and art always break up at the foot of the mountain, and reunite at the top of the mountain.
"Science and art can inspire each other. Scientists are rigorous in their thinking, understanding and discovering the world according to the rules, but the artist breaks the rules and is full of out-of-the-box ideas. Artists and scientists meet to inspire each other, get out of discipline, and gain knowledge outside of their comfort zone. Gu Zhenqing said.
Zhang Fan, an associate professor in the Department of Astronomy at Beijing Normal University, is a scientist who loves art. In his view, both scientists and artists are imaginative and creative. This is seen as the basis for scientific and artistic collaboration. Gu Zhenqing said: "The physical world has been filled with traces of people, and there is no place that has not been explained by people and is not filled with meaning. There is no point in being a porter of knowledge, we have to face uncharted territory. ”
Through the series of works "Out of the Anthropocene", Gu Zhenqing called for no longer clinging to the view that human beings are the center of the universe and that man is the scale of all things, but to learn to coexist peacefully with the environment, with the world, and with all things. "Human beings do not exist to grab endless resources to continuously satisfy themselves, and human beings and the biosphere can coexist symbiotically. The perpetuation of civilization is the meaning of human existence. ”
In the exhibition, some works are like unfinished, waiting for people to fill in the blanks. "Art is likely to be a work in the process, taking on new interpretations and appearances as human knowledge production continues to escalate." Gu Zhenqing said.
Gu Zhenqing also told reporters that in the process of contacting some scientists, he found that the enthusiasm of scientists to participate in artistic creation was very high. "I think scientists have an artistic dream in addition to their scientific dreams in childhood. Just as Einstein's theory of relativity was once considered artistic and influenced human artistic innovation, scientists joining the ranks of artists will inject vibrant creativity into contemporary art. ”
Source: Science and Technology Daily
Editor: Wang Yu
Review: Wang Xiaolong
Final Judge: Liu Haiying