NOTES COORDINATES
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Q
A
Liu Tian: 1,In your opinion, what is it defines the Inna Contemporary Art Space? How would you describe the space, or rather, what is it about it that has left the deepest impression on you?
Candida Höfer: Inna Contemporary Art Space for me is a showcase of contemporary Chinese art in different media formats. It is a meeting space for young Chinese artists, invited foreign artists and those interested in art. It gives young artists the possibility to ex
Chen Dongfan: The Inna Contemporary Art Space has been much like a child. From its birth up to now, we’ve all grown up together; by now its even making it on its own. The space isn’t really a specific form as such. More fittingly described, it’s rather more an anachron
Chen Yujun: The Inna Contemporary Art Space is the most established of platforms available for young artists in Hangzhou to display their work.
Fang Wei: In my opinion, the Inna Contemporary Art Space embodies a certain way of being. From the first time I laid eyes on the space, I was drawn in by the passionate, sincere strain of idealism it possesses.
Guo Xi: The Inna Contemporary Art Space has never made profit the centre of its activities; rather, it seeks out new creative lifeblood for Hangzhou, harnessing consistently all within its power to establish an artistic life force for the city. The space absorbs
Huang Songhao: I won’t mention anything of an emotional nature. For many years now, the Inna Contemporary Art Space has been working independently, endeavouring tirelessly to establish its own, personal qualities. This is very important.
Liu Tian: My deepest impression of this “independent” space is one of self sufficiency, ease and conviction.
Liu Jiejun: First of all, I can’t deny the Inna Contemporary Art Space has been one of my patrons. I myself am the supplier; I provide the space with certain internet based solutions. However, as far as concerns the combined processes our projects have entailed, my r First of all, I can’t deny the Inna Contemporary Art Space has been one of my patrons. I myself am the supplier; I provide the space with certain internet based solutions. However, as far as concerns the combined processes our projects have entailed, my r
Wu Junyong: The Inna Contemporary Art Space is by far the most catalytic art space in Hangzhou. The profoundest impression it has left me with is that of its optimistic, bilingual director and her watermelon bob.
Inna Xu: The Inna Contemporary Art Space is a project we’ve engaged with consistently.
Yu Qiongjie: The Inna Contemporary Art Space is like a pitstop. It’s a place vital to artists, designers and individuals involved in art. Upon arriving, they can recharge, before continuing on their way. This in itself is something worth striving for, something one ca
Zhou Yilun: A design company.
Zheng Hong: The Inna Contemporary Art Space is an independently established contemporary art space modelled on a public arts centre. The space’s public dimension has its basis in the open, idiosyncratic curatorial principles the space’s director upholds, this combine
Liu Tian: 2,In terms of cultural and artistic space, where do you feel Hangzhou is still lacking? Do you have any expectations or advice to offer?
Candida Höfer: I have only been to Hangzhou a few times so it is difficult for me to come to a balanced view. My general impression is that Hangzhou being such an important place in Chinese culture and history, and having the famous art academy with its longstanding
Chen Dongfan: It’s because there are lacks that we need to implement change. This isn’t however merely a matter for the art space alone; we need to give the city itself time, it’s no use rushing things. Left to its own devices, Hangzhou will I feel gradually grow into
Chen Yujun: In terms of the way spaces operate here, in Hangzhou what’s lacking most is continuity. Perhaps it’s not enough to rely on enthusiasm alone; in addition to this, what’s really needed is to develop the market.
Fang Wei: The size of the space isn’t important, what’s key is the quality of person involved. Standards are what ground our activities, they are also the thing that causes them to buckle. If there are indeed lacks, it is people alone who can change this.
Guo Xi: The model for Hangzhou’s creative industries has always centred upon the China Academy of Art. It’s difficult for other structures to develop on this model given a lack of intermediary linkage. This makes it impossible to perfect the operational structure
Huang Songhao: There will always be lack in some respect. It might seem that in Hangzhou space is limited, but maybe this is also to do with this being eclipsed by the presence of the China Academy of Art. Of course, this doesn’t include those structures that exclusivel
Liu Tian: There are considerable lacks: the lack of an “interesting” site, one capable of liberating the imagination, stimulating dialogue, generating variety and allowing people to spend their leisure time away from screens.
Liu Jiejun: Although (a space) can be near to Hangzhou (physically), it’s still possible for it to be lacking in understanding.
Li Jianhong: There will always be lacks as far as I see it, this itself is immaterial. It’s as natural as the tide of the Qiantang River (that runs through Hangzhou): as one tide recedes, another comes around.
Wu Junyong: There’s no lack as such. What’s needed is variety.
Inna Xu: I await the day when specialists are at the helm of the cultural industries - regardless of whether this be cinema, music or visual art - only in this way can each discipline strive to gradually attain international standards. This would make the city a m
Zhou Yilun: Everything could be better.
Liu Tian: 3,As the Inna Contemporary Art Space establishes its New York studio, what kind of exchanges and activities do you hope might occur between New York and Hangzhou?
Candida Höfer: Art, including contemporary art, builds on different cultural experiences. At the same time art is a medium of exchange itself. New York is not only a centre of American contemporary art but also a forum for international exchanges on contemporary art
Chen Dongfan: I have no expectations as such. It’s only without expectation that there can be made room for even greater potential.
Chen Yujun: I think that interaction itself isn’t just about broadening ones own horizons, but is rather more about allowing ones self to be understood by others in the world outside. This last detail is really important.
Fang Wei: I really hope it will be more possible to interact with some outstanding art practitioners, broadening our perspectives beyond the limits even of Hangzhou and New York alone.
Huang Songhao: A studio? This all sounds very cool, very different. I feel that this is distinct however from a typical studio or residency in that its function is clear in foregrounding the importance of practice and inquiry.
Liu Tian: Hangzhou’s total area is more than ten times that of New York’s: New York covers 1,214 square kilometres; Hangzhou 16,596. The two cities’ populations are however closely matched: New York has 8,340,000 people; Hangzhou 8,840,000. What is it then that mak
Yu Qiongjie: The Inna Contemporary Art Space’s moving to New York to establish a studio there is really a chance for a new beginning. I hope that in the future, the space will share with us what develops there in New York. I also hope that between New York and Hangzho
Wu Junyong: It’s taking Hangzhou to the world.
Inna Xu: I really hope the Inna Contemporary Art Space can become more open and experiment with new possibilities. What exactly these new projects will be is something we’ll have to wait until we’ve arrived in New York to discover.
Zhou Yilun: It’s something virtual.
Zheng Hong: The New York studio ought to be a platform for developing artistic exchange, it needs also to maintain the vitality that the Inna Contemporary Art Space’s second space already exudes to create a structure that better permits mutual dialogue, allowing thos
Liu Tian: 4,What do you feel is the most important quality for an artist to possess?
Candida Höfer: In my view: Persistence and a general feeling for quality.
Chen Dongfan: Above all, an artist needs to be a person of spiritual integrity. If they have a bit of a sense of humour this makes things all the more interesting.
Chen Yujun: Independence.
Fang Wei: A sensitivity to experience and the ability to work hard.
Huang Songhao: Autonomy. Only this can bring about self awareness and a consciousness of pertinent issues, aiding judgement and belief in ones self. Of course, autonomy isn’t a matter of simply negating the other; it has rather more to do with better appraising contempo
Liu Tian: Each artist possesses their own qualities. There cannot however be any single optimum. In my opinion, these qualities are to do with an artist’s capacity to face limitless potentials and establish new world orders.
Liu Jiejun: I think the most important skill for an artist is the capacity for self appraisal, to be able to judge with equanimity the outside world and its relationship to ones self. I think the ability to maintain this kind of continuous appraisal is most vital for
Li Jianhong: Don’t be a crook.
Liao Wenfeng: To be capable of endlessly generating opinion.
Wu Junyong: Be bold in your endeavours.
Inna Xu: To engage in ones existence.
Zhou Yilun: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? [A string of question marks]
Zheng Hong: Striding out on ones own.
Liu Tian: 5.Is there anything you feel tied down by at this moment in time? If there is, then what?
Candida Höfer: I try to find new formats for my work, experimenting with old abandoned formats and thinking about totally new ones trying to liberate myself from some of the mechanical and organizational burdens of my work.
Chen Dongfan: My physical being; being trapped inside this gross sack of skin I cannot slough. Here, the best one can do is devise a set of strategies to effect ones liberation from this, trying and testing until all that’s left is the sack.
Chen Yujun: It’s possible for a person to be very freethinking, but at the same time, one cannot transcend space and time. This is a theme I explore in my work.
Fang Wei: Internal struggles, nothing more. However, I feel that these are what gives existence its substance. I always aspire to be more receptive.
Guo Xi: Of course there are constraints. The most considerable are the limits of personal knowledge. At present, I’m not entirely satisfied with working on the model of the independent art practitioner. The limitations on knowledge for the individual makes progre
Huang Songhao: There is something. Having only graduated this last year, there are a great many things that still seem very novel to me, with new questions arising left right and centre I can attend to only one at a time. At this moment in time, the biggest constraint I
Liu Jiejun: There are always constraints, its to struggle against these that we live. At the moment, the thing I feel most limited by is a matter of practical skill. I hope that the next obstacle will present itself to me sooner rather than later.
Liao Wenfeng: Of course, lacking funds.
Wu Junyong: Yes, there is something. My sexy red underwear.
Inna Xu: Of course. Problems of language for instance are the bane of my working life.
Zhou Yilun: People grow on the basis of that which restricts them. This makes these things necessary and they exist quite naturally; they are even beneficial.