評委感言
行爲藝術源自視覺藝術，與繪畫及油畫等傳統表現手法不同；行為藝術是一種概念，在特定時間以及特定空間約束下產生的結果，並不會跨越年代。
人體是一個實質載體，賦予我們思想，讓我們意識到自己和別人的存在。
這個現象似乎是顯而易見，是一件平平無奇的事情，但它往往會為人所忽略。
當我們發現身體本身天賦的生物行為所蘊含的不同表達和感受後，人類身體就獲得了截然不同的角色。而痛苦、愉悅、疾病和厭惡等感覺構成了這些生物行為使用的生物詞彙。
當身體成為表演者時，它實際上只是繼承了在頭腦主宰身體之前的傳統──在不同的審美觀和價值觀的影響下，人們喜歡在身上搞刺花、打孔、燙疤等花樣來改變外表。
而隨著時代變遷，新時代的出現，舊有事物亦會隨之被賦予新的意義及含義。
全球一體化促使現今社會資訊無遠弗屆，而資訊的流通令我們更重視對信息的選擇；不單是信息本身，而是如何讓讀者了解、吸收和重新解讀這些信息的方法。
中國文化、歷史和傳統源遠流長、博大精深，由銅器時代發明的針灸術，到不同時代的戲曲表演，豐富的傳統講故事的技藝，以至近年優秀電影製作的出現並發展成為出色的電影等等，確保了行為藝術能夠繼續發展成長，並利用精深的中國傳統文化來豐富自己，讓觀眾驚嘆於行為藝術目前的發展情況以及未來的發展潛能。
是次文獻展將中國不同地區的作品帶到中西文化交流匯聚的澳門，有機會作為展覽評判之一，本人深感榮幸與興奮！。
籍此感謝澳門藝術博物館讓我們參加這次活動，同時亦衷心祝願此次活動和未來的活動都將能圓滿成功！
江連浩
澳門藝術博物館顧問
Judge’s Comment
Performance Art, as an offspring of visual arts, differ from more traditional methods of expression such as painting and canvases, as being conceptual and not perennial, but instead confined, as an event, to a specific space and time.
Our body is the material vessel that allows us all to have the perception of a mind, and thus realize our own existence, and that of others.
While this may appear to be obvious, it is quite too often that I have seen the obvious being overlooked.
The human body acquires different roles as we discover the different expressions and feelings that exist in its natural biological behaviour to which the feeling of pain, pleasure, sickness or revolt are its biological vocabulary.
When the body becomes the performer, resuming the inheritance of traditions that go back since the mind took conscience of the body and the possibility of changing its appearance by tattooing it, by perforating it, scarificating, in time cycles of different significances and significants.
As time passes and new cycles begin, the original sources change, acquiring new meanings and intentions.
Globalization has generated a circulation of information today that requires the importance of selective information. What is important it is not information itself, but the mechanics of how information is understood, absorbed and reinterpreted.
However China and its immense culture, background and traditions, from the Bronze Age acupuncture practices, to different eras of theatre and different opera, to the rich traditions of storytelling and more recently, the emergence of superb movie making that matured into great movies are an assurance that performance arts will continue to evolve and enrich themselves with intensive Chinese traditions therefore bringing to us all, as spectators a great excitement on what is now being made plus the potential of the coming future.
It was for me a very exciting experience to participate as a juror on the present selection of events that converged from all over China into Macau, a place of Exchanges of experiences and of cultures, a place that has a long memory of East meeting West.
I take this opportunity to thank the Macao Museum of Art for the opportunity to participate in such an event and formulate every wish that this and future events will be full of success as I believe they will.
Antonio Conceicao Junior
Consultant of Macao Museum of Art
評委感言
行為藝術──身體作為藝術言說的機制
二十世紀藝術潮流遽速衍化替換，令人目不暇給，新藝術的主要訴求之一，便是要打破藝術與生活的界線，讓藝術和生活經驗參揉，以探討其間的真實本質，行為藝術便是其中之一。回溯西方藝術史的發展歷程，行為藝術的先驅者包括達達、未來派以及超現實主義等。在“達達運動”（Dadaism）之後，藝術家的身體成為實踐藝術觀念的“載體”，通過身體行動將創作概念公開呈現。例如著名的德國行為藝術家波依斯（Joseph Beuys [1921-1986]）曾提出“社會雕塑”的藝術觀念，將藝術推展到極限，舉凡人的思想、行為、行動，都是成為意識過程的塑造。他最廣為流傳的一句話便是：“每個人都是藝術家。”人人都有與生俱來的創造性本質，藝術不應自外於生活實踐，與社會脫節，藝術應貫徹藝術與生活的密切連結。
行為藝術不同於所謂的表演藝術，並不特別強調身體美感、表演技巧，更不需仰賴敘事情節及角色刻畫。更有別於傳統的美術創作，藝術家揚棄雕塑、繪畫等傳統藝術形式，僅用自己的身體作為表達工具，單純經由行為本身呈顯創作理念，並進一步擴大至外在環境乃至於社會層面。行為藝術一直以來都被納入觀念藝術的範疇中討論，其創作意義往往須透過行為實踐的能量與強度而彰顯，身體並非只是表面上所見的“肉體”軀殼而已，行為背後的創作觀念對於行為的方式具有決定性的影響。隨著行為的操作，身體早已質變，並承載了日常生活和生存在的意義，成為建構文化與權力論述的重要符碼。也因此，如何思考身體運用的必要性，避免其流於工具化，讓行為本身具涵唯一且不可逆的質地，是現今行為藝術家時常面臨的課題。
作為觀察當代華人行為藝術家創作樣態和趨勢的前哨站，“以身觀身──中國行為藝術文獻展”在主辦機構澳門藝術博物館的推動之下逐漸發展成為行為藝術的重要研究機制。本屆藝術節的參展作品已呈現出行為藝術創作的雛型光譜，來自不同世代的藝術家藉由創作赋予當代行為藝術不斷翻轉的界說定義，所探討的議題亦十分廣泛，包含了藝術與生活的界線、公共領域與私密空間、觀眾意識與自我存在、全球化與在地論、個人主體與國家機器、生存狀態與生命本質、以及觀看與凝視等等面向。這些創作不但是藉由藝術觀看來體察生活或生命意義的重要媒介，更具體而細微地呈現出當代文化思潮的發展脈絡與形跡。
賴香伶
前臺北當代藝術館館長
Judge’s Comment
Behavioural Art: The Human Body as a Mechanism of Art
Art trends in the 20th Century have changed bewilderingly quickly. One of the pursuits of new arts is to breach the line between art and life, allowing them to infiltrate each other so that their real nature may be explored. Behavioural art is of this type. Forerunners of behavioural art include Dadaism, Futurism and Surrealism. Following Dadaism, the artists’ bodies have become the vehicle in which their artistic ideas are practiced. Through their bodies, their creative ideas are presented to the public.
Joseph Beuys (1921-1986), a German behavioural artist, propounded the concept of ‘social sculpture’, by which he pushed the limit of art to extremes, to the extent that the thoughts, behaviour and activities of a person became processes of the mind. One of his most widespread quotations claims “Everyone is an artist”. Everyone possesses an inborn creative nature, thus art should not be separated from society and real life. Art should be closely connected to life.
Behavioural art is different from the performing arts in that the former does not stress physical beauty or performing skills, much less the character’s narrative and depiction of roles. It is even more different to traditional art creation as behavioural artists abandon traditional forms such as sculpture and painting. They solely use their bodies to express their message, sharing it with the environment and society. Behavioural art has been referred to as conceptual art, its significance often relying on the energy and strength of the ‘behaviour’. The body is not just the physical body; the idea behind the work is decisive regarding the form of behaviour. The body takes on new qualities as its behaviour unfolds, as does the meaning of everyday life and existence; as such, it becomes a symbol and the material of a new cultural and power structure. A major challenge that artists face, therefore, is how to avoid instrumentalism in the necessary use of the body, and make the connotation of its behaviour singular and irreversible.
As a frontier post for observing the creation and trends in contemporary Chinese behavioural art, the Inward Gazes - Documentaries of Chinese Behavioural Arts exhibition hosted by MAM is gradually becoming an important research mechanism of behavioural art. This exhibition is already presenting a spectrum of behavioural art. Artists from different generations, via their creativity, provide behavioural art with a ceaselessly reversing definition. Issues include the delineation between art and life, public and private space, spectacular conscience and self-existence, globalisation and localism, personal subjectivity and state machine, living conditions and nature of life, and watching and staring.
These works not only provide a medium for experiencing life and its meaning but reveals how contemporary cultural ideas came about and where they are heading.
Lai Hsiang-Ling
Former Director of Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei
評委感言
九月十六日深夜，我來到了澳門港澳碼頭。來澳之前，我曾經到訪南美，參與委內瑞拉加拉加斯舉行的第四屆身體展演藝術節之工作。九月十四日星期六，我在加拉加斯的街頭做了兩場表演，這亦是我在是次展覽的工作之一。第二天，我又現身加拉加斯現代藝術博物館，演出一場名為《在桌子上》的激烈表演；直至深夜時份，我來到了加拉加斯機場登上飛機，飛往多倫多，在多倫多等候了六個小時，再飛往東京，又在東京等待了三個小時，再飛往香港。總而言之，我花了三十多個小時才來到澳門，這實在是一個漫長的旅程。
雖然疲憊不堪，但是能夠參與是次文獻展的評審工作，我實在感到相當興奮。今次是我第二次擔任文獻展的評判，一個月前我跟北京的藝術工作者建議，最好每次展覽都邀請不同的評判參與，但他們卻回應說：“憑你對中國以及世界各地行為藝術的知識，你是最佳人選了。”於是，我祇好從命。事實上，我從事的工作以及日本國際行為藝術節都對中國行為藝術產生了一定影響，而且我曾到過中國、香港和台灣參與多個活動，與各地藝術工作者很熟絡，所以我認為，我有責任為中國行為藝術的持續發展略盡棉力。
這一次，由於我對參賽的藝術工作者和作品毫無頭緒，所以對所徵集的作品有點疑慮。
但無論如何，我們花了十二個小時以上，直至十七日深夜才能達成最終評審結果。我十分感謝澳門藝術博物館工作人員給予我的支援，他們的細心安排令評審工作得以順利進行。全體七名評委觀看了全部二百一十九件作品，並為每幅相片和每套影片以一至六分進行評分。
開始評審之前，吳衛鳴先生向我們解釋是次展覽對澳門的意義，並鼓勵我們盡力挑選最優秀的作品；吳先生的一席話令我印象深刻。隨後，我們開始討論怎樣的作品才稱得上為優秀，又討論到行為藝術的定義。我是唯一一個不懂中文的評判員，而博物館為我安排了一位能幹的翻譯員。不過，由於我與王林和張培力之間的討論實在太過激烈，有時候翻譯員來不及一一為我翻譯。但無論如何，我們祇有一天的時間去進行評審，所有評判員都非常認真，專心致志地進行正確的遴選。就這樣，評審工作開始了。
關於利用圖片和影片記錄行為藝術，以及由其他人取替藝術工作者表演這兩個話題，記得在一次小休的時候，賴香伶小姐曾經問及我的意見。當時我沒有足夠的時間去回答她的問題，但我的答案大概會是“祇要有足夠的真實感，並能夠充份地表達出來，這就是一個好的展演。”
我很滿意評選結果，同時也很感謝其他評審員的努力；最後，我們挑選了兩件最優秀的作品，它們都是由寂寂無名的青年藝術工作者創作的。其實，在此之前我曾經親眼看過這兩套作品，一次在北京，一次在去年十一月成都舉行的第三屆中日行為藝術交流計劃展。當然，在最後評審結果公布之前，我並沒有向其他評判員提及此事。事實上，在最後入圍的候選作品中不乏其他更有名氣的藝術工作者的作品，也不乏更優秀的演出以及更富社會意義的作品，但最後我們還是挑選了名不經傳，難以理解的年青人作品。在這方面，我實在很欣賞評審團的判斷眼光。
完成了漫長的評審工作，大家到了一家經濟實惠的餐廳喝啤酒，繼續圍繞藝術和藝術成就侃侃而談，我又拋出了有人擔心中國藝術泡沫會爆破以及對目前發展狀況有不同言論等話題。那是一個無盡的夜，而我卻樂在其中。
我要再次感謝澳門藝術博物館組織文獻展。對一個中國藝術工作者而言，這是一次難能可貴、意義重大的展覽會，對亞洲乃至全世界的藝術工作者來說，也當如此。透過今次評選工作，我了解到，雖然行為藝術與創造財富是南轅北轍的事情，但行為藝術確實已經在中國各地廣泛興起。也許，這是因為越來越多藝術工作者真正了解藝術的意義吧！
在此，我再次衷心感謝大會讓我參與是次評選工作。
霜田誠二
日本國際行為藝術節總監
Judge’s Comment
I reached Macao ferry terminal in the midnight of 16th Sept. It was really long trip, because before Macao I was in South America, Caracas in Venezuela to participate the 4th Body Art Festival. In Caracas, I made two performances, on Saturday 14th in the street, which was one of my work of this exhibition, and on Sunday 15th at modern art museum, very physical work, On The Table. Then I went to the airport in Caracas at midnight of Sunday 15th, then flew to Toronto, stayed 6 hours, then flew to Tokyo. 3 hours in Tokyo airport, then flew to Hong Kong. I spent more than 30 hours trip to Macao.
I was very exhausted, but also very excited to attend this judgment. It was my second time judgment of this exhibition. I thought it was better to change judge in every time, but I told this to the artists in Beijing one month ago, they said * You are the best person who knows Chinese Performance art and also performance art in the world* I agreed their opinion. I felt a bit some kind of responsibility on high development of performance art in China, because my activity and the existence of NIPAF gave surely influence on it. And I have been many times to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. I know many those artists directly.
And this time, I worried some points about the applicant works. Because I did not know at all what kind of artists and what kind of works applied this second time.
Anyway we spent more than 12 hours to reach our final decision until midnight on 17th. I really appreciate the stuff of Macao Museum who supported our judgment. They prepared very well to have smoothed our judgment process. All 7 judges checked all 219 works and made marks 1 to 6 points for each photos and videos.
Before start, at first Mr. Ung told us how important this exhibition in Macao and expected our good selection. It was very impressive speech. Then we started discussion what was good performance art and also what was performance art itself etc. I was only one who could not understand any Chinese, so museum prepared good translator for me. But discussion and talk by Mr. Wang Lin, Mr. Chen Peili was sometimes becoming so excited and translator sometimes had not enough time to translate for me. Anyway we had only one day and all judges were looked so serious to judge correctly. We started it.
I remember during brake time, Ms. Rai asked me what do I think about perform-ative photo works or video works, and also about the performance which performed by not artist but someone else. I had not enough time to answer her, but my opinion might be if there is enough reality and well impression, it might be good performance.
I really satisfied our result. I also appreciate other judge very much. At last we selected two best works by young and infamous artists work. In fact I have seen this two work directly through my eyes, one in Beijing and one in Chendu last year November 2007, at the time of the 3rd China Japan Performance art Exchange. Of course until finished final decision, I did not tell this fact to other judge. In fact there were more famous artists works, better presenting skill works and clearer social meaning works in the last line up. But finally we could select young infamous and difficult understand performance art works. So in this point I really appreciate other judge.
After long judgment work, we went to local cheap restaurant to have beer, and still good discussion continued about what is art and what is artist success etc. I was impressed others said they worried after Chinese art bubble would finish, what was going on. It was like endless night. I really enjoy this whole process.
Again thank you very much Macao Art Museum to organize this exhibition. This is really unique and important exhibition, not only for Chinese artists but also artists in Asia and the world. I realize performance art was more spread out to whole China through this judge, even it is still far from money success. Maybe more artists already realize real meaning of art. Again I want to express my thanks to give me this good opportunity of judgment.
Seiji Shimoda
Artistic Director of NIPAF
評委感言
二零零五年十一月六日，來自兩岸四地、當晚出席首屆“以身觀身──中國行為藝術文獻展”開幕禮的行為藝術家們，在藝博館留下一張又一張字條：
“大膽地一步”
“中國行為藝術的希望和再生之地”
“一件了不起的大事”
“意義重大”……
這些紙條一直貼在藝博館辦公室的白牆之上，作為大家共同面對挑戰及超越各種條件限制的動力。
三年時間瞬間過去，本人作為評選委員之一，再次有機會接觸那些以直接、率真作表白的錄像、攝影及文字記錄，並沿著那充滿張力的身體在種種特殊條件及空間中自主伸展的過程，從一個情境進入另一個情境，從個人遊戲轉到對當代社會的剖析與體驗，從隱私、精神層面擴展至公眾關心的焦點……。
身體活動本身，是人類在生命中與生存條件及身處空間的相互探索、掙扎與互動的過程，而行為藝術家卻在看似斷斷續續或支離破碎的偶發行動中，注入自身的直覺、意志、焦慮、思考、關注與判斷。在極度依賴網絡與物質消費掛帥的當代現實情境中，在交雜著無數危機與點點希望的嬗變時代裡，具有創造力、競爭力以及多元兼容特質的新秩序，將向所有既定架構展開嚴峻的挑戰，在現存制度疆域不斷向前推移的同時，以開放、包容及不斷反思等態度而獲至的生命新體驗，便將成為當代社會進步的最大動力。
在那些關心中國當代藝術事業發展的朋友及藝術家們的共同努力下，澳門，一個僅有人口五十萬的城市，能在短短三年時間內集中多近五百件優秀行為藝術作品並建立起相關文獻庫，這一計劃出現的本身已是一個回應時代召喚的姿態及行動，更是一項別具意義的當代文化藝術梳理嘗試及充滿能量的集體藝術創造。
既然如此，就像當日眾多留言中的一條所言：“那就繼續吧！”
吳衛鳴
民政總署文康部部長
Judge’s Comment
On 6th November, 2005, attending the opening ceremony of the first Inward Gazes - Documentaries of Chinese Performance Art, the artists left notes for MAM such as:
“A bold step forward!” / “Where the hope and rebirth of Chinese Performance Art lies” / “Great!” / “Significant!”
These endorsements were subsequently clipped to the wall of the MAM office, encouraging us to face the challenges ahead while exploring new boundaries.
Three years on, I have once again had the privilege of reviewing video and photographic works and written notes expressing their authors’ feelings in a most direct, frank manner; the process in which the strained body moves within extraordinary confines with a purpose; works that transport one from one scene to another, from a personal game to the analysis and experience of contemporary society; works that extend from the private and spiritual to what concerns the public.
Physical movement itself is the process of mutual exploration, struggle and interaction of human beings, while performance artists seek to impregnate seemingly isolated and incidental occasions or settings with their own intuition, volition, anxiety, thoughts, concerns and judgment. In the current reliance on the Internet and predominant consumerism, in this changing era where countless crises and pockets of hope interchange, a creative, competitive and accommodating New Order will pose a serious challenge to all established structures. While existing institutions may move with the times, a new life experience acquired through an attitude of openness, tolerance and continuous introspection will be the greatest motivating force of contemporary social progress.
With the joint efforts of the artists and those concerned about the development of Chinese contemporary art, Macau, a city of just half a million souls, has been able to assemble five hundred examples of quality performance art and establish a documentary database within three years. The project itself is a posture and action in response to the clarion call of the times and a meaningful attempt to address contemporary culture in addition to an energetic collective feat of artistic creation.
If so, then, as one of the notes says, “Let’s move forward!”
Ung Vai Meng,
Director of Cultural and Recreational Affairs Department, IACM
評委感言
澳門藝術博物館“以身觀身”行為藝術評選及展覽活動，對推動兩岸四地當代藝術和活躍澳門城巿文化生活，具有重要意義。同時，收集、梳理、保存中國行為藝術作品資料，以助當代藝術學術研究和藝術史寫作，是一項不負歷史的建設性工作。如能長期堅持下去，定有不凡成果。
參評得觀二百多件行為藝術作品，受益匪淺，感言如下：
行為藝術作為身體的、現場的、過程性的創作活動，其行為之所以成為藝術，在於日常行為的陌生化、異樣化和非日常行為的意圖化、象徵化，在於創作行為和文化語境、現場環境及藝術史上下文的價值關係，在於創作行為對自我生理、心理及精神的挑戰，並將這種挑戰指向慣性意識形態和既成社會體制。行為藝術因其不能直接收藏的特點，成為最難為體制所操控，又因其野生性和批判性同時也是最為突出的當代藝術活動。
行為藝術既為一類藝術樣態，自然應有大致的界域。比如擺拍一類作品可納入攝影，尚未實施的計劃則可納入方案藝術。而對於藝術家是否必須親自實施的問題，原則上當強調身體力行，但也有個別出格的情況，比如必須通過他人才能實施。至於小劇場表演和行為藝術，相互介入是很難避免的。當然前者有賴於劇場這種場所，更多表演藝術的假定性，後者以社會現場為舞臺，更注重當場性、機遇性。
以上所言，來自評選心得，不確之處，敬讀批評。
王林、張培力
二零零八年九月十七日
於澳門藝術博物館評選現場
Judge’s Comment
The “Inward Gazes” performance art work screening and exhibition conducted by MAM is pivotal in promoting contemporary art in the regions across the Strait as well as in activating Macao’s cultural life. In addition, the collection, sorting and preservation of information about Chinese performance art, which facilitates the studies of contemporary art and art history, is a constructive work that keeps history alive. If this is carried out with perseverance, extraordinary achievements can be expected.
Having benefited from examining more than two hundred works of art, we would like to share our thoughts as follows:
Performance art, being a physical, on-the-spot, procedural creation, is by its nature dependent upon the estrangement and alienation of everyday behaviour as well as on creating intention and symbolism in non-commonplace ‘regions’. It relies on the artist’s creativity and presentational context as well as the historical value relationship between behaviour and cultural context. It also relies on challenges to the physical, psychological and mental state of the artist, and points him/her towards established ideology and social institutions. Performance art does not lend itself to easy collection, and as such has become the most prominent contemporary art that does not yield to authoritative manipulation because it is wild and critical in nature.
As an art form, performance art roams a natural domain. For example, posed pictures may be categorised as photography; a programme yet to be broadcast can be termed programme art. In principle, artists should perform ‘inside’ their art. There are a few exceptions, as in the case where rendition must be done by others. As to performance art and small theatre performances, mutual intervention is inevitable, as the former relies more on the theatre itself and greater artistic assumptions, while the latter employs society as the stage and is more about the site and probability.
Criticism regarding the above thoughts is welcome.
Wang Lin and Zhang Peili,
MAM screening venue
17th September 2008
