2010年7月，943工作室成立三周年，大家想邀约工作室的朋友们一起实践和分享做实验型展览的新的可能性。

　　“不上墙”是工作室的成员们讨论之后一致通过的展览名称。何为墙，何为不上墙呢？我认为这有多重寓意。首先，云南的当代艺术多以架上绘画为主，架上绘画的美学经验与观看经验也潜移默化地影响了几代艺术家。架上绘画营造了一种平面化的、一个角度的读解与观看方式。而这次展览想从根本上抛弃墙对作品展示的主导作用。所有作品都不利用墙面，不论是影像，装置，还是图片，行为，所呈现出来的都是多维度、多角度、多空间的。这既是对展览方式，也是对参展艺术家的挑战，我们希望以此实现艺术作品的创作与呈现方式的突围。其次，过去媒体和公众对云南艺术家的认知，是“墙里开花墙外香”。而今天在国际化交流日益频繁和多元的情境下，“墙”已经不存在，艺术家无需背井离乡到外面的世界去打拼，只需真实地立足于脚下的土地，深入地挖掘个体内在精神的深处，亦能创造出优秀的艺术作品。另外，“不上墙”也喻示着943工作室的艺术家们文化上的自信，无需四处张望，自己营造一个开放的平台，把外面的艺术家吸引到昆明来，体验一种别样的云南生活方式与艺术方式的魅力，在一种漫游的心境下生活和创作。这也是943工作室与金鼎1919•Loft合作举办国际艺术家进驻项目的初衷之一，该项目从2009年运行至今一年，我们不仅认识了来自不同国度和文化背景的艺术家并成为朋友，同时也因为这多维文化的对话与分享为昆明的当代艺术营造出清新、自由、开放的环境。

　　参加这次展览的艺术家由以下几方面组成：一是943工作室的成员；二是三年以来与工作室合作过的艺术家朋友们；三是工作室做国际艺术家进驻项目以来参与的其中9位国外艺术家；四是云南年轻艺术家。作品则涵盖了绘画、装置、图片、影像、行为、声音等多种形式，而展示方式则是不上墙，我们希望以此种方式突破架上经验的束缚，为当代艺术的展示与传播探索新的方式。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　和丽斌
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　2010年6月11日于昆明

What is “Wall”? What is “Off the Wall”?
by He Libin

To celebrate 943 Studio’s 3rd anniversary in July 2010, we would like to invite our friends to share and take part in the new possibilities of experimental exhibition.

The title of the exhibition, discussed and agreed on by the members of the studio, is ”Off the Wall”. But what is “the wall” and what is “off the wall”? I consider it to be a metaphor with many layers. First of all, contemporary art in Yunnan has been dominated by frame-works; generations of local artists have been influenced by its aesthetics and approach to viewing art. This has contributed to forming a kind of one dimensional, mono-angular reading art. With this exhibition, we want to break this hegemony of “the Wall”. Therefore, none of art works in this exhibition are based on the wall. All exhibits, including videos, installations, images and performances, are multi-dimensional and multi-angular. This is a challenge both from a curatorial point of view and from the point of view of the individual artists, through which we hope to achieve a break through both in creative process and presentation.

Secondly, in relation to the media and the audience, Yunnan artists have previously been like the biblical prophet: “honored everywhere except in his hometown”. The prophet’s dilemma has been a “wall” restricting the Yunnan artists in relation to the audience and thus in turn restricting the creative process. However, with increasing international communication and frequent exchanges, this “wall” does not exist anymore, and the artists don’t need to leave their native place to create their works; provided they are earnest, dedicated, and willing to explore the environment in which they are and their own individual experience, they can dig where they stand.

Furthermore, “off the wall” points to a kind of self-confidence of the artists of 943 Studio. They don’t need to anxiously look around their shoulder. Instead, they focus on establishing a platform from which they can continue to develop, attracting artists outside Kunming to experience the distinct Yunnan lifestyle, the particularities of the local art, and the restless, wandering approach to life and creativity. This was also one of the reasons for establishing up the International Artist in Residence Program together with Jin Ding Loft 1919. Through the program, started in 2009, we have been able not only to get to know a number of artists different cultures, but also contributed to creating free, fresh, and open climate for contemporary art in Kunming.

The participant artists of the exhibition are include the members of 943 Studio, artists that have collaborated with the studio in the past 3 years, 9 of the foreign artists that have been involved in the International Artist-in-Residence Program since it began, and young Yunnan local artists. The exhibited works include, among others, paintings, installations, photographs, videos, performance and sound art, all framed within the idea of “off the wall”. With this exhibition, hope to break new ground in presenting and promoting the contemporary art.

June 11, 2010 in Kunming