When art excessively participates in any kind of systems, it loses its own function.

The common ground of modernism and post-modernism is both were by-products of social systems. Overviewing the collapse of modernism in Europe and America to the rise of post-modemism, the early post-modernism was derived from the modernism's reliance on the social systems at that time in denying the gentrification of art, criticizing galleries and museums as the sole control of the art world; up to now, the post-modernism becomes bureaucratic art and dominated by the markets which is repeating the steps of modernism. In the past few decades, the post-modemism has been pulled down by an all-time record high post-modern artist Damian Hirst himself.

Hong Kong can be considered as an extreme capitalistic city in the global environment. Staying on the front line, the ideological pressure is the most direct one. Artists in the"Critical Existentialism" are living in the moment to feel it. We are entering into a generation of reflection. The problems derived from modernism and post-modernism are numerous which cannot not be resolved by their own. Artists in this generation need to be detached to think and inspire others. The artworks are no longer confined to their forms. They also do not rely on any systems, religions and powers. The content itself does not provide a subjective conclusion or meaning. On the contrary, it requires the ideology of audience to interpret, question and challenge. This contrasts with modernism and post-modernism.

In history, art entwines with the realization of contemporary cultures. China embraces a rich history, but art has been monopolized by Europe and America. Since the rise of China, we have resonated with the western cultural systems. In response to the art development, however, one has to liberalize the western-oriental binary art thinking and the power limitation over art.

"Critical Existentialism" is the first-ever art movement driven by artists in Hong Kong or even in China. Moreover, this is going to be the first art movement after Post-Modernism across the globe. "Critical Existentialism" steers Hong Kong to the pioneer position in art and provides an Oriental platform in parallel with the western art world.

 

當藝術過份地參與任何一種體制，藝術便失去自身的功能。

 

現代主義與後現代主義的共通點，是兩者均為對應當時社會狀態所作出回應。歐美現代主義的覆亡以至後現代主義之崛起。而早期的後現代針對現代主義時對制度的依附，拒絕藝術貴族化以及批評畫廊、藝術館之單一勢力操控。而至今後現代主義已成為官方藝術，並由市場主導，重蹈現代主義之覆轍，回顧過往30年，後現代主義早已被市場身價最高的後現代主義藝術家Damian Hirst 本人所推翻。

 

在全球化的大氣候中，香港作為一個極端資本主義城市，活在前線的人，意識形態對其之壓逼也是最前線的。

 

是故，《存在思覺》之藝術家活在當下，其感受也是最深刻的。我們進入了一個反思的時代，現代與後現代時期所產生的問題繁多，未能迎刃而解，當下藝術家需要以抽離、不參與的局外態度去思考，方能啟發其他人的反思。藝術家創作之作品不講形式，也不依附任何一種制度、信仰和權力。作品內容本身甚至沒有提供主觀結論或意義，反之是要經觀眾本身的意識形態對畫面的演繹而產生種種疑問與思維，這正正與現代主義與後現代主義的發展模式形成對比。

 

在歷史中，藝術之所以為藝術，在於它對當代文化之覺悟。從古至今，中國擁有深厚歷史，而藝術卻一直被歐美壟斷話語權。隨著中國崛起，我們亦應呼應歐美文化體系，有對應之藝術發展

 

存在思覺主義是香港甚或中國的第一個由藝術家自發產生的藝術運動。

 

這將會是全球第一個後現代主義之後的藝術運動。無疑，這在歷史上是前所未有的，《存在思覺》令香港能於今天走向藝術前線，讓東方提供一個平台與歐美藝術看齊，揭開自古至今關鍵的第一頁。

 

Critical Existentialism Forum
25th September, 2015
Hong Kong

In order to examine the meaning of "critical existentialism", we have to consider the following questions:
History tells us that as the cultural civilization progresses, it cannot be monopolized by a single power. How artists in different cultures, historical backgrounds and religions respond in order to continue the future art and cultural developments?

"Oriental /Western cultures" become the mainstream definition of the global culture discrepancies. With the principle of pursuing human civilization as the universal value, should art remain the necessary divisions among geographical locations and races?

Should artists' survival predate on the relationship with galleries, auction houses, art fairs and curators and be controlled by their mode of operation?

How can artists stay independent and regain the right of discourse for their artworks, but not dominated by other stakeholders in the markets?

How can artists maintain the nature and spirit of art to avoid becoming by-products of the society, economics, politics and sub-cultures?

Why Hong Kong has the conditions of taking up the role as the spokesperson of contemporary art, which leads the mainstream thought of global art in the future?

We may not be able to provide solutions to the above questions through this seminar, but these questions can be a prologue of the next art revolution.

 

存在思覺 座談會
2015年9月25日
香港

若要深究「存在思覺主義」的意義，我們必須對以下問題作出反思：

 

歷史告訴我們，文明的更新和進步非由單一核心權力所領導，藝術家在不同的文化、歷史、宗教背景中生活，應以怎樣的思維方式去如何承接未來的藝術文化發展？

 

當「東／西方文化」成為全球文化差異的主流定義，在追求人類文明成為普世價值的前提下，藝術是否還有必要有地域、種族間的分野？

 

當今藝術家是否必須依附畫廊、拍賣行、藝術博覽會與策展人之關係，跟隨他們的運作模式才可生存？

 

藝術家如何獨立自主把自己作品爭取更大話語權而非由市場主導者所操控？

 

藝術家如何維護藝術本質與精神，而非成為社會、經濟、政治以及次文化之副產品？

 

香港為何有條件成為當代藝術發言人領導未來全球藝術主流之思維？

 

或許我們未必能夠於一次座談會內得出結論，但這些問題必將成為新一輪藝術革命的引子。