1

　　The Guangzhou Triennial is a relative newcomer to the global art scene; such a constellation of spectacles is often manifested regionally and internationally in different biennials and triennials. In other words, the biennial/triennial structure has now become a major form of representation for contemporary art across the world. On the one hand, this is a conscious effort by different local art communities to emancipate a space for more freedom for imagination and expression on the global map, and, on the other hand, the biennale/triennial embodies a desire by the authorities to promote a coherent identity in an increasingly competitive world of cultural production. In many ways, this interesting paradox is an outcome of a collective longing to become a part of the overall process of economic globalisation itself. As evident in the boom of biennials and triennials in China since the 2000 Shanghai Biennial which propels China’s efforts to integrate itself into the “global’, these inseparable but contradictory aspects, as a shared motivation, have been affecting the very foundations of such events from the onset.

　　At its second edition, the Guangzhou Triennial is an attempt to reflect on such a predicament, in particular the very contradictions surrounding meaningful events of this type have become a dynamics for endless negotiations between both parties and for making this process even more creative and innovative. The determination to construct a unique identity is clear, if it is to remain a meaningful event in both the national and international sectors.

　　As many have observed today, certainly, the art world is going through a globalizing phase and this issue is being questioned whenever a biennial or triennial project is staged. What should such a project offer is not simple assimilation and identification with any dominant and established exhibition model, rather it is a complex and dynamic process of confrontation, negotiation, and mutation between different counterparts of the world surrounding the issue of culture. It’s a wonderful “progress” that more and more events like biennials and triennials are being created across the world. This can definitely help the local art scenes to develop a stronger sense of identity, hence providing new challenges for artists to come to terms with different conditions and to broaden their own perspectives. Such a mission is dependent largely on the conception and curatorial strategies for the exhibition. In the end, an international event happening at a specific site, whether in the West or the East, the North and the South, can act as a catalyst for the local community to reinvent their own “locality” within a larger social and geopolitical framework, hence bringing more diversity to the world. Globalisation is not about “assimilation” but differentiation. By injecting new and often “imported” elements, an art event can provoke a spiritual renewal for the local and can bring about innovative projects to create contingent and liberated zones of utopian ideals. In short, an exhibition has the potential to reform reality.

　　In actuality where an event takes place matters a lot. But in spite of the locale’s relevance of a locale, the event should not be merely an infatuation of “being local”. Here I wish to propose the negotiations of a “glocal” subjectivity which serve as the very impetus for [to elaborate your idea here] driving the Second Guangzhou Triennial. With a title of “Beyond – an extraordinary space of experimentation for modernisation”, this project focuses on the specific and extraordinary conditions of the Pearl River Delta, ranging from Guangzhou to Hong Kong and Macao. Undoubtedly, this region is one of the most special and original areas where modernisation has been experimented and experienced in unique conditions and forms. Our intention here is to turn this site into a playground for all kinds of artistic creations and to manifest the rich contexts of this place, to go beyond [emancipate] all boundaries…

　　2

　　During the last two decades, China has gone through a rapid phase of modernisation coupled with social, economic, cultural and even political mutations unprecedented in human history. As one of the most dynamic regions in this process, the Pearl River Delta (PRD) has always been a vanguard laboratory for the whole country to follow. In the meantime, it has been proven historically to be an area where a unique model of development has been invented, developed and practised. In light of this region’s integration with Greater China that lasts for over two thousand years, the PRD area has been engaging in an intense and contradictory negotiation with central powers and dominant culture.

　　PRD’s marginal position from the centre has given itself a singular and active role of economic, social and cultural self-sufficiency, while its geographic and climatic conditions have rendered it almost automatically as the premier gateway of China towards the outside world. These circumstances have made this region a veritable laboratory for negotiating national integration and regional identity, between assimilation to dominant language and social organisation and the preservation of regional characteristics, e.g. culture and ways of living, etc.

　　Regarding China’s relationship with the outside world, the PRD is a testing ground for negotiation and exchange between the “local” and “global”, one that infuses an immense capacity for innovation and the embrace of cultural hybridisation and economic, political and social pragmatism. This region is one of the most open and efficient areas in the world with a Cantonese “myth” [originated from the ancient translation of the names of Guangzhou and Guangdong] where the first modern republic project against the ancient dynasty was created and perpetuated.

　　In its recent history, the PRD is going through a process of renegotiation with central Chinese culture that calls for new emergence and differentiation. During the 1980s, the PRD was one of the first laboratories for privatising agricultural and industrial production, which was followed by the founding of new “special economic zones” in Shenzhen and Zhuhai. The joint-ventures with investments from Hong Kong, Taiwan and abroad were first tested in this region, and has since revolutionalized China’s industries, economy, and social organisation. In the 1990’s, further liberation and development of industrial and social systems have attracted migration from all over the country. Resonating China’s integration into the global economy, the influx of immigrants can be considered as an internal form of economic globalisation. With these factors in mind, the local culture, traditionally dominated by the Cantonese language and way of living, is now being fundamentally altered and hybridized. It is necessary to remark the influences from the South of this region, namely Hong Kong and Macao, with their post-colonial background, as well as from Taiwan, where contacts with the Western world have seldom been interrupted. Cantonese culture, especially in the domain of popular culture, has in turn become a main driving force for transforming contemporary Chinese culture towards a much more open interface during the last two decades.

　　All these phenomena register an extra-ordinary method for modernisation, a viable alternative that goes beyond any “official models” of modernity. It is for this reason that the title of “BEYOND: an extraordinary space of experimentation for modernization” comes into being. An interestingly coincidence is the phonetic translation of “Beyond” that can be perfectly adapted into both Chinese and Cantonese – “bie yang” and “bi yeung” (别样). Ultimately, BEYOND, incarnates the invention of a new “glocal” world, refers to different forms of cultural and artistic strategies being developed in response to a new set of social and economic circumstances that are unique, flourishing, and full of vitality. By introducing global artistic and cultural interventions, BEYOND investigates the extent in which an international event can contribute to the redefinition of locality of a specific place. Its significance goes far beyond the field of contemporary art itself.

　　This narrative of a miraculous development accompanied by the process of rapid urban expansion in the region has shown China’s avant-garde spirit. In fact, urban expansion not only represents the most radical example of the region’s modernisation but also, in turn, becomes a permanent dynamics which prompt further growth of the society itself. Its scale and speed are unprecedented in human history. This quasi “laisser-faire” situation proves to be a typical case of “post-planning”. Driven by political and economical interests, the city expands itself in uncontrollable rhythm and most new constructions projects occurred without any reasonable planning in advance. As a result, a city-region mixture, covering the expanse of 350 km ranging from Hong Kong to Guangzhou until Macao, is being created out of a melange of urban and rural fragments, a large scale tabla-rasa. This makes the PRD region probably the biggest urban conglomerate in the world, while the events happening here pose direct challenges to any established concept and practice of city planning. Early in the mid-1990s after an in-depth research on the region, Rem Koolhaas and his students summed up this situation with the term Cities of Exacerbated Difference (COED). Today, the current urban expansion goes even further and generates more exceptions. It’s pure “beyond-ness”. It’s an “extra-ordinary space”, an uncharted territory for artistic and cultural investigations…

　　In the PRD, even though entertainment industries, popular culture and mass media are well developed, experimental art and intellectual activities are still relatively marginalized. Therefore, they have to look for special strategies to co-exist. In most cases, insistence on intellectual independence and artistic originality has further strengthened the struggle for survival. Artists and cultural workers have to organise collectives while their works are often created and presented on the streets, in construction sites or in domestic spaces. The city is their studio and gallery; improvisation and urban guerrilla practices have become the most efficient and powerful forms of expression.

　　The proximity between work and everyday life is brought ever closer and the distinction between high and low is systematically transgressed. From the mid-1980s, different generations of artists and creators have inscribed a rich and unique history of artistic creation. In Guangdong, Yang Jiechang, Chen Tong, the “Big Tail Elephants” Group (Lin Yilin, Chen Shaoxiong, Liang Juhui and Xu Tan), Zhen Guogu and Yangjiang Group (Chen Zaiyan, Sha Yeya, Lu Yi, Sun Qinglin, Feng Qianyu, etc.), Cao Fei, Yang Yong, Jiang Zhi, Ou Ning, Liu Heng, etc… have formed one of the most original and ingenious forces in the contemporary Chinese art scene – the Canton Express project presented in the 50th Venice Biennial (Z.O.U. – Zone of Urgency) is a summary of this force. In Hong Kong and Macau, the contemporary art scenes are also highly active, notably marked by self-organisation groups like Videotage, Para-Site, Artist Commune, Museum of Site (MOST), 1A Space, Asian Art Archive (AAA), and Old Lady House, etc. while individual artists are also attracting international attentions.

　　All together, they have created a unique climate for imagination, creation, and action. A working model for living “beyond”…

　　3

　　“Beyond”, as a context, demands active explorations of different strategies. A triennial exhibition should necessitate such a goal and open itself up for both local and foreign participants to experiment with their creativity in such a particular scenario. To reveal the uniqueness of this model and envision its future are the missions of such an event. “Experimentation” is the attitude…

　　This is why we, the curatorial team including Hou Hanru, Hans-Ulrich Obrist and Guo Xiaoyan, with active supports from the museum, and collaborators from both inside and outside of this region, have come up with a unique structure for unfolding the perspectives of time (duration) and space (expansion) of a triennial exhibition.

　　Delta Laboratory (D-Lab)

　　An on-going laboratory named Delta-Lab, or (D-Lab), has been running during the past 18 months, which constitutes the main part of this triennial project. To a large extent, (D-Lab) is more important than the conventional “thematic exhibition” in that it is firmly rooted in the local conditions. (D-Lab), a “non-site” for innovation from the standpoints of the “material” and “immaterial”, functions as an open platform of glocal exchanges. Started on Nov. 28th, 2004, the (D-Lab) provides a long term platform for arguments, dialogues, exchanges, and brain-storming. The time span runs from Nov 2004 to Jan 2006. (D-Lab) is not confined to the permanent venue of the Guangdong Museum of Art (hall 9), but it also extends itself to Beijing and Hong Kong. During this period, (D-Lab) sessions are held every 4 - 6 weeks. Proceedings from the discussion and the research made by artists/architects from China and abroad will be rendered into actual art projects for the final exhibition of the Triennial.

　　Articulating the diversity of individual voices from over 100 invited intellectuals and their dialogues with the audience, (D-Lab) brings forward a series of crucial and relevant topics regarding both the region’s development, its global implications, critical reviews of China’s urbanisation, and its social impact.

　　The issue of market economy in relation to urban/architectural projects and its affects on cultural activities, reinterpretation of history as a form of resistance to the hegemony of established discursive systems, and possibilities for artistic creation were also discussed.

　　The exhibition

　　In November 2005, artists and architects from around the world will come to Guangzhou to create context specific artworks relevant to issues of urban and cultural development. The exhibition, including artworks of diverse languages and mediums, ranging from installation to video, sound work to performance, painting to actual construction, film to discourses, is aimed to reconnect artistic activities to everyday life. The exhibition is divided into six parts:

　　[1] The Great City: between density and expansion　　
　　The City is regarded as a new geographic mass that goes beyond conventional definitions of “city”. It is a rich playground for experimenting with issues beyond the constraints of time and space.

　　In the past two decades, the rapid modernization of PRD had brought about unprecedented, massive urbanization. From Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Hong Kong, Macao to Zhuhai, a conglomerate of City/Region, generated by the “post-planning” process, has taken shape that is unique in terms of density and urban expansion.

　　“The Great City” emphasizes artistic visions, mutual understanding, and the new social and economic patterns that have emerged out of the PRD. Running contrary to a gratitude of localism, this sections aims at rediscovering the diverse possibilities under the paradox of globalisation.

　　[2] Tropical Memory/Alternative History
　　The exceptional phenomenon of a “great city” is defined largely by the geographic and historic specificities of this region. In many ways, the sub-tropical climate gives rise to a rather open and diverse architectural/life style of this region. Different than other mainstream societies, the PRD’s cultural and historical developments characterise an Alternative History which make this region more open to exchanges with the outside world. Bearing the historic narrative of a tropical memory in mind, artists will be given emancipated spaces for imagination and creation. The tropical is not only a sign of “exotic beauty”. It’s an at once poetic and political metaphor of the cultural conditions of post-colonial, globalising model of creation and development, beyond the dominant models. It’s a resistance to the mainstream power. It’s poetic moment between sunshine and thunder…

　　[3] Urban Survivor/ Facing a Chaos
　　Modern urban life is tense and noisy and brings us considerable pressure. However, this situation also offers is an opportunity for self-reflection and solitude. Individuals, especially artists, are able to conduct microscopic observation of an increasingly complicated modern life and to interpret it in a personal manner. In the context of the PRD, a kind of alliance of individuals has been founded to become a force of creation and critique.

　　[4] Facing Globalisation/ Migration and Borderline
　　Under globalization, almost all economies are integrated into a new global system. The borders are becoming blurry and are need for redefinitions. The population has been on the move especially in the PRD region. How to understand and assess these continuous changes? What does this new transient space mean to us? In the process of massive movement, how do we define “centre” and “borders”? All these issues call for relevant critiques from the perspectives of art and culture.

　　[5] The Garden, Man-Made Nature
　　People always imagine living a utopian and pastoral life style, which also incorporates issues of dislocation and transformation between public and private spheres. Man-made nature has becomes the very reality for our utopian projection. In this sense, the modern Cantonese landscape design and construction are worthy for further investigations by artists and architects. This provides us a great terrain for reflections on the relationship between man and nature in the contemporary conditions.

　　[6] Fantasia
　　Personal fantasies and imaginations have always resulted in miracles. This section focuses on personal reflections by artists. In the end, the Great City offers the perfect condition for projecting new artistic visions.

　　The main exhibition space is designed by Map Office, a Hong Kong based architecture group (Laurent Gutierrez and Valerie Portefaix). Inspired by the “laisser-faire” politics that has transformed the PRD into the greatest super city; they have come up with a highly inventive and challenging setting for the show that reminds us of the extraordinary quality of the region’s urbanity and its future.

　　Special projects

　　The Triennial is on-going and is constantly opening new systems for addressing the complexity of the PRD and its vitality. To make this spirit even more visible and meaningful, special projects outside of the “main-venues” will also be realised.

　　Self-Organisation

　　As pointed out above, the “Beyond” context forms a particular ecological environment for artistic and cultural activities. On the one hand, it needs a specific, trans-disciplinary definition. On the other hand, it must provoke organic forms of organisation that is independent and self-induced in nature, namely Self-Organisation. It’s not only a declaration of independence, but also a challenge to the establishment, a transcendence of “multitude” itself.

　　A number of independent art organizations, institutions and communities have taken an active role in artistic creation and practice. Their projects are often diverse and flexible in nature. This topic aims at recuperating the history of artistic experiments and the practices conducted by different independent art entities.

　　Guangdong Movie Review

　　In addition, Ou Ning and Low Ka have proposed a film festival like event Guangdong Movie Review to celebrate the centenary of the cinema production in the PRD. Ten historic and contemporary works representing this remarkable history are to be projected in a setting designed by artist Michael Lin as one of the highlights at the museum.

　　City- Sound project

　　A collaborative project with British Council, with guests like Scanner and different Chinese musicians and sound artists will be presented. The purpose is to observe the urban changes in PRD through the media of sound.

　　Creation of the real

　　Unseen in any other biennial and triennial events, a new architectural project designed by international architects is to be built in order to provide a long term platform for long term experimental model of production as generated by this Triennial. Rem Koolhaas, Alain Fouraux, along with Liu Heng, have designed and constructed a real building, the Times Museum of Contemporary Art, an institution associated with the Guangdong Museum of Art. This is an unprecedented initiative to realize an artistic event. Intended to be a gesture for integrating artistic activities into real urban life, the architects decide to insert their “edifice” directly into a residential building and to open it up for the participation of the local community. This project is to elucidate the unlimited possibilities and to propose a new reality that is sustainable in nature and scope.