双年展，且喜且悲Biennale, Mingled Joy with Sorrow

形形色色的双年展是今年当代艺术界的一大景观。从哈瓦那到蒙特利尔，从威尼斯到布拉格，从雅典到里昂，旌旗招展、群英荟萃。在这些火热的展场里，中国艺术家的身影处处可寻。参加“双年展”曾是中国当代艺术“国际化”的重要标志之一，从1993年第43届威尼斯双年展开始，中国当代艺术家就将参加这样的展览视为一种至高无上的荣誉、在圈内立足和发展的不二法门。因此，不乏艺术家削尖脑袋，想方设法进入世界各类双年展。入选者意气风发，落选者垂头丧气——双年展的一张“入场券”足以令人为之疯狂。双年展所带来的巨大效应也直接导致了中国当代艺术“花开墙外”：国外热火朝天，国内门庭冷落。

与此同时，国内的艺术机构和策展人也纷纷拉起“双年展”大旗。不可否认，双年展制度的引入为中国当代艺术的发展起到了直接的推动作用，以几大城市命名的双年展也已成为地方文化的特色品牌。然而，中国双年展过于鲜明的“中国特色”也成为人们诟病的重要原因。在今天的中国当代艺术界，“双年展”这个词的外延已经被大大拓宽。一面是学术义正言辞的呈现，另一面则是纷纷上演的形色故事。双年展，且喜且悲。近日，“成都双年展”和“北京798双年展”相继拉开帷幕，本期“观察”栏目为观众们带来“双年展”专题，旨在梳理历史源流，点评今日现场。

此外，本期杂志“特别策划”栏目以王家卫电影中的音乐为主题，深度剖析那些直入人心扉旋律。在王氏电影那些几近默片的段落中，是什么在暗暗的感动我们、改变我们？是的，那里有缓缓移动的镜头，也有大腕们惊人的演技，但是，请不要忘记，那里，还有我们记忆中撩人心弦的乐曲。“市场”栏目则聚焦当代艺术的种种衍生品，在金融危机的余波中，动辄上百万的巨幅作品依然前途未卜，而价格相对低廉的艺术衍生品则逐渐开始成为当代艺术的另一种生存和营销策略。

All kinds of biennales can be a big attraction in contemporary art circle this year. From Havana to Montreal, from Venice to Prague, from Athens to Lyon, flags fluttering, heroes gather together. In these fiery exhibitions, the Chinese artists can be found everywhere. To participate in "Biennial" Chinese contemporary art has been an important indicator of "internationalization", and since 1993, the 43rd Venice Biennale, Chinese contemporary artists have been peering the participating in such exhibitions as a supreme honor, the only way to build and expand in the circle. Thus, there are many artists tried all kinds of ways to enter the world’s biennales. Selected are vigorous while losers dejected – only one "admission ticket" is enough to make people wild. The tremendous effects of Biennale also directly lead to Chinese contemporary art to be "flowers blossom beyond the wall": heated abroad and neglected home.

At the same time, domestic art institutions and curators also pull up the banner of "biennial" one after another. It is undeniable that the introduction of the system has played the role as a direct force in promoting contemporary art in China, and a few biennales named after major cities has become the brands of local culture. However, too distinctive "Chinese characteristics" in China's biennales has also become an important reason for criticism. In today's Chinese contemporary art, the extension of "biennale" has been significantly broadened. On the one hand, there’re presentations of academic things, and on the other, the stories in various forms and colors. Biennial, is full of mingled joy with sorrow. Recently, "Chengdu Biennale" and " Beijing 798 Biennale" kicked off one after another; this issue brings the subject of "biennial" to audiences in "Observation" column, to sort out the historical origins and comments current exhibitions on-view.

In addition, in "Special Column" column, we take music in Wong Kar-wai’s movies as the topic, giving in-depth analysis of those rhythms directly into the human heart. In those almost silent scenes of Wang's films, what moved us and changed us? Yes, there are slowly moving camera lens, also amazing acting of top notches, but please do not forget, there is music touching us in memories. And "Market" column will focus on all kinds of derivatives in contemporary art. After the peak of the financial crisis, works worthy of millions of dollars are of huge uncertainty, while relatively inexpensive art derivatives have gradually started to become another kind of survival and marketing strategies of contemporary art.