解构水墨
彭锋
以水墨的名义解构水墨,看起来像不可能完成的任务。如果解构意味着解除,那么就只能期待非水墨充当水墨的掘墓人。我们用水墨来解构水墨,实际上不是解除水墨,而是解放水墨;不是水墨的终结,而是水墨的新生。我们将有关水墨的各种成规陋习悬置起来之后,剩下来的就是水墨本身。回到事物本身,本是哲学家给自己提出的任务,却常常假道艺术来完成。在这一点上,哲学与艺术殊途同归。它们都是在用负的方法,去完成自我解放这个不可能完成的任务。
不经过解构,任何建构都将摇摇欲坠。
我们邀请了20名国内外活跃的艺术家,他们从不同的角度,对水墨做出解构。然而,他们的作品看上去却真是水墨。禅师们教导我们,要想得到解脱,就要逢着便杀,逢佛杀佛,逢祖杀祖。但是,解脱的目的,并不是要以非常心做非常事,而是以平常心做平常事。这是典型的中国智慧。
我们希望这个展览,像一把奥卡姆剃刀,剔除遮蔽在水墨之上的各种迷雾。解构水墨的目的,是还水墨以本来面目。
Undoing Shuimo
PENG Feng
To undo Shuimo by means of Shuimo, that seems impossible. If to undo here means to reverse or erase, only non-Shuimo can be the gravedigger of Shuimo. When we use Shuimo to undo Shuimo, it does not mean to erase but to liberate shuimo, and so not the end but the rebirth of shuimo. After we suspend or bracket all habits, rules, and conventions on Shuimo, the phenomenological residuum is the Shuimo-itself. Returning to thing-itself is the purpose of philosophy, but philosophers usually make it by way of art. In this sense, art and philosophy can reach the same goal by different routes. Both art and philosophy use “negative method” or “negative expression” to liberate themselves.
The purpose of deconstruction is the self-evident foundation. Without this deconstruction, any construction would be suspectable.
20 artists from Europe, North America, and China have been working on this project. They undo or liberate Shuimo from different aspects. After this undoing, their works look like real Shuimo. An old Chan Master taught us: To liberate oneself, he or she should kill every dogma, kill the founder-masters, kill the Buddhas, when he or she meets them. However, the purpose of liberation is not to do something special, but normal thing and normal mind. As Qing Yuan said, “But now that I have got the very substance I am at rest. For it is just that I see mountains once again as mountains, and waters once again as waters.” That is the real Chinese wisdom!
I hope this exhibition can function as the Occam's Razor, to eliminate the mist or representations on Shuimo. The purpose of undoing Shuimo is to reach the real and presence of Shuimo.