姚聪：景观之下——游离于荒野的身体记忆
与影像实验
Yao Cong: Beneath the Landscape –
The Bodily Memories and Imagery Experiments Extravagaing in the Wilderness
与影像实验
Yao Cong: Beneath the Landscape –
The Bodily Memories and Imagery Experiments Extravagaing in the Wilderness
Interviewer: zhuo
Date: 07/09/2024
Keywords: individual mentality / anthropocene
姚聪，1992年出生于西安。2014年于中国美术学院获学士学位，2017 年于英国皇家艺术学院获硕士学位。姚聪以影像、摄影、行为装置等媒介构建作品，通过描绘处于脆弱，孤独和异化中的人类形象回应类似的问题:在当代生活中，身体和风景如何被制造和解构;集体如何以情感和道德的形式塑造个人的精神样貌。姚聪的创作在人类世的语境下，指向个体欲望，焦虑和权力的不确定性。
姚聪的作品参加了多个地区和美术馆的展览，近期包括:“我们这---90 后的艺术”，山西省当代美术馆(中国太原，2023);“无限接近山，北丘当代美术馆(中国南京，2023);“新加坡艺博会影像单元”，艺术科学博物馆(新加坡，2023);“第八届集美·阿尔勒国际摄影季”(中国厦门，2022)“成都国际摄影周”，成都市美术馆(中国成都，2022);“再野，华人当代美术馆(中国重庆，2022);“云上蝇舞，胶囊上海(中国上海，2021);北京当代-“金汤”，CHAO 艺术中心(中国北京，2020);2018国际跨媒体艺术节时代美术馆(中国北京，2018);第16 届波恩录像双年展，波恩艺术博物馆(德国波恩，2017);Loop 巴塞罗那(西班牙巴塞罗那、2017);第14届北京独立影展(中国北京，2017)。
姚聪的作品参加了多个地区和美术馆的展览，近期包括:“我们这---90 后的艺术”，山西省当代美术馆(中国太原，2023);“无限接近山，北丘当代美术馆(中国南京，2023);“新加坡艺博会影像单元”，艺术科学博物馆(新加坡，2023);“第八届集美·阿尔勒国际摄影季”(中国厦门，2022)“成都国际摄影周”，成都市美术馆(中国成都，2022);“再野，华人当代美术馆(中国重庆，2022);“云上蝇舞，胶囊上海(中国上海，2021);北京当代-“金汤”，CHAO 艺术中心(中国北京，2020);2018国际跨媒体艺术节时代美术馆(中国北京，2018);第16 届波恩录像双年展，波恩艺术博物馆(德国波恩，2017);Loop 巴塞罗那(西班牙巴塞罗那、2017);第14届北京独立影展(中国北京，2017)。
Yao Cong was born in 1992, Xia’an, China. He received BA from China Academy of Art in 2014 and MA from the Royal College of Art in 2017. Working across diverse mediums, including moving image, photography, performance, and installation, Yao Cong explores the complexity and contradictions of contemporary life. His works depict human figures in vulnerable, isolated, and alienated states, prompting reflections on the manufacturing and deconstruction of the body and landscape in modern life. Additionally, he questions how collective influences shape individual mentality through emotions and morality. In the context of the Anthropocene, Yao Cong’s practice evolves into a fluid, hybrid structure, highlighting the uncertainty of desire, anxiety, and power.
Yao Cong’s works have been exhibited extensively in various regions and institutions. Recent exhibitions include: “My generation, The Art of Post-90s, Shanxi Contemporary Art Museum (Taiyuan, China, 2023); A Mountain of Closeness, Beiqiu Museum of Contemporary Art (Nanjing, China, 2023); ART SG-Film (Singapore, 2023); Jimei X Arles International Photo Festival (Xiamen, China, 2022); Chengdu International Photo festival, Chengdu Art Museum (Chengdu, China, 2022); Re-wilding, Chinese Contemporary Art Museum (Chongqing, China, 2022) Yao Cong: Flies beyond the Clouds, Capsule Shanghai (Shanghai, China, 2021); Golden Flow – Beijing Contemporary Art Expo, CHAO Art Center (Beijing, China, 2020); Holographia: 2018 International Art Festival, Times Art Museum (Beijing, China, 2018); VIDEONALE.16, Kunstmuseum Bonn (Bonn, Germany, 2017); Loop Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain, 2017); 14th Beijing Independent Film Festival (Beijing, China, 2017) among others.
Yao Cong’s works have been exhibited extensively in various regions and institutions. Recent exhibitions include: “My generation, The Art of Post-90s, Shanxi Contemporary Art Museum (Taiyuan, China, 2023); A Mountain of Closeness, Beiqiu Museum of Contemporary Art (Nanjing, China, 2023); ART SG-Film (Singapore, 2023); Jimei X Arles International Photo Festival (Xiamen, China, 2022); Chengdu International Photo festival, Chengdu Art Museum (Chengdu, China, 2022); Re-wilding, Chinese Contemporary Art Museum (Chongqing, China, 2022) Yao Cong: Flies beyond the Clouds, Capsule Shanghai (Shanghai, China, 2021); Golden Flow – Beijing Contemporary Art Expo, CHAO Art Center (Beijing, China, 2020); Holographia: 2018 International Art Festival, Times Art Museum (Beijing, China, 2018); VIDEONALE.16, Kunstmuseum Bonn (Bonn, Germany, 2017); Loop Barcelona (Barcelona, Spain, 2017); 14th Beijing Independent Film Festival (Beijing, China, 2017) among others.
姚聪，“无限接近山”展览现场，北丘当代美术馆，图片致谢BMCA，2023
A: Welcome to Artisle! First of all, congratulations on the opening of your recent exhibition “A Mountain of Closeness” at the Beiqiu Museum of Contemporary Art. Could you briefly talk about how you have organized the works related to this exhibition?
C: 谢谢Artisle的邀请，很开心有机会和大家交流。“无限接近山”是我在北丘当代美术馆的全新展览空间暨“隧道项目”呈现的首场个人展览，在此特别感谢美术馆的支持。我很喜欢美术馆的山体空间，有一种工业与自然的嵌套关系，当然那是一个气场挺强的场域。山体隧道蜿蜒前行，幽暗沉浸，不论是空间结构还是精神内涵，都与我近年的一些创作形成了一种含蓄凝练的互文。当我第一眼看见空间的时候，就很想尝试展开一场作品与山体隧道的全新对话。
C: Thank you, Artisle, for the invitation. I am very happy to have the opportunity to communicate with everyone. “A Mountain of Closeness” is my first solo exhibition presented in the new exhibition space of the Beiqiu Museum of Contemporary Art 's “Tunnel Project”. I would especially like to thank the museum for their support. I really like the museum's mountain space, which has a kind of nested relationship between industry and nature. It’s a space with a strong aura. The mountain tunnel winds forward, dark and immersive. Both the spatial structure and the spiritual connotation form a kind of implicit and condensed intertextuality with some of my recent creations. When I first saw the space, I immediately wanted to attempt a new dialogue between my works and the mountain tunnel.
姚聪，“无限接近山”展览现场，北丘当代美术馆，图片致谢BMCA，2023
A: I noticed that your earlier work was also featured in the film section of ART SG. Could you briefly introduce the project that was exhibited?
C：新加坡艺博（ArtSG）电影单元展出的作品是“Count（数）”，作品呈现了一个着正装的女性人物身处炎热的石山中，并持续进行着类似于点钞的动作。这个电影单元聚焦于亚太地区艺术家的影像创作，并希望通过对人与非人、自然和科技间的讨论呈现当代的复杂性。首先很荣幸这件作品能够获选并参与到策展人Gridthiya Gaweewong（格拉西亚·卡威旺）策划的电影单元，同时还要感谢胶囊上海的全程协助。
“Count”是我在中国第一次经历COVID-19封城后解封的那个时期创作的，基本是从2020年4月到7月的这段时间。当时我和朋友从西安自驾一路向西北行进，在行程中我粘连着当时凝结的复杂情绪，进行了一系列的在地创作。“Count”的创作方案是我从银川进入阿拉善左旗的这段路上完成的。由平原到山地，从城市到荒野，在分镜的整理中，我将沉在心中的困惑和悲伤，通过肢体长长的隧道，以笔头作为出口渐渐形象化，但这种形象并不会变得冷淡，而是被挤压，塑成高密度的存在。
C: The work featured in the film section of ART SG is “Count”. This piece presents a formally dressed woman situated in a scorching stone mountain, continuously performing an action similar to counting money. The film section focuses on the video creations of artists from the Asia-Pacific region and aims to present the contemporary complexity through discussions on the relationships between humans and non-humans, nature, and technology. Firstly, I am very honored that this work was selected and included in the film section curated by Gridthiya Gaweewong. I also want to thank Capsule Shanghai for their full assistance throughout the process.
"Count" was created during the period following the first COVID-19 lockdown in China, essentially from April to July 2020. During that time, my friends and I took a road trip from Xi'an, heading northwest. Throughout the journey, I was carrying the complex emotions that had solidified during the lockdown and engaged in a series of site-specific creations. The proposal of "Count" was conceived during the stretch from Yinchuan to Alxa Left Banner. Moving from plains to mountains, from cities to wilderness, I organized the storyboard, transforming the confusion and sadness buried in my heart into a long tunnel of physical expression, using the pen as an outlet to gradually shape these feelings. However, this imagery does not become cold; instead, it is compressed and molded into a high-density existence.
A: Is there any special significance or thought behind the setting of the performance scenes in this project? How did you express the embodied experience and emotions that this environment brought to you?
C：这一系列创作中行为的发生地与我有着一种地理与情感上的链接。首先从大的层面上来说，选择去往西北，像是当时的一种必然。在疫情时代，所谓偏远的地区，会因为远离“中心”，地广人稀，而成为一种相较安全的“避难所”。加之我所处的西安，是“西北”的一部分，又是连接中国东西部的节点，因而会有一种情感或认知上的统一性和流动性。更重要的是西北广袤的地景，以及对于现代人来说不佳的生存条件，凸显了它的能量，并形成了其作为现代生活的外围以及资源供给区的地位。这种自然，甚至所谓的荒野在历史洪流中层层挤压，封存了时间，成为一种初始样本，更是一种末日警示。
其次从地理层面上来讲，“Count”中的场景是阿拉善左旗地区的一小块切片，这里是远古时期频繁的地壳运动留下的残山，经过沧海桑田，形成了遍布的花岗岩，丰富的戈壁玛瑙，也成为了“文明”的财富。那些暖色的岩石，有的带着锋利的新鲜切口，有的粗粝老旧，有的光滑圆润。当我在炎热的气候中穿行其间，就像迷失在庞大而熟悉的肉体之中。但当我静下来，遂即会有一种在肉体与石头的类比中不断重复带入和抽离自我中心视角的强烈波动。最终我还是会被面前的这种粗砺，坚硬所俘虏，像是一种被召唤的原始恐惧，并提示着世界本来的样子。
作品中，肉身与石头在一呼一吸间靠近、模糊甚至相互转换。人物动作的编排是通过一种哑剧的形式，在标准化、持续和重复中进入一种uncanny（诡异）的状态。就像我们永远不知道什么是人，这令人恐惧，而那持续的劳作，似乎也无法抵抗虚无的终结。这类似数钱的动作元素，直接来源于我自己的真实境况，其实我不愿赘述，但它实实在在影响到了我、我的家庭以及以同心圆形式展开的亲族关系，还有在现代社会中的可见与不可见的网络关系。因为一些政策上的不可抗因素以及个人经营原因导致了父亲产业的破产，在持续的艰难之下，人变得扭曲而脆弱。一种维持传统家庭既有平衡的刻板秩序被打破了，在整体社会都急需重建秩序的当下，好像每每上演的家国时代的映射，只不过我们是其中很普通，很微小的一点而已。但对具体的我和我的家庭，却是真切的磨难。然而，当一切出现在荒芜的石山前时，好像都不再重要了。
C: The locations where these performances took place hold both geographical and emotional connections for me. On a larger scale, choosing to head northwest seemed like an inevitability at the time. In the era of the pandemic, so-called remote areas, because they are far from the "center" and sparsely populated, became relatively safe "sanctuaries." Additionally, Xi'an, where I was based, is part of the "Northwest" and serves as a key link between the eastern and western parts of China, creating a sense of emotional or cognitive unity and fluidity. More importantly, the vast landscapes of the Northwest and the harsh living conditions for modern people highlight its energy and establish its role as the periphery of modern life and a resource supply area. This natural setting, even the so-called wilderness, has been compressed layer upon layer in the torrent of history, sealing time and becoming an original sample and an apocalyptic warning.
Secondly, from a geographical perspective, the scene in "Count" is a small slice of the Alxa Left Banner area. This region is composed of remnants from ancient, frequent tectonic movements, which, over eons, have formed scattered granite and rich Gobi agate, becoming treasures of "civilization." The warm-colored rocks, some with sharp, fresh cuts, some rough and old, and others smooth and rounded, create a landscape of contrasts.When I traverse through this hot climate, it feels like being lost within a vast yet familiar body. However, when I pause, there's a strong oscillation between immersion and detachment from my central perspective in the metaphorical juxtaposition of flesh and stone. Ultimately, I am captivated by the roughness and hardness before me, akin to a summoned primal fear, revealing the world's true nature.
In the work, the proximity, blurring, and even mutual transformation of flesh and stone occur with each breath. The choreography of the figure's movements takes on a pantomime form, entering an uncanny state through standardization, continuity, and repetition. It's akin to never truly knowing what it means to be human, which is terrifying, and the continuous labor seems futile against the void's eventual end. The element of counting money directly stems from my own real circumstances, something I hesitate to elaborate on, but it has profoundly impacted me, my family, and the extended network of relationships in modern society, both visible and invisible. Due to some uncontrollable policy factors and personal business reasons, my father's business went bankrupt. In the enduring hardship, people became twisted and fragile. The rigid order maintaining the traditional family balance was shattered, mirroring the societal need to rebuild order. It reflects the recurring narrative of family and nation, where we are but an ordinary, tiny part of the whole. However, for me and my family, it was a genuine ordeal. Yet, when everything is set against the barren stone mountains, it seems to lose its significance.
姚聪，Count（数），4K影像，8分钟，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2020
A: As you mentioned, your recent works have focused more on the locality of Northwest China, using it as a basis for your creations. In connection with your past works, how would you describe your creative path overall? What kind of spiritual support do the natural features present in your work, such as the wilderness and landscapes, provide? In this process, how do you approach the use and expression of this natural environment in your images?
C：在我做完西北这一系列作品后，逐渐显现出了创作中的一些延续与转变，从14年到现在，大致可以分为三阶段，从花园到高山与荒野。花园就是把自然搬进来，像人类创造伊甸园，改造自然。所以之前的创作有很多室内造景，像是一种对外部世界的模拟与想象。接着，山成了我需要去靠近去理解的，理解父亲的角色、我的家庭和我自己，更是关于探寻如何生活的一个过程。去到荒野是一种巨大的释放，尤其当我在生活中碰壁的时候。在那样广阔的环境下，不会去在乎任何身体上携带的社会性，我仅仅只是生命体。这激发了我对未知的渴望，重新理解安居乐业的概念以及城乡环境。
自然环境在图像中的运用与表达是个有点庞杂的问题。首先环境是一个人类中心的概念，自然环境也成为人类生存的必备元素，进而它被转变为多种形态持续与人造空间发生关系，而这一切都与人的宇宙观相关。由拉斯科洞穴壁画中对自然的模拟，到文人绘画中的盆景审美，再到后人类语境下，人们对自然的认知也在不断转变。自然从一种与人共生的位置，被抽离成一种可以任由切换的背景，再到被以“濒临物种”般的角色施予反思和关照。
C: After completing this series of works in the Northwest, some continuities and transformations in my creation gradually became apparent. From 2014 to now, my work can be roughly divided into three stages: from gardens to mountains and wilderness. Gardens are about bringing nature inside like humans creating Eden and transforming nature. So, my earlier works often featured indoor landscapes, simulating and imagining the external world. Next, mountains became something I needed to approach and understand, to comprehend the role of my father, my family, and myself, and it was a process of exploring how to live. Going into the wilderness has been a huge release, especially when I've hit walls in life. In such a vast environment, I don't care about any social attributes attached to my body; I am merely a living being. This has sparked my desire for the unknown, leading me to reinterpret the concepts of living and working happily and the urban-rural environment.
The use and expression of the natural environment in images is a rather complex issue. First of all, the environment is a human-centric concept. The natural environment becomes an essential element for human survival and is thus transformed into various forms that continuously interact with artificial spaces. All of this is related to human cosmology. From the simulation of nature in the Lascaux cave paintings to the aesthetic of bonsai in literati paintings, and then to the post-human context, people's understanding of nature has been constantly evolving. Nature has moved from a position of co-existence with humans, to being abstracted into a background that can be switched at will, and finally to being given the role of an "endangered species" subject to reflection and care.
姚聪，“无限接近山”展览现场，北丘当代美术馆，图片致谢BMCA，2023
A: Could you briefly talk about the work "Gold Words"? In this piece, why did you choose to embroider the English phrase "AN ARTIST WHO IS NOT BASED IN THE GOOD PLACE IS NO ARTIST" on the bed sheet? And why did you blur the identity of the person in this way? What does the anonymous body aim to represent?
C：“Gold Words（金·言）”是一组摄影，也是行程中创作的第一件作品。我顺着朝向西北的路径，从黄土高原到戈壁再到沙漠，捕捉了一种生命的多样性与荒野的广袤性。这些地方在现代化中逐渐偏离为遥远之地，成为没有文明参照物的一种混沌图示，是末日之地，也是重生之地。
关于这句出现在作品中的英文，含有部分我对Mladen Stilinovic在1992年创作的一件作品的致敬，那件标语作品“An artist who cannot speak English is no artist”在伦敦艺术现场立刻引起我的共鸣。它聚焦于英语在艺术界的霸权性，指向一种语言系统、思维方式，甚至反思僭越作品本身以“说英语”更直白地链接艺术市场的行为，这是一个容易理解，但又很容易忽略的问题。而我在此将这种霸权和系统延伸到了地缘层面。那一针针刺入的金线，闪耀又疼痛。这些不明身份的身体，渐渐成为一种“他者”的存在，模糊了场地的参照，截取了不明的瞬间。
疫情像是一个导火索，但创作的冲动则源于不断在艺术“中心”与“边缘”游移的我的感知。那关乎一种对自身处境的困惑，使我被迫挪步于“他者”的状态。而这也在某种层面上使得“Where are you based？” 在当下成为比“Do you speak English?”更重要的一种“艺术家”入场券。这是一种从艺术家的结构语境到艺术作品的语言语境，再到艺术家资源语境的迭代。
C: "Gold Words" is a series of photographs and was the first work created during my journey. Following the path towards the northwest, from the Loess Plateau to the Gobi Desert and then to the sand desert, I captured the diversity of life and the vastness of the wilderness. These places have gradually become distant lands in the process of modernization, evolving into a chaotic diagram without references to civilization—a doomsday place, but also a place of rebirth.
Regarding this sentence in my work, it partially pays homage to Mladen Stilinovic's 1992 piece, "An artist who cannot speak English is no artist." This slogan immediately resonated with me in the London art scene. It focuses on the hegemony of English in the art world, pointing to a linguistic system, a way of thinking, and even reflecting on the act of "speaking English" to more directly link to the art market—a problem that is easy to understand but also easily overlooked. Here, I extend this hegemony and system to a geopolitical level. The golden threads pierced through, dazzling yet painful. These unidentified bodies gradually become "others," blurring the reference points of the site and capturing unknown moments.
The pandemic acted as a catalyst, but the impulse to create stemmed from my constant perception of moving between the "center" and the "periphery" of the art world. This concerns the confusion about my own situation, forcing me into the position of an "other." On a certain level, this makes "Where are you based?" a more important entry ticket for an "artist" today than "Do you speak English?" This reflects an iteration from the structural context of the artist to the linguistic context of the artwork, and finally to the resource context of the artist.
姚聪，Gold Words（金·言），摄影，“无限接近山”展览现场，北丘当代美术馆，图片致谢BMCA，2023
姚聪，Gold Words（金·言），摄影，“北京当代-金汤“展览现场，图片致谢北京当代，2020
A: What is the special significance of the continuous dancing of the characters in the work "The Square Reserve"? What is the relationship between the identities and behaviors of the ten different characters?
C：像我前面提及的，这一系列在地创作更像是一种情绪的集中宣泄，世俗又挑衅。我一直觉得舞动是一种直接的表达，一种身体机能的反应。这件作品有别于我之前的创作方式，我将主动权交予行为者本身，但同时又在一种游戏框架下共创，通过酒精和持续，逐渐解构一种肢体记忆，这种变化在与方形区域（1X1m草垫）的互动中微妙显现。
这些参与者都是我在当地邀请到的，他们以个体汇集成集体，好似从不同的细节中可以窥探到一些文化症候。我当时花了两周时间去街上寻找参与者，并意识到中年女性是不太可能出现在参与者名单中的，不论是从性别观念还是角色层面，对于敞开的酒精摄入都是谨慎的，更不用说还有摄像机的介入，但年轻的女生则有相对多的自主性。
我还记得在之前的一些展览现场有人说：你看这个女孩儿一直玩手机自拍，应该是外地人；那个人长得像美国西部原住民，应该不是城里人。这种标签化本地外地，城市乡村的现象很普遍了。但两者的概念早已处在一种混杂的状态中了，不能单靠任何简单的定义。我们也应该重新思考城市和乡村以及自然的关系。
C: As I mentioned earlier, this series of site-specific creations is more like an intense emotional outburst, both mundane and provocative. I have always felt that dancing is a direct form of expression, a bodily response. This work differs from my previous approach; I have given agency to the performers themselves but within a game framework, co-creating through alcohol and continuity. This gradually deconstructs a bodily memory, with these changes subtly emerging through interactions with the square area (1x1m grass mat).
The participants were all individuals I invited locally, coming together as a collective. It seems that one can glean some cultural symptoms from the various details. I spent two weeks searching for participants on the streets and realized that middle-aged women were unlikely to appear on the list. Whether from gender norms or role expectations, they are cautious about open alcohol consumption, not to mention the presence of cameras. Younger women, however, have relatively more autonomy.
I remember someone at a previous exhibition saying, "Look at that girl, she's always taking selfies on her phone; she must be from out of town." And, "That person looks like a Native American from the American West; they probably aren’t from the city." This kind of labeling—distinguishing locals from outsiders, urban from rural—is quite common. However, these concepts are already in a state of mix, and simple definitions are no longer sufficient. We should also reconsider the relationship between the city, the countryside, and nature.
姚聪，方形保护区，影像装置，胶囊上海“云上蝇舞”展览现场，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2021
姚聪，Count（数），影像装置，胶囊上海“云上蝇舞”展览现场，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2021
A: In many of your works, you use performance as an expression. How do you view the role of performance in images? How do you design the relationships and expressions between different performance? What role do you play in the creation of images?
C：对于我来说，这种行为的渗透，更多还是对于身体性本身的关照。我很感兴趣于肢体本身的行为与文化层面的互文，不论是“具身性”作为现象学传统中的核心地位，还是身体作为后人类问题的一种承载，起码我们现在都无法直接脱离肉身本身。在我的作品中，身体不是以一种强硬的抵抗，或对自然力的假借的方式出现，而是一种肉欲的、酷儿性的，更是流动性的存在。
行为太有意思了，充满了欲望，像病毒一样在群体中迅速传播与普及，并在规训与惩罚中被分类，又受到肉身本身的牵制与引导。而图像中的行为，被视阈和时间性框定为一种标本，成为被观看的对象，在这种交流中引起更具象地想象。
诚然我是图像生产者，但近乎和所有人一样，我无法完全操纵图像，在任何一个环节都不能。所以我更多的是一种共创，共生的状态，以“舞蹈性”探索身体与社会性的边界，甚至在某种具体的框架下引导身体的打开与“再野化”。
C: For me, the incorporation of performance is more about addressing the corporeality itself. I am very interested in the interplay between bodily actions and cultural contexts. Whether it's the concept of "embodiment" as a core aspect of phenomenological tradition or the body as a vessel for posthuman issues, we cannot directly detach from our physical selves. In my works, the body does not appear as a form of rigid resistance or a mere reflection of natural forces; rather, it is a sensual, queer, and fluid existence.
Performance is fascinating; it is full of desire, spreading rapidly through a group like a virus, categorized through discipline and punishment, and simultaneously constrained and guided by the body itself. The behavior in images is framed within a specific perspective and temporality, becoming a specimen to be observed, which prompts more concrete imagination in this exchange.
Indeed, while I am a producer of images, like nearly everyone else, I cannot fully control them at any stage. Thus, my role is more about co-creation and co-existence. I explore the boundaries between the body and society through "danceability," guiding the body’s unfolding and "re-wilding" within specific frameworks.
姚聪，方形保护区，10屏影像装置，影像静帧，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供 ，2020-2021
A: The work "Seeds of the World: Overture" from the Gulangyu residency program is a three-screen video piece. Can you briefly explain the narratives of each screen and their interrelationships?
C：这件作品是一个在地化的抽象呈现。在对“荒野”概念和对“山”形象的延续中，我试图思考岛屿作为海中山，如何成为一种关于起源与重新想象的母体。鼓浪屿是一个中国南方岛屿，也是中国在全球化发展的早期阶段实现现代化的典型区域，这些因素也决定了它的特点。在鼓浪屿两个多月的驻地中，我通过岛屿本身的历史与地缘特性，抽象出其所具有的独立性与流动性，进而形成一种在荒野与文明之间的流通路径。
我之前听过一个故事，在一位老者居所的窗外，有一棵不再开花的苍穹大树，突然有一天，它疯狂掉落着许多翻着微光的颗粒，像是一场没有时令的阵雨。原来那些密集掉落的是这棵垂死之树的种子，那是一种向死而生的欲望。或许那棵树就是我在岛上随处可见的榕树吧，我刚好赶上了9月落籽时节，时常听到那些种子以不同的密度，落在不同介质上的声音，像是树神的禅音。而这些掉落的种子也成为了欲望的象征，在保存与流转中生成了文明的交流，同时也成了这件作品的意义承载。西洋音乐、外来植物、日光浴文化成为流转于岛屿的“种子”，在一种移殖、抵抗、协商的过程中塑造着文明的样子。
C: This piece is an abstract presentation grounded in localization. Continuing my exploration of the concept of "wilderness" and the imagery of "mountains," I aimed to reflect on how an island, as a mountain in the sea, can symbolize origins and reimagining. Gulangyu is a southern Chinese island and a prime example of China’s early modernization during the global development phase. These characteristics shape its uniqueness. During my two-month residency on Gulangyu, I abstracted its independence and fluidity through its history and geopolitical features, creating a pathway of circulation between wilderness and civilization.
I once heard a story about an old man's home. Outside his window stood a great tree that no longer bloomed. One day, it suddenly started shedding countless shimmering seeds, like an unseasonal downpour. It turned out that these falling seeds were from the dying tree, a manifestation of its desire to live. Perhaps that tree was like the banyan trees I saw all over the island. I happened to be there during the seeding season in September and often heard the seeds falling with different densities onto various surfaces, sounding like the chants of a tree spirit. These falling seeds became symbols of desire, representing the exchange of civilizations in their preservation and circulation. Western music, exotic plants, and sunbathing culture became the "seeds" circulating on the island, shaping civilization through processes of transplantation, resistance, and negotiation.
姚聪，世界的种子：序曲，影像静帧，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2022
A: Multi-screen video installations are a common form of expression in your works. How do you usually set the expressive logic between the screens? What are the differences between single-screen and multi-screen expressions in your creations?
C：屏幕的数量，以及各屏幕之间的关系，直接与作品相关。概括来说，大概从20世纪10年代就在电影中出现了分屏（Split-screen），然后到70年代，因图像与技术间的同步演进，屏幕变得愈加分裂，从多频道（multi-channel）到多屏幕（multi-screen），不论是从媒介本身，还是从观看层面，都是对于影像艺术概念的一种实验与拓展。
近年来，移动影像是我比较多使用的媒介。而单屏和多屏在媒介本身的侧重点上会有不同，所以在创作中，我主要还是会从主题、叙事，以及呈现或着说与观者的互动方式层面对内容的承载体——屏幕，进行系统的思考。
C: The number of screens and the relationships between them are directly related to the work itself. Broadly speaking, split-screen has been used in films since around the 1910s, and by the 1970s, as images and technology evolved, screens became increasingly fragmented. From multi-channel to multi-screen formats, both in terms of the medium itself and the viewing experience, these formats represent an experimentation and expansion of the concept of video art.
In recent years, moving images have been a medium I frequently use. There are differences in the focus of the medium itself between single-screen and multi-screen presentations. Therefore, in my creations, I primarily think systematically about the screen as the medium for the content from the perspectives of theme, narrative, and the mode of interaction with the audience.
姚聪，世界的种子：序曲，第八届集美阿尔勒展览现场，2022
A: The music arrangement in Seeds of the World: Overture is quite intriguing. Could you briefly discuss the story behind the "boat carrying speakers" and the music design?
C：关于“音乐”部分，对我的触动来自于鼓浪屿（19世纪中叶）与西洋音乐邂逅的故事，及其所产生的深远影响。我在岛上时，读到了一个关于林语堂先生与西洋音乐的故事，那是在他大概12岁时的一个清晨，他随着一阵从未听到过的音乐，顺着人流从码头跟到了洋人球埔。这被他形容为，打破了小岛旧有宁静并令他深深迷恋的音乐，则来自一场美国海军乐队的管乐演奏。这个故事触发了我对这个岛屿与西洋音乐，以及西洋文化的交流的感知。这种交流其实从未中断过，并在不同的时代焕发新的可能性，回到当下，在这个十分不确定的时期，这种交流有了新的语境。我将一个实体乐队的演奏以科技的手段（音响设备）放置在厦门海域随处可见的渔船上，在10月的大潮期与浪搏行。音响中播放的交响乐则来自肖斯塔科维奇的《第七交响曲》，而在此期间，海面传来如塞壬般曼妙之音。因为这是一件三屏影像作品，每一屏即相关又相互区别，所以在音乐上需要针对三个部分进行对话与平衡。在我和音乐人陈雅的交流试验下，在很短的时间内制作出了我还蛮满意的音乐（因为当时要赶集美阿尔勒的展览）。
C: The inspiration for the "music" aspect came from the encounter between Gulangyu Island (in the mid-19th century) and Western music, and its profound impact. While I was on the island, I read about a story involving Lin Yutang and Western music. As a 12-year-old, enchanted by a piece of music he had never heard before, he followed a stream of people one morning to a foreigner's ball field. He described it as breaking the island's old tranquility and deeply captivating him—it was the American naval band's wind music. This story sparked my perception of the island's interaction with Western music and culture. This exchange has never ceased and continues to evolve in new contexts. In the present uncertain times, this exchange finds new meaning. I placed the performance of a live band on a fishing boat—ubiquitous in Xiamen's waters—using technology (sound equipment), sailing during the October high tide. The symphony played through the speakers was Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, and during this period, the sea was filled with enchanting sounds. Since this is a three-screen video work, each screen is both related and distinct, so the music needed to be dialogued and balanced across the three parts. With the help of musician Chen Ya, we managed to produce music I was quite satisfied with in a short time, as we were on a tight schedule for the Jimei Arles exhibition.
姚聪，世界的种子：序曲，影像静帧，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2022
A: Are there any artists or image works that have deeply influenced you? How has your viewing of images impacted the formation of your creative perspective?
C：在不同的时期都会有一些作品跳入自己的世界，并对我产生一定的影响。当然主要是在学习期间，因为有比较饱满的信息吸纳语境，然后这几年着实少了很多。在不同阶段跳出的作品，很多是关于时代话题，或因市场炒作，当然还有在冥冥中与自己共振的感人之作，并对自己持续产生影响，比如，Matthew Barney、寺山修司、赫尔佐格、Pina Bausch、Jan Fabre、Pierre Huyghe和Ragnar Kjartansson等的系列作品。
C: At different times, certain works have entered my world and had a significant impact on me. This is particularly true during periods of intensive learning, as there was a more immersive context for absorbing information. In recent years, such influences have become less frequent. The works that have stood out to me at various stages are often related to contemporary issues or market trends, but also include profoundly moving pieces that resonate with me on a deeper level, such as those by Matthew Barney, Shuji Terayama, Herzog, Pina Bausch, Jan Fabre, Pierre Huyghe, and Ragnar Kjartansson.
姚聪，Uncertain Game（不确定的游戏），4K影像，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2017
A：Could you briefly talk about the new residency program you're preparing to join? What factors are usually considered when selecting a residency project?
C：我下半年会去一个新的驻地项目。关于对驻地项目的选择，我主要会考虑驻留项目的环境是否更有助于我个人的集中创作。这其中大概包括，项目基地的学术氛围，团队经验，以及项目时间不少于两个月等。
C：I will be joining a new residency program in the second half of the year. When selecting a residency project, I mainly consider whether the environment of the residency will be conducive to my focused creation. This includes factors such as the academic atmosphere of the project base, the experience of the team, and a project duration of at least two months.
姚聪，B²EAU²T²Y，影像，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2014
A: 除了后续的驻地外有没有什么新计划或尝试想要透露呢？
A: Are there any new plans or experiments you'd like to share besides the upcoming residency?
C：我近期在缓慢得准备一个想了很久但依然没想明白的项目。同样关于“山”，并以“父子关系”作为核心链接，带入对于代际、权力、性别等的讨论。所以算是这阶段创作中相对具象的，尝试把之前隐藏在作品中的“问题”拿出来说的项目，所以这里面对于真实与虚构，私人与公共的“度”会是需要斟酌的部分，以及身体如何介入，还有对于“文本”的考虑。
在思考过程中也联系到的一些比较本质性的问题：创作何为？创作为何？包括在网络互联的跨学科思维下，如何丰富艺术创作的可能性，并保留其中的真情，艺术如何与交叉学科进行良性发展，而不是沦为悬浮又干瘪的视觉呈现，这样我总觉得隐含着很大的危机，会更加窄化本来就比较圈层化的讨论氛围，也难以在艺术创作中真正有所突破。
C: I’m currently slowly preparing a project that I've been contemplating for a long time but still haven't fully figured out. It's also about "mountains," with "father-son relationships" as the central link, incorporating discussions on generational, power, and gender issues. So, it’s relatively concrete one compared to my recent work and aims to address the "issues" that were previously hidden in my works. The balance between reality and fiction, private and public dimensions still required contemplation, as well as how the body intervenes, and considerations regarding the "text."
姚聪，B²EAU²T²Y，影像，图片由艺术家和胶囊上海提供，2014