Hiding in the City No. 71- Bulldozer, 2008, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

In an exclusive interview for Yatzer, Chinese artist Lui Bolin, known by the international media as the ‘Invisible Man’, explores his ideas behind his ‘Hiding in the City’ project (HITC), his political stance about Chinese society and culture and his artistic practices.  The ‘Invisible Man’, in his own fascinating way comments and reflects on China’s rapid development and its meaning in today’s modern artistic expressions. Lui Bolin, holds a B.A. from Shandong University of Arts, and an M.F.A. from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing and he currently lives and works in Beijing. Discover his work today exclusively at Yatzer.

Which is the inspiration behind your work ‘Hiding In the City’? How did it first emerge?
您创作的最初的源泉是什么？最初是怎么出现这个想法的？
答：在研究生毕业以后我经历了一段没有工作，没有家庭，没有关爱。没有收入，没有感情的四年，我在这几年里我感觉自己就像是被社会抛弃一样，没有社会里的位置。我在环境里可有可无。这是我情感的内因。导火索是2005å¹´11月16日当时号称亚洲最大的艺术家聚居地索家村国际艺术营被城管强行拆除。我作为在场的艺术家，开始做了一系列城市迷彩作品，用来表达对政府暴行的反抗。我用我的行为作品来表现艺术家的不受保护的地位和艺术创作的恶劣环境。 After graduating from school, for a long time I had no family, no job and no love in my life. During those four years without love and income, I felt I had been dumped by this society and that I had no position within it.  I was meaningless in this environment. This is the emotional reason for starting the series. The fuse of the work was ignited on the November the 16th in 2005 at Suojia Village, which was the biggest living area for artists in Asia and it was forced to demolition by the government. I was there at that time, so I started the series i opposition to the government’s atrocity. I wanted to use my work to show that artists’ state in society and their living places had not been protected.

Hiding in the City No. 4- Suo Jia Village, 2006, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

Why do you choose specific city surroundings and what do they mean to you as an artist?
你为什么选择这些城市的场景作为您作品的背景？对您有什么特酥的意义吗？
答：在我们有着共产主义理想的中国社会，在他的逻辑里必须要有一些大字出现，来告诉和清洗大众的大脑。我们需要的人是什么样子。比如：墙体上会有统一思想，宣传教育这样的大字，这其实就是来愚弄大众的方法， 最终的得益者是确定这些标语的人。我的身体选择这样的墙面做隐身和被消失，这时候不是我和背景墙的关系，其实是我作为个体和这些以愚弄大众的标语的关系。在中国我们对这样的口号大都见怪不怪习以为常，我想用我的作品提示人们多考虑自己生活的环境。 In Chinese society’s communistic dream, there must be majuscules (capital letters / big words) to tell and to cleanse the public’s brain, creating this way, the kind of people we need. For example: some uniform thoughts and promotion of the educational ideas were written as slogans on the wall in majuscules. This is a way to fool the public. The people who benefited a lot were those who created these slogans. My body chose to be covered or to disappear. That’s not the relationship between the wall and me. It is rather the relationship between myself, as an individual in the society, and those slogans, which are used to fool the public. In China, we get used to these slogans. We never feel surprised when we see them, so I wanted to use my work to remind people that they have to think more about the environment where we live in.

Is there a process you undertake before choosing the site?
您选择这些场景之前有什么特殊的筛选过程吗？
答：我的作品在某一方面在记录中国的社会发展历程。因为在文革期间的一些标语以及习惯到现在我们还是在沿用。对中国社会问题的思考是我的作品的关注点，我其实在询问：我们的社会怎么会发展这样？我们以后该如何反思我们现在面对的社会？我们的问题在哪里？我们的社会该往哪里去？ In one aspect, my work records the history of the development of Chinese society. There are some slogans which were used in the Culture Revolution and which are still being used today. Being concerned about the situation of Chinese reality is an important theme in my work. I am constantly asking my self, “How does our society develop? What are the problems in our society? Where is our direction leading us?”

How do you feel being a blank canvas your self?
您如何感受把自己当作一张空白的画布？
答：在实施作品的时候采取不动的姿势，我有助手来帮我完成在身体上的彩绘，他们会尽力帮我把我的身体画的的背景是一样的颜色。最后由照相机记录下来。我是靠坚强的意志来让自己坚持的。在做城市迷彩作品的先期，我其实很享受这种过程，对自己命运的抗争或许在那一刻凝结在我必须站立住、必须坚持的信念里了.  When we shoot the photo, I need to stand still, and my assistants will help me apply the paint on my body. They are trying their best to paint myself in the same color as the background. Then we use the camera to record this process. I need strong willpower to steady myself and keep working on the performance. During the preparation of HITC series, I enjoyed the process. In those moments, I felt like I was fighting against my nature, fighting with life, and I had to stand in stillness for my faith and ideals.

Why do you choose specifically photography as a medium to express your art?
您为何选用用摄影然后出片这种形式来表达您的艺术想法？
答：我的这样的艺术形式在行为过程录其实没有太多的观赏性，就是努力把身体上画的和背景一样，如果说有艺术感染力的话，最后拍完的效果才是最好的最有说明性的作品，所以由最后的照片作为作品的呈现方式也就是顺理成章的了.  In fact, there is not much in the way of ornamental value for me to express my art in this way. I just try my best to paint myself in the same color of the background. If we want to talk about the infectious power of art, the effectiveness of the work is the best thing to represent it. So I use the final photograph as the best medium to express my art with.

How many hours you need in order to perfect the photographic shot, and the painting of your body. How much help do you need?您每一次拍照需要多久的时间？在您自己的身上画画需要多久？另外，在创造一个作品的时候，您大概需要多少外介的帮助？
答：我的作品从开始到最后结束，一般会持续3-4个小时，画画的工作都是由助手完成的，还有最后的拍摄也是由助手完成的，我的工作就是站在那里一动不动。很多人会有这样的疑问:画画不是你，拍照片也不是你，那怎么会是你的作品呢？我的工作是要挑选有意义背景，和选择由那个助手来帮我画画和拍摄。我一般在拍城市迷彩作品之前，我会先选择几个备选的地点，然后再选择最合适以一个作为实际拍摄的背景。到实际拍摄的时候，我的任务就是站在那里尽量不动，其余的都是有我的助手来完成，比如像涂色和摄像以及最后的摄影，都是助手完成。会在其中指导他们尽快尽好的完成。在开始之前，我会先拍一张我站在这里的照片，和助手分析哪里是重要部分，哪里要首先完成。再就是在调颜色的同时尽量要调的颜色和我身后的颜色尽量一致。最来就是一笔笔的涂色了，要把身体上面画的和背景一样，很重要的就是身体两侧的线要和背景一样.  To finish one work, it takes 3-4 hours. All the painting and all the photographic work are finished by my assistants. My work is to just stand still there. Some people would ask: you are not the one who does the painting, or shot the work, how can it be your work? But I was the one who chose which site we should use, and which assistant helps me to do the painting, or the shot. Before I started HITC, I would choose some sites as back-ups and then choose one of them as the place to shoot the photo. Before we start to work, I take a photo of myself-standing in front of the site. I then analyze which part is the most important one and which has to be done first. I also need to guide my assistants to make the right color choices. We then start to paint. I have to paint myself in the same color as the background, and more importantly I have to make the lines connect with those of the background.

Hiding in the City No. 41- Notice for Making Government Affairs Public, 2006, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

Which are the messages you want to convey through your art?您通过您的作品想表达什么讯息？
答：在我认知的是世界中，人是单个的人，同时也是脆弱的个体。因为一个人不能决定自己出生在什么位置，不能决定自己呼吸什么样的空气，也不能决定自己受到什么样的教育和熏陶，大脑里什么是你自己的呢？好像你再争论时有自己的观点。其实你的观点也不是你自己的，也是别人拷贝给你的。其实人生来就是被复制过程里的个体。人作为个体很容易收到外界环境的影响。在我的作品中所呈现出的人的无助感或者说疏离感，其实都是来自一个人的不能独立的思考和不能把握自己的命运带来的。我的作品其实都是在探讨这方面的问题：人如何才能找到真正的自己？ In my world, people exist as individuals, which is quite weak because people cannot decide where they want to be born. They also cannot decide what kind of air they can breathe in. They can’t decide what kind of education they can get or what kind of environment will edify them. Which person are you, in your own mind?... In fact, people are individuals that copy and process. It’s very easy for people to get edified by their environments, and my works want to show that kind of helpless and alienated feeling, because people cannot think independently and they cannot control their own lives. All of my works talk about this theme: How can people find their real selves?

Hiding in the City No. 62- American National Flag, 2007, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

Hiding in the City No. 17- People's Policeman, 2006, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

Do you feel being a political artist?
您觉得您是一个具有政治意味的艺术家吗？
答：首先，我的作品里含有强烈的政治成分我必须解释一下，应该这样说：因为我生活的环境里充满的政治的因素，才导致我的作品里才含有政治的成分，因为我是生活在这样的空气中的，所以在我的作品里才会有这样的方式来呈现。 我同意你的----艺术可以对社会的变化起积极作用的说法，因为艺术作品在现今的时代的主要的气质是：通过作品的反思和疑虑来提示人类，让人们更清醒的认识到自己身处的化境和面临的问题。我也是通过作品来提示周围的人，我想让观众思考：我们生活的环境是什么？ 在我的作品里在一开始就伴随这艺术家工作被强行拆除开始的，在一开始我的作品的内在的怀疑社会、对命运抗争的因素起到了关键的作用。决定了这一系列作品的反叛的气质。后来作品里出现的标语，一家人，拆迁，红旗等等因素都是这种脉络的延续。 First, I have to explain the strong political elements in my practice.  I should say: because the environment where I live in is politically charged, it is inevitably influenced by it in this sense. I agree with those who say art can have a positive impact on the development of a society. The aim of art, through its meditations and doubts, is to emphasize the situation we live in. Equally, it is important to me that my work aids people to recognize the environment they inhabit.  When I began work on HITC, the artists’ studios were forcibly demolished. This informed my work with elements of doubt about society and a struggle with fate. It made my work have an insurgent temperament. Slogans such as in One Family, Demolition, Red Flag are also influenced from the environment I began creating my works in.

How do you see China’s development today?
您如何看待中国今天的崛起，发展？
答：中国的发展经济的复苏为中国赢得了国际的认可，也慢慢吸引了国际这回的重视。但是我们的发展也是有很多不如意的地方，比如贫富分化严重，环境生态破坏严重，人们盲目拜金等等社会问题，但不管怎么样，中国是在发展了，存在问题也是情理中的，我们艺术作品里表现的反思和疑虑也是在想让社会发展的更合理，更开放。  The recovery of the Chinese economy won the recognition and respect of the world. But during this period, there have also been some developments, which have proved to be negative such as polarization between the rich and the poor, environmental pollution, etc.  And people worship money blindly… no matter what, as long as China is developing, and there are some occurring problems that are seen as acceptable. The doubts and meditations in our work try to make society more open and reasonable.

Which are the greatest challenges that you face as a Chinese contemporary artist?
作为一个中国的艺术家，您觉得您面临的最大的挑战是什么？
答：在中国选择作为艺术家，等于选择了苦痛和寂寞。作为艺术家的身份，在社会上是没有你的位置的，你必须面对一无所有的处境。在中国在行为艺术作品有时候没有办法的选择。因为你除了身体，你什么也没有。身体是你最后的一张牌。所以我必须更有毅力的做我的作品。 In China, if you chose to be an artist, you have chosen paint and loneliness. As an artist, there is no position for you, and you have to face the fact that one day you will have nothing. In China, if you want to do performance art, there is no other choice. You have nothing beside your own body. Your body is the last card in your hands. So I have to have a strong mind to work as I do.

Hiding in the City No. 92- Temple of Heaven, 2010, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

What kind of reactions do you get from people walking by when you carry out your performance?
当您拍摄您作品的时候， 路人看见了，他们的反应是什么？
答：非常好奇，他们开始都不会太理解我在做什么，但，经过观察和交流后，他们都是慢慢理解我的艺术作品，这也是社会大众开始接受当代艺术的开始。 They are quite curious and at the beginning they don’t understand what I am doing, but after some discussion, they start to understand my work, and I think it is also a good start for society to accept contemporary art.
 

Is it hard for Chinese artists to gain international attention/recognition of their work?
您觉得让中国艺术家受到国际上的注意和认可是否很难？
答：这是一个很大的问题，在中国当代艺术开始之初，还是以模仿和借鉴国外为主，但随着对本国问题的关注，已经有慢慢成熟的感觉。我觉得有三点，这要做到了就会得到国际社会的认可。一，立足中中国的社会生活，现在的生活基本没有国内外之分。二是立足当代的社会思考，把反思社会当做自己的责任。三，忘记所谓的传统，因为尊重传统必定会束缚人的思考。 I know it is a big problem, as contemporary art just started to emerge in China.  We had copied and learned from abroad, but since we have started to pay more attention to the situation of our country, our art has matured. I think there are three points that if achieved we can then be totally recognized by the world. Firstly, we have to focus on Chinese society and life, as we now do not have a clear line between China and abroad. Secondly, we need to think more about modern society, and become responsible in the way we think about the situation of our lives. Thirdly, we need to put behind us some of our traditions, because in totally respecting ours traditions we limit our minds.

Hiding in the City No. 51- Road Block, 2007, © Liu Bolin
Courtesy of Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery

Solo exhibition of Liu Bolin at Eli Klein Fine Art Gallery from 29 June to 28 August 2011
462 West Broadway (between Houston and Prince) New York, NY 10012
Tel: (212) 255-4388 // Open: 7 Days, 11-7pm