Wang Chunchen

Professor and doctoral supervisor of CAFA, Critic and Curator

Gao Xiaowu's famous sculpture is the one that bends, smiles and greets. It is called "Standard Age". As its name suggests, it is an action of social customs and etiquette, which has both classical meaning (etiquette) and social greetings from modern people. Because its shape shows such a meaning, people don't need to interpret it or think abstractly. Its meaning has been internalized in this bent body language and has become an international common action.

This work "Standard Age" has become the masterpiece of Gao Xiaowu's early stage, and it is also a passage into his artistic creation. It was created at a time when China's social economy was developing at a high level after its entry into WTO. There were construction sites everywhere, and high-rise buildings rose from the ground and were vast as forests. The pace of urbanization resounds through the sky, the consumer society has taken shape, the halls and buildings are brightly lit, and the jubilation is accompanied by parties. This is almost a standardized social model at the time, and Gao Xiaowu's standardized image corresponds to the image symbol of the era: Standard Joy. Perhaps because of this era's correspondence, "Standard Age" has been pirated and sold all over the world, and it has become a "Gao Xiaowu Phenomenon". Gao Xiaowu consulted legal experts and defended artists' rights and interests, but its piracy reflects the complexity of "Gao Xiaowu Phenomenon". Piracy is an illegal act in social and economic ways and an economic crime that all countries in the world have stepped up their efforts to crack down on. The laws of all countries are strengthening the protection of artists' copyright and safeguarding artists' IP (intellectual property rights); On the other hand, "Gao Xiaowu Phenomenon" reveals how the image of art is recognized by the public and what kind of art can enter the social public sphere. The latter is precisely the core of relational aesthetics. This phenomenon reveals many characteristics of relational aesthetics pointing to the social essence from the aspects of social psychology, social desire and bad behavior. It is a common fact that works are plagiarized and pirated all over the world, but we can't show the aesthetic value and social meaning of the original work without exploring it. "Gao Xiaowu Phenomenon" confirms the public symbolic value of artistic works, the reflection of social behavior and the social criticism it triggered.

After "Standard Age" (2004), Gao Xiaowu successively created "Post-Standard Age" (2008), "British Standard" (2013) and "Strangers (Future Standard)" (2024). These works have different images, but they are all full of shapes and humorous, which makes people reflect. On the whole, Gao Xiaowu's sculpture art route is very clear: from studying sculpture in Xiamen to studying sculpture art in Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts, and then to pursuing his own personalized sculpture language, his interpretation path of sculpture art has been transformed and turned many times. As the conception of modern sculpture comes from the west, it deduces the possibilities of sculpture language and establishes the corresponding theoretical discourse. Firstly, it deconstructs the paradigm of monumental classical sculpture, thus allowing sculpture to enter the historical context of the artist as the creative subject: the pedestal of sculpture is cancelled, making the sculpture form an independent expression; From theme expression to spatial exploration and structural expression; From thematic narration to abstract exploration and then expand the scope of media. Today, students studying sculpture have experienced such a knowledge deduction and training in production of sculpture language.

This is a result of the globalization of art, or it is an inevitable artistic trend in the era of knowledge sharing. But it is also at this node that with the globalization of art, a world-wide discussion on artistic differences has been launched, involving cultural diversity, linguistic diversity, ethnic historicity and other issues. As far as art itself is concerned, its characteristics and performance cannot be single, monotonous and linear. As individuals, artists can get what they need and feel, but it is fundamentally to establish a unique artistic language and its expression. The world is spherical, not flat; The flattening theory constructs the world as a single system, and everything organizes social resources and behaviors around the commodity market. However, as a diverse life, this is not the case, and the differences between regions formed by history cannot be completely disappeared under the flat commercialization sweep. Therefore, rethinking and refuting the flat world is becoming a "Post-Globalization" topic today. At the same time, the action about the "Anti-flattening Mode of Art" is also being carried out. Naturally, the implementation of sculpture art is no longer a single clue to follow the construction of modernist sculpture, but tends to be a multi-postmodern cognitive theory.

In essence, The so-called contemporariness is a social practice aimed at modernity in different contexts, both at the political and aesthetic levels; As for the cultural context of China, it is necessary to promote diversified individualized artistic practice. Based on this cultural context, Gao Xiaowu's artistic creation closely captures the details of his own perception of life. The instantaneous perception of life is the cultural value that fits the era, and there is no need to pile up words, which is closely related to the environment in which he grew up. He has experienced Buddhism and understood the true meaning of "no words". These are the instinct of life meaning. It seems simple, but it reveals the truth of art and the pursuit of returning to the origin of life.

In view of this, let's look at Gao Xiaowu's series of works "Strangers (Future Standard)", and we will have a new understanding perspective and discussion method. It is an extension of Gao Xiaowu's continuous thinking, which has been brewing for many years, not only as an isolated work, but as a combination of actions to implement a series of social activities. If Gao Xiaowu's previous works were deeply rooted in the ground, the current series of "Strangers (Future Standard)" is a serious topic of thinking about the era of artificial intelligence. This is the reality that the world is facing now, and it will inevitably change the world today. How much impact it will have on mankind? The whole world is guessing, but it is unknown,  even pessimism is pervasive. In any case, the world of artificial intelligence is a world of "strangers", which has aroused deep concern in all fields of the world. This stranger's world welcomes an inevitable and irreversible technological revolution, and there is no doubt that human society will be changed. However, whether we can adapt to all this and cope with it is an absolute challenge, and the future of strangeness is bound to come.

This "Strangers" series created by Gao Xiaowu has a speculative consideration. It is shaped like a robot, also seems to be a mechanical combination. Its appearance draws on many contemporary AI modeling elements and creates very personal works. Its creation is very symbolic. Gao Xiaowu's plan is to implement a series of activities based on it and put it in the real public space to highlight the relationship between "strangers" and human beings-is it a replacement for human beings? Or is it a new human aid? These are questions with unknown answers. The "Strangers" like a visual presence, reminds us to be careful what we say and do. It is not known whether those strangers are enemies or friends. If the created stranger fully grasps the ability of self-replication and independent thinking, the future of mankind will be worrying, which becomes a concern of quite a few thinkers in the world.

However, all these doubts and discussions need to be implemented in the specific AI practice. Preventing problems before they happen is the wisdom of human beings. When we are surrounded by possible "strangers", we will make positive reactions. Therefore, Gao Xiaowu will begin to implement the "Strangers" action plan: on April 19th and 20th in Venice, the "Strangers" was put on a boat for a cruise, which aroused the audience's appreciation and reaction. Then, on the 21st, 22nd and 25th, they will cruise on the land. After 25th, they will return to the "Meta-Universe" exhibition hall, where artists or spectators will hold flashlights to conduct the performance of "Looking for Strangers". In this way, The "Strangers" with the image of visual presence shows that we must be active actors, not spectators. The wandering and exhibition after the birth of The "Strangers" in the world is to express the positive thinking of human beings.

It can be said that Gao Xiaowu used this group of "Strangers" to reveal that when we face the AI world, we must use actions to warn ourselves not to give up thinking and action; When we greet the AI world with more creative artistic thinking, although it is strange, it must be in the hands of human beings. 

Or, whatever you want to do, art can be used to intervene in society and start it.

Beijing, April 11th, 2024