The Archives launched its third work project, NIGHT SCHOOL NIGHT SCHOOL, on May 23rd, after the successive launch of the Warm Up and Archive Box projects.
In the initial phase of the program, four modules were planned: “Conversations”, “Workshops”, “Sharing Sessions” and “Special Projects”. The four units of the program are designed to build a targeted and efficient learning community through a variety of working methods. The “Dialogue” unit is to discuss academic theories and hot issues in the field of performance art through dialogues between a number of guests, and to provide multi-level and multi-angle analysis and interpretation. The “Workshop” will invite senior tutors from home and abroad to conduct short-term teaching practice of performance art, and hold a report exhibition after the completion of the class. The “Sharing Session” is to observe and discuss important materials and documents related to performance art activities and works. “Special projects” refers to some exchange activities organized and implemented in a targeted manner, such as the special project ‘Chatting into a Book (tentative name)’, which will participate in the first book exhibition of A4 Luhu Art Museum in the near future.
On May 23rd, the first phase of “Night School” was launched with “Conversation”, with the themes of “What is Night School” and “Can Performance Art be taught”, which are also the topics of the “Night School” project after its launch. These are also the first questions we have to face after the launch of the project. The three artists, Sun Haili, Wang Ximan, and Zhou Bin, will gradually clarify and sort out their knowledge of this question through their dialogues and discussions with the audience.
On June 10th, the Archives and Yixin Yiyi jointly launched the second edition of Night School. We watched the documentary “Marina Abramovic: The Artist is Fresent” in the form of a “sharing session”. Although this artist, known as the “mother of performance art”, is widely known, she is mostly remembered in fragments, and this documentary gives us a chance to know her better.
The film centers on the preparatory work for the artist’s personal creative project “The Artist is Present” at the Museum of Modern Art MOMA in New York, the United States, and purposefully reviews the artist’s early different stages of her creative state, important works and life encounters, and clearly and quickly sorted out and presented the creative method and clues of the works of this artist who is one of the most influential artists in the history of performance art. In the movie, we can experience her determination, vulnerability, hesitation and uncertainty …… A real, simple, vivid and full Marina Abramovic is presented in front of everyone. Even if you are familiar with her, during the process of watching the movie, you will sigh more than once and be moved more than once.
The nearly 20 people who attended the sharing session included artists, critics, curators, scholars, professors, and media people. After watching the movie, we didn’t arrange the discussion according to our previous expectation. One reason is that for this familiar artist, everyone should be more willing to quietly reminisce and adjust their own perceptions. Another reason is that the attraction of drinking and chatting and listening to music on the rooftop of a building on a clear night after a rainy day is just too great. After all, one of the attractions of art lies in honoring perception and going with it.
Let’s end with a quote from Abramovich :
”Joy does not teach us anything, however, pain, suffering and obstacles transform us and make us better and stronger, while making us realize the vital importance of living in the present moment.”
