展览评论-艺亭 — THE BUNKER

The Historic strategy of “Hope”

by Zhu Tara

I visited Xin Yunpeng’s solo art project “Hope” at The Bunker on the last day of his exhibition. According to Peng xiaoyang, the founder of The Bunker, it only took a month to actualize the whole project, from discussion to implementation.

Different from most art spaces, The Bunker is strictly positioned in “locality”. Given the unique historical background of the site as the former Duan Qirui Government building, all exhibitions must be associated with the site geographically, spatially, historically and conceptually.

The Bunker is one of the few pure conceptual art spaces in Beijing.

The core prop of Hope is the coin issued by the former USSR in 1924, which can be seen on the poster for the exhibition.

This exhibition discusses the March 18 Massacre (also called the 3.18 Incident) which happened in 1926.

“On March 18, a demonstration of about five thousands people led by Li Dachao, gathered in front of the Tiananmen Gate to protest against the ultimatum. When the parade passed through the Beijing Iron Lion Hutong government and the State Council, the guards fired without warnings and casued more than 200 casualties...” (Shun Pao, March 20, 1926)

The “Iron lion hutong government” mentioned in the newspaper is the government formed under Duan Qirui, the head offices of which where located where The Bunker currently stands. It is said that Duan Qirui himself knew nothing about the gunshot and the head of his government’s armed forces gave the instruction solely on his own.

Along with all the petitions, government suppressions, public debates and redistribution of power...the regime of Duan Qirui collapsed 20 days .after the incident.

This history, which often rests on its emotion appeal, is casts in a new perspective through Xin Yunpeng’s artworks.

He gazes beyond the brutal fight and highlights instead a pair of hands that exist behind the blood.

Hope is not a complicated exhibition. The four rooms are in chronological order which generates a specific psychological impact.

Three sets of works are divided into four different rooms. A pair of video footage is placed in two rooms where the beginning of the footage corresponds to the end: behind is a scene of hesitation and a coin appears in the other screen. Another installation is the pulled out audiotape of Adoll’s House, the tape goes along with the wall and forms a hoop. In the last room of the show, the red lips recite the Communist Manifesto in Russian.

That pair of hands is the USSR, indicated by the coin.

At the beginning of 1920s, under the guidance of Lenin, the newly established USSR focused on China’s political situation and aimed to establish alliances with the Chinese Republic.

Historical sources revealed that the USSR provided support and aid to the Chinese Communist Party, the Kuomintang and the warlords at the same time.

·From June to July 1924, the Fifth Congress of the Communist International was held in Moscow. Representatives from China including Li Dazhou, Wang Hebo and Luo Zhanglong attended the congress.
The leader of the Communist International endorsed China to join the Kuomintang but demanded an absolute independence in negotiation.

· Between 1924 and 1925, the USSR provided financial aid to China included the construction of the Whampoa Military Academy and KMT Central Bank. At the end of 1924, tremendous sponsorships were also offered in weapons and aircrafts.

· On September 23, 1925, a vast amount of arms, aircraft and gas bomb was sent to Feng Yuxiang as a gift from the USSR .

As shown Xin Yunpeng’s first video, a pair of hands with black mud rubbing a coin repeatedly and cautiously choosing who is the next to be put the coin in. It might be delivered to every possible partner.

To deal with massive historical details, archaeological restoration is one strategy. Xin Yunpeng throws an eye into the historical narrative and lets the eye wander. The eye has later been retrieved to see what has yet to be rewritten by history and what still remains today.

Only few can hold and obtain the coins while most are controlled by the coins. Seeing the movement of this coin calls forth a retrospection of history.

A Doll’s House and the last room associate the exhibition with women’s issues.

All of these appeared in front of my eyes... Liu Hezhen, Nora, Zhao Si, Dong Qiuyue, the aunts who dance in the square, the mothers in well-off families, the second generation of the returnees and Sabrina Meng...

The 140th year of A Doll’s House was written.

The 93rd year of Liu Hezhen was shot to death in 3.18 Incident.

The 91st year of Miss Zhao Si went to Zhang Xueliang.

The 82nd year of Dong Qiuyue arrived in Yan’an.

Most women have forgotten what they have done.

The freedom that Nora pursued, justice safeguarded by Liu Hezhen, the romance that Zhao Si fought for and the revolution that Dong Qiuyue devoted herself to... All of these are taken for granted in today seemingly peaceful, well-off and free society.

The cage that a generation of women finally broke through has now locked again by another generation of women.

People always wanted to break the tangible hard cage but paid no attention to the soft invisible cage.

In Hope, tapes are pulled out and scattered all over the floor. Ultimately, all is closed.

The human nature of amnesia, foolishness, obedience and profit seeking are something that cannot be changed by history.There has been a long time since people read “In Memory of Miss Liu Hezhen”.

Unfortunately, this young lady who dared to fight with the headmaster and the authority, and whose death evoked Lu Xun’s fury did not change much of the history.

“In Memory of Miss Liu Hezhen”, Lu Xun wrote:

“I am never afraid to speculate Chinese from the worst angle. But, this time I have to say I am surprised in how ugly things could get. First is the savageness of the authority. Second, the rumors are so despicable.
Last, the incredibly calm reaction among Chinese women in facing a plight like this.

I have witnessed how Chinese women work since last year. True, it is only a few, but, look at their persistence and determination. These qualities never cease to amaze me. Today, They sacrificed themselves to save others. Despite a thousand years of repression on Women, the genuine merits of Chinese women manifested today.

Hope could be faintly seen in the reddish blood of the survivors, as tiny as it might be, a true warrior would fight bravely.”

The sincerity of Lu Xun is still unsettling, even though 93 years have passed.

《希望》的历史策略

文 / 艺亭

展览最后一天，在“掩体” 看了辛云鹏的《希望》。空间创办人彭晓阳说，艺术家从讨论方案到实施完成，只用了差不多一个月。

与大多数艺术空间不同，“掩体”定位于严格的“在地性”，即所有展览必须与“掩体”这个位于北京段祺瑞执政府院内曾经的地下防御工事的地理属性、空间属性、历史属性、观念属性相连。

掩体是北京为数不多的，纯粹的观念艺术空间之一。

《希望》的核心道具，是海报上那一枚前苏联在 1924 年发行的法定货币。

《希望》并不复杂，4 个房间在观看时有时间顺序，观看后形成心理的共时。

4 个房间被分成三组作品。一对视频放在两个房间，被设定为首尾相接:身后的犹疑时，身前的硬币显现;一个装置是《玩偶之家》的磁带被扯出来，沿墙贴合围成死环;最后的房间里，一个女人艳红的嘴唇，用俄语朗读《共产党宣言》。

硬币指出，那双手是苏联。

展览讨论的是 1926 年的“3.18 事件”。

“3 月 18 日，北京群众五千余人，由李大钊主持，在天安门集会抗议，要求拒绝八国通牒。当学生游行队伍到北京铁狮子胡同执政府和国务院门前请愿时，执政府卫队在不加任何警告的情况下，向请愿队伍实弹射击，顿时血肉横飞，段祺瑞政府竟下令开枪，当场打死 47人，200 余人受伤。北京昨各界调查、为卫队击死者、男屍有姓氏十九名、黄日葵、宋昭世、时长福、陈桂生、王庆馀、赵从愚......”(1926 年 3 月 20 日《申报》)

这里说的“铁狮子胡同执政府”就是“掩体”所在的段祺瑞执政府。据说段祺瑞本人当时并不知情，开枪的指令由执政府卫队长发出。

随后民众请愿，政府镇压，各界奔走，舆论沸腾，权力再分配......20 天后，段祺瑞执政府垮台。

这一极易被简单影射、简单愤怒的历史，被辛云鹏找到了另外的角度。

他抓出来明争后面的暗斗，看到鲜血后面的另一双手。

1920 年代初，刚刚成立的苏联在列宁有关民族和殖民地问题理论的指导下，把关注中国政局、在中国寻找可以联合的政治盟友，作为这一时期共产国际对华工作的重点。

史料显示了苏联对于中国共产党、国民党政权和冯玉祥军阀力量几乎同时的试探与扶持。 ·1924 年 6-7 月，共产国际第五次代表大会在莫斯科召开，中国共产党的李大钊、王荷波、罗章龙等代表出席了大会。共产国际领导人曼努意斯基支持中国共产党加入国民党，但要求在同国民党上层谈判时，必须保持彻底而绝对的独立性。

·1924 至 1925 年间，前苏联援建黄埔军校 300 万卢布，援建国民党中央银行 1000 余万卢布。

1924 年年底，赞助黄埔军校飞机 9 架、以及数量庞大的大炮、机枪、步枪、弹药等。

·1925 年 9 月 23 日，前苏联送给冯玉祥部国民一军价值约 350 万卢布的军火，飞机 10 架;国民二军价值 700 万卢布军火，飞机 10 架;国民三军价值 300 万卢布的军火;另调拨价值 74 万卢布的毒气弹。

就像辛云鹏第一组视频中，一双指甲中粘着黑泥的手在身后反复掂量着一枚硬币，心思缜密的选择将硬币放到谁的手中，或者，放到每一个可能的合谋者手中。

应对庞大的历史细节，一种策略是考古式的复原;辛云鹏则在历史中放进去一只眼，让这只眼睛看见的，在 2019 年冬天的冷风中再投出来什么没有被历史改变:

拿着硬币和得到硬币的都是绝对少数，被这硬币的走向牵扯命运的却是绝大多数。看见这个硬币动作的，算着历史的数。

《玩偶之家》与最后一个房间让我将这个展览与女性的议题相连。

刘和珍、娜拉、赵四、董秋月...... 广场舞阿姨、小康之家指点婚姻与生育的妈妈......海归二代、一诺、孟晚舟，都在我眼前浮现。

《玩偶之家》被写出来第 140 年;

刘和珍在“318 事件”中被枪杀第 93 年;

赵四小姐去投奔了张学良的第 91 年;

太原友仁中学女学生董秋月到达延安的第 82 年。

她们做过的，已经被大多数女人忘却。

娜拉追求的自由，刘和珍维护的正义，赵四争取的爱情，董秋月投奔的革命。在看似太平、小康、自由、温暖的生活里，被认为是理所应当，而不被珍惜。

一代女人们好不容易打开的笼子，被另一代女人又关上。

硬的笼子让人总想打破，隐形软丝的笼子却让人不知远离。

在《希望》里，扯出来的磁带条散落一地，最终封闭。

人性的健忘、愚蠢、从众、逐利，都是不会随着历史改变的东西。

很多人都很久没有再读过《纪念刘和珍君》。

那个 20 岁的时候就敢于和校长斗、和教育局斗，并在手握校旗中弹后让鲁迅出离愤怒的女性，并没有随着历史而成为多数。

《纪念刘和珍君》里，鲁迅写道:“我向来是不惮以最坏的恶意来推测中国人的。但这回却很有几点出于我的意外。一是当局者竟会这样地凶残，一是流言家竟至如此之下劣，一是中国的女性临难竟能如是之从容。

我目睹中国女子的办事，是始于去年的，虽然是少数，但看那干练坚决，百折不回的气概，曾经屡次为之感叹。至于这一回在弹雨中互相救助，虽殒身不恤的事实，则更足为中国女子的勇毅，虽遭阴谋秘计，压抑至数千年，而终于没有消亡的明证了。倘要寻求这一次死伤者对于将来的意义，意义就在此罢。

苟活者在淡红的血色中，会依稀看见微茫的希望;真的猛士，将更奋然而前行。”

鲁迅的真情，穿透到 93 年后的现在，仍能震得人坐立不宁。