小心子弹！——关于小米的《雇佣军》系列
——砰！砰！
——小心！
照片中飞来子弹，美丽的女战士瞄准了你，手中握枪。她们强健而迷人的身姿无处不在，无论是城市还是乡村，都是她们正待占领的地方。由快餐文化哺育的一代，是真的英姿飒爽，还是外强中干？在艺术家充满动感的图象中，细致地流露出她们眼中闪过的一丝脆弱和迷惘。然而，侵略已成惯性，文化战争就如同日常游戏，激烈的战况剥夺了她们反思的时光。她们已经登陆，她们正破窗而出。进攻已经发起，任何人都无法逃离战场。子弹已经上膛，每个人都面临艰难抉择，是束手就擒还是奋力抵抗？
小米的《雇佣军》系列，正像迎着观众而来的一颗子弹，以强烈的视觉张力击中了我们。由下而上的视点突出了雇佣军们充满活力的肢体和动作，对阴影的有意消除使得画面显得明亮饱满，照片中自然流露出一股震慑人心的气势。然而仔细看看这刚强有力的画面，又会发觉另一种复杂的层次，那是美丽之下的一丝忧伤。请仔细凝视她们的眼睛，硬朗的肌肉下会找到她们内心的虚弱和不安。也许没有人是真正愿意站在这战场上的，只是一股强大的文化惯性使然。以一种女艺术家特有的细腻和对生命深度的体会，小米使她的雇佣军们在全金属外壳下荡漾着动人的情感波澜，同时也给予了她们还有放下武器、改变立场的可能性和内心力量。阳刚之气的勃发和脆弱忧郁的柔情被巧妙地糅合在了同一个画面中，正是这微妙而丰富的层次感使得观众不由自主地卷入其中，心甘情愿地做它的俘虏。
很难回避艺术家向我们射来的这颗子弹。因为在这似真似幻的超现实画面中，却反映了我们生活的深层现实。随着全球化大生产的加速，伴随着跨国资本运作而来的各种文化宣传无孔不入。为了获取更大的商业利益，跨国资本正在利用文化进行更为隐蔽的推销。在现代社会，很大程度上人们是通过所消费的物品来定义自身的。因此，当那些商品与一种生活方式的选择紧密联系在一起时，我们也就会频繁地一直消费下去。而以汉堡薯条为象征物的快餐文化，在不知不觉中已经成为了新一代的精神食粮。没有硝烟的文化之战每天上演，雇佣军的枪林弹雨织成了密不透风的网，下一个中弹的是你还是他？艺术家敏锐地质疑着我们生存的这一困境，进而对人们提出问题：如何勇敢面向这挑战，重新出发去创造我们的新文化？这凌厉的追问如同子弹一样直击每个人的内心深处，引发一阵阵思考的波澜。
颇有意味地是，艺术家选择了影像这一方式来进行表达，尽情释放她内心的激情和深刻的反思。这固然与她在美术学院学习摄影专业有关，但更多地是因为她敏锐地察觉到了她所表达的主题与摄影这种媒介之间有一种浑然天成的契合。我们今天所处的高度商业化的时代，同时也是一个讯息万变的图象时代。或者，借用法国哲学家鲍德里亚的术语，是一个“拟像”时代。吸引和影响了消费者的，往往不是商品本身，而是关于物的图象。在各种媒体上，每天都有海量的视觉图象冲刷过我们的大脑，进行种种心理暗示，从而改变着我们的行为方式和思维结构。影像，因为其看似真实的特性成为快餐文化推行其文化策略的最重要手段。但是，我们不能忘记的是在冰冷的单眼机器背后，仍然有人类的眼睛和心灵，正是我们看待事物的目光决定了影像呈现出何种模样。在这种意义上，小米正是以其看似荒诞的艺术影像作为子弹，来对抗和揭露消费文化中那种看似真实的虚伪影像。事实上，已经有越来越多的艺术家关注影像这种表达方式，并借此进行创作。因为针对我们所处的图象时代，影像是最易被接受的表达方式，同是也是一种最尖锐的批判武器。打开电视或其它媒体，人们往往觉得自己就掌握了整个真实世界。但艺术家的影像提醒我们，那不过是种错觉。透过艺术家的镜头，它引导人们关注那些被大众媒体刻意隐瞒的黑暗角落，那光鲜亮丽背后还有残酷的一面；同时以刻意制造的荒诞效果对看似真实的影像进行反讽，从而到达了一种真正的深层现实。
每个不认识小米的人都会感到惊讶，在她温和的外表之下，居然创作出了如此生猛有力的照片。与时下那些琐碎、感伤的个人自白式的作品有所不同，她的《雇佣军》系列不仅蕴含着深刻的社会批判，而且洋溢着一股青年人特有的蓬勃朝气，一种创造未来的信心，一种勇往直前的冲劲。无论观众对身旁的文化危机作何态度，艺术家已经以明朗的姿态大声做出自己的回答。那就是不盲从，不屈服，走自己的路，独立做自己的判断，用自己的双手创造出一种充满生机的青年文化与之对抗。照片中的战争没有终结的迹象，而生活中的战斗正要开始。艺术家自信地微笑着，要以她的艺术为子弹，颠覆快餐文化的统治，并以她充满张力的图像唤起一阵久违的青春狂想，在观众心中荡漾。因此，如果你将去看米玉明的作品展，请小心子弹！
曳白
2008年3月
The bullets! Be careful!--about the series of Employ Army by Xiaomi
——Peng! Peng!
——be careful!
There flies bullets from the pictures and the beautiful women soldiers target you with guns in their hands. Everywhere are their strong and charming figures, from the city to the villages, where they want to occupy. The generation brought up by the mass culture is really strong or just seemingly strong? A sense of weakness and confusion is vividly revealed in the dynamic pictures by the artists. However, invasion has been an inertial force, and cultural wars happen like daily games, what is more, intense war has deprived them of the time of reflection.The soldiers of mass culture have landed, or they are breaking through the window. The war has started and nobody is able to escape from the battle field. As the bullet has been installed, everybody must make their own decision, whether to yield or to resist.
The series of Employ Army by Xiaomi, like a bullet, hit us through the strongly visual effects. The viewpoints from the bottom to the top highlight the body and gesture of the employ army and the erasing of the shadows make the whole picture brighter and fuller, naturally providing a feeling of overwhelming for the picture. Nevertheless, looking into the unyielding pictures, another perplexing sense can be found that is a little of sadness under the beauty. Stare at their eyes, please.And you will find out inner weakness and uneasiness under the fit muscle. Maybe noone is willing to be in the battle field, and it is just the power of custom. Through the particular fine sense and the understanding of life depth, Xiaomi reveals the moving emotion behind the mental covering and meanwhile, offers them the possibility and strength to dismantle the weapons and change their attitudes. The virility and week and gloomy sentiment gentleness are technically integrated into one picture; it is which that makes the audience attracted, willing to be captured by the pictures.
You will be shot by the shootsi of Xiaomi, because that the seemingly super real pictures actually reflect the deep reality of our life. As the acceleration of the globalization, various kinds of culture penetrate due to the international capital cooperation. In order to achieve the biggest profit, the international capitals conduct a more secret promotion in the name of culture. In modern society, to a great sense, people define themselves in accordance to the goods they consume. Therefore, when the goods are closely connected with one living way, we will frequently and continuously consume them. The mass culture, mainly characterized by hamburgers has become the spiritual food of the new generation before we took notice of it. In the cultural war without smoke, we can not tell who will be attacked by the employed army. Artists sensitively doubt the dilemma and put forward such a question: how to confront such a challenge and restart to create our new culture? The intensive question comes like a bullet into everybody’s deep heart, arousing a thinking storm.
What is interesting is the artists choose cameras to express their enthusiasms and profound reflection. The reason why she chooses camera is not only because she majored in camera department in the school of fine arts, but also because she sensitively senses the similarity between the theme she wants to express and the camera as a medium. We are in a highly commercial society which is also filled with changing pictures. Or rather, it is a society of “Simulations”, an item by French philosopher Boddalia. What attract consumers often are the pictures about the goods rather than the goods themselves. Everyday, there are a sea of pictures come into our mind, give us psychological hints, which thereafter changes our way of behavior and thinking pattern. Pictures, due to their seemingly real characteristic, become the most important way to promote the fast culture. However, we shall never forget that behind the one-eye camera, there are people’s eyes and minds, which are critical in deciding the appearance of the pictures in our mind. In this sense, Xiaomi takes the illusive art pictures as bullets to confront and reveal the illusive pictures in the seemingly real pictures. In fact, a large number of the artists pay more attention to and adopt cameras as an express medium on the increase. That is because in this pictoral time, images are the easiest way to be accepted and the sharpest weapon for criticism. When people turn on the TV or other media, they feel they have entered the real world, but the artists warn us that this is just an illusion. Through the camera of the artists, we notice the dark corner intensely hidden by the mass media and the cruel side behind the colorful side. At the same time, they intend to create the effect of absurdity to cast irony on the seemingly real pictures, therefore to achieve the deep reality.
People unfamiliar with Xiaomi will all be astounded by her violent picture, a total opposition to her gentle appearance. Different from the current writings that are concentrated in personal trivial and sensitiveness, her series of Employed Army not only embodies a profound criticism on the society but also denotes young people’s unique vagueness, confidence in creating a bright future, and momentum. The artists have gestured to speak out their answer loudly no matter what responds people make to the cultural crisis. That is, not to follow blindly, not to yield, but to wage through our own way, judge independently, and create a vigorous youth culture to fight against it. There seems no hind of ending of the wars in the pictures while the battle of life is beginning soon. The artist smiles with confidence, who want to make arts as the bullets to turn over the rule of fast culture and use the pictures to arouse a thinking storm in the audience. Therefore, if you want to go to the display of Mi Yuming, be careful of the bullets!
Ye Bai
March, 2008
就是SPACE
就是SPACE——艺术家联盟俱乐部，通过与各方美术馆、艺术机构、艺术学院和收藏机构的合作，从而得以在北京798艺术区展示来自中国本土及海外艺术家、特别是新锐艺术家的作品。
我们不拘泥于特定的艺术风格，每年定期组织六到八个个人展览，并在每年岁末举办就是SPACE画廊艺术家联展。我们除定期对外推出展览外，还承担了一些中外文化交流活动的中介职能，学术与经营兼顾。通过不定期地邀请知名策划人在我们画廊策划专题艺术活动，进行视角独特的高水准交学术流，来向海内外观众、藏家介绍当代艺术。这个艺术空间坐落在聚集了众多艺术家工作室、知名画廊、俱乐部的北京东北部798大山子艺术区。
#8503, Dashanzi798,No.4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang Dst.,Beijing 100015, P.R. China
北京市朝阳区大山子酒仙桥路4号，798艺术区中一街D区（北京8503信箱）邮编: 100015
Ph. 电话：8610-8456 0467
Fax 传真：8610-8456 2987
E-mail： 94space@163.com
开放时间：星期二-星期五12pm - 5:30pm星期六-星期日10 am – 6pm
Gallery Open Time: Tuesday –Friday,12pm - 5:30pm Saturday –Sunday, 10 am– 6pm
"JIU SHI SPACE" GALLERY
JIU SHI SPACE - Artist Union club, cooperate with art gallery ,art institution and art academy, to show local chinese and overseas artis' works,especially for the pioneering artists.
We obtain different art styles .There will be six or eight solo exhibitions each year organized by us. In gallery we will inaugurate a group show of JIU SHI SPACE artists at the end of the year . This gallery,besides providing regular exhibition, plays the role of the agency for China and foreign's cultural communication activities, who pays attention to both learning and running. We aperiodically invites well-known masterminders to mastermind kinds of feature art activities to make academical communication from unique perspective,and introduces contemporary art to the viewers at China and abroad, collectors .This art space situated at 798 Dashanzi region of Chaoyang District in the northeast of Beijing, where is a pool of many artists' studios、well-known galleries、clubs .
现代帝国的军粮
我感谢上帝让我穿上了艺术的衣装
我可以选择我的军粮
我可以独自上路,握紧相机当是我的机枪
在路上
可以边听音乐边对着建筑物跳舞
也可以记下梦魇时刻的色彩来装扮我的戎装
人类社会从粗鄙的原始迈向文明有序
是大生产的车轮在奔驰推进
地球也悄然间换上了缤纷绚烂的新衣
每个现代帝国的居民在此攻坚防守！
从前文人墨客笔下的超然以结实的碾在社会大潮的轮下
当然“这不是悲剧，也不是世界末日”(塞巴斯蒂安.夏尔)
快来参加现代帝国的大战吧！
战况紧锣密鼓
帝国的战士已出生，长大
他们奋战于各行各业
他们独舞强劲！
摇曳的身姿是令人羡慕的肌肉
或是烦恼不堪的肥胖身躯
但每个战士的血液里流淌的是惊人相似的合成的油脂
人本是何？已无所知！
他们否定前人！对未来却并不乐观！
现代帝国强大?!繁荣!?日新月异?!
2008 我们出走,寻找军粮！
“干物女,御宅族,第三性别人……”都休息一下吧
我们的战役需要重新整装待发
脱下艺术的衣装
我不甘苟同,不愿沉思
有时糊涂过活,倒是可以闲暇一下疲倦的自己！
“闲暇是为了欢娱”(某设计师语)
欢娱乃人之本－本能之本,本位之本！
小米
Military Provision of Modern Empire
Thank God for dressing art garment to me
Freely, I can choose the military provision for me
Alone, I start off, holding tightly the camera as my gun
On the way, I
May listen to the music while dance to the buildings
May adorn the military dress with the colors of nightmare moment
Human society enter orderly civilization from boorish barbarism
Rumble, rumble, here move ahead the wheel of production
Quietly, the earth changes into the splendid new dress
Firmly, every inhabitant safeguards and assaults here for modern empire
The detachment under the pen of the former men of letters rolled solidly over the wheel of social tides
Surely, “It is not a tragedy, neither the end of the world” (Sebstine. Sharle)
Come on! Be in the battle of modern empire!
The battle hardens as the drum sounds higher and higher.
The soldiers of the empire have been born, grown up…
They fight in all walks of life
Sole-dancing vigorously!
Shaking bodies are the enviable muscles
Or the annoying fat figures
However, there flowing the astonishingly similar synthetic greasy in everyone soldiers’ blood
What is man? No feature known!
They deny those who have gone, while dishonor the future!
Is modern empire powerful?! Prosperous?! Developing all the time?!
In 2008, we decide to go and look for the military provision!
“Those women without sentiments, men of noble birth, people with the third sex……”, please all come to be the normal
Our battle requires new equipments to move on
Undress the art garment
I am unwilling to follow the foot of others as well as to reflect
Sometimes seemingly confused is able to relax our tired bodies!
“Leisure is for entertainment” (by a designer)
Entertainment is the essence of human beings---the essence of instinct, the essence of ego!
Xiaomi
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