Talks with Wei Wei
Why do you photograph?
Since my childhood, I have been exposed to traditional Chinese art education, and trained to learn painting and calligraphy. Chinese traditional art is established in a complete aesthetic system, stressing on taking the ancients as models, and adding ideological content of the new era on the basis of the existing aesthetic. But the older I got, the more I realized I liked trying some different things. The first time I came into contact with contemporary art was when I saw the work "Tianshu" by Chinese artist Xu Bing, which happened to be created on the basis of Chinese calligraphy. I was deeply shocked: calligraphy could be written in this way, and it could be interpreted in this way in the context of contemporary art. Since then, I began to understand contemporary art. Accidentally, I majored in photography in university later, so I began to take photography as my main creative medium.
What do you want to communicate with photographs?
The first is to convey personal feelings, and the second is my concern about social issues. In my opinion, the starting point of all photography is from the heart of the photographer. Photography is a mirror for me. I learn the world through myself, and also know myself through the world in photos.
How important is the use of digital or the use of analog for you?
Whether I shoot with a digital camera or by film, what I rely on is the course itself releasing the shutter to form the image. Most of my current works are related to the matters in information age, so I also choose digital camera. To my point of view, it doesn't matter in what way, it depends on personal using habits and the context of the work.
What made you choose to continue towards the use of photography in your past?
As I have received a lot of technical training, I unconsciously observe things around me with a photographic eye. I know what the final picture looks like even without taking out my camera most of the time. I have a lot of faith in my intuition, and photography is just the art of intuition.
How important is your location for the development of your photographic projects and how do you benefit from it?
I was born in China, and the culture and many things here have directly influenced my thinking and creation. First of all, culturally speaking, the core content of Chinese culture is "Doctrine of the Mean", which means to position oneself in a middle position, not to see the world in an extreme perspective, and not to put oneself in an extreme situation. To some extent, this helps me to observe things more objectively, not to judge things easily, and to be more tolerant to the diversity of the world, and to accept and understand different opinions of others. In terms of social environment, China is in a period of rapid development, which may not be experienced in many developed countries. Our hometown may be greatly changed that no one can recognize it every few years, and people's living habits shall also change accordingly, only leaving an empty and ethereal memory for home. But that's not a bad thing. This kind of social situation has bred a lot of artists to think about the relationship between our environment and individuals, including me. It's not just a way for me to perceive the world. It's a part of my blood. Every choice I make, even my destiny, has been connected to it.
How do you think photography can develop with the current stage of COVID19?
I think COVID19 has changed photography. As far as I know, there are some artists selling their works directly through the Internet. I guess the later development will make photography more private and personal, and the artists will find some kind of collective connection.
What impact has living in quarantine had on your life and how have you responded in developing your artistic processes?
During the period of quarantine, I lived alone at home for two months, when I did not meet anyone or communicate with anyone. My personality could be considered as tolerant of loneliness, so the quarantine had no direct impact on me. But it was an opportunity for self-reflection, and I had to do things I'd never done before to make a living and pass the time. It was so common that almost everyone stopped working and found ways to fight against boredom. I did a self-portrait project called Outer Experience. I painted a picture of my face in the mirror every day, and then collected them so that I could see all the changes I had made during my isolation. This is my response to the epidemic: Our self-knowledge is often based on the outside world's judgment on us. How much left do we know about ourselves without the influence of the outside world?
How do you perceive yourself through photographs? What role do self-portraits take in this world where 99% of people are used to looking at themselves constantly?
Reading pictures of oneself is actually a very difficult thing. I can't see clearly who I am through the pictures. But I can build a dialogue with myself through the photos, and sometimes I can understand my own weakness. As you say, most people are used to looking at themselves constantly, that is because self-awareness is more important now than ever before. Self-portrait is a very direct way to describe oneself, which is a means for artists to highlight their own "existence". Its role is not only a personal expression, but also to establish a macro vision of the creator's, connect with the audience, voice in the tide of The Times, find their own and collective positioning in the era.
When you look back at images you've taken in the past what feelings do you have?
Very simple and pure……very good and beautiful……very young and spring
Do you photograph or have you often photographed your parents? How do you deal with situations where relationships are very close? And how do they react as subjects?
I've never taken a picture of my parents, and they don't even know what I'm doing. In China, parents of this generation do not know much about the medium of photography. They only think that photography can be used as a journalist or to take wedding photos. But I always take pictures of my friends, and they easily understand my idea and shall embrace it.
If I tell you Photographic Illiteracy?
Each medium has its own defects of expression, which, in my opinion, are just part of its charm.
In what countries have you sought your fortune or simply sought another point of view?
I follow Japanese photographers a lot, and I've been influenced a little bit. For example, Suda Isseiand Hiroshi Sugimoto, they do not emphasize concept more, but pay attention to the visual feeling of the photo itself. Their pictures are calm, mysterious and infectious.
How has your passion for photography been shaped and contextualized?
When I first went to college, my father gave me a camera as a birthday gift. At the beginning, I would take a camera with me to take pictures everywhere. Although I was aimless, I accumulated a lot of photos. Then I gradually organized the photos, published some, and also got some good reputation. It's important to surround yourself with friends and peers in your industry who encourage each other, and your enthusiasm will fade away without their approval.
In this time in history where photographs fill our lives, how do you get in touch with their physicality and materiality?
I often buy albums of photographs, and will print and frame them, and swap them with friends. Paper photos are completely different from the ones on the screen. When you hold a photo that feels tactile and thick, it will have a completely different feeling.
Are there colors, lights or tones that you are particularly drawn to?
All natural colors attract me. I also use flash sometimes, and the surreal light also can create a psychedelic and romantic atmosphere.
Your photographs evoke with a very strong subtlety, silent emotions. When you are about to take a picture, do you feel some kind of hidden energy, a sort of mystery?
Yeah, sometimes I see an object and it immediately resonates with me, seeming that the scene had never been presented to me before but it suddenly appeared. It's like an electric current in the ground, making your hair stand on end, unable to move forward. I realized, this is what I want!
Are you working on new projects, research? Can you tell us about them?
My new project is still relevant to the information age, and I drew on screenshots from video chats with friends. This is my feedback on the cheap nature of today's images, while retaining the nature of real-time and interactivity of video chat. What I want to discuss is the relationship between the nature of images and the information age.
Would you be willing to publish an independent fanzine with our project?
My pleasure!
Wei Wei