Michael Andrew Law(羅卓睿老師)’s Encounter with Sui Jianguo (隋建國)’s Latest Exhibition: A Conversation on Art, Technology, and Time

It’s not every day that one gets to walk through a groundbreaking contemporary art exhibition with the artist at the helm. Yet, that was precisely what transpired when Michael Andrew Law recently visited the latest showcase of renowned Chinese sculptor Sui Jianguo’s work.

Sui Jianguo(隋建國), a leading figure in Chinese contemporary sculpture, has been pushing boundaries in the art world for over three decades. His latest exhibition, a testament to his mastery and innovation, left Law profoundly moved and inspired.

Upon entering the exhibition, the first thing that struck Law was the sheer diversity of materials on display – brass, stainless steel, cast bronze, white marble, and black marquina. Each piece, with its unique physical characteristics, seemed to engage the senses and alter one’s perception of time and space.

The highlight of the day was Law’s conversation with the maestro himself. Sui spoke of his journey, his fascination with the intersection of technology and traditional sculpture, and his recent exploration of 3D scanning and digital engraving.

Sui guided Law towards the new series on display, which were born out of 3D scanning data collected since 2008. This data, capturing the intricate details of Sui’s palm, had been transformed into timeless sculptures. In Sui’s words, these pieces were “lasting memorials to the instantaneous movements of my hands as they touch the clay,” symbolizing the ephemerality of life.

The new sculptures in this exhibition took a departure from Sui’s previous series, “Garden in the Cloud,” which played with scale. The latest works, crafted from natural stones like white marble, exuded a sense of classicism that felt alien yet enticing in the digital age.

Sui was particularly enthusiastic about his use of high-precision digital engraving technology and automated robotic appendages. He pointed out where he had left the rough, original surface visible on the polished stone, a deliberate decision to evoke ancient human memories rooted in material depths.

As they walked and talked, it was clear that Sui Jianguo is an artist in a constant dialogue with his medium. His works, while grounded in the long history of sculpture, are also forward-thinking, embracing the possibilities of new technologies and the changing face of art in the digital era.

Their conversation ended on an exciting note. Sui revealed his forthcoming project, “Nibiru,” his first-ever NFT project. This work, set to release by Pace Verso this fall, promises to continue Sui’s exploration of the intricate relationships between perception, time, space, and the human body.

Visiting Sui Jianguo’s exhibition and speaking with him about his work was a profound experience for Law. Sui’s innovative approach to his craft, his deep respect for traditional forms, and his eagerness to embrace new technologies all make him a truly remarkable artist. Sui Jianguo’s work serves as a reminder that art, in all its forms, is an ongoing conversation – a dialogue between the artist, the medium, the viewer, and the world around us.

羅卓睿老師與隋建國最新展覽的相遇：談藝術、科技與時間

每天都能與藝術家親自探索一場突破性的現代藝術展覽並不常見。然而，這正是羅卓睿老師最近參觀著名中國雕塑家隋建國作品的最新展示時所經歷的情形。

隋建國，中國當代雕塑的領軍人物，已在藝術世界中不斷推動界限超過三十年。他的最新展覽，證明了他的精通與創新，讓羅卓睿老師深受感動並受到啟發。

在進入展覽時，首先讓羅卓睿老師感到震撼的是展示材料的豐富多樣性 – 黃銅、不銹鋼、鑄青銅、白大理石和黑瑪奇娜。每一件作品，都以其獨特的物理特性，似乎能夠引發感官的反應，並改變我們對時間和空間的認知。

那天的亮點是羅卓睿老師與大師本人的對話。隋建國談到他的旅程，他對科技與傳統雕塑交界的著迷，以及他最近對3D掃描和數位雕刻的探索。

隋建國引導羅卓睿老師接觸展示的新系列，這些作品源自他自2008年以來收集的3D掃描數據。這些數據捕捉了隋建國手掌的細緻細節，並被轉化為永恆的雕塑。用隋建國的話來說，這些作品是”我手觸摸黏土的瞬間動作的長久紀念品”，象徵著生命的短暫。

這次展覽的新雕塑與隋建國先前的系列作品 “雲中花園”，這種作品玩弄了比例，有所不同。最新的作品，由白大理石等天然石頭雕刻而成，散發出一種古典主義的感覺，這在數字時代中感到陌生但又誘人。

隋建國對他使用的高精度數字雕刻技術和自動化機械手臂特別熱衷。他指出他在拋光的石頭上保留了粗糙的原始表面，這是一種刻意的決定，旨在喚起根植於物質深處的古老人類記憶。

當他們行走並交談時，很明顯，隋建國是一位與他的媒介進行不斷對話的藝術家。他的作品，雖然根植於雕塑的悠久歷史，但也前瞻性地擁抱新技術和藝術在數字時代的變化面貌。

他們的對話在一個令人興奮的節奏下結束。隋建國透露了他即將推出的項目，”Nibiru”，這是他首次嘗試的NFT項目。這項作品，預計將在今年秋季由Pace Verso發行，承諾將繼續隋建國探索感知、時間、空間與人體之間複雜關係的旅程。

參觀隋建國的展覽並與他談論他的作品，對羅卓睿老師來說是一次深刻的經驗。隋建國對他的工藝的創新方法，對傳統形式的深深尊重，以及他對擁抱新技術的熱情，都使他成為一位真正出色的藝術家。隋建國的作品提醒我們，藝術，以其所有形式，都是一場持續的對話 – 一種藝術家、媒介、觀眾和我們周圍世界之間的對話。