Chiname 中文名

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CHINAME by XIAO KE × ZI HAN

About CHINAME
The Shanghai-based artist duo XIAO KE × ZI HAN attempt to create a temporary contact zone for ‘Chinese’ identity by researching different regions and presenting on-location documentary portraits of common people.
“Our name is given, yet we try to explain who we are.”

How is Chineseness defined? Its significance shifts upon its context, and its impact on contemporary geopolitics is felt on an everyday level. How does the young generation in China perceive Chineseness? What about the diasporic Chinese outside of China? In this entangled web of perceptions, the artists broach the question: ‘What is Chinese—is it an imagined community or is it real?’

关于《中文名》当代剧场项目

小珂和子涵是一对来自上海的艺术家，他们通过在不同地区的走访调研，呈现了不同地区的现场版本、并同时展出访谈纪录片及人物肖像，开启了一个有关“Chinese”身份的临时接触区。

“我们无法选择地被赋予了自己的名字，但我们仍在努力地解释着我们是谁。”

Chinese的身份该怎样来定义？基于不同的背景，它的意义也不尽相同；而在当代国际政治中， “中国”被标签化的影响已体现在日常的方方面面。生活在中国大陆的年轻一代是怎样理解Chinese身份的？而海外华人呢——他们对自己Chinese的身份又有着怎样的认知？在这个错综复杂的感知网络中，艺术家们提出了这个问题：“什么是Chinese? Chinese是一个想象的共同体，还是一个真实的存在？”

 

About XIAO KE × ZI HAN

当代剧场艺术创作组合 小珂x子涵

After twelve years of dance training and education, Xiao Ke started her own artistic practice while she was studying at Fudan University of Shanghai. She graduated in journalism in 2000 and has been a professional performer and choreographer since then. She has expanded her practice into visual arts and other art forms since 2002, setting up different collectives to pursue her artistic ventures. Zi Han’s professional background lies in photography and audiovisual production, but has since broadened up his artistic horizon to include endeavours in visual and performance arts.

经过了12年的舞蹈训练与教育经历，小珂在上海复旦大学求学期间开启了她自己的艺术实践。2000年于复旦新闻系毕业后，小珂成为了一名职业表演艺术家及编舞者。自2002年起，她将实践范围延伸至了视觉艺术、并创作了多种艺术形式的组合以寻求艺术创新。子涵的专业背景是摄影及视听制作，但他在对视觉与表演艺术的追求实践中拓宽了自己的艺术视野。

Together, XIAO KE × ZI HAN have produced and directed five stage projects through a strong interdisciplinary process, and have been performing internationally quite regularly since. Their work is resolutely conceptual and often features a clear social—sometimes documentary— dimension, often involving local artists in their projects, and/or taking the projects to the public space. In 2018, they embarked on CHINAME, a three-year research project that will convey them throughout Asia and beyond and will generate various artistic outcomes during the process.

小珂和子涵共同创作并执导了五个具有很强跨界过程的剧场项目，也经常进行国际演出。他们的创作具有强烈的概念性、通常带着明确的社会维度；有时也兼备纪实性。小珂和子涵经常邀请当地艺术家参与他们的项目，或同时将项目带至公共层面。CHINAME（中文名）是小珂x子涵于2018年开启的一个为期3年的当代剧场研究项目。这个项目将带着他们行遍亚洲及全球其他地区，并在此过程中萌生更多的艺术成果。

Besides their own artistic practice, XIAO KE × ZI HAN deploy an important ‘artivist’ activity to support the independent performing arts community in China. They have been organising various festivals and artistic events, and have also founded the iPanda network to bring artists together and bridge them to potential partners abroad.

除了自身的艺术实践，小珂与子涵为支持中国的独立表演艺术社区而开展了一项重要的 “艺术积极分子”活动。他们长期以来组织了各种节庆和艺术活动， 同时创建了iPanda网络平台以汇聚艺术家们、并为他们连结潜在的海外合作伙伴。