展览序言 | 王跃工：“去往从来——山水为题”比利时巡展

去往从来——山水为题

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Preface to Belgium Tour Exhibition Centered on the theme of ShanShui

盖闻天地有大美而不言，四时有明法而不议。山水之为物，非独岩壑泉石之形胜，实乃古人心灵之寄庐、精神之皈依也。宗炳所言：“澄怀观道，卧以游之”斯之谓也。然沧海桑田，世殊事异，今人居于钢铁丛林，目之所接，不复烟云舒卷；耳之所闻，鲜有松涛鸟啭。当此之际，山水精神安在？是展以“去往从来”为题，集诸家之作，远赴比利时，欲与海内外观者共探此问。

As an old saying goes, the supreme grandeur inherent between heaven and earth never speaks for itself, and the constant cycles of four seasons follow inherent laws beyond dispute. ShanShui, literaly,  Landscape, is far more than mere external scenery such as cliffs, valleys, clear springs and exotic rocks. It serves as an inner sanctuary and spiritual haven cherished by ancient people. As Zong Bing,  a Chinese painter from over 1600 years ago, put it: As you empty your mind to perceive the universal truth, you may spiritually wander freely amid landscapes without stepping out of doors. This perfectly depicts people’s inner state of mind.

The mortal world witnesses drastic vicissitudes, and each era bears utterly distinctive features. Nowadays, city dwellers surrounded by towering high-rises rarely witness the flowing mist and clouds, nor can they often hear the rustle of pine woods, wind whistles and birdsongs. In modern times, how can people comprehend and embrace the spirit embodied in ShanShui? Titled “An Odyssey Between Past and Present”, this exhibition gathers artworks from numerous creators. We aim to explore this profound theme together with audiences at home and abroad.

细察所陈，门类殊异，各擅胜场，而其旨归则一：

有以水墨为宗者，不泥古法，不逐时流。笔墨或纵或敛，或积或破，元气浑灏，直写天地之心相。其境也，荒寒古淡，迥出尘表，所谓“超以象外，得其环中”。山水于此，非眼中之山水，乃胸中之丘壑也。

The exhibited works boast diverse genres and unique characteristics. Despite varied creative forms, they share identical core connotations.

Some pieces adopt traditional Chinese ink wash painting techniques, yet neither rigidly adhere to ancient painting styles nor blindly follow prevailing trends. Painters wield unrestrained bold strokes or steady restrained brushwork. Layers of ink blend and diffuse, forming powerful and cohesive vitality that authentically captures the essence of all creations. These paintings feature serene, primitive, elegant and distant artistic conception, transcending mortal trivialities and grasping the inner truth of Shanshui. The landscapes portrayed are no longer mere real scenes, but the artistic realms of mountains and rivers envisioned in creators’ hearts.

有治油彩布面者，色调沉雄，笔触跌宕。取西来之材，铸东方之魄。乍观或见抽象构成之趣，细味则大朴不雕，满纸苍莽，或为“外师造化，中得心源”之别传。东西之间，不复壁垒，浑然一体。

Other works are oil paintings on canvas. They present solemn and imposing tones with vigorous brushstrokes. Adopting Western painting materials, the artists interpret the spiritual bearing of the East. The abstract composition strikes viewers with instant charm, while careful appreciation reveals unadorned and innate natural simplicity. All magnificent paintings abide by the philosophy of learning from nature and expressing inner insights. The boundary between Eastern and Western art thus fades away, merging into an integrated whole.

有操刀金石者，寝馈秦玺汉印、封泥碑碣，复广纳石刻画像、简牍瓦当之遗韵，镕铸入方寸而重构之。其作也，离形得似，不斤斤于文字之可读，转向视觉空间之经营，铁笔所至，魄力雄强，可谓“始知真放本精微”。

Seal carving stands as another creative medium. Artists delve into the features of Qin and Han Dynasty seals, clay seals and stone inscriptions, and absorb the artistic charm of ancient stone portraits, bamboo slips and tile ends. They condense myriad profound meanings into tiny seal stones. Instead of pursuing literal shapes or legible characters, they focus on creating visual spatial aesthetics through carved scripts. Forceful and steady carving strokes embody the artistic wisdom that subtle details forge unrestrained grandeur.

有立象于泥土金石者，弃目视之成见，凭手感之偶发。或以捏握存身痕，或以刻凿见虚实，更以镜体照万象，令微尘等丘壑。坚材冷质，皆化为体道之具，“笼天地于形内，挫万物于笔端”，雕塑亦能生烟云、成供养。

乃至装置影像、综合物料，凡此种种，莫不返本而开新。

There are also clay and stone sculptures. Breaking conventional visual perceptions of art, sculptors create freely by intuition. Finger marks left by hand kneading and layered carving present alternating virtual and real spaces. The works mirror myriad worldly phenomena, turning tiny dust grains into towering mountains and hard cold materials into carriers for perceiving natural truths. Sculptures can depict misty artistic realms and carry people’s spiritual sustenance.

Besides, installation art, video works and mixed-media creations all root in traditional Chinese culture while pioneering innovative artistic expressions.

统观诸作，所共通处：皆深植于千年文脉，熟参古典与匠作名迹，其来也深，其蓄也厚。然其出也，丝毫不为传统所缚，反以极当代、极个性之面貌示人。何也？盖其所取者，非皮相之符号，乃民族审美之精魄——虚实相生、形神兼备、气韵流转、平淡天真……以此精魄，驭时代之物料，应时代之感怀，故能内蕴古意而外焕新声。

All exhibits share a common trait: deeply grounded in China’s thousands-year cultural heritage, they draw nourishment from classic paintings, calligraphy and traditional crafts of past dynasties. Possessing profound cultural heritage, the works break free from traditional constraints and display distinctive modern styles and personal artistic features.

Creators pursue not superficial symbolic forms of landscapes, but the core essence of Chinese aesthetic culture: the integration of virtuality and reality, harmonious unity of form and spirit, flowing vitality and pure original mind. With this cultural core and modern creative materials, artists express contemporary sentiments. Hence the works retain ancient charm while shining with brand-new artistic glamour.

今之世，寰宇震荡，文明之间或隔阂日深，或对话愈切。当此之时，尤需此种艺术之往还、心灵之互鉴。盖艺术者，不藉言辞而能通彼此，不涉利害而可感人心。是展远涉重洋，所携者非止笔墨金石，实乃东方民族千年涵养之精神气象；所期者非止一时之展示，更是文明之间真诚之相视与会心之相谈。中西虽异，人心而一，于山水之间，或可共觅一份久违之宁静与共鸣。“鸢飞戾天，鱼跃于渊”，天地生意，周流无间，此正中国山水精神之要义，亦可为人类共同之启迪。

Amid the volatile global situation, different civilizations encounter estrangement as well as frequent exchanges. Such an era calls for communication and interaction among artists to achieve mutual spiritual understanding. Art bridges distances without words and touches souls beyond material gains and losses.

This cross-border exhibition to Belgium carries not only paintings, calligraphy, seals and sculptures, but also the time-honored spiritual temperament of the Chinese nation. It is more than an art show, but a sincere dialogue and spiritual connection between diverse civilizations. Despite regional cultural disparities between East and West, humanity shares the same inherent heart. Wandering among Shanshui art, audiences can regain long-lost inner peace and resonate spiritually.

Birds soar in the sky and fish swim in deep waters. All living beings thrive and operate freely. This constitutes the core of Chinese Shanshui spirit and brings spiritual enlightenment to all mankind.

昔庄生有言：“夫道，有情有信，无为无形；可传而不可受，可得而不可见。”山水之道，亦复如是。愿可暂息尘虑，以心观物，或能于形色笔墨之外，晤对那周流不殆、亘古如斯之一脉精魂。

Zhuangzi, a Chinese philosopher from over 2400 years ago, stated: The universal truth exists objectively with inherent invisible laws. Only conforming to nature enables spiritual comprehension. Such insights cannot be conveyed by words or observed visually, but perceived by heart. This is exactly the profound truth hidden in Shanshui.

We sincerely hope that our audience can set aside worldly distractions to perceive art and nature with sincere hearts, and feel the eternal and vigorous spiritual origin beyond brush strokes and visual forms.

匆促草就，不足为序，不过筹展始末之零星感受，拉杂记之，亦何勇兄之盛情，乃勉力而为，以就教于方家。

This writing is not a formal preface, merely my personal reflections accumulated during exhibition preparation. Grateful for the kind invitation from Mr. He Yong, I venture to compose this article. Comments and corrections from artists and peers are warmly welcomed.

王跃工

Wang Yuegong

（本文作者：故宫博物院副院长、“去往从来”巡展项目顾问）

（Vice-president of The Palace Museum, Consultant of "An Odyssey between Past and Present" project）