Li Ran: "I Am Not a Video Artist"
Authored by Phenix Luk and C.C.
Among the young video artists currently active in China, there are three whose names are often confused: Huang Ran, Cheng Ran, and Li Ran. However, their artistic styles are distinctly different. A unique aspect of Li Ran's video works is his frequent personal appearances on screen; his final pieces are often presented in the form of narrative shorts that feign dramatization, or as documentary films reenacted through performance art. Despite his extensive involvement with video, Li Ran himself does not consider himself a video artist; rather, he views himself as an artist who has produced a significant body of video work.
After a hiatus of two years, Li Ran brought his first solo museum exhibition, "Re-projecting: One or Many Roles" to Xi'an OCAT Contemporary Art Center on March 21st. Although painting and installation also form part of his creative repertoire, video remains his medium of choice. This exhibition serves as a comprehensive review of his work, from his first solo exhibition piece, the video installation Mount Sanctus Victor, to the newly commissioned work Lighting, Props, Support Items making its debut.
As a writer, artist, satirist, and skeptic, Li Ran once articulated through the voice of the "Proud Middle-Aged Man" in Mount Sanctus Victor: "There is no need to extend these indigestible philosophical discourses. Returning to art, what we observe exists beyond the definitions of systems and world structures. Although these can be linked and categorized, such foolish segmentation reveals how monotonous and tedious, filled with urgent yet illusory fantasies concealed behind this rhetoric—fantasies that are actually forms of self-delusion." My conversation with Li Ran also commenced from Mount Sanctus Victor.
《圣维克多尔山》在“再次投影：一个或多个角色”展览现场的展示
Q: I noticed that in this exhibition, you added a misaligned display wall for the work "Mount Sanctus Victor." Why did you make this setup?
A: In reality, no entirely new aspects appear in the entire exhibition; much of it attempts to recreate a previous scenario. For instance, when this work was displayed at Magician Space, it was directly facing the audience. This time, I used a display wall to create a misalignment to see if the audience can discern the language of the exhibition through it. However, understanding this requires some familiarity with my earlier works.
《圣维克多尔山》，现场图片
Q: This exhibition seems more like a retrospective for you. You haven't had a new solo exhibition for two years. Why is that?
A: It's been two to three years indeed. Before around 2010, I had started collaborating with some galleries, and by 2012, I was extremely busy with numerous exhibitions, constantly in a state of assembling. I had to create new projects monthly and continuously launch new works. During this process, I began to feel a hint of exhaustion, but this fatigue was more intellectual than physical. The nature of creating should not be repetitive in terms of actions and intellectual engagement. Consumer culture simplifies and even alienates the reality and the content that can be presented, losing the essential meaning or demands of the artist. Therefore, by 2013 and 2014, I slowed down, including the new plans I was considering for 2015.
《从卡车司机到政委骑兵》，2012年，单声道黑白有声视频，8'51"
The reason I have not held a solo exhibition recently is not because newness refers only to formal innovation, but rather it is determined by the depth of engagement and spiritual demands of the work. I aim to advance my understanding further. As everyone observes, the methods employed in performances will inevitably change over time. Looking back at my earlier works now, I often think, "Wow, how self-expressive and narcissistic I was." Today, when discussing these topics, I mention the act of performing less, as it exists to a certain extent objectively. Reflecting on my initial venture into the art world, I lacked confidence, fearing criticisms about lacking entertainment value. These elements, interestingly, fine-tuned a certain style, and I found much joy in them, but they also posed obstacles to my understanding—I couldn't fully immerse myself, and the original motives and contemplative aspects of creation needed to be present.
Therefore, when OCAT Xi'an approached me six months ago to propose this exhibition, I believed that most of my works had not received much attention in Xi'an. It was also an opportunity to create one or two new pieces. This provided me with a platform to reflect on how to work and how to exhibit. There are things that are not yet adequate, and all these are experiences. An exhibition is a form of language, and different exhibitions require understanding how to create distinct languages.
《我想和你谈谈，但不是你们》视频截图
Q: You mentioned that looking back at your previous works, you feel that they were somewhat narcissistic, a sentiment I also initially perceived in your works as a form of self-indulgence.
A: That is a part of my self-reflection. Working in the art industry inevitably confronts one with such issues. When I was creating these pieces, I did not specifically consider whether they were narcissistic—each work has its reflections and content. However, the mechanisms of expression do not readily permit such discussions. It's like celebrities participating in the National People's Congress; you don’t know what they actually say, you just recall entertaining remarks, such as Jackie Chan’s "duang." Hence, serious discourse is not easily transmitted. I observe some artists who never relax their guard in this field, aware that genuine speech faces many obstacles.
《另一个“他者的故事”》， 2013 年，单通道录像及文献装置 ，录像 7’05” ，装置尺寸可变
Thus, today we have an opportunity to reassess these issues, akin to Geng Jianyi's work Returning to the Right Self, examining what constitutes 'newness'—whether it brings fresh momentum, or if it results in a return to a truer self. Although my creative output slowed down in 2013 and 2014, my self-understanding, contemplation of creation, and observation of the art industry did not cease. It is not true that producing more works and exhibitions equates to better outcomes; nor does it represent the volume of work as an artist.
《地理之外》， 2012 年，高清彩色有声录像装置， 23’09”，尺寸可变
Q: Since Beyond Geography, your works seem to incorporate less personal elements compared to your earlier pieces.
A: Yes, in creations like those, my intent was largely to convey ideas through others’ voices. I might have touched on certain points and then expanded upon them, aiming for a more cohesive whole. However, I believe every piece has its expressive imperfections—some are overdone, others not enough. Mount Saint Victoire for instance, lacks a certain confidence in its expression, which thus carries multiple meanings. At that time, many exhibition-goers sought precision and directness, encapsulating everything with a single phrase, leading to a swift consumption of the exhibits. My intention was to create a space of complex imagery, but as I continued to work, I realized that the meanings were continually shifting—transforming into postcolonialism in one exhibition, into an artist's personal practice in another, and into a performance in yet another. The meanings were always evolving.
Su Wei, who has often collaborated with me, once questioned my stance. There used to be an expectation that an artist must align with a particular 'side' or adopt a specific position. However, after varying exhibitions and descriptions, those distinctions faded, and ultimately, in settings like art fairs, the most superficial aspects prevail, which can be somewhat detrimental to artists—it's different from simply being misunderstood.
《无题 —— 湖底之歌》， 2014 年，单通道有声彩色录像， 7’10”
Q: Although your creative work involves various mediums, you most frequently utilize visuals. Do you consider yourself a video artist?
A: In my artistic perspective, there are no distinctions such as video artists, painters, or sculptors. I could be described as an artist who has produced a significant amount of video work that requires refinement. Emphasizing the medium is a way we judge those outside our field, assuming they need understanding and categorization, as many art enthusiasts favor traditional Chinese painting or modern art. How should contemporary art be approached and understood by them? The medium serves as an elegant method, especially since contemporary art extensively employs various mediums, particularly new media and video, as modern tools. In order to facilitate appreciation and viewing by the audience and art lovers, guidance is necessary, and hence, the market has adopted this approach. Overall, when discussing contemporary art seriously, it is not appropriate to label someone as a specific type of artist. Rather, the focus should be on the content of their work or what they have achieved, transforming the artist into an expressive entity.
Q: You have previously described your artistic creation using architectural language: "A work of art is like a room—it should neither shut the doors completely on the viewers nor corner them into a single, simplistic interpretation. Similarly, the door should not remain wide open, nor should it be accessible to just anyone casually. It should be thoughtfully left ajar, allowing visitors to freely enter and exit, though not without some resistance." This architectural language also seems to permeate the current exhibition.
A: Yes, that's correct because my wife is an architect and she assisted with this display, but the approach also stems from my own ideas. In fact, considerable time was spent thinking about the arrangement of these older works and some modifications were made to the exhibition hall. I considered integrating its structural elements, determining which structures could be utilized and which should be removed. This process itself is a form of creation.
Q: Are you interested in the role of a curator?
A: Both curating and artistic creation involve a form of creation that depends on how it is perceived. In the past, including for gallery exhibitions, I handled everything myself because there wasn't as much understanding about exhibitions at that time. A true understanding of exhibitions usually comes after collaborating with curators and seeing their experimental approaches to exhibition concepts. Curating involves dealing with many practical issues, and these operational matters need to be refined through work experience. Sometimes there needs to be a foundational cooperation between the artist and the curator. I haven't really considered this question before, but if the opportunity arises, I would just go for it and give it a try.
