《丝路金桥》：艺术之桥，亦是心灵的桥梁

文本刊记者 王雨檬 Wang Yumeng 译曹宇光 Cao Yuguang

《丝路金桥》：艺术之桥，亦是心灵的桥梁

文本刊记者 王雨檬 Wang Yumeng 译曹宇光 Cao Yuguang

Golden Bridge on the Silk Road: Connection for Art and Soul

丝路金桥 舒勇 Golden Bridge on Silk Road by SHU Yong

28米长、6米高、4米宽的巨大体量，近2万块“金砖”、数万个“丝路金球”金光闪烁，花团锦簇……第67个国庆节，北京长安街又添了新景观，曾经亮相于米兰世博会的大型景观雕塑《丝路金桥》，如今响应“一带一路”的战略构想，在“神州第一街”再放光彩。本刊记者采访了《丝路金桥》的作者舒勇，请他谈一谈创作心得。

记者：《丝路金桥》是一件以“一带一路”的国家战略为语境的作品，之前已经享誉国内外，作为2015年米兰世博会规模最大的一件艺术作品引起了世界关注，请您介绍一下这件作品。

舒勇：习近平主席提出“一带一路”的战略构想，这体现了中国的胸怀，以及对世界的责任，是中国真正走向世界的大战略。我觉得，“丝绸之路”是一个极美的词汇，经由它，我能看到一路上的诗意、繁华，这让我产生对于历史、未来的遐想与憧憬，那里有繁忙的商贸往来，也有温暖的音乐和绘画……这些憧憬常常使我进入古代丝绸之路时的种种画面，犹如进入时空隧道，随着大漠风沙、驼铃阵阵，随着马群的嘶叫和长达千里而刻上的辛勤烙印，盛唐时期那种商贸文化、盛世繁荣、经贸故事一一浮现眼前。想起我们先人们的创造力和令人敬佩的成就，也想到中国未来崛起于世界的辉煌，可以说这个国家战略赋予了我力量与创作的激情。这件作品由三部分组成，主体是“丝路金桥”，桥由“丝路金砖”装载在以赵州桥外形为基础形状钢架桥体上形成，然后由数十万个“丝路金球”铺设的花园与“桥”共同形成的一个艺术景观。

记者：能否整体描述一下这件作品？

舒勇：我从视觉层面和观念层面来整体描述一下：这是一座用近2万块透明“丝路金砖”组成的“丝路金桥”，是用世界人民的美好愿望架起的金桥。一个个透明的“丝路金球”在阳光的折射下释放出七彩的光斑，与金色的桥梁发出的金色光芒，共同营造出美轮美奂充满希望与力量的场景。这两个大景观经过融合、叠加相互映衬，形成一个具有视觉冲击与观念震撼的超级图腾景观。“丝路金桥”不仅是连接交通的纽带，是连接心灵的纽带，是连接政治、经济、文化的纽带。我用镶嵌有“一带一路”范围内的各国国花的“丝路金砖”形成一座完整的“丝路金桥”，象征世界各国唇齿相依的关系。“丝路金桥”是世界人民最美好连接的直接象征，是国家与国家之间、民族与民族之间最美好事物的连接，这是中国在世界架起的“金桥”。

记者：用砖作为创作元素，成为您的一个鲜明的艺术标签。《丝路金桥》的创作中，“金桥”由1万多块嵌有“一带一路”范围内国家的国花“丝路金砖”与“丝路金球”组合而成。您在创作中为什么喜欢用“砖”的元素？

舒勇：“丝路金砖”以制作琥珀的材料与工艺，将“一带一路”范围内国家国花，融进长城砖大小的透明砖体里，形成透明金砖，我取名为“丝路金砖”。“砖”是构筑世界的基础，具有明确的象征意义。“砖”是我参加2013年威尼斯双年展作品“古歌砖”的重要元素，用砖形成墙，表达了交流的障碍，如今在“一带一路”的战略下，砖又构筑了“桥”。这是一次具有深远意义的转换，让作品具有更高远的意义与艺术价值。

记者：您在接受媒体采访时表示，希望通过这件艺术作品，用文化的语言传达中国“一带一路”的国家战略，以及中国人对和平的追求和向往。您曾经说过，《丝路金桥》是一座心灵之桥、友谊之桥、爱之桥。为什么这么说？

舒勇：因为艺术是软性的桥梁，容易形成共鸣，世界需要艺术这座桥梁，世界需要沟通。民族与民族之间、国家与国家之间都需要一个很好的交流平台，通过丝路金桥，让世界充分了解中国，也通过这座桥，让每一个国家与它的公民都能够进入到具体的交流互动中，最终用文化的力量达到心灵的相通。所以它必然是一座心灵之桥、爱之桥、友谊之桥。我希望通过“丝路金桥”让世界不仅欣赏中国的和平崛起，更欣赏中国的大国责任。丝路金桥可以成为这个世界最美好的象征，在这个越来越不安全越来越复杂的世界里，世界人民也需要一个美丽的图腾来表达自己的美好愿望。而这个图腾是由中国创造的，让世界人民充满了期待，中国的崛起或多或少地让世界感到了不安，中国通过这个带有温度、具有人类共同情怀的作品，向世界宣告了“一带一路”旨在借用古代“丝绸之路”的历史符号，高举和平发展的旗帜，主动地发展与沿线国家的经济合作伙伴关系，共同打造政治互信、经济融合、文化包容的利益共同体、命运共同体和责任共同体的宗旨。

记者：有专家学者认为《丝路金桥》带着中国的温度和善意，向世界传递中国的友好姿态，加深了世界对中国的了解。您是如何看待这个问题的？在您看来，中国的文艺创作应该如何向世界表达国家战略，体现文艺作品的重要价值？

舒勇：这也是我追求的结果。如今已经进入一个全球化共享时代，我提出了共享艺术时代的来临设想。共享艺术区别与传统艺术以及传统的公共艺术，它借助艺术的公共性、连通性，将人类的公共情感、经验、知识编码出一个共享的精神空间，同时在全面的互动、参与中，将参与个体的文化基因铸进这座共享的精神空间，在共享中寻找到个体的文化价值与意义。这些价值最终也上升成为公共知识与经验传承的人类文明。《丝路金桥》就是典型的共享艺术。在这个越来越多元，越来越复杂的国际社会格局里，国与国之间的角逐，不仅仅是经济、军事实力的角逐，更是文化与价值观软实力的角逐，而软实力的角逐首先是要会用国际语言讲故事，不能停留在自说自话的无效交流中。共享艺术给予了我们一种全新的可能，它是传播中国故事、中国价值观最新、最有效、最国际化的方式，我坚信这是时代发展的趋势。我希望文艺创作能够充分重视与理解共享艺术。事实上我们要以积极、主动、有创造性的方式参与到推动中国进步的进程中。而我的参与方式是用国际艺术语言为国家多创造一些富有正能量的作品。担当起中国在全球化过程中的文化使命。

记者：今后围绕“一带一路”战略，您还有哪些创作计划？

舒勇：G20峰会上，习近平主席在宴请各国元首时说：二十国集团就宛若一座桥，让大家从四面八方走到了一起。这是一座友谊之桥，通过这里我们把友谊的种子播向全球，增进互信、互爱，让彼此的距离不再遥远；这是一座合作之桥，通过这里我们共商大计、加强协调、深化合作、谋求共赢；这是一座未来之桥，通过这里我们同命运、共患难，携手前行，共同迎接更加美好的明天。

可以说，G20用桥为标志，丝路金桥在长安街展出，这一切都说明了时代呼唤着一件代表国家发展的图腾雕塑作品的出现。能为自己的国家去努力去奋斗是我的义务与责任，这也是我们存在的价值所在。我不会再创作其它与“一带一路”相关的作品了，因为我会用全部的力量推动“丝路金桥”进一步成长，让它真正成为一个世界性的文化图腾，这个目标任重而道远。将“丝路金桥”打造成国际性图腾将是我的终身事业与信仰。

on the 67thNational Day of China, a new landscape appeared at Chang’an Avenue in Beijing. The large-scale sculpture Golden Bridge on the Silk Road, which once took shape at the Milan Expo, demonstrated its magnificence at the prime avenue of China in reflection of “B&R” Strategic Initiative. with a gigantic size in the length of 28 meters, the height of 6 meters and the, of 4 meters nearly 20000 golden bricks and tens of thousands of golden balls give off a shining and splendid ray. In an interview by our reporter, its author Shu Yong introduced his insight about this creation.

Reporter: As an artwork in the context of our “B&R”national strategy, Golden Bridge on Silk Road has enjoyed a reputation both at home and abroad. As one of the largest artworks in the Milan Expo 2015, it aroused the global attention. Can you introduce details about this work?

Shu Yong: The “B&R” Strategic Initiative, put forward by President Xi Jinping, embodies China’s open vision as well as her responsibility for the entire world, and thus becomes a significant strategy for China’s real position in the global arena. In my mind,“Silk Road” is a beautiful word that enables me to appreciate the poetic and prosperous scenes of frequent trade communications, the cozy music and painting all the way. It reminds of my longing and imagination for history and future. All these often take me into a time channel where I observe varied scenes in the ancient Silk Road. Along with the wind and sand of Gobi desert, sound of camel bell and horses’ neigh, and with thousands of miles of footprints, the prosperous trade and cultural communication in the prime time of Tang Dynasty appeared in my vision. While pondering over our ancestors’ creativity and admirable achievement, I can almost see China’s brilliant revival in the future. I can say that this national strategy endows me with the motivation and inspiration for this art creation. This work consists of three parts, and the main body is the “Golden Bridge on the Silk Road”. Many “golden bricks of the Silk Road” loaded into the steel framework in the original outline of Zhaozhou Bridge and formed the “bridge” Hundreds of thousands of “golden balls” formed the “garden”, both of which finally came into an artistic landscape.

Reporter: Can you describe this art work as a whole?

Shu Yong: I will describe it from two perspectives of vision and concept. It is a golden bridge consisting of nearly twenty thousand transparent “golden bricks on the Silk Road”symbolizing best wishes of the global people. In the sun, every “golden ball” radiates seven colors of rainbow, which, along with the golden light from the bridge, makes up a magnificent scene full of hope and power. By integration, superposition and mutual reflection, those two macroscopic views become a superb totem landscape with visual impact and conceptual shock. It is a bond for transportation, heart-to-heart communication and connection in politics, economy and culture. This complete Golden Bridge on the Silk Road indicates the close interdependence between countries, and symbolizes the ideal connections of the global community. By linking all the beautiful objects between countries and nations together in this golden bridge, China manifest, its good will to the entire world.

Reporter: Brick, as on element of creation, has become a distinct art label of yours. In the creation of Golden Bridge on the Silk Road, the “golden bridge”was comprised of over 10000 pieces of “golden bricks” and “golden balls” inlaid with the patterns of national flowers of those countries within the “B&R”framework. Why do you so favor the element of “brick”in the creation?

Shu Yong: With the materials and techniques of amber making, I managed all the national flowers of those “B&R” countries into the transparent golden bricks, which I name “golden brickson the Silk Road”. As a basic unit for world construction, the “brick”has its obvious symbolic meaning. It was also the key element in my participant work in the Venice Biennale in2013—“Ancient Brick Song”. The wall made up of bricks represented the barrier of communications. While in the context of “B&R” strategy, bricks lead to a bridge. Such a significant transition endows my work with more advanced indication and art value.

Reporter: During an interview with media, you once mentioned your intention to convey China’s “B&R” nationalstrategy and Chinese people’s pursuit and expectation for peace in a cultural language. You said that Golden Bridge on the Silk Road is a bridge of heart, friendship and love.Why is it?

Shu Yong:The reason lies in the fact that art is a flexible bridge which tends to arouse sympathy. The world really needs art as a bridge of communication. Between varied nationalities and countries, an efficient platform of exchange is always desired. Through this works, the world has the possibility to fully understand China, every country and citizen within it is capable of reaching the concrete exchange and interaction, and heart-toheart harmony may ultimately be achieved by cultural power. In this sense, it is absolutely a bridge of heart, friendship and love. Through my works, I expect the world to enjoy China’s peaceful rising as well as her responsibility as a major power. I expect Golden Bridge on the Silk Road to become the best symbol of this world, because in the current world of increasing insecurity and complication, its people need to find a beautiful totem to express their best wish. This totem created by China is full of expectations from every corner of the world. More or less, China’s rising has made the world a bit upset, but through this works of friendly manner and common feelings of human kind, China reminds the world of the legendary “Silk Road” as China’s banner for peaceful development. By taking the initiative to develop economic cooperation partnership with those “B&R” countries, China reiterates its everlasting purpose of establishing a community of interest, destiny and responsibility with political trust, economic integration and cultural tolerance.

Reporter: Some experts hold that Golden Bridge on the Silk Road carries on with China’s warmth and good, that it conveys China’s friendly attitude towards the whole world, and helps the world to understand more about China. What do you think about it? In your opinion, how can Chinese literary and art creation convey the national strategy to the world and demonstrate its great value?

Shu Yong: It is exactly what I have been pursuing as well. In the current age of global sharing, I put forward my assumption that an age of sharing arts has arrived. Different from traditional arts or public arts in the traditional approach, the sharing arts, by means of public and connecting features of arts, constitute a sharing spiritual space with the public emotion, experience and knowledge of human kind. During the all-round interaction and participation, the participating individual’s cultural gene will become part of this sharing space, and by sharing, everyone can find his or her individual value and significance in culture. Eventually, the collective values will evolve into public knowledge and experience to pass on human civilization. Golden Bridge on the Silk Road is just a typical sample of sharing arts. Within the international community setup of increasing multiple-elements and complication, the competition, no longer limited to economic or military power, will focus on such soft powers as culture and values. In this case, acting on one’s own will be proved in vain, and any story must be narrated in a certain universal language. Sharing arts provide us with a new possibility and it will be the latest, most effective and universal way to spread Chinese stories and values, which I firmly believe to be the trend of our times. In our literary and art creation, I expect great importance and understanding to be attached to sharing arts. As a matter of fact, we shall take our part in promoting national progress in an active, voluntary and creative way. As for me, I would like to create more works rich in positive energy in a universal art language and shoulder part of China’s cultural mission in the globalization.

Reporter: Concerning the “B&R” strategy, what plans for art creation do you have in mind?

Shu Yong: I still remember President Xi Jinping’s words at the welcome banquet for national leaders of G20 Summit. Like a bridge, G20 has brought all of us here from varied directions. It is a bridge of friendship from where we spread the seeds of friendship all over the globe so as to enhance mutual trust and love within a close touch. It is a bridge of cooperation, from where we have a group discussion for better coordination and deepen cooperation in win-win manner. It is a bridge of future from where we share the same destiny, face the common problems and strive hand in hand for a better tomorrow.

In short, the symbol of bridge in G20 Summit and the occurrence of Golden Bridge on the Silk Road at Chang’an Avenue indicate that a totem sculpture of China’s national development is desired. I would like to endeavor for my motherland, which is my obligation, responsibility and value as well. I will not create any more works about “B&R” strategy because I will do all I can to promote the further perfection of the Golden Bridge on the Silk Road to be a real cultural totem in the world. As there is still a long way to go and a lot to do, I have made up my mind to dedicate all my energy to this lifetime cause and faith.