Cheng Ran: Make Artists Rich Again.
Cheng Ran artist, born in 1981 in Inner Mongolia, he currently works and lives in Hangzhou. He participated artist residency project in Royal Academy of Visual Arts in the Netherlands in 2013, and founded the art organization Martin Goya Business in 2017. As a representative of China’s new generation of video and cross-media artists, Cheng Ran has been experimenting with different art forms, including film, poetry, drama, novels, installations, etc. At the same time, he is also good at integrating art with the public. The 26-screen video work “Always I Trust (2014)” was starred by Carina Lau and was produced by K11 ART FOUNDATION.
Cheng Ran’s works are widely collected by art museums and institutions, including M+ Museum, Hong Kong; K11 Art Foundation; DSL Collection, France; Domus Collection, New York; New Century Contemporary Art Foundation, Beijing; White Rabbit Art Museum, Australia; Guangzhou Art Museum; Shanghai Art Museum; Zhejiang Art Museum; Borusan Kocabıyık Foundation, Turkey; The Walther Collection, Germany; Royal Academy of Visual Arts, Netherlands; Erlenmeyer Foundation, Switzerland; etc.
Cheng Ran is also an explorer who breaks out of art circles. The art organization “Martin Goya Business” he founded supports young artists in a free and idealistic way. In the past few years, There are more than 500 cooperation partners, including artists, designers, musicians, institutions, etc., using a multicultural perspective to connect urban youth culture and build an open next-generation stage.
You have been exploring various art forms, including film, poetry, drama, novels, installations, etc. Do you think it is career planning or personality that makes an artist choose multiple forms of creation or focus on one? Have you ever thought that you might end up in a certain art form?
The form is not important. I keep trying different media creations. Generally speaking, I will do whatever it is that is not easy to make money, and I will give up whatever becomes mainstream. Art should go far beyond our understanding and thinking inertia. It’s even more inspiring. For yourself, you still need to take another step before settling down. Sorry, I’m just so willful.
How do you spend most of your day?
I usually think on the way to the studio, thinking about life while petting the cat, and forgetting today’s thoughts while sleeping.
Do you have any weekends? One day or two days? Do you think it is necessary for artists to keep their schedules and vacations relatively in sync with society?
I hope there will be a fixed time for playing basketball. We may never be able to synchronize with society because everyone understands themselves and their situation differently.
Do you like to advance several works or projects at the same time, or do you prefer to work on only one work or project at a time?
In terms of personal works, I usually progress at the same time, overlapping between different years and different progress. After Martin Goya’s Business started to do exhibitions, personal time and energy will be consumed a lot. Maybe we will change quickly and do less things that are more worthy of doing.
You had a residency at the Royal Academy of Visual Arts in the Netherlands. What was your biggest gain from that experience?
During my residency in Amsterdam, I was very happy to meet many artists from different countries and be exposed to different working methods and cultural differences. What is very special to me is my collaboration with local Dutch photographer Kirtan Hummelen, who has been working with me for ten years now. Over the years, we have collaborated on many works, from 8mm and Super 16mm film to digital films, from the Netherlands, Switzerland, New York, and then to Shanghai.
Do you think art residency programs are suitable for artists in their early stages, or at any stage?
Art residency programs are a very important aspect of a complete art ecosystem. They generally help artists in the early stages of their careers to increase their knowledge and gain creative experience in different regions. They especially provide short-term and long-term support for artists in areas with expensive studios. Many countries have very complete support for the art industry and ecological construction. For example, diversified residencies have brought young artists the establishment of temporary studios and communities, such as a stable studio application system, and the benefits are far lower than those in the market and The cost of commercial rent and the public aspects of open studios, such as fund applications for artists at different career stages, forget it, let’s not talk about it.
When a work of art is displayed to the public in a space, do you think it needs to be interpreted? Or rely on intuition, such as hearing, vision, taste, touch, etc.
Works do not need to be interpreted. The true understanding of a work should be beyond our common basic perceptual abilities, beyond joy, anger, sorrow, and hearing, vision, taste, and touch. There should be indescribable understanding and resonance.
A person’s energy is limited. If an artist constantly releases energy and distracts his energy in life, is it possible that he or she will not have enough energy to create creative works?
I don’t think there is a standard template that can be applied here. Everyone’s lifestyle should be respected. Creativity is not just a vocabulary reserved for artists.
Is The Martin Goya Project your largest personal work? Because its entire conception and development logic comes from you, this is far more challenging and difficult than making a conventional art work.
The Martin Goya Business is not my work. It is an independent thing. As an artist-run organization, its perspective is from artists and actions. For individuals, it is more open and inclusive, looking for the same The creator and initiator of the channel. Now Martin Goya’s business also includes a subdivided visual subculture brand Vomeronasal Equipment, as well as a space “Li Rui Jin Zhi” located in the Imperial Street of the Southern Song Dynasty.
Who is your favorite artist?
Jim Jarmusch.
One day artist Hsieh Deqing(谢德庆) suddenly announced that he would no longer do art. Later, he opened a Chinese restaurant in New York and lived a reclusive life. Do you ever feel that you can stop doing art, or that art is not that important, and then you want to change your life?
I think it would be feeling great if I chose not to do art for one day.
Is making money a very happy thing for an artist?
The sale of works is very important. It can give the artist affirmation of what he is doing and the confidence to continue creating to some extent, but it is also an illusion and a placebo. Unfortunately, I do not think that making art is Can make money. If you choose to make money, there are many kinds of jobs you can do, and art may not be a job.
Regardless of the actual situation, what would you most like to do?
What I am doing is not based on reality.
Do you have your own slogan? Or what is your favorite slogan?
I really like Martin Goya Business’s earlier slogan: Make artists rich again!
