问：孙馆长是怎样与艺术结缘的？
答：我与艺术的结缘，是偶然也是必然的。在中学期间，我就喜欢书法，学校的黑板报好多都是我负责书写的，那时侯就喜欢看一些书法和绘画的东西。但真正引起我兴趣和关注的是 ，2004年秋天 ，在中国美术馆的一次印象派画展，当时有塞尚、马奈、雷诺阿等人的作品，打开了我对艺术全新的视界。在欣赏这些珍贵的艺术作品过程中，整个人都处于一种平静、超脱、而又兴奋的状态，让我领会到只有艺术、文化才能带给人一种真实而又鲜活的人生。这些年在做企业的过程中，物质目标不断实现的同时，人生的快乐和幸福指数并未增加，甚至可能在下降，愈加促使我回归到对精神价值的追求。艺术、宗教、哲学作为人类精神中的精神，文化中的文化，都成了我学习和追求的目标，与艺术的结缘也就成了必然。
问：听说您在清华大学学习当代艺术期间就开始酝酿艺术馆事宜，请问缘起何在？
答：我在清华大学学习期间，涉猎了艺术鉴赏、文化产业、国学、摄影及当代艺术等多个领域，让我从一个艺术的陌生人开始步入艺术殿堂的大门。我从多个角度去了解艺术及其发展。从古典艺术到现代艺术、当代艺术。我也领悟到无论是哪个阶段、什么流派，艺术在不断创新、不断颠覆的背后，有一个规律是不变的：即要感动人，又要引起观者共鸣，净化心灵、升华灵魂。我想，今天我对艺术的理解和我自身的状态，得宜于我在清华大学的学习。我认为艺术的审美、修养是要不断学习的。我想让更多的人去接触艺术、学习艺术、体验艺术，分享艺术带给我们心灵的愉悦，这就是我创办艺术馆的初衷。也许想法开始并不那么完善，但只要方向找到了，就不怕路远。
问：白盒子艺术馆入驻798正是全球经济危机时，不少画廊在选择离开，您为何如此坚持呢？
答：798作为北京乃至中国的一张文化名片，已经开始对我们的生活产生积极影响。过去798作为艺术家工作室的聚集区，是一个创作平台，她必将发展成为一个集艺术展示、交流、消费、体验的平台，还将是一个城市现代生活、时尚生活的策源地。去年的金融危机，是经济的危机，而非艺术的危机，艺术作为人们的精神需求还有大量要做的工作。我们刚进驻798的时候，有很多人问我，越来越多的人在撤离，你却在这个时候进入？我想我们是有着长期的打算，做一件事情的成功与否贵在坚持，贵在做有价值的事情。所谓的风险、恐慌是价值恐慌，是对自己所做的事情价值的怀疑和方向的迷失。对我们来讲，当下是争分夺秒做事，“艺术改变生活”作为白盒子艺术馆的理念，还有很多的事情要做。
问：艺术馆的建设工作往往是庞大而复杂的，这过程中您一定也遇到过问题吧？
答：我们在筹备艺术馆的开始阶段，就本着高标准、专业性、长期性的工作要求。试图打破798原有空间的临时性、简陋的特点。邀请国内著名的设计师、美术馆馆长、艺术家、策展人、文化专家、品牌专家等，不断地召开论证会，经常为一个问题争的面红耳赤。从艺术馆的战略规划、学术定位、功能建设以及建筑节能、空间利用、安全系统建设等多个方面进行了全方位的探讨。尤其在建筑方面，由于原建筑是一个典型的德式老厂房，既要考虑对老建筑的尊重和保护，又要考虑现代建筑对于美感、舒适和功能性的要求，的确费了很大的心思和周折。举个例子，仅外观的方案就改了很多次，才呈现出最后新老结合而又朴素的效果。
问：白盒子艺术馆的定位是怎样？
答：白盒子艺术馆共由四个艺术机构组成：白盒子艺术馆、白盒子影像艺术中心、白盒子艺术设计中心、白盒子艺术店。艺术馆保留原建筑的精神，在原厂房的基础上重新设计改建，以满足当代文化艺术的多功能需求，呈现当代艺术的多元面貌，集艺术展览、学术交流、艺术论坛、实验教育、设计创意等跨界交流为平台；以分享沟通、包容协作、服务交流的理念阐释“艺术改变生活”的主张。举办中国当代艺术的展演活动；关注国内国际当代艺术的发展动向和最新思潮；推动中国当代艺术与国际文化艺术的交流，并将长期致力于跨界艺术的展览展示、学术推广、资源整合和平台行销；并强调国内外艺术交流的互动与传播，为艺术产业化的发展探索新路。今年10月11日的国际收藏家论坛就在这个思想基础上开展的。其中，我们艺术馆的思想坦克库将定期举办各种论坛；邀请国内外著名艺术理论家、学者、批评家、策展人举办学术报告；开拓艺术领域的各种资源、信息共享、促进各领域间的互助合作；普及艺术教育等，丰富广大观众精神生活。除展出国内外当代著名艺术家艺术作品外，还积极发现、培养、推出年轻的新锐艺术家。
问：您怎样理解“艺术改变生活”这一理念？
答：其实，无论是蔡元培先生提出的“美育代宗教”，还是当代艺术家提出的艺术的颠覆力、创造力，艺术始终作为人类文明的基石在探讨精神世界的进步和发展。艺术无论如何发展，终究还是要与生活发生关系的。艺术是人的内在尊严所在，是领先生活的，是生活的先知先觉，艺术可以改变我们生活和生命的状态。
问：作为民营资本入驻798，您对白盒子艺术馆的未来有何展望？
答：的确，798艺术区里唱主角的大多是国际资本，我想这也是艺术发展必然的阶段。中国的政治、经济、文化，从改革开放以来，一直都在学习和消化。随着中国政治、经济在国际上的影响力越来越大，有着深厚传统的中国文化也必然要逐步在国际上发挥重要影响。白盒子艺术馆进驻798，第一个展览就是有著名策展人做的《主场》的展览，意在强调中国资本、中国文化、中国当代艺术的话语权的问题。希望白盒子艺术馆对当代中国的艺术、文化起到建设性作用。
问：白盒子艺术馆的成立对您个人想必也是别有深意的？
答：白盒子艺术馆的落成，对我个人而言，是事业发展的全新领域和阶段，是实现多年来艺术梦想和追求的开始。重要的是为关注艺术和推动艺术（发展）的人士搭建了一个平台，让艺术界、时尚界和企业界可以在这个平台上共舞。我要和我的团队，怀着高度的时代责任感和使命感，为了艺术进入生活、艺术改变生活的愿景而努力工作。
An Exclusive Interview with Sun Yongzeng, the Director of The White Box Art Museum
Q: How did you become interested in Art?
A: It might appear it happened by chance, but it is more than a random coincidence. I was drawn to calligraphy since my middle school. At that time at the school, most of the bulletin boards were hand written by myself. Since that time I started to pay attention to the art of calligraphy and painting. But the most phenomenal experience didn’t happen until the fall of 2004, it was the Impressionism exhibition organized by the National Art Museum of China. The paintings by Cezanne, Manet, and Renoir completely opened up a new perspective of art for me. I felt calm, transcended, and excited. I came to understand that only art and culture could bring a real and fresh life to a person. During the years of developing for my enterprises, I had my goals in material life achieved one after another, yet I don’t feel I am getting happier or more fulfilled, if not getting worst. My reflection finally bought me back to the path of searching for the spiritual meaning of being.
Art, religion, and philosophy are the essence of spirit and culture, and now they are the subject of my study and goal of my life. That is why I feel my involvement with art is a necessity.
Q: You studied contemporary art at Tsinghua University and I heard that it was during this time period that you started to consider the idea of establishing an art museum.
A: My studies in Tsinghua University bought me, a stranger to art, into many new areas, including art appreciation, cultural industry management, Chinese aesthetics, photography, and contemporary art. I started to equip myself with knowledge of art, from classical to modern to contemporary. I realized that art, which always requires creation and subversion, has an unchangeable rule regardless of the time period and genres. This unchangeable rule is that art needs to be able to touch people’s soul, provoke shared experience, purify and elevate our spiritual world. This understanding of art developed from my years in Tsinghua University. To deepen and sharpen one’s understanding in art demands constant cultivation. I hope the joy of being in touch with art, learning art, and sharing art could be accessible to more people. This is why I wanted to build an art museum. This concept still needs to be polished, but I think once the direction is set, arrival at the destination is just matter of time.
Q: You choose to open an art museum in the 798 Art District at the time of global economical depression. Why persist with such an idea during a time when many galleries choose to quit.
A: 798 has became a culture symbol of Beijing, even of China, with its increasingly positive impact on our life. 798 gathers artists, provides a platform for creative minds, and it will continue to be a forum for more activities including display, exchange, acquiring, and experiencing. The crisis we had last year, is not a crisis in art, it is merely a crisis in the economy. Art as shelter for the soul still deserves more of our efforts. I have been frequently asked about the timing in opening an art museum in 798 now. People wonder why I chose to invest when others quit. I think the reason is because I decided to make it a long-term goal. The success of a mission relies on determination; a determination that focus on a valuable career. Risks and fears come from crisis in ones values. It happens when one loses his or her direction or belief. Time is precious and we felt the urgency to act. To carry out our mission that “Art Changes Life” we still have a long way to go.
Q: To build an art museum must be a huge and complex task. You must have had to overcome many challenges all along the way.
A: Ever since its very beginning, we set a high benchmark for the museum. We seek a high standard and professionalism, with a long-term commitment. We gather famous designers, museum directors, curators, and experts in branding; we held innumerable meetings and had intense discussions even for small decisions. Our discussions included new strategies, new academic positioning, more efficient space, environmental friendliness, and advanced security systems. Most of space in 798 was limited by it is crude and extemporaneous looks; hence we wanted to elevate it by applying new architectural strategies. The original site was a factory building in the Bauhaus-style. We wanted to add contemporary aesthetics and pragmatism into the building, with the highest respect for its historical value. It was a difficult process. The current plan which perfectly combines the old and the new is functional and elegant, and the result of enormous modification, improvement, and compromise.
Q: How do you position The White Box Art Museum?
A: Our Museum is comprised of four divisions, namely the White Box Art Center, the White Box Design Center, the White Box Media Center, and the White Box Art Shop. Keeping the essence of the original Bauhaus-style structures, the space was remodeled into an updated, multi-functional museum space. These multi-functional design aims to fulfill the various needs of contemporary life by offering platforms for exhibitions, creative design, academic exchange, symposiums, and educational projects. “Art changes life” is our mandate, which we hope to achieve by being communicative, open, and cooperative. White Box Art Museum will focus on exhibitions on Chinese contemporary art, synchronizing the Chinese community with the most recent developments and thinking in contemporary art within china and abroad. With an emphasis on engaging in the exchange between china and the rest of the world, our platforms are interdisciplinary, resourceful, and user-friendly. We explore and expand the possibilities of the commercial cultural industry.
The public session of “Global Collecting Forum” on October 11th, 2009 is our inaugural event. It will be followed by more forums from our Think Tank in the future. We invite well-known theorists, scholars, art critics, and curators to develop programs including exhibitions, panel discussions, and academic projects to ensure a dynamic and vital exchange between the various disciplines and the general public. While primarily focused on established contemporary artists within china and abroad, we also devote ourselves to the discovery, promotion, and support of emerging artists.
Q: What does “Art Changes Life” mean to you?
A: From Mr. Cai Yuanpei’s “replacing religion by art education”, to the subversive and creative forces that has been emphasized in contemporary art, art has always been the base of human civilization in exploring progress and development in mankind’s spiritual world. No matter how art develops, it will connect with life. Art is the inner dignity of mankind, and it is advanced beyond daily life. It is life’s new awareness, and it can change our life and being.
Q: As a non-governmental investor, how do you picture the future of The White Box Museum?
A: Within the 798 Art District, the major players are foreign investors, and I think it is one of inevitable stages in the development of Chinese art. Chinese has been learning and digesting ever since the beginning of the “Open Door Policy”, in political, economical, and cultural aspects. With growing impact in international politics and economics, Chinese culture, which has an outstanding history, will inevitably and gradually be a big influence in the world. Our inaugural show is entitled “The Home Field”, curated by senior curator Gu Zhenqing, is a show that emphasizes China’s own recourses and own culture, attempting to create new discourse for Chinese contemporary art.
Q: Could you talk about what the museum means to you specifically?
A: The inauguration of The White Box Art Museum means a new territory, and a new phrase in my career. It is the starting point in the pursuit of my dreams in art. More importantly, it provides a platform for people who care about art and who want to promote it. People from the art world, from the fashion world, and from the business world can all come and “play” on this platform. My team and I will work with earnest responsibility and great speed towards the mission: “Art changes life”.
【编辑：霍春常】
