走过18个年头的索卡艺术中心，将于2010年四月迁移至北京798艺术园区，特地邀请31位国际当代艺术家参展，并结合亚太地区八个国家，在不同的国籍、思维、创作想法之中，打造跨越国际视野的『云端』开幕大展，索卡艺术中心基于对当代潮流艺术发展的热情与使命感，以其极具代表性之作，完整呈现艺术家创作成果。
展名「云端」，源自于『云端运算』 (Cloud Computing) ，是一种概念，主要是「网络」与「伺服」为根本，是基于因特网开发的计算机运算技术。乍听之下像是高深莫测充满诗意、亦或技术性科技词汇。数字化的时代，在虚拟身份与数字接口的世界中，真实与虚假的界线愈来愈显模糊，唯有对个体本身产生意义之事物才具真实之条件。索卡艺术中心自1992年成立至今，策划了涵蕴多元文化及层面的各文件展览，展出的开放性及自主性，引发了各种话题。经历这样的时代，也是计算机技术突飞猛进，信息内容缩小数倍的时代，艺术的内容及形式也是日新月异。许多才甫推出的计算机软硬件，很快就被更新版本取代;很多才出现几年的新兴艺术家，竟然没多久就消声匿迹、失去踨影，艺术型态与消费价值观急速变迁，也因此我们能够强烈的感受到好的艺术家、优质的艺术作品最能展现出各种时代变动，不论是作品背后的象征、美学、哲学、文化、情感以及历史价值。
由于亚洲经济快速蓬勃发展，日益扩散的全球化及外界跳跃式的状态，其实「云端」早已深入进驻我们的生活，与我们息息相关。此次开幕展即是从此角度全面性地出发，创作者重新开启对当下现象的解读与反馈。观者从什么样的形式、角度关注自己真正需要什么样的资源以及如何通过艺术、画廊及艺术家来得到更深层的艺术文化内涵、更专业的收藏信息。艺术家通过艺术衍生品把更新颖的艺术观念和更精致的美学气质融入到大众的日常生活情境中，借助日常化、生活化的方式将当代艺术的语言和精神传达给社会，不断改变人们的生活态度。
此次特别邀请知名策展人陆蓉之担纲策划，邀集31位来自亚洲地区的艺术家参与展出，包括：
中国─方力钧，王广义，艾未未，李晖，周春芽，洪凌，展望，张晓刚，陈箴，曾梵志，隋建国，杨剑平，刘野，蔡国强，严培明;台湾─林建荣，杨茂林;日本─小谷元彦 (Odani Motohiko) ，加藤泉 (Kato Izumi) ，村上隆 (Takashi Murakami) ，奈良美智 (Nara Yoshitomo)，草间弥生 (Yayoi Kusama);印度─吉堤斯•卡拉特 (Jitish Kallat)，苏尼尔•高德 (Sunil Gawde)，苏博德•古普塔 (Subodh Gupta);印度尼西亚─布迪•库斯塔图Budi Kustarto，阿古斯苏瓦吉Agus Suwage，翰迪威尔曼•沙普查 (Handiwirman Saputra);菲律宾：盖伯瑞•博瑞多 (Gabriel Barredo);泰国：纳堤•尤塔瑞(Natee Utarit);韩国─朴栖甫 (Park Seo-Bo)等。
北京索卡艺术中心798艺术园区新址落成，八米六挑高的锯齿型厂顶，一千平方米占地的包豪斯典型建筑，新址建筑历史悠久，该馆保留原本建筑本体与外貌，展现出古色古香的风貌。除了外表之外，内部空间的展览空间也讲究开放性，冀望能提供更灵活、多样多元的展示空间，满足未来广泛的需求。当现代艺术邂逅历史文物会激出什么不一样的视觉冲击?!这次『云端』在「放眼本土，胸怀国际」的观点下，思考当下当代艺术的种种未来可能性，以期为798艺术园区里带来更强悍的生存者风貌。
“Clouds” (雲端)
Paul Hsiao
After 18 years, Soka Art Center will relocate to “798 Art Zone” in Beijing in April 2010. To commemorate this event we have invited 31 international contemporary artists to take part in “Clouds,” (雲端) an opening exhibition with a distinctly international feel, encompassing 8 countries in the Asia Pacific region, artists with different nationalities, artistic philosophies and creative ideas. With its passion for developments in the world of contemporary art, Soka Art Center showcases the great diversity of work shown by the gallery with some of the best works in the genre today.
The exhibition name “Clouds,” (雲端) comes from the popular concept of “Cloud Computing.” This idea is based on a combination of “networks” and “servers” that rely on computer technology developed over the Internet that on first hearing can seem poetically obscurantist or highly technological. In the digital age, in a world of virtual identities and digital interfaces, the line between real and unreal has become increasingly blurred, with only those things that are important to the individual being real. Since it was first established in 1992, Soka Art Center has curated a wide range of culturally diverse and multi-layered exhibitions that have attracted the gallery much attention for its great openness and autonomy. In an era that has seen the rapid development of computer technology and the dramatic shrinking of information, the content and form of art has also diversified. Today much computer hardware and software is out of date almost as soon as it goes on sale and very quickly replaced by an upgraded version. In the same way, many new artists disappear never to be heard from again after just a few years. With rapid changes in art types and consumer values what we have very much come to appreciate is that good artists and quality art showcase changes in different era, through the imagery, aesthetics, philosophy, culture, emotions or historical values that underpin the work.
The rapid and vibrant development of Asian economies, the expansion of globalization and connectivity to the outside world has ensured that “clouds” have long been integral part of our lives. Soka’s opening exhibition takes this view as its starting point, with artists invited to reinterpret various contemporary phenomenon. The question here is how best to use art, galleries and artists to achieve provide enhanced artistic and cultural content and professional collection related information. By infusing daily objects with art, artists can take new and novel ideas and a refined sense of aesthetics and make them an integral part of daily life for everyone. It is exactly by making art an important part of everyday life and therefore more relevant that the intrinsic spirit of contemporary art can be best conveyed and thereby challenge and change the way in which we live.
Soka Art Center invited Victoria Lu to curate the opening exhibition and 31 participating artists from across Asia, including; Fang Lijun, Wang Guangyi, Ai Weiwei, Li Hui, Zhou Chunya, Hong Ling, Zhan Wang, Zhang Xiaogang, Chen Zhen, Zeng Fanzhi, Sui Jianguo, Yang Jianping, Liu Ye, Cai Guoqiang, Yan Peiming from China; Lin Chien-jung and Yang Mao-lin from Taiwan; Odani Motohiko, Kato Izumi, Takashi Murakami, Nara Yoshitomo and Yayoi Kusama from Japan; Jitish Kallat, Sunil Gawde and Subodh Gupta from India; Budi Kustarto, Agus Suwage and Handiwirman Saputra from Indonesia; Gabriel Barredo from the Philippines, Natee Utarit from Thailand and Park Seo-bo from South Korea.
Soka Art Center Beijing’s new address in the 798 Art Zone is a Bauhaus style factory building with a zig zag shaped roof that is 8.6 meter high and has 1000m2 of space. The new address has a long history and Soka decided to retain the original building structure and external appearance to highlight the old style and flavor of the place. The exhibition space also attaches great importance to openness in the hope of providing a display area that is both more alive and diverse and as such able to fulfill a wider range of future needs. The question is what sort of visual impact is created when contemporary art encounters historical artifacts? The “Clouds” exhibition offers an experiences that focuses on home but also embraces things international,” forcing us to reflect on the future possibilities that await contemporary art and infusing 798 Art Zone with a powerful survivalist spirit.
【编辑：霍春常】
