回首如梦如烟的中国历史，每当重大的社会变革之际，总会听到知识分子发出的清晰声音。
从春秋战国的“百家争鸣”，到“辛亥革命”再到“五四运动”。无论是古代的“士”阶层，还是近代的知识分子，都成为推动社会制度转变的重要力量。伴随着改革开放30年的历程，人们同样不会忘怀上个世纪的80年代，那个影响了中国现代化进程并唤醒了整个中华民族的自觉意识和理性思维的启蒙年代。自由精神是80年代的重要标志，也是那个时代最为珍贵的集体回忆。温普林先生集二十余年之功，以一己之力完成了这套“中国前卫艺术档案”，将中国前卫艺术置于广阔的社会历史大背景之中，折射出同时期中国社会政治、经济、文化、艺术等不同领域所发生的重大变革，反映了中国社会自改革开放以来思想观念的演变过程。
文革结束伊始，百废待兴。80年代初由官方发起的思想解放运动，志在为经济改革提供一个较少教条主义的意识形态基础。至此，以往无法接触的西方现代思潮大量涌入，传统中国文化的余脉也得以全面复苏。由于相对宽松的政治气氛和学术环境，使得这场至上而下的思想解放迅速演化成为一种广泛的民间的自由的文化运动。艺术界的“85新潮美术”正是伴随着思想解放运动才能够蓬勃展开。
纵观80年代，从1979年星星画会“艺术自由”的追求开始，到1989年“中国现代艺术大展”，中国的现代艺术大规模进入国家主流美术馆，短短十年间，中国的现代艺术便创造了历史，也为之后的发展奠定了坚固的基石。
我在清华大学美术学院当代艺术高级研修班进修期间，了解到温普林先生作为80年代前卫艺术发生现场的亲历者，他用影像、图片、文献、访谈等方式记录了整个中国80年代前卫艺术发展进程中的重要事件和人物。其中就包括他策划的大型艺术活动“包扎长城”、纪录片《大地震》以及对于“89中国现代艺术大展”的影像记录等。我们有缘成为朋友之后，曾多次与他长谈并参观了他的中国前卫艺术档案库。就整个80年代的中国前卫艺术发展史而言，此档案所记录的资料之全是绝无仅有的。本展览大量的影像播放，为观众呈现的将是一幕幕真实的画面，生动的现场，鲜活的面孔和清晰的声音。从中，我们可以倾听一个时代的理想主义追求，看到久违了的独立知识分子的立场。
悉知数年前美国康奈尔大学和加州大学都已经建立了“温普林中国前卫艺术档案”。但是作为研究中国80年代前卫艺术的重要资料，国内至今却没有一家美术馆、图书馆、大学或文化机构收藏并研究这套珍贵的档案。西方学者早已意识到文献档案对于研究艺术史的重要性，西方发达的艺术史研究体系也有效的支持了这项研究。而目前我们不仅缺乏严肃的艺术史研究的理论和方法，也缺少社会化的机制支持，因此对于中国现代艺术价值判断的话语权基本仍掌握在少数西方收藏家或学术权威的手中。
80年代的短短十年里，中国现代艺术的发展浓缩了几代中国艺术家的梦想，也梦幻般的演绎了西方现代艺术的百年历程。当中国现代艺术与资本结合迅速成为世界瞩目的焦点之时，我们甚至无暇去回顾和梳理那段青春激荡的岁月。突然降临的经济危机结束了艺术市场的泡沫，使得人们开始冷静下来重新思考艺术的精神成为可能。我们上海多伦现代美术馆此时举办这个展览正是表明了我们一贯的办馆方针，那就是把现代艺术的学术研究和对于有价值的艺术文献、艺术作品的收藏列为美术馆的工作重心。作为美术馆人，我们有责任和义务研究梳理和展示这些珍贵的艺术档案。 无论是对于艺术史还是社会史而言，80年代的精神、文化和对于理想的追求都是值得永远珍藏的记忆。在消费主义至上的今天也许是一剂良药，有助于人们从资本的梦魇中清醒。
借此展览，让我们梦回80年代 ！
杜放
上海多伦现代美术馆副馆长，“1980年代”展览总监
2009-8-30
A Dream Return to 1980s
In Chinese history, every significant social change was accompanied by intellectual’s attention.
As period in Spring and Autumn Warring States, Revolution of 1911, or May Fourth Movement, intellectual was a major factor to promote social change. In the past thirty years of reform and opening-up in China, the decade of 1980s, influenced Chinese modernization and roused national consciousness, was memorable.
Free is a main symbol in 1980s, and is precious. Wen Pulin took more than 20 years to devote himself to this “Archive of Chinese avant-grade art of the 1980s”, which revealed Chinese revolution in different areas like policy, economy, culture, art and so on. During the early days of last century after the Culture Revolution, everything was in a chaos, and everything needed to be done. Thought liberation initiate by government in 1980s aimed at providing an ideology foundation for economic revolution.
Since then, west thoughts became more and more popular, and traditional culture recovered. With this background, “new fine art campaign in 1985”was flourishing.
In 1980s, Chinese contemporary art came into main art museums in China from star star group’ s Free Art in 1979 to Chinese contemporary art exhibition in 1989. Chinese contemporary art created history in these ten years.
When I studied in Tsinghua University I learned about that Wen, as a witness, recorded the whole Avant-grade art in 1980s with video, photograph, documents, and interview, included “Binding the Great Wall”, “the Big Earthquake” and video about “1989 China modern art exhibition”.
Fortunately, we became friends lated, talked and visited Wen’s file store of Chinese avant-grade art in which we can get a thorough understanding about the development of avant-art in 1980s. At this exhibition, it presents a mount of image, scene, faces and sounds with video playing, in which we can find an idealism’s pursuing.
As I known, Cornell University and University of California have set up “Wen Pulin Archive of Chinese Avant-grade Art” while there is no art museum, library, university or cultural institute to collect and research Wen’s archive about avant-grade in that ages.
It is important to study document for art history research and developed research system in West support it.
However, it is to be short of precise theory and methodology as well as social support to art research. As a result, value judgment of Chinese contemporary art provided only by minority west collector and academic authority are accepted.
There is no time to review and arrange the decade of 1980s when people all focus on the combination of Chinese contemporary art and capital. Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern art devote to research Chinese contemporary art, collect valuable art works and document, and make the purpose clearly by this time exhibition. It is our responsibilities and obligations to show and research this precious art archive.
For art history or social history, spirit and culture in 1980s are precious.
Let’s be back in 1980s with this exhibition.
Du Fang
Administrative Director of Shanghai Duolun MoMA,Exhibition Director of In the 1980s
2009-8-30
【编辑：海英】
