JING YUMIN
Dong Shubing, in his early days, took the topic of the daughter as the motif to explore the origin of life, the origin of human culture and the cardinal point of social structure.
Dong Shubing, the Gobi Desert
Also, as Dong Shubing was born in the Northwest, his bloodline is imbued with a kind of tough instinct and heroism, as well as the sentimental attachment to his homeland.
After a long period of weighing options and planning, in the end the author arrived at the decision to create on this Gobi Desert, for which he has always held deep affection.
The meaning
The carefully picked place is not only different from the urbanized man-made garden, it is also unique, being far away from the remote concept of thematic creation of urban sculpture.
From the geological perspective, this piece of land living through vicissitudes of time is not only a hardened and waterless being, sand-eroded and ecologically degraded environment, but also a vast wilderness forgotten by urban civilization, lacking signal of life.
Dong Shubing, the remembrance of the past glory
The author uses these works to plant life and arouse people’s remembrance or memorial service to the past glory or the bygone green ecology.
In the meantime, it also invokes people to track the arduous steps of the ancestors of the Chinese nation towards the world amidst the heat waves and the whirl of dust picked up by the strong winds sweeping across the ground, so as to review those years of the journey integrating the Eastern and Western civilizations.
Dong Shubing looks up to the sky, holds his steps in the wilderness, lifts his “child” and gently puts the life down, conveying the sad and beautiful nolstalgia to ancient times by modern people and the beautiful vision for the ecological homeland of mankind in the future.
This “child” is undoubtedly the emotional embodiment and condenses hopes of all of Dong Shubing. The choice of the place provides the motivation of quest of meaning for the production of the works and the reason of locality for the birth of Children of the Earth.
The Children of the Earth
By the use of 3D scanning and CNC engraving technology, Children of the Earth is a revolutionary transformation in traditional handicraft work, which is itself a new thinking and new method of contemporary art, and a tentative intervention of contemporary public art in the field of traditional ecological culture.
Its innovative significance should be treated as a success case in the practice of contemporary public art in China.
It has both harnessed the concept of “post-urban sculpture” and the urban aesthetic movement, and manifested against the historical backdrop of agricultural civilization in China a more artistic presentation with the characteristics of the times, realizing the talk between time/space, tradition/contemporary, ecology/humanities, which obviously has opened up a new horizon of thinking for us.
The features and the aesthetics
As an artist with independent mind, Mr. Dong Shubing’s sculptures in the public domain take different value orientations from those on shelf.
Compared with on-shelf sculpture, such public art addresses not only the topic of art, but also of public characteristics.
Dong Shubing has embodied his aesthetic will in the nature of public characteristics, and practiced to infuse his aesthetic personality into the cognition of publicness, into the aesthetic projection of public space and humanistic ecology.
Children of the Earth by Dong Shubing looks like a mountain in close proximity, a spot in distance. It can be looked up to as the peak of life, and also overlooked as the origin of the vast starry universe.
While people are viewing all of this, they also look far back to the past and far out into the future in the endless Gobi, coulds of dust and in the sun, with the Hill of Life as the origin of coordinates.
The harmony between works and environment
The amplification from a small to a large scale draft of Children of the Earth somewhat lessens the attention to the shift from on-shelf sculpture to the sense of space and art architecture, and the patchy effect in finishings leaves some abruptness to the delicate and exquisite texture of the works versus the roughness and vastness of the context, weakening the holistic harmony between the works and the environment as a whole.
Perhaps the author stands from a higher ground and is leaving this type of crafting to time, space, years and infinite polishing by winds and sands with the new thinking of “de-sculpturing” to dissolve some alienation between the works and field of domain.
Dong Shubing, the tenacity of life
In a word, Mr. Dong Shubing’s works has ushered us into a mighty visual space, to feel the ever-lasting proposition of symbiosis between human beings and nature since ancient times, to praise the tenacity of life, to touch the traces of years, to feel grateful for the vast earth, and to continue the steps of human civilization.
By such large-scale, big-hearted and unrestrained creation of brand-new and meaningful public art works completely different from contemporary fashion and culture, a magnificent cultural landscape in Kansu Corridor has come to life!
… Many years later, a group of travelers are trekking through the sand-ridden Gobi and will have stopped in front of a sand dune, which vaguely radiates a sense of “a child sleeping soundly” to them, evoking their urge to trace back to some heroic deeds by their ancestors in 2016 AD.
《无界》是董书兵继《大地之子》后，在戈壁滩上完成的第二件大型公共艺术作品。《无界》由四个“楼阙”，一个“主殿”构成，总长度60m，高21m，宽40m。整体造型符合中国传统建筑中殿宇的格局结构，呈中心对称式。作品共耗用17个型号，长度6m的钢管型材约6300根，连接扣件约3万个。
Boundless is Dong Shubing’s second large-scale public art works completed on the Gobi Desert after Children of the Earth. It consists of four “watchtowers” and a “main palace”, with a total length of 60m, height of 21m and width of 40m. The systematic modeling conforms to the pattern and structure of the temples and palaces in China’s traditional architecture, presenting in central symmetry. The works have consumed about 6,300 steel pipe profiles of 17 models with a length of 6m each and about 30,000 connecting fasteners.
在创作意图上，作者有意冲破想象的桎梏，排除色彩可能带来的愉悦以及对盛大、繁华的执念，因此《无界》在造型语言上是简约的、纯净的。直白的钢管在焦色的大漠与湛蓝的天空中肆意组合、天地无碍，简约的造型，单纯的色彩，再加上置于戈壁的特殊位置，使《无界》仿佛一个独立于主宇宙之外的次级宇宙，同时也是一个未完成的世界——扣件式脚手架钢材的组合成型方式，使作品始终呈现一种构建进行中的视觉印象。从动工以来，随着进展的程度，《无界》在戈壁滩上出落得愈发超凡脱俗，隐隐透露出不与浊世为伍的清高与出众，在时空深处，敛容屏气，无忧无惧。
The author intends in his creation to shake off the shackles of imagination, drive out the pleasure that colors may bring and the obsession with grandeur and thriving look, and in the end to shape Boundless in its simple and pristine modeling language.
The straightforward steel pipes enjoy the utmost freedom of combinations against the backdrop of the caramel-toned desert and the azure sky, with no barriers from the ground nor the sky.
The simplicity in modelling, purity in color, coupled with the special position in the Gobi has turned Boundless to be seemingly a secondary universe independent of the main universe, and also an unfinished world–fastener scaffold of steel combinations for molding has brought out the visual impression of the works that it is constantly a kind of construction ongoing.
Since the construction began, with every step of progress, Boundless has grown out to be exceptional on the Gobi Desert, radiating quite some lofty and outstanding hues that do not associate with the turbid world. In the depth of time and space, it holds its own breath with composure and stays carefree and fearless.
在具体方法上《无界》与《大地之子》相同，仍是采用现场制作，也就是更强调作为创作主体——艺术家在场性的创作方式。《无界》的创作灵感来自于莫高、榆林两窟的唐代《经变画》。唐代壁画中建筑是最常见的题材之一，并常用作变相和各种故事画的背景，在中唐以后最典型的净土变中，背景多由辉煌华丽的楼阁亭台组成。
In terms of the specific method, Boundless shares the same with that of Children of the Earth, which is still production-onsite, emphasizing the creation subject-a creation method that features artist’s presence. The inspiration of Boundless comes from the Sutra Paintings (Jingbian) of Tang Dynasty in Mogao Grottoes and Yulin Grottoes. The architecture is one of the most common themes in the murals of the Tang Dynasty, and is often used as the background of paintings featuring Buddha and Bodhisattva and various story paintings.
In the most typical Pure Land Paintings after the middle Tang Dynasty, most backgrounds are composed of magnificent pavilions.
《无界》所处的瓜州县，素有“世界风库”之称，每天平均风速四到五级，七八级风也很常见，这种全部以线型构筑的钢材料结构方式，使作品呈镂空式，因此不会形成太大阻力，适宜放置在大风环境中。
The Guazhou County where Boundless is located at is known as the World Wind Reservoir. The average wind speed each day is at grade 4 to 5, and grade 7 to 8 are also common. This steel material structure mode built entirely in lines gives the works a penetrated style, thus reducing resistance, and making it suitable for standing in strong winds.
在《无界》制作现场，董书兵有时一整天都钻进脚手架中当个彻头彻尾的重劳力，有时掸掸灰尘，匆匆离去，出现在身为清华美院雕塑系主任必须出现的某个会议或活动现场。身为高校教师，教学与管理、研究与创作，一个都不能有所耽误。没过几天董书兵又一阵风地出现在工棚的食堂，与工友欢声笑语，大快朵颐。
On the production site of Boundless, Dong Shubing would spend the whole day getting into the scaffolding system as an utter heavy laborer on some days, whilst on other days, he would briefly dust some off and rush to show up at a conference or an event that he must attend as the Chair of the Sculpture Department, Academy of Fine Arts, Tsinghua University. As a university faculty member, he is mandated with teaching and management, research and creation, where not a single task can allow any delay. A few days later, Dong Shubing, just as swift as a gust of wind, would show up in the workshed canteen, gobbling down the meal with workermates in laughter.
随着《无界》的落成，观众惊呼此为戈壁上的一座“海市蜃楼”。在现代汉语中海市蜃楼的符号意义为空中楼阁 、虚无飘渺、子虚乌有等等，自古以来，蜃景就为世人所关注，古代则把蜃景看成是仙境。现代科学已经对大多数蜃景作出了正确解释，所谓蜃景就是光学幻景。
With the completion of the Boundless, visitors have exclaimed that it is such a “mirage” on the Gobi Desert. In modern Chinese, the symbolic meaning of mirage is castles in the air , or something that is illusory, non-existent and the like. Since ancient times, mirage has been watched by the world, and also in ancient times, mirage was regarded as fairyland. Modern science has correctly explained most mirages, which are the so-called optical illusions.
作者试图在作品的完成效果与中国发展过程中寻找某些隐喻关系，在古老的东方智慧与时代发展理念等一系列要素中整理出一个脉落，使其交织共生，共同构筑设计出时代的全新谱系和精彩万象。
The author tries to identify some metaphorical relations between the completion effect of the works and the development journey of China, sort out a vein from a series of elements such as ancient oriental wisdom and the development idea of the times, so as to interweave all factors for coexistance, and jointly construct and design a brand-new lineup and kaleidoscope of the times.
与以往作品不同之处，“海市蜃楼”与动态结合，重视对光的使用，有效利用沙漠光照和风力充足的特点，增加了作品在视觉表达的丰富性、多样性。完成后的“海市蜃楼”在大漠中产生众多迷人的影像。由于光线不断的变化，风力的作用，由此产生的各种扑朔迷离的影像为空间注入了梦幻般的感觉。
Unlike previous works, “mirage” interacts with dynamics, valuing the importance of the use of light, effectively utilizing the characteristics of sufficient sunlight and wind power in the desert, thus adding to the richness and diversity of visual expression in the works.
The accomplished “mirage” produces a variety of fascinating images in the desert.
The constant change of light, the action of wind has given rise to various mesmorizing images, which have infused the space with a fantasy of wonderland.
如果说《大地之子》是以戈壁滩的独特地貌为载体；《无界》衍生自西北丝路文化；那《风语者》则是以当地气候为出发点。这三组作品都是出于对天、地、人关系的考量。三件作品看似形式差异较大、无太大关联，实则在精神内涵上一脉相承，那就是要融入当地。无论是视觉的融入、还是精神的融入，都要与当地的“根”产生和谐关系。
It is fair to say Children of the Earth leverages the unique topography of the Gobi Desert as the carrier; Boundless is derived from the Northwest silk road culture; Then the way to look at the Wind Talkers is that it starts to build on the local climate. These three groups of works are all based on the consideration of the relationship between the sky, earth and human beings.
The three pieces of works seem to have greatly differ in forms and bear no connection, but in fact, they are inherently aligned in spiritual connotations, which is all about fushion into the locality.
Whether it is about visual or spiritual integration, it definitely strikes a harmonious chord with the local “roots”.
风语者》创作于2020年秋季，平面呈外方内圆形，长30米、宽30米、高9米。作品构成形制为每组4根钢管，共计128组，以水泥地基为底座，预埋焊接点，每组钢管在底座、1.3米以及 2.6米处进行焊接固定，既保障了稳定性，又能使钢管上端有足够的韧性产生碰撞。金属连接部件采用数字切割技术，将9米长的钢管准确无误的树立在戈壁滩之上。地面采用石子回填，还原周边地貌。
Dong Shubing and his work titled Wind Talkers
Wind Talkers was created in the autumn of 2020.
The floor plan shows a square on the outside and a round circle on the inside, measuring 30 meters long, 30 meters wide and 9 meters high.
Work’s structure is composed of 4 steel pipes in each group, totaling 128 groups.
The cement foundation serves as the base for the welding points to be pre-embedded.
Each group of steel pipes are welded and fixed at the base, on the interval point of 1.3m and 2.6m, which not only ensures the stability, but also gives the upper part of the steel pipes to harness enough resilience to produce collision.
Digital cutting technologies have been employed for metal connectors, which allows the 9 meters long steel pipes to stand tall on the Gobi desert with precision.
The ground is backfilled with stones and gravels to restore the original look as the surrounding landform.
《风语者》外方内圆的造型，具有朴素的辩证法色彩。古人以为天圆地方，亦以圆方作天地的代称。圆，是中国道家通变、趋时的学问；方，是中国儒家人格修养的理想境界：“智欲其圆道，行欲其方正”。因此天圆地方可谓是古代先哲们认识世界的思维方式。追求发展变化，人类才会不断进步；希望静止稳定，世界才会和平共处。故而“天圆地方”是作品中不可缺少的内容，它必然体现出人们对稳定、进步的追求，也映射了艺术家的观念表达。
Wind Talkers exhibits a simple and dialectic tone by assuming the shape of squared outlayer and round inner circle.
The ancients believed that the sky was round and earth was squared, so such circle and square was used as the synonym of sky and earth.
Circle with its round shape habors the knowledge of Chinese Taoists’ philosophy of change, and understanding of momentum.
Square holds the ideal state of China’s practice of Confucian personality: “The wisdom is strongest with adaptability like a circle, the behavior is most respected when fair and square”.
Therefore, the round sky and squared earth was the way of thinking to understand the world by the ancient philosophers.
The mankind will keep advancing forward only in pursuit of development and changes; The world will coexist in peace only with lasting and committed aspirations.
Naturally, the “round sky and squared earth” makes an indispensable component in the works, which inevitably reflects people’s pursuit of stability and progress, and also mirrors the artist’s expression of concepts and views.
作品在构思和制作中充分利用当地自然环境，将瓜州地区的风作为作品元素考虑共中。相邻的钢管在风力作用及可控范围内发生运动，相互碰撞并发出声响，从而形成风能制动效应。通过运动和声音的加入，使得三维空间的立体造型得到拓展，将时间的维度融合其中，延伸和扩展了雕塑的表现空间。
The works makes full use of the local natural environment in the conception and production, and takes the wind in Guazhou area as the element of the works.
The adjacent steel pipes will move under the action of wind power within a controllable range, collide with each other and make sounds, thereby delivering the effect of wind to power the movement.
The addition of movement and sound gives the stereoscopic modeling of 3D space its extra expansion, and the dimension of time is integrated to further stretch and expand the space of sculpture expression.
