1.Chen Yanyin "Living Room"
The design’s intent is to express an inner pursuit for romanticism, which influences people’s words and actions whether it be consciously or unconsciously, directly or implicitly. No matter its manifestation, such a romantic pursuit will never end because it brings people hope and reveals true beauty.
While the design of the living room is rational, the materials applied are sensible flowers, water, fire, glass, etc., which are at the same time passionate, mellow and sensitive, lending rhythm and rational control to the space. A vast gamut of spiritual emotions are expressed through the careful choice of materials and a attention to beauty.

2. Wang Xingwei
A.  Simple Toilet
The fiber alternating red, white and blue stripes is a cheap material commonly found on the construction site. Workers often employ the material to build simple washrooms. Just as the completed luxurious residence has very little in common with the actual builders, once the project is completed these simple toilets disappear or begin their next trip along with the builders. They are erased lightly, as if they had never existed.
I have no interest in building a monument to the construction workers; that would certainly be overdoing it.
Whether it is the workers, the owners, or the construction company, they are all knowing participants of the building ceremony and, therefore, it is only as part of the same ceremony that I design a piece of art for the architecture museum.
The simple toilet is composed of a pair of identically painted armor plates, like two phrases or short sentences with the same structure.
May they exist in supposedly improper spaces such as an architecture museum, unhesitating and dignified.

B.  Corridor
The design for the corridor is inspired by the place where I now live. In my mind, a corridor is close to the idea of a “passage”. It is more a passage to some uncertain spiritual course than one with practical functions. Such a passage is perhaps a slightly uneasy course.  
I wish for the entrance of the corridor to lure people into incidental entry and, once they enter, all choices, whether going forwards or backwards, are strongly evocative of a person’s destiny.
It is a corridor in spirit, without any purely practical function. Open the door and there is a corridor in front of you, at the end of which is another door; go through the corridor, and then open another door: there is another corridor in front, at the end of which is another door. Go through the corridor and enter the next door, there is one more corridor, at the end of which is one more door… In reality, there is a total of three corridors and four doors, but it seems far longer and more convoluted than it actually is.

3. Ding Yi  "Appearance of Crosses Bridge"
The cross of “Appearance of Crosses Bridge” originates from a symbolic language used by artists for a long time. Cross, the Chinese character “Ten” is a technical term used for a positioning system; it is also a sign with strong symbolic meanings adopted and comprehended by innumerous cultures throughout history.
The final place for “Appearance of Crosses Bridge” should be in the front of the church of Lianyang residences and its structure, set on a watercourse, is a response to religion and nature that could be extended to embrace even more comprehensive connotations.
A bridge would connect the up with the down, the left with the right, the former with the latter, the ancient with the present, the Chinese with the foreign; it could connect people with people, objects with objects, ideas with ideas, and cultures with cultures. Connection is necessary, even imperative, in this age. Every one is going through various mediums of connection, looking for all kinds of connections, and achieving connections of different ideals. Connection means solidarity, grandness and development. Connection means balance, compromise, and confrontation. Connection is the essential idea and nature of this bridge.

4. Xu Tan "Room inside Room"
A space is separated with glass, yet people can enter. Once they enter, they feel an interruption of connection with the outside world. Above the space, namely on the ceiling, a silent videotape is playing.
In modern life, when pursuing a successful social life, people’s feeling of time is distorted, therefore in an ideal survival space, we should create “independent time” in order for people to adjust and recover their normal abilities of time perception.

5.Shi Yong "Expression when flying high"
In the work “Expression when flying high” presented at the exhibition of “Junction” in Lianyang Architecture Museum, “Sound” is emphasized. In my opinion, “sound” is the best factor to induce hallucination. Thus, I use “sound” as the real unique concept of my work plan. Here, intervening of any body behavior, and sounds resulting from those behaviors, will be considered as a guiltless, no matter if it is conscious or subconscious, expression of factors intent on bringing on hallucinations. My desire is to create a conspiratorial energy focused on creating desires rather than representing a simple physical field of intentions. In this regard, I utilize sounds resulting from certain ceremonial fields such as ceremonial eating, drainage (the sound of a nights-tools pumping water), visiting, walking and chatting, the self-complacent behavior of Kara-Ok (boxing) and the sound of mass media. All these sounds provoke an unending hallucination transporting the viewer from one field to another. I try to change the expressive structure of “sound” into a processing structure of continuous transmission and heating. With such a structure, the weight of sound capacity and its content will be modified again and again during the course of intervening of body behavior. This way, in the end, the total weight will be weighing on the surface of a hanging transparent film.  Eight speakers cling to the film and vibration frequencies of various kinds of superimposed sounds makes the film flutter indefinitely, bringing various kinds of hallucination-like sound.
In the same way as a complex expression will ultimately be manifested by a complex network of nerve endings, this film under slight flutters is the direct reflection of unending sound hallucination. I think this can be likened to an hallucinogenic desire for expression…suspended in  air.

6.Yan Lei "Project II"
This work focuses on the transformation of the interior space of the five apartments. We used different vertical files made of aluminum, sized according to the dimension of the individual. They are all set to a 1 / 4 scale of the original proportions.

7.Lin Yilin "Brick Wall"
My interest is in using simple objects to construct simple forms, and then transform their appearance into something abnormal. Usually my work is full of uncertain metaphors, which lead the viewers into pondering in different directions. It includes questions on the human being, like society, commerce, urbanism, nation etc. Rather than applying a direct criticism, I prefer to be indistinct in my judgment and leave the visualizing to the viewers. As we daily confront innumerous confusions, the assessment of values and the reestablishment of the new orders are chosen criteria for the creation of this proposal. In this work, I continually use the most basic architectural material -brick and sand- and integrate golden paper, which is a symbol of wealth, to create the false impression of a pile of golden bricks. My work contains and presents to the viewers the contrasting concepts of establishment and dilapidation, fluidization and interruption, enrichment and impoverishment.

8.Xiao Yu "People walk up, water flows down"
‘People walk up’ is a kind of conduct that serves people’s basic instincts, desires and sub- consciousness, and has almost no need for rational judgment. The desire to ascend is always without a clear aim. In this process, limbs act in large anticipation to the brain.
Water flows down, is the result of a rational judgment and recognition of people’s objectives. The recognition of water’s running deep may induce people’s rational behavior, for example, how to utilize, how to control and how to dispose of water.

9.Lu Qing  "Staircases"
This work places the staircase between the two parallels of an arbitrary zenith and the ground. The same stairs, and the same steps, guide us to the predicament or, we can say, the staircase itself is the predicament. Upon viewing this piece of artwork, the sight itself is already intriguing; meanwhile, while we are trying to comprehend its significance, we become entangled and can no longer extricate ourselves from of it.

10.Ai Weiwei "Crossing long Tables"
Ai Weiwei’s ‘Crossing long Tables’ focuses on appliances relating to people’s behavior, as well as their regulation and alteration of behavior. If one postulates that a building is regarded as a machine used for living, its different parts are equivalent to different components of the machine. In the same way, as components of a whole machine, buildings exert an influence on social, ethnic and physiological modules, as well as on people’s fundamental demands such as intercommunication, modes of comprehension, possibilities and impossibilities. In ‘Crossing long Tables’, the presence of the same object in different places renders fundamental intercommunication an unrealizable hope.
By changing and restricting the object’s profile, by redefining the concepts of safety and rationality, questions are raised about people’s sensing, comprehension and behavioral modes.

11.Yan Fenglin "Labyrinth"
‘Labyrinth’ consists of two corridor spaces: the first is indoors and there are passable and impassable passages. The idea originated from the experience of walking down roads and lanes every day; some lanes, although snaky and enigma-like, may bring you light like “A beauteous scene once more after one hamlet” Others may be straight, like broad and sunny road, but if you walk to the end, you see a sign that marks “No access”. So, whether people walk down lanes and roads in the city, calling on friends and relatives, or step onto the boundless road of the life, “passable” and “impassable” roads could possibly be our end destination. Since we as people have limited experiences of life and geographical knowledge, the above mentioned situations could frequently be the case in our lives. Therefore, we conclude that ‘Labyrinth’, silvery in appearance and with colorful interiors, inspires people to wander within, cheerful and confident.

12.Liang Shaoji  "Bamboo Root"
Open ecological architectural thinking
It is well-known that ancient China regarded the universe as comprising “Six directions”, which indicates that the place in which the people live-the universe- is, generally speaking, a huge building. However we often forget the basic principle of ecological architectural design which offers the possibility of maintaining sustainable growth: to construct a living environment in which human beings peacefully cohabitate with nature. When the mountains are no longer green, the sky turns dark, fish die in rivers and lakes, birds flee their natural habitats, what on earth is the use of discussing hi-tech architectural theories of construction? Thus, facing the marvelous achievements of the industrial revolution, the rapid development of urbanization, people should first blame themselves when suddenly feeling poor and helpless after having enjoyed happiness.
The reason I am interested in bamboo is dual: not only is it an ecological construction material featuring a precious combination of rigidity and flexibility but it also contains a human spirit, featuring an oriental mysticism and pure modern beauty.
I silently opened the bamboo root and in the space inside, I found the ancient refuge of human beings—the “cave house”, “nest house”, as well as the construction shape of a celestial aircraft, the space capsule, and the future buildings.
In bamboo thickets all over the mountains and plains, I tried to construct following the precepts of  the” Six directions”, introducing an open and flowing natural space to the frame via the interlocking, rotation, opening and closing of concrete, metals and bamboo. The wall, pillars, ceiling, doors and windows are all dummy, barely hinted at and multi-functional transforming shapes. I even dreamed that this enigma-like ecological structure would grow and spread, finally transforming into fresh and lively “skyscrapers”.

13.LaoZhu
A. Information City :
In the Age of Information, the city is defined by information. The Information City Project is based on the following concepts:
a. With urban planning, buildings, streets, public space and individual space in a city can be designed as a medium for transferring information.
b. The facades of buildings in cities shadow each other due to overcrowded space; they have been transformed and fragmented by advertisements and poster boards. Therefore, it is an urgent task to rethink the function of facades and their actual appearance to viewers. It is possible, as well as mandatory, that the facades facing to the streets become entirely a place to publish information, a prime medium for information.
c. The streets should be the convenient and energy-saving public transportation lines. Running along buildings whose facades are transformed into information boards, the streets become a transportation route and an information channel. In such a way, people acquire all necessary information along the way, just like people finish reading their newspaper on the way to work..
d. Separating the public space. Public space can be divided into two sections, one is the information space, a communication space filled with information; the other is a tranquil Greenland serving as a bay to protect people from information violence. It aims to achieve a perfect balance of extension and flexibility, where ‘Working is working and leisure is leisure’.
e. Individual space, inclusive of working space and leisure space, is quarantined from information boards, thus becoming a closed space. Vertical forestation in individual space not only mutes the noise in the street and reduces air pollution; it also reduces the visual obstruction formed by the crowed space. Moreover, if urban planning neglects the forms of buildings, the distance between them, and is only based on the functions and convenience of transportation, the space of a city will be comparatively intense and therefore save more public space and preserve more natural environment.

B. Private Forest
“Private Forest” aims to bring the flourishing effect into full play in a closed individual space and set up natural space of the new concept by virtue of techniques and design, as well as systematic and programmed management.

The key points of “Private Forest” are as follows:
a. Long and narrow “Private Forest” is an individual space following an information column. It is possible to have a transparent screen between “Private Forest” and people’s space. Whether to have it or not depends on the size of the space. Its style is more or less similar to that of dooryard in front of the window of Qingteng Study in Xu Wei Former Residence, a narrow yard in the former French concession.  .
b. “Private Forest” is mainly composed of innumerous plants whose varieties rely on the harmony between visual effect and overall design. In principle the majority is ornamental plants, for example tropical plants and vines. Of course it is desirable to rebuild a plant community imitating certain small bio-systems existing in nature.
c. The following techniques will be adopted to ensure the practicability of “Private Forest”: natural soil will be the planting base material. Artificial materials are also alternatives to achieve the effect of large-scale and three-dimensional planting. It is advisable to use natural light as much as possible, with artificial light as a supplementary source, to offer the necessary illumination with appropriate strength, light-wave ingredients and lighting cycle. Irrigation is manual and therefore we must establish a pipeline system. Irrigation should conform to the habitual nature of each plant community.
d. In order to reach a better effect the following measures may be taken: ensure that a complete and typical plant community is formed in certain spaces. Following the principle of complying with ecological theories, characteristic species may be planted so that the overall structure is more pleasing to eye but still guaranteeing a variety of species. Animals, such as insects, Batrachia, avifauna and small mammals like squirrels will be the best choice in the establishment of small ecological systems, namely equatorial rain forest and coniferous forest in different spaces.

14. Weng Fen "Riding On the Wall"
Photography series of “Riding On the Wall” features a little girl sitting on a wall looking towards the distant city. The same arrangement of the photo also captures the new and booming city scenes in Haikou, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. The clear skyscrapers in the distance and the colorful costumed girl’s silhouette lead us into an illusionary world, like in a novel. In these situations, imagination and hypothesis make it so that the definition of the meaning of a real world is impossible. Alienation, distance and strangeness equally represent people’s emotions towards this ever changing city.

15. Xiang Liqing "Flicking Never"
Photography series of “Flicking Never” is a fusion of camera shots and computer graphics which shows us a surrealistic world of buildings alongside human beings’ ways of living. A great number of image cuttings and casts aid us in reviewing our familiar house, streets and city with new approach. Any discussion and dispute on cultural styles has no words when faced with reality.

Architecture has been overlooked for a long time during the development of Chinese contemporary art. The main reason that architecture has never been on display at any Chinese art exhibition in the past five decades is that architecture is always considered urban construction rather than a vision-related art form or a part of today’s contemporary art. Two architects, Tadao Ando and Zhang Yonghe, appeared at the Shanghai Biennial in 2000, and that marked the return of architecture within the category of art. At the Biennial in 2002, one third of the participants were architects hailing both from China and abroad.

The construction junction of a building reflects the important constructional character of a building and thus becomes the key part of architecture. Like construction junctions, historical turning points and cultural changes also play a key role. In architectural design, functional and constructional junctions are the basic factors but, in reality, they are always been neglected. The junctions are important especially in the meeting points of different components, materials, structures, colors and forms, as well as being the point where the new and the old meet. Meanwhile, there are also junctions of history, cultures, nationalities, religions and regions. The “junction” is a point d’appui that supports the building’s structure as well as its spirit. It is also the academic theme of the exhibition “Architectural Experiment of Chinese Contemporary Art” whose dual purpose is to re-connect art and architecture and to show artists’ understanding of architecture and their attitudes. Artists will follow their imagination without the pressure of any commercial influence in their pursuit to connect architecture with art. How to incorporate China’s contemporary art into architecture, and the reverse process, are very important to architectural art, and thus have become the academic goal of this exhibition.             

The historical changes of architecture of yesterday, today and tomorrow are the key link of contemporary architecture, as well as architecture’s intersections with politics, times and economy. All these architectural junctions form the basic landscape of Chinese cities. But reality conflicts with ideals in the junctions between the East and the West, history and real life, public and private ownership, power and individuality.    

These conflicts exist in the current urban planning and construction in China, especially in the current tidal wave of real estate development. For example, European architectural style has been introduced in big and medium-sized Chinese cities, even in towns and in the countryside. The Western style has been incorporated into the original urban planning and Chinese traditional architecture in an awkward way. Why has the “Western style” become so popular in the Chinese architecture? It is because of the Chinese people’s admiration, imagination and dream of Western classical culture and modernization. Is it for self-comfort and self-satisfaction, or does it represent the common aesthetic standards among the Chinese? If so, it is the reason why Chinese lack confidence in their own tradition and human-friendly architecture.

Architecture has two meanings in China today. One is the sweeping modernization from the big cities to the countryside. The process involves urban planning, re-structuring and distribution of the land resources. With the appearance of new gathering centers, office hubs, commercial circles and entertainment centers, the city’s heart and outskirt areas have expanded. In these terms, architecture is linked closely to those large or symbolic buildings that are the outcome of urban planning and construction. Secondly, in the past 10 years, the purchasing of a house or of an apartment has become an increasingly relevant issue among common people’s lives. With the development of old parts of a city and the improvement of the living environment, buying a new apartment or house is on the agenda of almost every family and individual. We are currently witnessing the largest house purchasing movement in Chinese history. To most people, architecture here is not “architecture” but a “house” or “apartment,” which is so intimately related to everyone. In the past, people either had their own houses built or they were distributed by the government; now they buy houses like they would buy any other commodity. However, most people still don’t have a complete concept of architecture; in many people’s eyes houses are simply homes to live in. Why? It is because to most people a house or an apartment, either with two bedrooms and a living room or with three bedrooms and two living rooms, is just a shelter for a family and they care more about the space available rather than the aesthetic factors.               

The Chinese architectural industry now enters its golden age and the country, from the south to the north, has become the largest construction site in the world. The process showcases the prosperous national construction, but also reveals the fact that the new buildings are set up at a great cost: the loss of regional cultures and historical characteristics. The architectural industry development boosts the growth of other related industries including materials, transportation and labor force. It also combines political characteristics with architects’ individualities and the regional features. Another long existing problem in China is that small and medium-sized cities copy the big cities, counties and towns copy the cities and villages copy the towns and counties. Once there’s a problem in the urban planning and construction in the big city, it will immediately spread to all the cities, counties, towns and villages and influence the decisions for planning and construction there. China used to be proud of its different architectural characteristics and styles in different regions and among different ethnic groups. But today, the uniform model in urban planning and architecture has been killing both Chinese culture and traditional architectural styles. The contradiction inherent within the construction of new buildings and the preservation of the old ones is the most serious problem in the current Chinese architectural industry, which involves numerous issues of culture, history, religion and customs.                 
A typical example is Suzhou City. Streets, lanes and stone bridges as well as the old buildings of the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and early 1900s along the several-kilometer-long river were all torn down to give way to a new main road running through the city. Thousands of Suzhou citizens wrote to the National People’s Congress to stop this absurdity. China Central TV Station also invited famous scholars to call for an immediate action to preserve the old city. All these appeals were in vain. The irreplaceable historical remains in the city were still torn down in the end. The UNESCO officials stressed during their inspection visit to Suzhou that based on the fact that the city tore down the historical buildings and streets to build the new road, UNESCO would not accept the city’s application for the “World Cultural Remains” in the name of “Suzhou Ancient City.” In the Suzhou map, the new road not only cuts deeply through the city’s more than 2,500 years of history; it also impedes tourists who follow the “Ping River Map” of the Song Dynasty from tracing the old Suzhou City. Suzhou is known for its wandering waters and the old buildings along the two sides, but now, all these are replaced by a modern transportation system. Is this situation, awkward to both the past and the current, the junction of history and reality?

Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the urban architecture with its centenary history is widely known as “The International Fair of Architectures“, where varied architectural styles and distinctive cultural features form the main character of the city.  Throughout China’s architectural and historical transitions, the variety of Shanghai’s architecture is especially prominent and stands out for its incorporation of Western architectural patterns in modern and contemporary eras.  With an open attitude, locals live, work, and have fun in these various dated buildings representing styles from all over the world, and diverse life-modes and residential customs have come into being.  If “modern Shanghai” is the mark of Shanghai in 30’s, then in the recent decade Shanghai seems to inherit this essence, and has miraculously created a unique modernity alongside the Huang Pu River. In this fast changing era, architecture in my memory represents the cognition of architectural history’s remains and the recollection of the history of relations between people and architecture. However, nowadays the urban architecture in Shanghai erected during the past century has been removed step by step, causing the intrinsic cultural track in Shanghai’s city, architecture and roads to fade away every day.  Therefore, many buildings, which are the symbols of Shanghai and also the masterpieces of its architectural history, have lost their positions in Shanghai as well as the view they should have presented due to the lack of rational planning. For example: The Park Hotel, which stood as the highest architecture in China for more than half century, is now surrounded by a group of brand new buildings of poor-quality, and this splendidly stretching building suddenly crouches like an old lady; The Grand Theater, the embodiment of art deco architecture, turns out to look shabby and out of date with so many houses and billboards clustering around. In the location less than 50 meters to the former Racing Club, rises the highest building in Puxi, Tomorrow Square, shaped like a rocket, and Ciro’s Plaza, also a piece of deconstruction architecture.  They should be the buildings symbolizing different times, and should have been able to add glory to Shanghai, but, isn’t it ironic that when these buildings stand together, they end up offsetting each other’s value and significance?  It can be concluded that those newly raised buildings are the vision breach to Shanghai’s outstanding architecture in modern and contemporary times, as well as representing a destructive subversion to the culture of Shanghai’s old city zone layout.  Is such linkage among these old and new buildings also the ideal junction for Shanghai’s urban planning and its architecture?

I used to attribute the problems of China’s architectural design to the tough restrictions imposed on Chinese architects by administrative system and decrees.  However, during the last two years, through my observation of architectural designs or design proposals of the so-called successful architects and excellent young architects currently in China, as well as various exhibitions related to architecture, I feel disappointed.  Why?  These architects themselves are full of collegial worship of books and conceptualization as well as stylization of the contemporary architectural theories, while they lack distinctive creativity and artistic style.  The present overall level of the architectural circle is similar to the stage when we imitated Western contemporary art during the 85’ art movement.  Both the architectural concepts and their practice seem more imitative than imaginative, and haven’t reflected the characteristics of the present developing trail of Chinese architecture.

In view of such a cultural background, this exhibition has invited 15 contemporary Chinese artists to discuss the central issues related to architecture, such as: architecture’s relations to people, society, life, concepts, future, and ideals.  Giving full play to artistic imagination, the artists are to deeply study architecture and its link to humanity from a non-architect angle.  Such practice of contemporary artists is different from that of architects and its importance lies in unrestrained imagination and the possibility to create and improve architecture.  Thus, emerges the significance of artists joining the contemporary architectural tide, which indicates that the mutual conjunction between art and architecture can be perfectly incorporated.  And this is the invisible junction.

Just as this is an initiative of China’s contemporary art to conduct its incorporation with architecture, the same situation applies to Chinese real estate agencies’ incorporation with the enterprise culture.  It has been 10 years since the establishment of the Shanghai Lian Yang Group.  It holds a leading position in Chinese real estate circle through its strategic transition from a comprehensive utilization of land to the incorporation of culture and ecology in real estate development. During recent years, Lian Yang Group has collected a lot of domestic and overseas artworks, which has caught the attention of all circles of the society. It has also built the Lian Yang Architecture Art Museum, which is inaugurated today on the Group’s tenth anniversary.  This is a very rare investment in enterprise culture within China’s real estate circle.  Knowing that cultural construction investment is limited in China, what makes a real estate agency, most often seen as a ruthless wealth seeker, so willing to invest in the construction and development of this architecture museum?

Speaking from the economic point, during the initial period of accumulation of capital, profit can be rapidly enhanced only through fierce exploitation.  However, the estate entrepreneurs with great foresight usually take into account not only the present opportunities and profits; they also consider the junction between architecture and the future, which is of course culture.  The investment in enterprise culture can, on the one side, promptly improve the enterprise’ image and quality in society; on the other side, and this is from the viewpoint of enterprise development, it represents an investment in the enterprise’ future, adding vitality and impetus for it to develop under the cultural effect.  If that’s true, then the Lian Yang Architecture Art Museum should be the illustration for Chinese contemporary enterprise culture.  Therefore, it serves not only the need for a positive image of enterprise culture, but also the need of Shanghai to find its pattern for cultural construction as an international metropolis.  After Shanghai’s successful bid for World Expo 2010, the junction of Shanghai’s urban construction has extended from 6 million km2 of its urban area to 63 million km2 of its whole territory.  At the same time, the junction of the metropolitan economic circle in Shanghai expanded a further 15,000 km2, including Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Jiaxing.  It will also reach out to the whole area of the Yangtz River Delta with 90,000km2.  As a result, the magnetic elevated trains or light rails from Nanjing and Hangzhou to Pudong Airport will be brought into a “one-hour circle”.  As the junction of Shanghai’s urban construction and economic circle stretches out every day, Shanghai will lose many beautiful and vivid junctions if there isn’t a parallel and simultaneous growth of art and culture.  From this perspective, Lian Yang Architecture Art Museum has already become one of the cultural junctions for constructing the future metropolis of Shanghai, and from now on will steadily release its own fascination and potential far beyond the initial enterprise, until it will eventually turn into the foundation for the incorporation of Chinese contemporary art and architecture.

2002/12/12 Shanghai