今天，陈一男的个展《观察者手记》在德国汉堡 BARLACH HALLEK (巴尔拉赫))美术馆开幕，策展人汉堡大学东亚学院的侃少峰老师对一男的作品做了学术性的评价以及艺术性的解读，非常的专业和客观！对陈一男的作品，给予了高度的肯定！策展人Rolf Krieger(沃尔夫)对展览展示以及作品与空间的关系，还有作品之间的关系，以及特别的展示方式做了详细介绍，策展人Rolf Krieger（沃尔夫） 有着近四十的策展经验，对作品与空间的关系把控十分清晰而又深刻到位。观众们对陈一男作品的理解，热情以及评价都令人感动！被陈一男作品的幽默和深度抓住，有的观众迟迟不愿离去，几个小时的观展和讨论，甚至还有离开后又返回的，继续讨论和研究！这次陈一男的个展，让我们看到了德国人的认真，对艺术的真诚与尊重，他们的低调与深沉令人着迷！
直观神会，契之在心
——倪少峰在陈一男德国汉堡BARLACH HALLEK（巴尔拉赫美术馆）<观察者手记>(The Observer’s Notes)个展开幕仪式上的发言
尊敬的各位来宾、亲爱的汉学家会成员们：
今天，能在Barlach Halle K欢迎各位参加陈一男展览的开幕，我深感荣幸。我要衷心感谢美术馆团队的卓越合作，特别要感谢艺术家的母亲戈鲁女士——是她亲自将这批作品从北京带到汉堡。戈鲁女士本人就是一位杰出的艺术家，在后续展览中大家将有机会欣赏到她的作品。陈一男生于艺术世家，从小受到外婆与母亲的艺术熏陶，后来又在英国接受了系统的美术教育。
很遗憾，今晚艺术家本人无法亲临现场。但恰恰在他的缺席中，陈一男的作品获得了强烈的在场感。
我们能在巴尔拉赫展厅(Barlach Halle K)举办此次展览具有特殊意义。恩斯特·巴尔拉赫的艺术始终在人类的脆弱性与社会批判之间巡弋，而我们所在的这个艺术空间正是献给他的。与此相似，陈一男也在诗意与挑衅之间徜徉。巴尔拉赫通过雕塑探索人类存在的困境，而陈一男则通过绘画解构我们当代的图像世界。两位艺术家都拥有那种微妙的锐利，他们不去对观者指手画脚地说教，而是和风细雨地邀请他们进行艺术审视。
去岁在北京之行中，我初次邂逅陈一男的艺术。马上就被他的艺术所吸引住了。令我着迷的是作品中那种直抒胸臆的特质——那种隐含的幽默、锐利的讽刺与温柔诗意的独特交融。他的画面初看上去轻松随意，却蕴藏着令人流连忘返的深度。在这举重若轻的表达背后，是对绘画本质的深刻反思。
陈一男致力于探索图像的真实属性与深层逻辑：事物与关系如何转化为图像？绘画作为创造图像最直接的路径，又如何揭示其多重含义？正是这种单刀直入的手法，赋予他的艺术以难以抗拒的力量——在我们试图解释之前，作品已开始了对我们的诉说。画作与观者间的距离被打破了，形成了一种近乎身体接触的亲密体验。
从符号学视角看，他的创作是持续演化的过程——即符号不断生成的意义之流。符号学家皮尔斯（Charles S. Peirce）将其描述为从符号、解释项到对象的运动。而陈一男恰恰致力于使这一过程变得明晰可见：他的画作不是封闭的陈述，而是开放的意义场。
皮尔斯的符号类型学——像似符、指示符、规约符——在他的作品中达成精妙的综合。他的绘画元素既是像似的（唤起相似性），又是指示的（展现真实行动的痕迹），同样是规约的（指向文化惯例）。但他更进一步：通过质疑惯例本身，揭示出图像背后的深层逻辑。
符号学家米克·巴尔（Mieke Bal）强调，一件艺术作品不应被视作静态客体，而应看作是一场事件。图像不是固定的符号，而是在每次观看中重新建构的东西。陈一男的作品正体现了这种动态的特质：他邀请我们不仅去观，去看，而是参与对所见之物的持续重构。
在这个图像过剩的时代，视觉符号常被浅薄地消费着，陈一男却提供了一种罕见的体验：在思考之前去感受艺术。他的作品如莫勒斯（Abraham Moles）所说的"弱信号"——避开表面的喧嚣，深入感知的深深之所。
今夜，他的作品在汉堡鲜活地存在着——即便他本人未能亲临。愿这些作品在观者心中回响，激发对话，并提醒我们：真正的艺术无需阐释。它使用的是一种超越语言的语言——直接、多义，且诗意盎然。
祝愿大家度过一个启迪心灵的夜晚，感谢各位的聆听！
倪少峰（策展人）2025年10月27日于汉堡大学亚非学院
绘艺求旨
——陈一男
我对绘画的兴趣，是从看绘画作为图画开始的。图画让⼈看到不在这⾥，或者根本不存在的事物。⽽绘画可能是做图画最直接的⽅式。因为画有这样神奇的能⼒，所以我觉得任何⼀张简单的画，都是⼀个奥秘。
最近⼏年我更多画画，更少做装置。我发现以往做的很多装置，其实是图。当我把材料或事物，当作作品去⽤的时候，就算我没有改变它的形态，它也不被当成它⾃⼰了。看它时，我期待看到的是不在那⾥的。因此那些装置本质是图。但装置作为图，要⽐绘画作为图，多很多混淆与困惑。我渴望清晰。
我创作中的想法⼤致可以分成两类。
⼀类想法是“可以成为图画的事物”。⼈在经验中发现⽆数的事物，和事物之间⽆数的联系。在事物和联系的海洋中，某些会跳出来被⼈注意到，似乎⽐其他更重要。⼤多数是因为它们对⽣命的实⽤价值。⽐如发现⽕可以⽣热，热可以取暖。⽽有些跳出来的事物和联系，价值却耐⼈寻味。图画和被当成图画的事物和关系，就属于这⼀类。⼭，花，⻦，树，⽇⽉，星星，等等……这些事物除了它们的对⼈实⽤价值之外，也被当成画。我这⼀类的想法，就是在经验中发现可以成为图画的事物和联系。
另⼀类是基于某些前提的虚构想法，形式是“如果……那么就……”这些前提多少基于我体验的现实。这些虚构的想法，有些是图画，有些是⾔语。有些想法似乎既可以是图画也可以是⾔语。有些似乎只能是其中⼀种。这让我开始注意⾔语和图画之间的关系。有不少画是带着这种注意画的。
除了这两类想法之外，在持续的绘画体验中，我开始注意绘画体验本身。即从有⼀个意图到通过绘画看到这个意图，这之间的体验。
展览海报
策展人：倪少峰（德国）Rolf Krieger(德国)
展览主题：《观察者手记》当代艺术展
学术主持： Dr. Marc Cremer(史学博士)
参展艺术家：陈一男
展览地：德国汉堡
展览馆：BARLACH HALLEK
展览期间：10月29日到11月5日
艺术家｜陈一男
陈一男 Chen Yinan
b.1995, ⽣活⼯作于北京，现为西班牙皇家艺术协会会员。
2015–2018: 纯艺术BA，伦敦⼤学⾦史密斯学院
部分展览：
个展:2025: Indie Game, 巴塞罗那皇家艺术协会, 巴塞罗那
2024: Random Bullshit, a Memoir, Volume XII, 华亿⾦典空间, 北京
群展:
2025:第三⽂化原住民， 颂空间，北京
2024: ⽆法分割之地, 周空间，上海
2023: Beyond Borders, The Bridge Art Foundation, 洛杉矶
2023: 在陌⽣的地⽅总有熟悉的⽉亮， 茂空间，北京
2023: Puddle， ⼽鲁空间，北京
b.1995, lives and works in Beijing.
Education
2015–2018: Bachelor of Fine Arts, Goldsmiths, University of London Selected
Exhibitions
Solo shows:
2025: Indie Game, Reial Cercle Artistic of Barcelona, Barcelona
2024: Random Bullshit, a Memoir, Volume XII, HuaYiJinDian, Beijing
Group shows:
2025: Z Generation of Third Culture: Interculture Child, Song Space, Beijing
2024: The Place of Indivisible Exisitence, Chow Space, Shanghai
2023: Beyond Borders, The Bridge Art Foundation, Los Angeles
2023: In a Strange Place, You Can Always See the Familiar Moon, Mao Space, Beijing
2023: Puddle/Standing in Different Places to See the Moon, Golou Space, Beijing
Today, Chen Yinan’s solo exhibition The Observer’s Notes opened at Barlach Halle K (Barlach Museum) in Hamburg, Germany. Professor Ni Shaofeng from the Institute of East Asian Studies, University of Hamburg—who served as the curator—provided an academic evaluation and artistic interpretation of Yinan’s works, which were highly professional and objective. He also expressed high recognition and encouragement for Chen Yinan’s creations.
Another curator, Rolf Krieger (Wolf), gave a detailed introduction to the exhibition presentation, including the relationship between the works and the space, the connections among the works themselves, and the special display methods. With nearly 40 years of curatorial experience, Rolf Krieger (Wolf) has a clear and profound grasp of the relationship between artworks and space.The audience’s understanding, enthusiasm, and comments regarding Chen Yinan’s works were truly touching. Captivated by the humor and depth of his pieces, some viewers were reluctant to leave for a long time; they spent hours visiting the exhibition and engaging in discussions, and some even returned to continue their conversations and exploration after initially leaving.This solo exhibition by Chen Yinan allowed us to witness the conscientiousness of the German people, their sincere dedication to and respect for art. Their modesty and profoundness are truly fascinating!——Ge lu
Intuitive Understanding, Heartfelt Connection——Speech by Ni Shaofeng at the Opening Ceremony of Chen Yinan’s Solo Exhibition The Observer’s Notes at Barlach Halle K (Barlach Museum) in Hamburg, Germany
Distinguished Guests, Dear Members of the Sinologists’ Association,It is a great honor to welcome all of you to the opening of Chen Yinan’s exhibition here at Barlach Halle K today. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the museum team for their outstanding collaboration, and a special thank-you to the artist’s mother, Ms. Ge Lu—who personally brought this collection of works from Beijing to Hamburg. Ms. Ge Lu is an accomplished artist herself, and you will have the opportunity to appreciate her works in subsequent exhibitions. Born into a family of artists, Chen Yinan was immersed in art from an early age by his grandmother and mother, and later received systematic art education in the United Kingdom.Regrettably, the artist himself cannot be present tonight. Yet precisely in his absence, Chen Yinan’s works have gained a powerful sense of presence.Hosting this exhibition at Barlach Halle K carries special significance. Ernst Barlach’s art has always navigated between human vulnerability and social criticism, and this artistic space we are in is dedicated to him. Similarly, Chen Yinan moves between poetry and provocation. While Barlach explored the predicament of human existence through sculpture, Chen Yinan deconstructs our contemporary visual world through painting. Both artists possess a subtle sharpness—they do not lecture viewers dogmatically, but gently invite them to engage in artistic contemplation.During my trip to Beijing last year, I encountered Chen Yinan’s art for the first time, and was immediately drawn to it. What fascinated me was the straightforward nature of his works—the unique blend of implicit humor, incisive satire, and tender poetry. At first glance, his paintings appear casual and effortless, yet they hold a depth that lingers in the mind. Behind this “effortless” expression lies profound reflection on the essence of painting.Chen Yinan is committed to exploring the true nature and underlying logic of images: How are things and relationships transformed into images? And how does painting— the most direct way to create images—reveal their multiple meanings? It is this straightforward approach that endows his art with irresistible power—before we even attempt to interpret, the works begin to speak to us. The distance between the paintings and the viewer is broken down, creating an intimate experience akin to physical contact.From a semiotic perspective, his creation is an ongoing evolutionary process—a flowing stream of meanings generated by signs. The semiotician Charles S. Peirce described this as the movement from sign, to interpretant, to object. Chen Yinan, precisely, strives to make this process visible: his paintings are not closed statements, but open fields of meaning.Peirce’s typology of signs—icon, index, symbol—achieves a delicate synthesis in his works. The elements in his paintings are at once iconic (evoking similarity), indexical (showing traces of real action), and symbolic (referring to cultural conventions). But he goes further: by questioning the conventions themselves, he reveals the underlying logic behind images.The semiotician Mieke Bal emphasizes that a work of art should not be viewed as a static object, but as an event. Images are not fixed signs; they are reconstructed with each viewing. Chen Yinan’s works embody this dynamic quality: he invites us not merely to “see” or “look,” but to participate in the continuous reconstruction of what we perceive.In an era of image overload, where visual signs are often consumed superficially, Chen Yinan offers a rare experience: feeling art before thinking about it. His works are like the “weak signals” described by Abraham Moles—avoiding the noise of the surface, and reaching deep into the realm of perception.Tonight, his works exist vividly here in Hamburg—even though he himself cannot be present. May these works resonate in the hearts of viewers, inspire dialogue, and remind us: true art needs no explanation. It speaks a language beyond words—direct, ambiguous, and profoundly poetic.Wish you all an enlightening evening. Thank you for your attention!Ni Shaofeng (Curator)October 27, 2025, at the Institute of Asian and African Studies, University of Hamburg
"My interest in painting began with viewing paintings as pictures. Pictures allow one to see things that are not here, or that don’t exist at all. And painting might be the most direct way of making pictures. Because of this magical ability of paintings, I feel that every simple picture is a mystery.In recent years, I’ve been painting more and doing fewer installations. I’ve realized that many of the installations I’ve done in the past are actually pictures. When I use materials or objects as artworks, even if I don’t change their form, they are nolonger seen as they are. Looking at them, I expect to see what’s not there. Therefore, those installations are essentially pictures. But as pictures, installations create much more confusion and ambiguity than paintings. I craved clarity.The ideas in my creations can be roughly divided into two categories.One category is ’things that can become pictures.’ In experience, people discover countless things and numerous connections between them. Among the sea of things and connections, some stand out and are noticed, seemingly more meaningful than others. Most are because of their practical value to life. But some values are not so clear. Pictures and things treated as pictures and connections belong to this category. For example, mountains are always painted. Trees are always painted, not just cut down for use. Discovering in experience what can become pictures and connections is one of my types of ideas.The other category is ’if... then...’, fictions based on certain premises. These premises are somewhat based on the reality I’ve experienced. Some of these fictional ideas are pictures, some are words. Some seem to be both pictures and words. Some seem to be only one of them. This makes me start to pay attention to the relationship between language and pictures. Many paintings are drawn with this attention.Apart from these two types of ideas, in the continuous experience of painting, I began to pay attention to the experience of painting itself. That is, the experience from having an intention to seeing this intention through painting."——Chen yinan
