From Beijing to Paris to San Francisco: Hou Hanru in conversation
By Johan Lundh
Recently I had an opportunity to speak with with Hou Hanru, a prolific curator and writer who has been reinventing himself and his profession for two decades. In 2006 he was appointed the Director of Exhibitions and Public Programs and Chair of Exhibition Studies and Museology at San Francisco Art Institute, in 2007 he served as the curator of the Chinese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and curator of the 10th Istanbul Biennial. Our conversation revolved around a consideration of new conditions engulfing art and exhibition practices in the 1990s, when biennials increasingly became organized by a new professional class. Hanru’s curatorial practice has developed from his own instincts in a dramatically changing world fueled by economic globalization and postcolonial migration. As a consequence, he has offered ways to make sense of contemporary art in a globalizing context.
Johan Lundh: Since this issue of C magazine is devoted to Diasporas, I want to start of by asking you why you decided to move from Beijing, China to Paris, France in 1990?
Hou Hanru: I have always wanted to go beyond my own cultural context but it was a coincidence that I ended up in Paris. I was working on a project in the south of France at the time. During the trip I met my girlfriend, who later became my wife, so I decided to stay. I belong to a generation in China that really grew up with the transition from the Cultural Revolution to the opening of the 1980s culminating in the end of the Cold War. I think my generation shared my desire to go beyond the experiences of our forefathers. We valued and faced new kinds of social and political questions. Ultimately, we also wanted to see what we could achieve in the world. On one hand, moving from Beijing to Paris was a significant change for me. On the other, I had a similar experience moving from Guangzhou to Beijing to attend the Central Institute of Fine Arts. China only pretends to be one country. In reality it is a patchwork of languages, cultures and traditions. Living in Guangzhou and in Beijing is almost as different as living in Beijing and Paris. I guess that was one of the reasons I accepted the transition. After the fact, it became a very important shift in my life and my career.
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Excerpt of feature article published in issue 99 of C magazine (Toronto, CA), 2008.