Gao Jie - Lockdown Diary

I hope in 10 years or so, these drawings still remind me not to forget the time in 2022 where I managed to peep into the crack of time and saw myself in a different perspective. These memory fragments are foundations of my thinking, stored in the corner of my brain. I hope I will never forget it. Oblivion makes people foolish. The history has been showing, that Chinese people will forget their wounds at the moment the situation changes.
Amnesia is the utmost obvious, common and severe disease in the information age.

我希望未来十年后，我能在家门入口鞋柜上面的一小块墙面上看到一张落了些灰尘的小画，提醒我不要忘记我从2022年的裂缝中窥视到的自己，线条是敏感的，带着人的感觉，这个角落里的记忆片段是我思考的基础之一，也能在我大脑角落里找到，我希望永远也不要忘记。“忘记“另人变得愚蠢。历史告诉我们，中国人会在情况变化的瞬间就忘却伤口。
而”健忘症“，正是信息时代里，最明显，最普及，也最严重的病。

(text by Gao Jie)

Mom, did you cry when you were doing a Covid test as a kid?

2022

“Sealed for Covid Control”. 2022.04.13

Generally speaking, as artists, we find it difficult to directly present the information without abstracting, performing, or refining the message. For us, that lacks “artistic quality”. It is too simple and plain. The concept of "contemporary art" nevers find itself at ease with the Chinese cultural convention, as it lacks the ability to influence "people”, nor the “people" has the ability to change the social situation. Hence I have been thinking about what kind of creation is suitable for the present and for the people. Maybe it is not "contemporary art", maybe it is not "art". (text by Gao Jie)

一般而言，作为艺术工作者，我们是很难接受将信息不做抽象，演绎，或提炼，去直接呈现出来。对我们而言那是缺乏“艺术工作”，太过简单而无味的。“当代艺术”在中国是非常难以嵌入到中国文化链条当中去的，既缺乏对“人”的影响，而“人”也缺乏改变社会处境的能力。于是我一直在思考，什么样的创作，适合眼下，适合眼下的人。也许不是“当代艺术“，也许不是”艺术“。(text by Gao Jie)

2022.04.20

2022.04.21

I spent most of the time drawing everyday. I made one drawing after another, in between I read, checked out social media, played with my phone. I drew from the moment I was awake until I went to bed. So far I had around 200 works.我每天以画画为主，一会画一张，期间看书，看视频，刷手机，从起床一直画到睡觉。至今大约两百张成品。 (text by Gao Jie)

2022.04.29

FLAT 502 door, half-shut. 
The body is inside, leaning against the door
Food supply is placed outside of the flat

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2022.05.01

2022.05.05
同心协力抗疫情
康祥采样
大智大勇保平安
核算采样点

2022.05.05
Unite forces, fight Covid
Take the sample with peace of mind
With wisdom and courage, one has safety
Covid test station

2022.05.08

2022.04.20

2022.05.16
Escaping Shanghai