WhenIsawZhaoMengge'spaintings,myfirstreactionwassmilingandkeeponsmilingforawhile,thenIdialedherphonenumber,andIimmediatelyheardhervoiceoverthousandsofkilo-milesfaraway(itwasformParistoBeijing).Aseverybodyknows,thevoicesarefrequentlyusedtodaythaneverbeforebutindifferentways,relyingonhighlydevelopednewtechnologies,suchasmobile-phone,voicemessages,Snapchat,WeChatetc.Therefore,Chineseexpression《handwritingshowyourcharacters》hasbeenovershadowedbykeyboardtyping,screentouchingthatrepresentsthesocallederaof digital.WhatIwanttosayiswhenIconnectedtoMenggeinthephone,Ihavetosaythat《thevoiceofsomeonealsoshowsomethingabouthisartcreation》 orevenwecanspeculatethat《thevoicemayshowthetemperamentofsomeone》.ThevoiceofMenggeisakindofdeepandlowly,profoundandfullysaturated,youfeeldependableandlonelybutsomewherelightlyandcheerful,evenclearlywithrationaltidiness.Itissimilartoherwork,thereisnosurpriseandexceedsexpectations.Everythingisinthereality,thatseemsrareinthetoday'ssocietywhichisfulloftheartificialandfalsethings.Twowomenchattedonthephonewithexcitementandjoy,withtheregretofnotknowneachotherbefore(itmightnotbetoomuchtoaddthreesmileyemojisathere).门徒Disciple201475cm×420cm布面油画OilonCanvas赵梦歌圆融之舞Harmony2014212cm×140cm布面油画OilonCanvas赵梦歌Duetotheworkingrelationship,Ihavedonealotofcooperationswiththefamousinstitution《Espacedesfemmes-AntoinetteFouque》whoisknowninthehistoryofwomen'sliberationmouvement.Inadditiontotheircommitmentoffeminismresearchandorganisingeventsandsettingexhibitions(galleries),publishingbooks(EditiondesFemmes),theyalsohavea"TheVoiceLibrary",whichpublishesmanyhistoriccelebrities'conversationsandvoicescollections.AntoinetteFouque,isthefounderof《AlliancedesFemmespourlaDémocratie》butshealsoisapsychoanalystandsocialactivist,sheonceemphasisedthatVoiceofaPersonisevenmorerepresentativeofapersonalitythanFingerprintsorHandwriting.Aslongaswespendalittletimelisteningpatientlyandcarefully,wecanroughlyfeelapersonbyhisvoice.Bythechancesandcoincidences,orperhapsthedestiny,despitethedistancefromtwosidesoftheearth,IcanknowZhaoMengge'screativeworldthroughthetransmissionofimages,andIhavealsofeltthespiritualworldofanartistthroughthetransmissionofhervoice.Thisisquiteamazingandfantastic!Herself-determination,whichisnothingaboutdramaticjoysandsorrows;sheisnotarrogantandsuperciliousatallinherartisticcareer,itisnothingtodowithfameandfortuneelso.Independentpersonality,freetoliveandwalkintheworld,keepcalmandlisten,feeltherichness,varietyandunpredictabilityaspectoflife....HerworksandhersoulsareperfectlyappropriatetothisspacewhereIwanttopresenttoher.Iimmediatelycontactedtothemanagerofthe《GaleriedesFemmes》,andovertheFrenchspeed,wehavequicklygottwoweeksforherinJune.ThiswillbethefirsttimeforZhaoMenggethatherworksisconcentratedinfrontofFrenchaudience,andthemostfabulousthingisthattheexhibitionisgoingtobeheldinsuchaplacewhichisextraordinaryandsignificanceforaChinesewomanartist.无题二NotitleNo.22015年60cm×50cm布面油画OilonCanvas赵梦歌ZhaoMengge无题三NotitleNo.32015年60cm×50cm布面油画OilonCanvas赵梦歌ZhaoMenggeIfthevoiceisthedirectionofaperson's"heart",thencanthepaintingshouldbeattributedtotheartist'ssoul?Let'sbacktothebeginningatthat"Smiling",howcan'tImentionthisfeelinglike"fallinlove"atfirstsight?ThesewomenbodiesofMenggearesojoyful,likethevariousposturesthatIamalwayslookingforinmydreams,andIimmediatelythinkofthefavoriteFrenchwomanartistNikiSaintPhalle(whodiedat2002).IrememberdthatitwasthesamefeelingwhenIsawherfamousNanasforthefirsttime.Ievenheardmyselfwhisperingandsnickering.However,thisjoyishiddenandintimate;thedegreeofenjoymentisconsistentwiththedegreeofreliefofpain.IdobelievethatbothNikiSaintPhalleandZhaoMenggemusthavethesamefeelingasmewhentheyarecreating.AsNikiSaintPhalleoncesaid,"Everyonehasadesiretodestroyeverything,anddestructionisforconfirmoursenseofexistenceandtoopposetheexistenceofeverything."WhenArtistsgetintothepersonalartisticcreationworldfromthesecularlife,whattheyhavetofaceandexploreisnothingmorethanthequestionofthesoul.However,eachartist'sabilitiesofperceptionandexpressionisdifferentforthecomplexityofthesoul,thatultimatelydeterminestheirartcreation.Moreorless,everyonemustfacetothelifeanddeath,loveandhate,sickandciaoetc.EspeciallywomenlikeNikiSaintPhallewhohavesufferedstronglyandset-backedaemotionalimpact.Artisacureforsuchartists,ormoreprecisely,aself-healing.Lookforafulcrumbetweenemotions,fear,violence,betrayal,hopesandhappinessthatisenoughtopropuptheirworld.Theyarethemastersoftheworldwhichtheycreated:independent,apostasy,indestructibleandadmirable.Notauniqueoccurence,ZhaoMenggeoncesaidalsothatsheistheGodwhocreatedeverythinginherownartworld.Peoplewhoareaccustomedtowalkingbetweenpleasureandtorturewillsurelyhavesuchstrengthandconfidence;theyknowverywelltheroadsignsandobstacles,eventhoughtheymaynotknowwhenthenextdangerousintersectionwillappearandwhereitwillappear.启示录之二RevelationsNO.2纸本水墨InkonPaper50X80CM2018年启示录之4RevelationsNO.4纸本水墨InkonPaper35X34CM2018年WhenItalkedtoMenggeaboutmyimpressiononherworks,IalsomentionedtoherthethreeGracesofGreekmythology.Shedidnotdenytheconnectionbetweenthem.Hadtheyinfluencedherwhenshecreatedherseries?Wedidnotdiscussmuchfuther.Ithinkthisisactuallynotsoimportant.ThereasonwhyIcompareherwithNikiSaintPhalleisbecausetherearetoomanysimilaritiesbetweenthem:beauty,independentandstrongpersonality,breakingoutfromtraditionandconservativestyle,nothavingacompleteacademytraining,etc……besides,inmyopinion,theyhavetheirowninterpretationsoftheMuseandthethreeGraces.TheGracesisthethemethatmanyartistscan'tavoidgettingaround,fromthewidelyknownSandroBotticelli,RaphaeltolaterRenéMagritte,PabloPicasso,FrancisPicabiaandMarinoMarini,theyallcreatedrelevantmasterpieces.Thereisnodoubtthatthismythicallegendisthemostinfluenceandmotivatedforartists.Itssymbolicmeaninggavethebirthtotheinspirationofartistsandpoets.ForRenaissancethinkers,theyembodybeauty,chastityandlove.Indeed,theiroriginalsourcewasduetowarandcruelelection.Itjustonlyneedstoobservecarefullyandtakearesearchalittlemore,thenwecanfindthe"Apples"whosymbolisingthesuccessintheirhandshasdisappearedinthepaintingsofthe20thcentury;Beforethat,althoughtheachievementsofthemasterssuchasRaphaelwhomadethegodstransforminsecular,butitisstillinevitabletousewomenasasymboloftemptation,charm,desireandreproduction.ButPicasso's《ThreeDancers》,Margaret's《ThreeSwimmers》,MarinoMarini's《SpringCeremony》andsoongavewomen'sthemesanewmeaning.Inthelaterperiod,thethreeGracesofNikiSaintPhallehavetotallychanged,fromtermstomaterials,fromformstoexpressionstyles:apartfrombeingstrangelydressed,deformedbodiesandemptyfaces,thestyleisalsooutrageous:onefootisonthegroundandtheotherisrestingintheair.Itisreallyconfusingus:aretheydancingorperformingacrobatics?Itwasin1999.Inthelastyearofthetwentiethcentury,didthisartistwhohasaunusualpersonallifeandexperiences,withaphysiologicproblemswanttoexpressthejoyofdanceortheanxietyofimbalance?Isitakindofgreatexcitementtostepintothe21stcentury,orthecarnivalbeforethetragedycoming(twoyearslater,theartistdiedofrespiratoryfailure)?AnywaytheGracesofNikiSaintPhallehavecompletelytranscendedtheoriginalmeaning,butshehaveretainedtheirfullness,strong,thickandabundantpower.ThisisalsowhatIsawinZhaoMengge'sworks.MeanwhilethewomeninZhaoMengge'spaintingincludethreeGracesandher"secretgarden"serieshavemorefreedom,stretchandetherealatmosphere.TheyaremorelikethetheflyingBuddhistsinMogaoCaves.Agroupofgeniuses,quietlyaccompaniedtogethercometosecularworld;playfulandmakingself-entertainmentatnight.ItisworthtomentionthatthefairiesofZhaoMenggearenakedandopen,leisurelyandcheerful,quietandnatural;strongbutwell-definedandbeautiful,complementingassimilatedinthenature.AsceneofreligiousrealmwhereNatureandPeoplesharingthecompassion,happinessandsadness.Andyet,theimmensedifferencesandcontrastbetweenthisparadiseandtherealsecularstatejustimpliestheartist'sthinkingsduringhercreation,sowenaturallydesiretoexploremoreofthemwhenwelookatthesepaintings.Itmaybetheconnotationandcreativesource,wecanunderstandafewmeaningsfromherpreviousseriesandalbum'stitles,suchas《idealcountry》,《《freedom》,《dreamer》,etc.Butuntilnow,westillseemtofeelfarofbeingenoughcomprehending.Butthiskindofinterpretationmightbeveryinteresting:akindofinteractionandre-creationwithherselfandwithothers.Perhapsitisacharacteristicofagoodartist.WhyNot?Themetaphorofmeaningandsignificantextensionoftheirworkisveryexceedingtheiroriginalworks.Byitself,withararevalueofrevelation;IhopethatherexhibitionsoloinPariswillgetmoreexchanges,gainsandreturnswiththeFrenchspectators.
YuhongHe
Mai2019,Paris
(YuhongHe,FounderofUniondesArtistesd'AsieenFrance,Writer,Artcritic)启示录之9RevelationsNO.9纸本水墨InkonPaper35X34CM2018年​启示录之10RevelationsNO.10纸本水墨InkonPaper34X35CM2018年