没有任何一个国家可以在漫长的文化发展中，一成不变的继承传统。不论东西方，传统和经典在商业与消费文化的侵蚀下，变的模棱两可甚至消失。与此同时，各个民族作为独立的个体，自我的文化身份在强国的文化殖民下也变得岌岌可危。有关文化和历史的讨论，傅文俊可算得上是一位执着的研究者。在去年“未曾呈现的声音”威尼斯双年展平行展上，傅文俊先生的作品给我留下了深刻的印象。虽然之前对他的创作也有所关注，但继威尼斯双年展后，我意识到傅文俊从早期创作至今，都有一条鲜明的主线，那就是艺术中对文化与历史反思。在他的《邮票》系列作品中，艺术家巧妙的将邮票与东西方文化中经典形象糅合在一起。只不过经典的出镜方式是有所缺失的。
No nation can preserve its traditions unchanged throughout the course of cultural development. Across both East and West, traditions and classics have become ambiguous or even vanished under the erosion of commerce and consumer culture. At the same time, the cultural identity of each ethnic group—originally distinct and self-defined—has grown increasingly fragile under the pressure of cultural colonization by more dominant nations. Fu Wenjun stands out as a persistent explorer in the discourse of culture and history. At the 2013 parallel exhibition of the Venice Biennale, Voice of the Unseen, his work left a deep impression on me. Though I had followed his art before, it was at Venice that I came to realize a clear and consistent thread running through his practice: a critical reflection on culture and history through art. In the Stamps series, the artist cleverly integrates classical icons from Eastern and Western cultures into the visual format of postage stamps—though these classics appear in fragmented or incomplete form.
Stamps – Dunhuang Lady
在我看来，傅文俊创作的精华之处就是对邮票这一媒介的借用与诠释。众所周知，邮票是由国家发行的，它的存在具有以下几种特征，首先它的设计通常是国家主权的象征，如清代邮票多用龙做图案，龙体现了至高无上的权威，也是本民族的象征。其次，邮票本身就是商品，即邮资的计算。再者，它在某些时候成为宣传教化的工具，如法西斯通过大量印制邮票制造对希特勒的个人崇拜，金正日、斯大林等等。在《邮票》系列作品中，而艺术家将邮票的内容置换为“残缺的、断裂的传统之经典”，例如缺少生殖器的大卫，迷失双眼的蒙娜丽莎，失去鼻息的狮身人面像以及缺失手掌的石窟造像等等。这样的媒介与这样的主题设计可谓是巧妙至极。从全球角度来看，无论东方还是西方其传统都在商业文化的强势攻击下变的残缺不全。这样的残缺可以理解为不具有完全内容的形式抑或是断裂的继承。甚至可以说是全民的文化态度，就在前一段时间有关iPhone 6的上映着实让我为之一惊，人们可以拿出上万元去疯狂抢购一部通讯工具，却少有人愿意花几百元去看一场莎翁剧作。因此，文化的弱败不是弱在它的内涵本身，而是在于人的态度。正如《邮票》作品中所呈现的那样，经典似乎只是作为一种形式而存在着，对于其内涵人们只是浅尝辄止或片面接受，这一切导致传统文化精髓的慢慢缺失。
To me, the brilliance of this series lies in Fu Wenjun’s appropriation and reinterpretation of the postage stamp as a medium. As we know, postage stamps are issued by states and carry multiple connotations. Firstly, their design often symbolizes national sovereignty—for example, Qing dynasty stamps frequently featured dragons, symbols of supreme authority and national identity. Secondly, stamps are commodities, functioning as currency for mail. Lastly, they have served as tools of propaganda; fascist regimes printed massive quantities of stamps glorifying figures like Hitler, Stalin, and Kim Jong-Il. In Fu Wenjun’s series, the content of the stamp is replaced with “fragmented and broken cultural icons”—David missing his genitals, the Mona Lisa with blinded eyes, the Sphinx without a nose, Buddhist cave statues with absent palms, and so on. This choice of medium and subject is strikingly astute. From a global perspective, both Eastern and Western traditions have suffered from the pervasive dominance of commercial culture. This fragmentation can be seen as an incomplete transmission of cultural content, or a break in continuity. In some ways, it even reflects a widespread cultural attitude. Not long ago, the launch of the iPhone 6 was a shocking example—people were willing to spend thousands of yuan to snatch up a phone, while few would spend a fraction of that to attend a Shakespeare play. Therefore, the decline of culture lies not in its intrinsic value, but in people’s attitudes toward it. As Fu Wenjun’s Stamps reveal, the classics today are often reduced to hollow forms, with little regard for their deeper meaning. This superficial or selective engagement leads to the gradual erosion of cultural essence.
Stamps – Monalisa
除此之外，从中国民族个体出发，又存在着另一显而易见的缺失，即中国性文化身份的缺失。西方文化在全世界范围内占据着文化传播的强势，而中国内部又经历工业化和城市化的变迁。虽然长久以来，一直有人在坚持对传统经典的重视，但这些对于整体社会的基调显得格外不协调。在全球一体化的过程中，西方无意中成为衡量标准，这必然摧毁了东西方在宗教和文化上的多样性。久而久之，也就失去了自我的文化魅力和中国身份。文化身份意味着集体的精神向心力，一个缺失精神向心力的民族还能有何作为呢？
Beyond this, from the perspective of Chinese cultural identity, there is an even more evident void—the loss of China’s own cultural positioning. Western culture continues to dominate global cultural discourse, while China simultaneously undergoes rapid industrialization and urban transformation. Though some individuals persist in preserving traditional values, their efforts often appear out of sync with the prevailing societal tone. In the process of globalization, the West has inadvertently become the benchmark, which inevitably suppresses religious and cultural diversity across civilizations. Over time, this results in the loss of distinct cultural charm and identity. Cultural identity, after all, is a source of collective spiritual cohesion—without it, what can a people truly accomplish?
Stamps – Grotto Sculpture
中国若想在全球化中占有文化的主导力量，最需要做的就是明确中国文化立场和身份，而不是一味的西化。除此之外，无论东方还是西方，都应该在价值平等的平台上，深度理解传统的文化内涵与思想意蕴，而非片面局限的继承。在文化成果的贡献上无分国界，我们要避免自私与狭隘的民族意识所带来的时代困境。正如傅文俊作品所表现的那样，当下的文化继承更多的是传统技艺或古典趣味的模仿，我们应该找回我们所缺失的。
If China seeks to assert a leading cultural presence in a globalized world, it must first establish a clear cultural stance and identity, rather than blindly pursuing Westernization. Moreover, both East and West should strive for an equal-value platform, one that fosters a deeper understanding of the philosophical richness and cultural depth of their traditions—not mere superficial or rigid inheritance. Contributions to cultural achievement transcend national boundaries, and we must guard against the pitfalls of narrow-minded nationalism that can trap us in a cultural deadlock. As Fu Wenjun’s works suggest, today’s cultural inheritance often leans toward imitation—of traditional techniques or classical aesthetics. But we must seek to rediscover what has been lost…
关于作者：廖沙泥，策展人，广东美术馆研究员。
About the Author: Liao Shani is a curator and a research fellow at the Guangdong Museum of Art.