习惯地说“国画”，但这到底是指代特定的绘画方式，还是指代特定的绘画类型？或者还是如“国语”“国文”一样是指代“中国的绘画”？虽然理论家们和好多艺术实践者都加入到了这场历经一百多年的论争，其实就连如何名称“国画”、“中国画”或“水墨画”，到现在也是众说纷纭。
所以，“国画”对于我们来说，在今天依然是个需要面对的问题。
如果说“国画”是指代特定的绘画方式或者绘画类型，那艺术的基本常识就告诉我们，艺术没有一成不变的方式和类型，而是不断创新的、扩展的。“国画”亦然。
如果说“国画”是指代“中国的绘画”，那何其繁多的方式和类型，该是哪一种可以担当？又何以担当“中国的绘画”呢？
正因为“国画”的问题如此，在去年底我们讨论本届双年展主题时，“国画”就成为了题中之义。我在草拟这届双年展的计划时就明确说明：“‘国画’从一百多年前被提出，她作为传统文化、本土文化的概念，在与‘西方文化’的抗争及自身的转变中，其文化命题却在政治的、经济的种种干扰下没有得以澄清，‘国画’在国际化的语境中如何进行当代转换也问题依然——这显然与中国社会经济迅速崛起的进程不相称。”
所以，在中国社会经济迅速崛起，并在国际上越来越被关注的大背景下，以“文化”的命题重新提出如此纠缠难解的“国画”的问题，就是在于探讨表征这一现状的中国文化究竟应该是什么样的。一个有自己悠久的传统文化的国度，在向现代化转型的过程中，其文化又该何去何从？在经历了艺术市场的潮起潮落后，在当代艺术的风风火火中，“国画”是不暇他顾、或者是怨天尤人自期自艾？——此时此刻，关注“国画”，更有全新的意义。
同时，还应该看到，“国画”不是可以笼而统之的“中国绘画”，也不是某种既定的方式和类型，而应该是可以从传统资源中获得转换更新的、在今天世界多元文化中具有当代意义的、又有自己特色和开放性的艺术。这届双年展正是希望把现有的各种“国画”形态作一个客观的概括，以此有一相互的比较；同时在比较中突现出问题的重点——在中国社会经济迅速崛起的进程中，什么是其代表性的文化？——因为一个民族、一个国家，她自己的传统文化如何变化和发展，其实是一个更为经久和更具深度的问题，也是在今天值得提出来的一个问题。
The Problem of Guohua
Feng Bin
We are accustomed to using the term guohua, but does it mean a specific way of painting or signify a particular category of painting? Or is it like guoyu (spoken Chinese) or guowen (written Chinese), and so means Chinese painting? Although many art theorists and practitioners have participated in this century-long debate, actually opinion remains widely divided even today over the definitions of the labels guohua, zhongguohua (the painting of China), shuimohua (ink painting).
Therefore, guohua remains an issue we must face. If we say that guohua means a specific way of painting or a category of painting, the most basic understanding of art tells us that art has no unchanging methods or categories. Art is continuously innovating and developing. The same is true of guohua.
If guohua means painting of China, then of the many different methods and categories of Chinese painting, which deserves this title? Because we face this issue in relationship to guohua, at the end of last year, when we discussed the topic for this biennial, the guohua problem emerged as the theme. When I draft the plan for this biennial I explained, “Since guohua emerged one hundred years ago as a concept of traditional culture and native culture in the confrontation with the west and in our internal process of transformation its cultural position has never been clarified because of political and economic interference. The problem of how guohua can transform itself in today’s international discourse is the same and it obviously is out of symmetry with the process of China’s rapid social and economic development.
Therefore, against this background, raising the unsolved problem of guohua as a cultural proposition aims to investigate what this part of Chinese culture should be.
This country has its long cultural tradition, but in the process of modernization, where and how should its culture move forward? After experiencing the ups and downs of the art market, in the contemporary art world, should guohua just ignore things happening around it, or complain about being neglected?
At the same time, we should realize that guohua cannot be simply called “painting of China,” nor is it a certain method or category of painting. In today’s multicultural environment, it can transform from traditional conventions to a modern art with its own character and openness. This biennial hopes to make an objective overview of different responses to the guohua problem, and try to find how this traditional culture may further develop. This is a deep question and is the question we raise in the present exhibition.