CRI: How do you define performing art?
He: Different people may have different definitions. For me, I think it means an artist presenting his ideas during a certain period of time to an audience. It is a complete presentation of the artist’s state of mind and psychology. 

CRI: What made performing art more avant-garde and different in China compared with other forms?
He: The history of performance art dates back over half a century ago in western countries, but in China it has its own modern meaning. The environment we live in gives us some indication of life, which is interwoven with our experience. So we come with an idea and want to put it into practice. Art itself corresponds to real life. The difference is that as soon as your idea is realized, your work disappears. It is broken art. What is seen is only your intention and the process of making it. Fine arts, say oil painting or sculpture are presented concretely through the form of materials. Performing art can assume different forms without turning to traditional materials.

CRI: Maybe we should consider performing art an individual behavior instead of a clearly defined art form?
He: Though it is individual, it can not be separated from society. It echoes the social environment.

CRI: In what way is the art work related to society and the audience?
He: An artist certainly has his own opinions about his work, but audiences can also have their own interpretations. In this way a piece of work is extended to the utmost. When I do performances, I try to be less informative and leave more space for the audience to come up with their own interpretations. I believe the audience empathizes with the artists and this is related to the audience’s individual social experience and education. 

CRI: Does it mean you don’t mind how others view your performing works?
He: Right. And the artist himself should consider how to implement his ideas beforehand and make better preparations for his performance.

CRI: Mainstream audiences in China and some critics have negative attitudes about much performance art. Is the problem with the public’s taste or the work itself?
He: I suppose both factors play a role. It will take a long time for the general public and environment to accept and understand performance art. Besides, the public just lacks experience of interpreting this kind of art. And society has no tradition of encouraging people to do so. These factors have resulted in the current situation of China’s performance art.

CRI: Is there a criterion to judge whether a piece of performance art is good or bad? Or is it simply up to one’s personal opinion?
He: There are lots of ways to evaluate one’s works and the criteria are very loose. It’s like an abstract painting. Both experts and ordinary viewers can make their own judgment. But today many people condemn performance art. This is unnatural. Perhaps time will give a fair judgment. 

CRI: How has your work changed since the early 90s?
He: My early works are very aesthetic and idealized. They have nothing to do with reality. My later works are more true to life and closer to society. And they are more cruel and physically exhausting. I know some of these forceful actions harm my body. I’m not stupid. Think about the fact that we are all constrained in the world and can’t even choose the way we die because of all so many uncertainties. The only thing I seem to be able to control is my body. That’s why I wanted to drain it on purpose. By doing this I enjoy a huge amount of freedom and can do whatever I like.  

(Gao Qian)