We have been always fascinated by the fact that among the Hutong districts the social aspect is strongly interlaced with the physical and spatial one. The two aspects interact and influence each other and they’ve made unique the relationship of the Hutong environment with the community of people living in it. The whole Instant Hutong project has been inspired by the Hutong community and we look at our works as a way to communicate directly with this community, which we consider an ideal one.

It is probably our own way to react to the extensive demolitions and the fast pace disappearance of the sense of community and identity. During the Urban Carpet project we spent almost one year on the Hutong lanes creating some temporary happening with the Hutong inhabitants, hanging the carpets on the ropes commonly used by people to typically hang their clothes out to dry. Once a carpet had been hung in the alleys, local people would gather around it, recognizing their neighborhood, pinpointing familiar alleys and telling stories about their own daily life and habits in the Hutong. Each event we organized on the lanes was a chance for surprising encounters, curious face to face interactions and unexpected social adventures.

We have been in Beijing for four years, coming firstly attracted by an architectural interest, that gradually turned into a social and artistic one. From this point of view, modern China offers a very inspiring environment. On one hand our works record the aspects that catch our curiosity, on the other one they are a tool we use to explore and get deeper into understanding the local culture and habits. With the series of Urban Carpet 8x5 exhibitions, which we organized recently and the last of which will take place on November 7 th, we were taking the chance of organizing this event as a way to let the visitors to be in touch with the Beijing urban culture. Five “siheyuan” courtyards were selected as location for the five exhibitions, each one representing a different way to live in downtown Beijing today.

There are actually some similarities to trace between what happened in Italy and what is happening in China, although there are of course several striking differences to mark, such the size of phenomena, speed of economic development, political and cultural context. The idea itself of preservation has in Italy and in China a completely different history, so the meaning given to this word is different in the two countries. In a time of fast modernization the risk is to identify the “old” with something that must be thrown away and carelessly be changed or replaced. People in Italy live in 800 years old houses which have been upgraded with modern facilities, and we all think that this mix of old and new is a primary worth for the contemporary Italian urban landscape. New urbanization in many cases doesn’t offer the same richness in terms of human relations, proximity of services (mainly reachable by walk or by bike) and sense of identity, as the traditional districts. Furthermore demolishing your own past means refusing a knowledge which is a result of a living practice. It is not just a question of nostalgia but much more a question of richness in life.

Generally speaking we are much more interested in keeping alive that specific aspect of vibrant social sustainability, than in preserving the decorative elements of the old buildings. In Beijing downtown many courtyards have been renovated in the past few years, the former dwellers have been moved to the outskirts and the density of the district has been lowered down. Beside the fact that many new fake decorations have been added to make them look more traditional, the real risk is to turn the city center into a dead museum. On the other hand, in several areas of Beijing some new functions, such bars shops and other facilities, have been inserted along some Hutongs generating a process of self renovation that made those areas more attractive. These examples demonstrate that the old districts can still offer a high level of flexibility and have the capability to host and express contemporary values.

很高兴与二位艺术家交谈关于你们北京“瞬间胡同”和“都市地毯”8X5展览计划的创作体会。下面是我的几亇问题：

1.这些作品很明显地把自己融于社会环境之中。强调艺术与社会的相互联系这是否你们这个展览计划的主导思想？

答：我们一直对胡同区内居民们之间那种特有的社会生活空间和物质生活空间相互交织所形成的文化现象很感兴趣。这些现象相互影响和依存，形成一种别开生面的胡同社区生活环境与人际关系。我们的整个“瞬间胡同Instant Hutong Project”展览计划是受到了这种特殊的社区文化的启发而形成。我们把自己的作品看作是一种与胡同社区居民直接沟的理想渠道。

2.你们以在胡同社区内实地展示艺术作品的方式来探索和表达对北京胡同文化的理解，从艺术的视点出发，你们的原动力是什么?

答：这是我们对正在加速消失的胡同社区及胡同文化的一种自己的反应和做法。在制做以胡同社区为主题的“都市地毯UrbanCarpet”项目时，我们花了将近一年的时间往返于胡同的巷子之间进行调研并制作了一些临时性的，以胡同住区地标为题材的织挂作品。我们以胡同居民在四合院户外凉衣物的方式将作品的两头用绳子挂在竹竿或树枝上。每当这些作品被挂在巷子里展示时，当地居民就会围拢过来观看，指认出他们自己的邻里和所熟悉的街巷并讲述一些他们在胡同里的日常生活逸事。我们在每一亇不同巷子里的展示项目都能给那里的观众带来惊喜，惊奇于面对面的人际关系和无可预期的社会经历。

3.你们在中国进行艺术及文化方面的研究和展览己有多长时了？

答：我们己在北京住了四年。起初仅仅是对这里的建筑感兴趣，以后逐渐扩展到对社会与艺术层面的探索。从这亇观点看，现代中国向世界提供了极富启迪的环境。一方面，我们的作品表露了作者对陌生文化的好奇心；另一方面，它们又是我们去探索和深入挖掘研究地方文化和及生活方式的工具。在我们（9月19日至11月7日）组办的“都市地毯Urban Carpet” 8 x 5系列展览项目里，我们试着让观众触摸北京的都市文化。我们选择了五个四合院作为展览地点，它们每一个都代表着北京现代城市生活的不同特征。

4.关于传统文化保护与现代社会发展方面的相同情形在意大利也可见到。在利大意，一些历史遣留下来的老街坊和古建筑己与现代意大利社会的经济与文化发展长相得益彰，它们成为当今意大利社会生活与文化生活不可缺少的一个部分。请问这种模式是否对北京胡同文化的继承与发展有重要的借鉴意义？

答：虽然这两个国家之间的自然规模、经济发展速度、政治状况以及文化内涵都有明显的区别，利大意与中国之间在从传统到现代文化迁移过程中的确有许多相似之处。单从保护文化遗产的思路上讲，中国与意大利有着完全不同的历史。所以这亇单词（保护）在两个国家有着不同的解释。在高速现代化发展的时代，关键是要把握好什么是必须推倒重建的旧东西和什么是不能够轻意被毁掉的传统文化遣迹之间的分寸。当今的利大意人生活在内含现代化设施的800年以前造的老房子里，我们都认为这种新老结合的做法成功地造就了当代意大利的都市景观。许多例子显示，新的都市化进程不一定会带来从前社区里人们之间的那种亲和关系、方便的服务设施（步行或骑车就可及）和传统的个性意识。况且，摧毁你自己的过去就意味着拒绝接受从实践中得来的生活知识。这不仅仅是怀旧泥古的问题，更应该是关于如何完善现代人们丰富生活品质的思考。

5.你们是否认为现代都市胡同的发展与变迁，从长远的角度看对保护其特殊的传统文化价值有益？这种保护在今后是否能长期有效？

答：总的说来，与保护旧建筑物的装饰性功能或纪念意义相比，我们的兴趣更多地投入在对人们现实生活和社会发展持续性方面的观注。在北京市区，过去几年里有许多四合院被重新整修，以前的住户被迁往市郊，这些区的人口密集度也下降了。除了许多生搬硬套的仿传统建筑装饰外、真正的问题是把市中心区改变为一座无声息的博物馆。另一方面，北京的许多胡同区出现了不少洒吧及商场，这些新型设施的介入使得胡同自觉地进行修整，让该地区变得更加吸引人。这些例子表述出老旧城区同样有能力高度灵活地容纳、兼收与表现人类现代化生活的价值观念。

6. 你们下一步的创作计划是什么？

我们现在正为“都市地毯”8X5的最后一个展览计划而忙碌，同时也在准备一些新的装饰作品。这些作品亦是“瞬间胡同”总策划的一个部分。我们还与设计杂志Abitare China共同筹办于明年春天在意大利举行的作品展览。与此同时，我们正在和北京的地方政府联系争取在前门以南地区的胡同内组织一次邀清当地居民一同参与的作品展出活动。我们的长期计划是发展出一套对北京市区的胡同得以持久生存的可行策略。

谢谢！我将向我们的观众推荐 www.instanthutong.com 。

答： 谢谢您。

（中文翻译： 喻干）