拉兹·巴菲尔德王其钧德国画展上的讲话（译文）
　　2014年2月26日于德国柏林中国文化中心
　　尊敬的馆长，女士们，先生们：
　　我很荣幸今晚能在这里分享我对我的好朋友兼同事王其钧博士的一些看法，我认识王博士已有9年之久。
　　我第一次认识其钧是在我任职世界最好的艺术学院之一格拉斯哥艺术学院的时候。当时，我们这两个来自地球两边的人接受了一项艰巨但又激励人心的挑战，那就是在高等教育领域发展一些创新性的、非常特别的新教学方式。我们一起在位于北京的中央美术学院开发和推出了一个新的、革命性的国际教育课程。我们的课程在当时得到了广泛的认可，我认为理应如此，并且我相信，这是一个重要标志，标志着各种形式的跨国教育与合作已经在改变许多有天分的年轻学生的生活和未来。
　　我当时认为，直到现在依然认为，那可能是一种文明的、启蒙式的而且很人性化的跨文化交流形式的早期原型。因此，毫不奇怪，只要你有一颗创新和进步的心，你就能发现像其钧那样的人。就我所知道的关于这个人的一切，也因为我们很多次分享过彼此的想法和体验，我认为，这一原则、这一理念对他的生活、对他的工作极为重要，并以各种形式表现出来。
　　王其钧在他的领域被认为是世界级的泰斗，这一点恰如其分。他是一个真正的学者，博学而又谦逊，并且永远都有一颗好奇的心，而好奇心是任何创造者都拥有的最重要品质。令人鼓舞的是，这样一位备受同行尊敬的艺术家在论及他的专业时充满了那样由衷的热情。而且，让人感动的还有，这样一位艺术大师和权威学者曾在大步迈向一些古建筑时表现得像一个年轻小伙一样异常兴奋。令我感到非常幸运的是，我曾多次陪同其钧参观中国的一些古遗址。在这些古迹之旅中，在他的陪同下，我很有幸从他的眼睛中看到了过去。而且，就在那一瞬间，犹如魔法一般，在我看来满是残破砖石和腐朽木材的古迹转眼成为了令人着迷的探索之地，成为了通往另一时空的一个窗口，因为通过其钧的解释，这些古迹变得鲜活起来，通过他对各种细节的耐心描述，人们仿佛可以看到另一个世界，古迹也因此活灵活现，是王其钧让它们有了生气。
　　而那就是一个真正的老师所具备的能力和魅力。
　　一个真正的艺术家应该以新的方式向我们展现这个世界，最终让我们能够重新认识自己，这也是艺术的价值所在。最伟大的艺术涉及的是最简单而又最深刻的事情：它为观众竖起一面镜子并告诉我们：“这个是你，这个是我，这是我们的模样，这是我们共享的共同身份和体验”。
　　如今，在这个以前所未有的速度变化着的世界上，在这个各种文明正在改变着、交汇着、碰撞着和相互作用着的时代中，这个世界有幸拥有像其钧那样的人，他们有着非凡见识，他们知此知彼，他们就是那竖起镜子的人。
　　其钧扎根于中国传统文化的最深处，但他也是一个真正的四海为家的国际人，这反应在他的生活实践的宽度中。他能轻松地穿梭于正统地道的中西方艺术之间，并且在两种艺术上都有极高的艺术造诣，此外，他还能驾驭很多类型的艺术媒介并融合它们，使各种媒介相互影响。王其钧始终忠实于这两种艺术传统，同时又勇于创新，以一种艺术丰富另一种艺术。
　　我很感谢能有机会看到这些了不起的作品，谢谢美术馆，谢谢馆长和这位艺术家，谢谢所有为这次画展付出过努力的人。这是我第一次看到王其钧的作品在中国之外的地方展出，而且，相对而言，离家越近，越让人特别高兴能在这里看到它们。此外，今天我很荣幸被邀请在这里发言并分享我的一些想法，请允许我在这里再次向我的朋友，向这位多才多艺的学者、教育家、创作家和艺术家王其钧博士致敬。

拉兹·巴菲尔德
索尔福德大学艺术与媒体学院国际合作副院长　　

　　Speech of Raz Barfield
　　Raz Barfield
　　Associate Dean International Partnerships
　　School of Arts and Media
　　University of Salford
　　Director, Ladies and Gentlemen,
　　I am delighted to be here this evening to share a few thoughts about my good friend and colleague, Dr Wang Qijun, whom I have known for 9 years.
　　I first met Qijun in my previous job, working for the Glasgow School of Art, one of the world's great art schools. We were thrown together from opposite sides of the world and tasked with the daunting but inspiring challenge of developing something new, innovative and very special in the field of Higher Education. Together, we built and delivered a new and revolutionary international education programme at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Our programme was widely recognised even at the time-rightly, I believe-as an important sign of things to come; of the widely varied forms of transnational education and collaboration that are now transforming the lives and futures of so many young and gifted students.
　　It was, I believed at that time, as I still do, an early prototype perhaps, of a civilised, enlightened and very human form of cross-cultural exchange. It is no surprise, therefore, that right at the heart of an innovation so progressive, you would find someone like Qijun. From all I know of the man, and of the many times we have shared insights and experiences, this principle, this ideal, is fundamental to his being, to his life, and to his work in all its various manifestations.
　　Wang Qijun is rightly celebrated as a world-leading authority in his field. He is a genuine scholar, erudite and learned, yet humble before his subject, and always inquisitive, which is the most important attribute for any creative person to possess. It is inspiring to see such a well-respected expert in his field so genuinely enthusiastic when discussing his subject. And it is touching to witness a leading academic and authority become so excited-just like a young boy-as he strides off towards some ancient building. I have been fortunate enough to accompany Qijun in visits to ancient sites in China on many occasions, and on these trips, in his company, I have been lucky enough to see the past through his eyes. And then, at those moments, magically, what, to me, appeared to be a broken-down pile of bricks and rotting timbers, would become a fascinating site for discovery, and a window into another time and place, as Qijun brought it to life through his explanation, in the way he pointed out the tiniest detail, giving glimpses into another world, and by so doing made it live and breathe - he made it human.
　　And that is the sign of a real teacher.
　　Also of an artist - that is what art does; show us the world in new ways, and ultimately, gives us new insights into ourselves. Great art does the simplest and most profound thing: it holds up a mirror to the viewer and says "this is you, and this is me; this is what we are, and this is the common identity and experience we share."
　　And at this time, with a world changing as never before, with cultures aligning, intersecting, colliding and interacting, the world is fortunate to have people like Qijun-who has seen and knows both sides of -holding up that mirror.
　　Qijun is rooted in the deepest traditions of Chinese culture, yet he is genuinely an international man, at home anywhere, and this is reflected in the breadth of his practice. He can move effortlessly between the formal and idiomatic conventions of Chinese and Western art, with a supreme technical mastery in both, across an enviable range of mediums, and he can fuse them, with each informing the other. He remains true to both traditions, whilst innovating, and enriching one with another.
　　I am grateful for the opportunity to see this marvellous work, and would like to thank the gallery, curators and the artist, as well as the many others whose efforts have made this exhibition possible. This is the first time I have seen Qijun's work exhibited outside China, and, in relative terms, so close to home, so it is a special pleasure to be here to see it. I am likewise honoured to have been invited to speak today, and to share a few thoughts, and my appreciation of my good friend, and highly accomplished scholar, educator, author and artist, Wang Qijun.

Raz Barfield
21st February 2014