IW: And when you first started here, did you look at the work of other curators?
JS: When I came here I dove immediately into what I was doing. I wanted to meet all the artists I had heard of before in order to see if what I had heard about the art out of China was right, or completely wrong. I decided to do the interviews with Chinese artists to show my friends that the vision they had of China at that time was wrong, and that the Chinese were not producing only for the market: they were producing first for the mind and they are reinventing something very smart. So I made this collection of interviews then as the first way to say ‘‘I’m a newcomer; I came here to understand you… Many people have misunderstood what you are, many people see you just as flags of your country.’’
IW: Did you liaise with the Ullens often, or did they leave you to it?
JS: The beauty with them was that I had full freedom to implement all the ideas I had — of course you have to express it as is the case for a person you are living with if you want to change their house. I have always explained what I wanted to do and they have 90% agreed to everything. They really gave me confidence in my vision.
IW: UCCA is a very prominent organization. Do you think its positioning is always a positive thing?
JS: I have to say, I think it’s very important. We never look to be prominent or whatever but we understand that we are now entering the field of responsibility towards cultural actors here, including of course the artists on the first row. Having started like this, we understand that you cannot stop the motor — it’s impossible.
IW: Can you comment on how you see the future of UCCA, now that you are leaving, and say honestly what you think about the state of the organization and its future?
JS: UCCA is somehow like the baby I made with Guy and Miriam Ullens and all the UCCA staff, so my only wish is LONG LIVE UCCA!
IW: How do you feel the Ullens envision the future of the organization?
JS: Guy and Miriam’s dream has always been to make this place completely Chinese and try to give more and more space to other people, not to disappear but to be behind the scenes.
IW: So they want the Chinese to have ownership?
JS: Yes. And I think they have the right idea because a Westerner is still a foreigner here. This is their dream; I would say we have accomplished a part of it and now this is the second step.
IW: How is the collection evolving — can we expect to see it traveling in the future?
JS: It is a true remark and it is Guy’s desire to expand. I think this is exactly where UCCA is going.
