隋建國自述
熊貓紀念碑所紀念的，其實是一個過去了的時代。在那個時代，中國各大中小城市的公園裏街道旁，都可以看到我們的國寶坐在垃圾箱上。不知是誰第一個想到用可愛的熊貓，作為垃圾箱標誌形象，這個人可能顧慮國人不講公共衛生的習俗，想用這個可愛的形象，吸引人們的注意力，提醒人們別忘了把垃圾扔到這個小可愛的肚子裏。總之，所有的城市都起而效倣。於是全國各地就都能看到可愛的熊貓垃圾箱了。
隋建國與作品《熊貓紀念碑》
可能是因為文革期間雕塑家本來就沒有什麼事情可做，得到一個垃圾箱的委託，也極其認真仔細地做好它。2001年我在四川成都發現現在這個熊貓的紀念碑的原型——熊貓垃圾
作品簡評
熊貓塑像淩駕在高高的天藍色方尖碑頂端。方尖碑是由城市街頭的垃圾箱變異、拔高而來，一二十年來，嬌小可愛的熊貓其實一直就安坐在那上面，只是藝術家以極為誇張方式，把原本裝垃圾的箱座成十幾倍地拉長、直至高聳雲天而已。熊貓垃圾箱作為一種現成品幾乎快走入歷史，對它直接挪用和處理，顯然體現了藝術家對過去時代單一的審美標準和脆弱的集體無意識的一種反省和批判，甚至也包含了對那個物質並不豐富的樸素時代的一種緬懷和追憶。藝術家借此探討的也許是社會轉型期背景下審美語境的悄然變化。如何根據大環境、參照係、上下文等因素來恰當地呈現一種美感？這種當代藝術的焦點問題，即便是在人們的審美意識、文化品位不斷得到普遍提升的今天，也的確難以妥當回應的。何況當初？歷史是不能忘卻的。那麼，熊貓紀念碑其實也是藝術家對一段正在消逝的文化和審美情結的紀念。
隋建國作品《熊貓紀念碑》
全球化時代的今天，當人們在追求自己水漲船高的慾望而失去生活原初目標的時候，越來越多的人開始反思，這是否值得？這時候，那只端坐在方尖碑頂端的熊貓，也許早已“高處不勝寒”了。
The panda statue is high up in the air sitting at the top of the sky-blue obelisk, which is varied and elevated from the dustbin on the streets. The base of the dustbin has been lengthened for more than ten times until it stands out into the clouds, while the cute little panda has been always sitting there. Panda dustbin, as a practical public facility, is almost a part of history in present daily life. To use it as the original mold of this work, shows in one hand, the author’s introspection and critics on the simplicity of aesthetic standard and the fragile congregation unconsciousness of old times, and on the other, the commemoration and reminiscence on the age of nonmaterial plain world. The author has started an argument on the invisible change of aesthetics context, which already began in the beginning of the social transform years ago. How to present the aesthetic feeling when referring to the environmental context is one of the focuses in contemporary art. It’s even hard to answer in today, and no wonder it was also a blurred area in the past. But to be sure, the history is supposed to be remembered. The panda obelisk is a monument erected by the author for any disappearing culture and aesthetic complex.
Today, more and more people have started to rethink about their lost goal of life, when pursuing the increasing desire and demand which is stimulated by comparison. Is the loss worthwhile? Guess the panda, who never leaves his seat on the top of the obelisk, may has felt “too high and supernal to be warm and cozy enough” long, long before.
