隋建国自述
熊猫纪念碑所纪念的，其实是一个过去了的时代。在那个时代，中国各大中小城市的公园里街道旁，都可以看到我们的国宝坐在垃圾箱上。不知是谁第一个想到用可爱的熊猫，作为垃圾箱标志形象，这个人可能顾虑国人不讲公共卫生的习俗，想用这个可爱的形象，吸引人们的注意力，提醒人们别忘了把垃圾扔到这个小可爱的肚子里。总之，所有的城市都起而效仿。于是全国各地就都能看到可爱的熊猫垃圾箱了。
隋建国与作品《熊猫纪念碑》
可能是因为文革期间雕塑家本来就没有什么事情可做，得到一个垃圾箱的委托，也极其认真仔细地做好它。2001年我在四川成都发现现在这个熊猫的纪念碑的原型——熊猫垃圾
作品简评
熊猫塑像凌驾在高高的天蓝色方尖碑顶端。方尖碑是由城市街头的垃圾箱变异、拔高而来，一二十年来，娇小可爱的熊猫其实一直就安坐在那上面，只是艺术家以极为夸张方式，把原本装垃圾的箱座成十几倍地拉长、直至高耸云天而已。熊猫垃圾箱作为一种现成品几乎快走入历史，对它直接挪用和处理，显然体现了艺术家对过去时代单一的审美标准和脆弱的集体无意识的一种反省和批判，甚至也包含了对那个物质并不丰富的朴素时代的一种缅怀和追忆。艺术家借此探讨的也许是社会转型期背景下审美语境的悄然变化。如何根据大环境、参照系、上下文等因素来恰当地呈现一种美感？这种当代艺术的焦点问题，即便是在人们的审美意识、文化品位不断得到普遍提升的今天，也的确难以妥当回应的。何况当初？历史是不能忘却的。那么，熊猫纪念碑其实也是艺术家对一段正在消逝的文化和审美情结的纪念。
隋建国作品《熊猫纪念碑》
全球化时代的今天，当人们在追求自己水涨船高的欲望而失去生活原初目标的时候，越来越多的人开始反思，这是否值得？这时候，那只端坐在方尖碑顶端的熊猫，也许早已“高处不胜寒”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.
