以中國古典文人藝術 — 錦灰堆 — 作為總括中國當代藝術家張洹（1965~）上個廿年中，多樣化的創作過程，是一個大膽的嘗試，對應藝術家近年來的創作媒介，與早年從事行為藝術的自我意識轉變歷程來說，無論是字詞的意義本身亦或者其所延伸的含意，立意皆為深遠。

「錦灰堆」一詞最早約略推至於元代，相傳為與趙孟頫（1254~1322）齊名之花鳥奇才錢選（1239~1301）在一次酒足飯飽之際，一時興起，就散落於桌間的魚骨剩渣、酒菜殘物，隨手就興繪製成一幅寫意雅緻的書畫橫軸，並為其題字命名，這是目前關於錦灰堆最早的記載。「集破」與「集珍」是錦灰堆的別名，「破」與「珍」於事物的本質原無所差異，價值的判斷在於主觀認知；因此「錦灰堆」一詞隱含的是中國文人從群體意識到個體自覺的過程，從自身省悟以找到新的視角，有所感觸，更進而能向外旁徵博引。

張洹最早以行為藝術為最主要的創作途徑，行為藝術透過親身實踐，是藝術家主體意識參與涉入最深的藝術形式之一。作品遍及行為、版畫、繪畫、雕塑、裝置、戲劇，足以證明他對於藝術思考的廣泛認識與了解；所完成的作品在視覺上原始生猛，但卻又能感受到概念中細膩質樸的主張。「灰」實指無用且不能入畫之物，卻能透過巧思，去發掘其中之藝術趣味而成珍錦。又「堆」為名詞原指「集合」之意，作動詞而用，方能示意香灰藝術的創作概念。期望能藉由這一詞多義的雙關指稱，傳達長久以來傳統與創新兩者勢力之間多所共通存在的可貴之處；並能藉由這次展覽，在中華文化溫潤內斂傳承的養分中，開拓出另一種視覺經驗與美學價值的典範。

To sum up the two decades of versatile creational oeuvre of Chinese contemporary artist Zhang Huan with the term Jin Hui Dui, the art of classic Chinese literati, is a quite daring trial. In corresponding to the artist’s creational medium in recent years and the transformation progress of self-consciousness which began with conducting performance art in early years, it indeed has profound concepts regardless of the native meaning of term or its extending implication.

The term Jin Hui Dui (a type of scholarly montage painting) could be dated as early as to Yuan Dynasty (1206-1370). It is said Qian Xuan (1239-1301) who is specialized in flower and bird paintings and as famous as master painter Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), once effortlessly makes a very delicate work of painting and calligraphy in horizontal hand scroll upon being content with the feast and wine. He adopts fish bones and unfinished dishes around table as subject for this artwork, inscribes and gives a name for it by himself. This is one of the earliest records of Jin Hui Dui so far. “The collective spoilt” and “the collective valuable” are the aliases for Jin Hui Dui. The judgment of value depends on a subjective recognition; therefore, what Jin Hui Dui implies is the progress that Chinese literati develops from collective awareness toward individual consciousness. Through one’s self-examination to find a new vision and feeling, one could further externally seek for erudite learning and exampling.

Performance art was the major creational channel for Zhang at the beginning and is one of those art forms that artist’s subjective consciousness involves most. Zhang as a versatile contemporary artist with artworks involved with performance, prints, painting, sculpture, installation and theater, his comprehensive understanding and knowledge of art thinking is fully proved; some of his finished artworks present a primitive and aggressive quality while one could feel the refined and yet simple view in his concepts. “Hui” refers to something useless and improper for subject of paintings emerges as treasure by ingenious ideas to discover the artistic value. In addition, “Dui” is originally a noun meaning “collection.” When it is used as a verb, it hints the creational process of incense ash art. It is expected to express the valuable points shared by both tradition and innovation for a long time through the multi-meaning equivoque reference of this particular term; also it is expected that through this exhibition can develop another embodiment of visual experiences and aesthetic value on the mild and modest nutritious base of Chinese culture.