2009年9月23日 星期三

發現伊斯坦堡雙年展 整體篇



伊斯坦堡雙年展一直是除了威尼斯雙年展之外我嚮往的雙年展之一,原因之一是土耳其地處中亞非三洲的交界,這個特殊的文化融爐使得土耳其這個國家添加了許多的神祕感。似乎是我們在亞洲的生活環境下比較少接觸到的。原因之二是伊斯坦堡雙年展歷屆的風評都還不錯,加上其文化背景及鄰近國家的文化政治都有許多值得藝術家及藝術觀者們深入探討的議題,讓我不禁好奇在不同背景薰陶的藝術家們會用甚麼樣的手法來表達他們對於這些議題看法。原因之三是看了許多亞洲的策展手法,我好奇伊斯坦堡雙年展的策展團隊會怎麼樣呈現今年的雙年展。私人的因素就是我沒去過土耳其,藉看雙年展的名義遊覽土耳其似乎冠冕堂皇些,感覺除了旅遊之外,我也做了些與工作上相關的功課。

這次伊斯坦堡雙年展的主題是:What Keeps Mankind Alive? 甚麼支持著人類生存? 這是在Threepenny歌劇當中一首歌的歌名,由Bertolt Brecht所寫。Threepenny歌劇敘述資本主義在改變中產階級制度資產分配的過程當中對社會所造成的負面影響。因此,這次的雙年展主要圍繞著在全球化當下兩項密不可分卻又同時發展的議題:政治與經濟,特別是當前面臨全球經融風暴的同時,經濟議題的影響力似乎也不容忽視,而伊斯坦堡雙年展巧妙地用了What Keeps Mankind Alive? 這個主題把這兩項議題包裝在一起。

這次雙年展除了在前幾屆使用過的館場Antrepo No.3及Tobacco Warehouse(菸草倉庫)之外多加了一個展場Feriköy Greek School(Feriköy希臘文學校)。Antrepo No.3及菸草倉庫都是工業用工廠或倉庫改建,而希臘文學校則帶給雙年展一個不一樣氣氛的場地。策展團隊對於每個展場所應呈現的議題做了周到的安排,展覽的流線設計及館場氛圍的營造使的觀者可以很容易進入藝術家所要傳遞的訊息當中,兼顧學術及推廣考量,也替贊助單位做到了門面,展覽整體的呈現非常的成功而且面面俱到。我相信許多觀者在觀看展覽時都是覺得很舒適的,雖然常常覺得被這些嚴肅的議題及藝術作品轟炸,但大部份的時候我是非常享受於展覽之中的。

Antrepo No.3 是最大的一個展場,也是雙年展的主館場,因為展場夠大,感覺把視覺、聽覺亦或娛樂效果較強烈的作品都選擇展示在這裡。使得觀者一進展覽就可被這些藝術作品給震攝住,容易使觀者在第一時間對這些作品產生興趣,除了類似文件展的一些與經濟議題相關的作品之外,這個展覽也包含了黎巴嫩內戰等相關議題的作品。

菸草倉庫是我覺得三個展場當中最具詩意的一個,這裡包含了一些以詩意畫手法呈現的藝術作品,我最喜愛的是Jesse Jones的錄像作品Mahogany。這裡的政治議題多半還是與黎巴嫩與俄羅斯內戰政府改革相關。最大的不同是這裡的作品多半以柔性的方式呈現對議題所產生的情緒,使觀者在觀看時保持冷靜的思維,容易以理性的方式對作品產生回應。

Feriköy希臘文學校是一間很老的學校,建築物看起來也老老的、不怎麼起眼,所處的地理環境也是髒髒的、不容易找,讓人一開始對展覽不抱太大的希望。但進入展場由一間教室穿梭到另一間教室,每間教室都訴說不同的議題與故事。有些教室有椅子可以坐下來慢慢的看,讓觀者可以靜下心來好像成為學生一樣聽著這些藝術品想要告訴你的訊息。神奇似的讓觀者們都可以在擁擠的教室當中流連忘返,似乎經過身邊的其他觀者是同學般一樣的親切。我也發現到在這裡的觀者比較容易跟其他不認識的觀者產生互動及交談,甚至討論起藝術品來。真的讓我見識到展場分為營造的重要及神奇~~~!!

2009年9月3日 星期四

方力鈞給我的啟示


這兩天跟著方力鈞,因為就我們倆說普通話,多多少少聊了一些,比起之前工作上的接觸對方力鈞有更多的了解。我想身為藝術家是不容易的,要探索的課題那麼多,找出前人沒有用過的手法,還要研究思想創作等。時間對於像他們這樣的藝術家來說,我左思右想都是不夠的。可以跟方力鈞有這樣的交流,我是幸運的。而他的見地許多是精確的,是經過生活驗證過後細密思考出來的。他像哲學家一般的推敲所有環節,也許是推敲的夠仔細,就成功了。任何事應該也是把每個環節都想通了,就成功了吧。像我們這樣想不通的,少跟筋的,也只好靠藝術家的光頭給我們指引方向了!

2009年2月19日 星期四

Thoughts on L.O.V.E!

Love is Playful
When you are trying to find it, it hides.
When you are giving up on it, it hits you suddenly.
When you thought you finally have it, it is never really there.

Addition to my comments on LOVE.....
sometimes people are too busy to love;
sometimes people are too tired to love.
sometimes people are too lazy to love;
sometimes people are too selfish to love.
sometimes people are too hurt to lovel;
sometimes people are too afraide to love.
sometimes people are too protective to love;
sometimes people are too care to love.
sometimes people are too lost to love,
sometimes people just don't know how to love.
the conclusion is: no love no gain, no love no lose.
It's easier just to take care of themselves!

I don't know where all these little thoughts are coming from.
My mind is full of too much this and that right now, it's impossible to sort it out organizely.
So I figured that I should just scrambble my thoughts right here as it would be on a piece of blank paper.

I am....

I am happy, happy of who I am;
I am brave, brave in facing obstacles in life.
I am afraid, afraid of losing control;
I am scared, scared of the unforseen.
I am timid, timid to fall in love;
I am sad, sad of leaving my comfort zone.
I am stubborn, too stubborn to admit that i do care;
I am proud, proud of my weaknesses.
I am frustrated, frustrated of my feelings;
I am transparent, transparent in my thoughts.

2009年2月18日 星期三

Letting Go....

Letting go is not easy, no matter what it is. I think I've marked a milestone for myself by doing what I think I should rather than I want. Lots of times in life, things just won't happen the way that you thought it would. It's ironic, but hey.... it's life.

So...I've made a decision that I won't settle for the second best from now on, I want the best!! Unless that second best will one day become the best (you know...people change their thoughts and feelings at different stages of their lives...therefore, that's why different things are accomplished at different times of life). Things can be done and changed if you just flip your vision.

Lately, I've also realized that sometimes people are hurt too much that they become blind and lose their sense of feelings. Things are easier sometimes if we just pretend not to see it. I am glad that I can always find the courage to make a change no matter how difficult the situation is. I hope I can always hold on to this courage and faith that I have for life. God is playful, he always accomplish things at the most unexpected times. And I believe whatever God has planned for us is always greater and better than what we planned for ourselves. Therefore, no worries are left. The only thing I can do is to do the best I can in everyway. A well-rounded life is much more important than just one way life. I would not feel happy and complete if I only succeed in one part of my life but fails on the rest sectors. And I want to thank my friends for always being there for me and gives me a hand through my difficult times. I can't imagine and I don't want to imagine what my life would be like without you all. Friends are the greatest gifts that God has sent me....and I am very very grateful for it.

Is Honesty the Best Policy?

Is honesty really the best policy? Well, it depends I would say.....

People hide the truth for different reasons, some are listed below:

...not to hurt someone who he/she cares;

...not to reveal one's limit;

...to make someone feels better;

...to avoid facing the truth;

the list can go on and on and on.....forever.

People lie in the purpose of not hurting either themselves or the person they are telling the lies to. Some people carry lies into marriage; some people even carry lies to grave. I would rather people tell me the truth than to lie to me just to make me feel better. To me, Honesty is always the best policy even if I could get hurt from it. I choose to know and to know the truth. To others, I cannot judge for them. And for this reason, I do bear some truth that I am reluctant to tell because I think I don't have the right to or not in the right position to reveal the truth. The line of choosing to hide or to tell the truth is abstract and thin. It requires lots of wisdom to handle and to make correct judgement of it. I just wish that I could gain the wisdom in order to always be honest to the people around me. Or, at least, telling people truth in a wise way that could always minimize the bad and enlarge the good.

2009年2月14日 星期六

I feel grateful

As entering a new chapter in life, I feel grateful and blessed.
Of knowning the challenges and difficulties lying ahead, I look forward to it and feel at ease.
Life is afterall wonderful and I hope to keep it this way until the last day of my life.