White Text #3 白文本 (第三期) by hongkongartschool

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2006

第三期

NUMBER 3

| HK$5ÿ| Student HKS45

編輯總監 Editing Directors

白文本 WHITE TEXT

部凝姿何兆基譚偉平余偉聯黃麗貞謝明莊

二零零六年九月第三期 Number 3, September 2006

Tang Ying Chi Ho Siu Kee Tam Wai Ping Francis Yu Wong Lai Ching Tse Ming Chong

《白文本》主要經由學生編制，

執行編輯 Executive Editors

由白管子基金支持發行。其得

老慧行 Lo Wai Hang 余椅I奇 Yu Kei Kei 盧慧珊 Lo Wai Shan

以順利發行，有賴眾多香港藝

何穎雯 Ho Wing Man 陳慧思 Teresa Chan 蔡穎思 Choi Wing-sze

部份若未經版權持有人允許

不得用任何方式抄襲或翻印

設言十 8? Designers

本刊物所表達之意見或觀點及

香建峰 Alex Heung 馬虔珠 Ivy Ma

其所有內容，不代表番港藝術

黃振欽

學院，白管子之立場

Leo Wong

常務編輯 Managing Editors 黃振欽 Leo Wong 李雪盈 Lee Suet Ying 譚家榮 Tam Kar Wing

定價：港幣五十學生：港幣四十五

中文顧問編輯 Contributing Chinese Text Editor 袁婉荷

Yuen Yuen Ho

英文顧問編輯 Contributing English Text Editors 廖慧楊 Gloria Liu 黎美蓮 Lai Mei Lin 黃曉霖 Wong Hiu Lam Laura Leung

出版 Publisher

白文本 White Text 聯絡地址

Address

香港灣仔港灣道二號香港藝術中心十樓白管子 White Tube, 10th floor, Hong Kong Arts Centre, 2 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong 印刷公司 Printing Company

毅柏廣告有限公司 Apex Creative Services Ltd. 白管子網頁

White Tube Website

http://www.whitetube.org

White Text is a semi-annual publication supported by White Tube Funds. Its achievement comes from contributions and voluntary works of students and graduates of Hong Kong Art School. All rights reserves. Reproduction without written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. The judgments and opinions expressed and ' the content included in this publication do not represent the view of White Tube, Hong Kong Art School.

Single Issue: General HK$50, Student HK$45

查詢熱線 Enquiry Hotline (852) 2922 2822

電郵 Information Enquiry

info@whitetube.org 發行日期 Publication Date 於香港印刷 2006 年 9 月 2006 September Printed in Hong Kong.

發行量 Distribution Copies

一千本 1000 Copies

國際標準期刊號 ISSN: 1818-5657

編

上期的《白文本》因為一些技術性的問題而耽誤了出版，故此同學和同事們都很努力，希望可以令這次如期出版，逢成一年兩期的設想。本校的同學，在日常生活中有多個身份、角色：除了是學生、還是在職人士、家庭中的要員，或本身擁有其他的才能，要他們同時兼顧《白文本》的工作，相信會加添一定的壓力，希望其他人士能夠欣賞他們的貢獻。

輯語

「身份」、「角色」好像仍然是香港藝術所關注的問題。韋一空的〈無領土化文化身份的反覆無常 > : 討論身份的塑造和形成，提供了「年青習性」、「沒有器

官的身體」等的論述。策展人何慶基，分享了其策展的意念、過程和經驗，帶給謓者一幅再創造的展覽圖像。近年，策展人和藝術家的關係產生了微妙的變化，這變化與「年青習性」的身份是否連繫得上呢？其他文章都是藝術家的親身經驗，如何兆基一直以來探討的「手藝」和「身體參與」；及黃麗貞對傳統美善的體會，兩者都有某些的共通點。謝明莊對影像與當代社會的關係則有迫切的回應。當然，最能反映藝術家創作歷程的，莫過於藝術家自述的環節，也是第一身，甚至第一手有關藝術或藝術家箇中的情況：譚偉平把他關心的事情和影響他的人和事一一地記了下來。

其他兩篇都與教育和學習有關，一篇由白管子的統籌們作自我反省；在另一篇中，張康生則藉《克力架》展覽，探述教與學的關係。作為老師及該展覽策劃人之一的我，亦藉此以個人身份道出對展覽的期望。該展覽的目的是希望學生能對自己的創作，無論是在心態或作品的發展方面，時時作出反省和批判，有時總覺得學生太著意作品的完成，而忽略過程中所遇到的問題，特別是有 f 其他」因素的影響。或許經濟對社會的影響實在太大，當代藝術的追求都加入了快而準的特質；這種現象不單在藝術家的群體中出現，也在藝術學生中出現。最後，在此代表學校中的每一位，悼念最近離世的校友盧佩君同學。盧佩君於 2005 年畢業，她的離開令所有人都覺得惋惜，希望她的家人能夠早日收拾心情。在此獻上永遠的懷念！

鄧凝姿

編輯總監

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Editorial Note The last issue of White Text was delayed due to some technical issues. This time, all our students and colleague are doing their best in hoping to publish this issue on time and to stick to the plan of publishing White Text twice a year. Students at our school bear many identities and roles in their daily lives: other than being students, they are also working people, family members; some of them possess other talents and are engaged in other commitments. Fulfilling those commitments and working on White Text is bound to add certain pressure to them. We sincerely hope that their contribution will be appreciated. Issues like "identity” and "role" still seem to be something the Hong Kong art scene is still concerned about. Frank Vigneron's Deterritorialization the Arbitrariness of Cultural Identity discusses the construction and formation of identity with discourses of "young habitus” and "Body without Organs". Curator Oscar Ho shares with us his curatorial concepts, process and experience and presents to readers a re-created exhibition picture. In recent years, the relationship between curator and artist has undergone some interesting changes. Are such changes in any way connected with the identity of "young habitus”ÿ The following articles are personal experiences of various artists: "Craftsmanship” and "Participation of the Body”ÿ topics often discussed by Ho Siu Kee; Wong Lai Ching’s understanding of the traditional beauty and kindness. There is something in common between the two articles. Tse Ming Chong has some immediate responses to the relationship between image and contemporary society. Undoubtedly, what can most reflect an artist’s creativity is a statement by the artist himself, as the first person, interpretation. What Tam Wai Ping did was to record occurrences he cares about and people and things that affect him. The Other two articles are about education and learning, one of which is some self-reflections by coordinators of White Tube. In the other article, Enoch Cheung explores the relationship between teaching and learning by taking a look at the Crackers exhibition. As a teacher and one of the curators, I would like to express my personal expectation of this exhibition. The purpose of this exhibition is to encourage students to be

reflective and critical about development of their work. stress on the completion of facing during the process

their own work, be it their mentality or the Sometime I feel that students put too much the work and neglect the questions they are of making, especially the influence of the "Other" factors. Perhaps economy has such a great impact to society, contemporary art has also incorporated some new qualities - instant and precise; such qualities are not only found in artists but also among art students.

Lastly, on behalf of everyone from the school, I would like to express our grieve about the passing away of Miss Lo Pui Kwan, who graduated in

2005. Her loss has been greatly missed by all of us and we send our sincere condolences to her family. She will always be in our hearts!

Tang Ying Chi Editing Director

白文本第三期 White Text Number 3 001

編輯語 Editorial Note 004

目錄 Content

005 無領土化一文化身份的反覆無常

Deterritorialization

the Arbitrariness of Cultural Identity

韋一空 Frank Vigneron

025 策展人常問的問題

A Curator’s Frequently Asked Questions 何慶基

Oscar Ho

兼談「開物」、「成器」與「致用」 On Making Bricks - and Some Thoughts on "Exploring Materials", "Making Utensils" and "Applications"

051 造磚記

何兆基

Ho Siu Kee

061 一只破魚盤

A Broken Fish Platter 黃麗貞

Wong Lai Ching

069 影像殖民的都市人

Image Colonization 謝明莊

Tse Ming Chong

081 藝術家自述：這裡的「我」看著那裡的「我」 Artist Statement: Here, I look at me over there 譯偉平 Tam Wai Ping

103 白管子、《白文本》、「賣藝日」工作分享

Sharing on White Tube, White Text and "Art Fair” 老慧行，楊曉棠，楊美青

Lo Wai Hang, Candy Yeung, Yang Mei Ching

從「鬆脆」的裂口反思學習藝術的過程 "Crackers" Exhibition - Introspection on the Process of the Study of Art From the "Crunchy" Cracks

119 關於《克力架》展覽

張康生 Enoch Cheung

封面圖片 Ivy Ma 提供

Cover Image is provided by Ivy Ma

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夏碧泉，《芬蘭》，《攝影組合》， 2001 年。 Ha Bik Chuen, "Finland”ÿPhoto Assemblage, 2001.

翻譯：錢雅婷

今時今日，有關香港文化身份的意見眾說紛紜一通常都涉及「混雜 j 、「漂浮」、「離鄉別井 j 等用詞

令人日益需要提出一個能容納嶄新方法去理解這現象的理論框架。

HK Lab 系列（由建築師 Laurent Gutierrez 及 Val6rie Portefaix 發起及編輯）的出版以及其作者頗無法無天地運用一些引人入勝的概念，尤其導致我也構思出我自己的理論遊戲：它包括了把玩其他人創立的概念，把它們扭曲成為新的組合，令我可以用來

理解像香港這個地方，在此生活，在此工作。請原諒我在此透過挪用及?落化創造「設

。一如這些消閒藥物的使用一樣，我這

計師概念」，就如其他人創造「設計師毒品 j 一樣

個舉動的目標是娛樂性大於高級哲學或社會學。但有別這些非法藥物的使用，我沒有違反任何反抄襲規條，因為我相信：利用這些概念進行挪用遊戲仍算是一種創作行為。

要談論及描繪這個名為「香港文化身份 j 的東西，我會用到看起來頗具限制性的視覺工

具 .它們的作用不過是令我能把玩概念，並非意圖假扮科學化。本地文化的構成包含多

重元素，經過一段時間及距離後，逐漸結合成一個被認為是連貫的整體。事實上，要一

一列出構成文化身份的所有元素是不可能的，文化身份的構成包括實物、概念、實際及虛擬空間、肉體習慣、語言、文學及藝術傳統，以及任何領土內人類及動物參與者的永

恆交流

註一) 認為任何文化身份都能達成一個清晰的形態是個天真的想法，但在此表

述期間，我會假定這是可行的。這個連貫的整體因此是個海市蜃樓 .但屬於有用的那種，它能幫助我們了解其形成背後的機制。事實上，我們稍後將看到，把文化身份視為

一個流暢的物件已變成了其參與者的「老習?」（因為任何文化身份都只能存在於真實的空間及其參與者之間

同樣地，我們能夠把一個如此複雜的物件簡化成一個單一名

」

詞「香港文化身份，也足以證明了我們可以把之視為單一物件。要解釋這個意念，我首先希望能簡介一下 Pierre Bourdieu 的一個主要的概念。

(註一

「領土」一詞應該是有個更清晰的定義，但在香港的情況，歷史令這悃任務比其他地方簡單：在此的「領土」就是指前英國殖民地所被規限的境界。

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文化身份的構成如此深入地融入了本地文化群眾的意識內，令他們不察覺其構成的反覆無常。這變成了 Pierre Bourdieu 所謂的 "HABITUSÿ習性。 Pierre Bourdieu 直至其於 2002 年離世前，一直是 College de France 的社會學教授，廣被認為是二十世紀其

中一名最偉大的社會學家。受到 Marx, Durkheim 及 Weber 的著作的啟發，並跟隨後結構主義的浪潮， Bourdieu 發展了一個社會及文化複製的理論，嘗試探究個人自由如何

在不斷改變的社會架構中運作。Bourdieu 相信，個人自由諷刺地只能存在於某種限制；

而他的「習性」概念對於了解社會限制如何仍然產生某種自由意願是必不可少的。拉丁文中的 habitus意指（肉體方面的 ) 薰陶；性格，品質：衣著風格，服裝，氣質，感受；

習慣。Bourdieu 的人類習性概念與原本的拉丁文意思有所配合，它是指從社會所得，具體化的性情及素質系統。

受到結構主義及 Noam Chomsky 的生成文法 (他認為我們全都有與生俱來的語言能力，因此即使年幼的小童也能使用語言 ) 啟發，習性對於 Bourdieu 而言是個「構成中的結構」，習性的行動以及行為並不是機械化地生產出來的，而是由歷史及社會形勢導致的。習性催生能適應一個特定社會環境的行為， Bourdieu 也一直堅持習性的體現性質，在身體、手勢、姿態及社會薰陶的某些層面均可體現。這些薰陶因此對於社會成員而言看似是「自然」，因為他們只能通過其習性才能掌握。我想用一個較通俗的方法去稱呼習

性就是「老習慣」，即我們經常作出並從不把它當是受外在因素影響的行為，雖然

。一個完美的習性例子就是女性在全球

Bourdieu 堅持習性的特點正是永遠都看似自然

多個社會中的形象：女性天生是「較弱的性別」的觀念仍被認為是基於天性而非文化而

產生 (對於性行為的看法也同出一轍：社會預期男女在性行為中的表現被認為是完全自然，但事實上這些表現受歷史及社會形勢的薰陶與受任何基因影響的程度是不相伯仲)。

在傳統的自然 / 文化二分法中，像 Bourdieu 般的社會學家認為我們的行為中，受文化影

響的比例是大於我們願意相信的。

回到文化身份的主題，一個文化中有很多元素最終會變成某種習性，我會把它稱為「年青習性」，因為與一般需要經過幾代才會構成的習性相比，它的形成很快。正如我早前

所說，我們可以把這個複雜的物體濃縮成一個單一的詞彙，如「香港文化身份」這也是我以單一流暢的物體介紹它的原因

我也想在此借用二十世紀兩位重要作家 Gilles

Deleuze 及 Pierre Guattari 提出的概念 (雖然這看似不公平，但我從現在起只會稱這概念

為 Deleuze 主義 )。「習性」一直扮演流暢物體的角色：在現實中，它是由一大堆東西組成 (語言、物件、地方等 )ÿ但當組成元素變得無數地多時，整體就不再看似是一個建構。它

變成一個我想將之與 Deleuze 所謂的「沒有器官的身體」

Body without Organs}

比較的東西。

首先，我想介紹一下 Deleuze 著作中談及的 BwOÿ他的作品時刻在經歷發展和臨時性，

令人有必要把他的概念過於簡化，就如下述。然而，能夠把其作品的不完整性變成他的長處，因為他把 BwO 展示為一個無法逢至的境界。他眼中的世界是由成河的慾望流組

成，這些流動不只是水、空氣、岩漿、血液、油漆、電流，不只是草、土地、太陽，也包括意念、人、文化、書本、對話等。由於它們均是時刻在流動，它們是通過割斷、阻檔或汲

取其他流動的形成的。事實上，我們棲身的世界正是由這些慾望流的干擾及不和所形成。沒有這些流動，就沒有可靠的架構，也就沒有世界可言。不過，慾望流並不希望被割斷或

受阻，它們也力爭在它們之間達至完全平衡的境界，一個終極而言是不可能連至的平衡狀態。這個慾望流之間無可能達至的完美平衡就是 Deleuze 所謂的 BwO, 因此， BwO 是一個只能存在於想像之中的完全抽象的概念；這個平衡狀態也是一個靜止狀態，

Deleuze 有時形容它為死寂或不事生產。

，一如照片能把一個人跳動以完全靜

任何文化身份的表述均須要在某個特定時刻進行

止的方式呈現。但那種表述方式是有必要地屬限制性，在某程度上永遠都是一張屍體的

。因此我想引入一個「文化 BwOÿ的「設計師概念」，以流暢物件呈現文化身份的快照片照，在當中，所有的慾望流都停?不前。一個「文化 BwOÿ將是很多社會曾當試生產的東西：一個完滿狀況的形象，被整合至一個包含所有基本元素 (語言、地方、物件等) 的連貫

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整體，但這個完滿狀況是永遠被延遲，永遠也不能逢至的。為了繼纗挪用 Deleuze 概念，

這些元素 (語言、地方、物件等) 也可以被用作與他的「慾望機器」概念比較，每種元素是由一個慾望流及對這慾望流的詮釋所組成，有時他把造些元素稱為機械式儀器，像一個陷阱或開關。道些「慾望機器」永遠地懸掛在 BwO 身上，希望有朝能成為 BwO 的一

部份，進入切斷及干擾的永恆過程。這可以是極度複雜的溝通或社會融合過程，但如我們很快會明白，造同時也是最簡單的物件。

任何文化身份的本地文化參與者永遠在他們的「文化 BwOÿ身上掛上東西 / 慾望機器。

但由於「慾望機器」的種類是由如此大量的詳情及由大量人員堆砌而成，要知道文化在將來會發展成甚麼模樣是幾乎不可能的。設計師、廣告商及潮流制定者每天面對的問題，是酋試以一個既定文化中早已存在的元素去預測未來。這項工作依重個人直覺，也同樣地依重科學性數據，因為「慾望機器」如何懸掛在「文化 BwOÿ身上幾乎是永恆地

主觀。讓我們看一個例子。當一個看似陌生的元素，一個「慾望機器」，如港式奶茶是懸

掛在「文化 BwOÿ身上，它在一短時間內可以被視為一個人為的附加物件。它看似是這樣，因為它沒有時間變成「習性」。在此，使用「年輕習性」一詞可能會有用 (讓我提醒大家，這個意念是被本文的作者劫持，它不出現在 Pierre Bourdieu 的任何著作，正是我所

稱為的「設計師概念」），因為奶茶一加了煉奶的港式紅茶一未有足夠資格成為習性，是一個頗近代的意念。該種文化選擇的主觀性及該習性的年輕度並沒有減低該元素的現寅性。

，也只會增加人工化的感覺，因為它未有時即使是最新加入的，如黃炳培的《紅白藍》間融入成為一些看似是 BwO 的東西。黃炳培的《紅白藍》在香港到處可見的人造纖維

製成的物料，多用於建築、保護及運輸 )，看似是個無必要的選擇，它也不只在香港能找到，但造選擇仍有理據支持，因為他沒有停止在把物料識別為只屬於香港的東西。他一開始就清楚地表明，他在「紅白藍」物料中看到的香港特色是由眾多不同元素組成的構思 (人們提著由該物料製造的袋子進出香港，許冠傑在演唱會穿著以紅白藍製造的西裝，用作攤檔及大排檔的雨蓬等等 )。正是這些元素的互動、割斷及干擾，道些「慾望機

器」，短暫地齊集在他在香港文化博物館策劃的展覽中展示的連貫的圖畫。

經過一段時間後，

_ 個新的元素會成為 BwO 的一部份，作為習性的一個新層面；雖然最

新的元素感覺仍然會像被迫嫁接到 BwO 身上的外來物。我們很難知道這些元素之中會

否有一些會成為文化 BwO, 因為 BwO 是不斷在接受及排斥新元素。我們很難知道有甚麼可以或不可以被嫁接在文化 BwO 身上，但我們有可能 (有時是憑大量運氣 ) 找到 _個

合適的人選作為下一個嫁接 ( 而我個人相信，「紅白藍」已經符合資格成為香港習性的一部份 )。但最終，由於新元素不斷地加入及被拋棄，要準確地描繪出任何「文化 BwOÿ的面貌是不可能的。這元素或「慾望機器」為數之多，種類之多，令它們無法被放在任何一

類連貫的系統。因此建構的傳統規條並不能應用在此，而我將借用（這次基本上是不作任何修改) 結構主義之父、人種學家 Claude L6vi-Strauss的另一個概念。

在 The Savage Mind (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1968)

—

書內，

Levi-Strauss 比較了「迷思」由他在南美洲研究的「原始社會」製生的思想) 以及一種他

稱之為"bricolage"的 (法語，解作自己動手，含有欠缺早有計劃的意念及沒有好技巧而製

成的意思) 藝術。對於 Levi-Strauss而言，"bricolage"依靠符號而運行，像一名工程師，永遠在尋找訊息。不過， "bricolage"收集的是預早發放的訊息 (像用一張舊桌的腳去做

_ 張新桌）。迷思是一種智慧型的 "bricolage"; 它從一大堆物件及概念中創造出神話

及習俗。同樣地， "bricolage" 類型的藝術家運用他們手上有的任何東西創作，因而能獲得出乎意料及出色的結果。 Levi-Strauss 提到 Art Brut 及 NaYve Art, 但若加入

Kurt Schwitters, Robert Rauschenberg 及Thomas Hirschorhn 等藝術家的作品也不為過。

Levi-Strauss—直將神話視為美學物件，而他提及 "bricolage" 賦予了某種藝術製造神話的地位。由於建構的意念是神話形成的核心，我們可以把很多藝術品的產生視為神話

的架構。如果

幅畫並不真正符合藝術品作為神話的定義，那頗明顯地，籠統地被稱為

「裝置」的藝術製作就完全符合 "bricolage" 的稱號。總體而言， L6vi-Strauss 並不相信

這些藝術品真是神話 ( 事實上我們不能如複製藝術品般複製神話就輕易地證明了造一點 )ÿ因為他認為它們有兩項不同功能：如果藝術品是由物件及事件開始而形成架構，那麼神話就是由架構開始而逐漸發現物件及事件。

"Bricolage"因此能夠在很多藝術家的創作方式中找到，在香港藝術家中就有不少是以這種方式創作! 香港 bricolage 鼻祖應該是夏碧泉，他在街道間遊走多年，為的就是組織

他那些令人驚嘆的物件。陳育強也留意了 "bricolage" 好一段時間 (雖然近年在威尼斯雙年展的參與令他變為採用較有計劃的藝術創作方式 )，他在參與黃炳培的《建一番

港精神紅白藍》展覽時就表示：「我對主題並沒有太大的興趣，反正主題往往出現於作品完成之後；反之，我對『構成方法? 有興趣一透過它無論如何都可做出一些甚麼來而且它不斷牽引靈感

Deleuze 定下了，任何生物其中一項最基本的行動，尤其是人類，是開創領土，讓他們能夠撤離「慾望流」的旋渦，找到某種平衡。不過，我們必須緊記， Deleuze 視不斷的切斷及干擾過程為創造世界的基本元素，「領土化」最終是條死胡同，無可避免地會走向靜止和死亡。很簡單地說，「無領土化」，打破領土邊界並衝出任何既定空間的行為，因而

是令世界保持成為活躍系統的唯一可能性，它能產生更新的慾望流。「無領土化」在今時今日看來是這個全球化晚資本主義階段的總體定律，而一如慾望流的互動，那過程產生了同等份量的好結果和壞結果。

十九世紀西方殖民主義（實質無領土化的最早但災難性的嘗試）的其中一個最聲名狼藉

的壞結果是產生了東方主義風格，一種企圖把其他國家典型的裝飾及主題帶入歐洲及北美市場的藝術及設計。不幸地，仍然有藝術家在進行該種負面的異國風情，如多年前我遇見的某位法國藝術家，以無意義的陳腔濫調作為主題繪畫香港。在異國情調頻譜的另

一端，是一種我們可稱為「正面異國情調」的東西。畢加索就是該傾向的明顯例子，雖然他對於他用作靈感的非洲文化並沒有流露任何興趣。造些非洲元素出現在一位居住於

法國的西班牙現代派藝術家的作品之中，是一個有趣並方向正確的做法，但它未是真正的無領土化，因為畢加索仍然是在歐美藝術市場的脈絡內工作及創作。文化中心的概念

在當時仍是個完全未受挑戰的情況，畢加索沒可能有另一種想法。今日的情況在迅速改

變，無領土化的概念需要以前所未有的方式形成。

0 3

藝術家 Rirkrit Tiravanija 在雜誌 Artforum 內發表對無領土化的意見令人非常難忘，也

?售詩意。在 (The Lay of the Land

- An Experiment in Art and Community in

77?a//aA7? 有關幾乎不可能定義這位國際知名藝術家的藝術項目文章中， Daniel Birnbaum 報導了一個應用在像珠江三角洲這樣的藝術世界時完全理據充足的意見。

當被問到他的遊牧式生活可否被視為是嘗試創造多個中心，他所回答的，相反地，他對邊緣的複雜性更有興趣，該名藝術家簡短地表示：「因為那時你就會明白，中心其實是位處外面。」（註三 ) 但這對於仍然依賴歐美市場維生的大部份藝術家仍是一廂情願。於是問題

又變成：關注於為本地消費市場 (如香港) 而創作文化產品的藝術家和設計師如何能在全球化經濟中產生任何影響？

讓我們以梁志和一件頗為著名的作品 (無題，作於"Dream of a Path"後，1996, 一套五

件，紙油畫，每幅 244 x 60 厘米，香港藝術館收藏品 ) 作為例子。無論該作品在視覺上是如何美麗，觀眾也需要理解中文字句的意思，經典中國文化中石刻的意義，以至香港獨有的飲食文化，才能理解作品的多層意義。問題的答案可能是藏在無數藝術家在全球

各地新興成為「中心」的邊緣地區工作及創作的藝術家所進行的無數的「混雜化」舉

動。例子多不勝數，從居住在美國及墨西哥邊界兩旁的 Chicanos 藝術家，以至在亞洲及

全球各地創作的菲律賓及越南藝術家。事實上，歐美的藝術家出版媒體對這些作品的興趣日增，有關造些藝術家的文章已經是報導的常規部份。雖然這些藝術品的具體文化內容可能未能被其他文化的參與者所領略，這個「混雜化」過程對任何人都仍然是有趣

的，因為一種可被稱為「正面異國情調」的態度。

有關在香港製作的藝術品，以及以本地文化為主題，對於本地參與者而言明顯不過的元

素對外人可能是一個謎。但謎本身也可以是個具激勵的動力，使人以純正規的方法欣賞

藝術，或產生興趣，繼而令觀眾進一步理解這個本地文化。無論如何，藝術品總會產生

(註三)

Birnbaum, Daniel: wThe Landw, \r\ Artforum, Summer 2005, p. 346.

不同的意義，被每個觀眾以不同的方式詮釋，每人都會加進自己的文化背景。這樣看來，混雜化的舉動又似乎與另一個 Deleuze 概念非常接近：根莖。根莖的生長是無領土化最

完美的例子，它是無中心的分枝。 Gutierrez 及 Portefaix有關一個城市隨著地? 系統而發展的意念也可被視為是出自同一概念；它正好說明了文化身份無領土化的意思：一個既能完全地代表一個地方同時又能輸出至其他地方的概念。這種物件或情況的無領土

化可以移用到其他背景，同時產生其他類型的詮釋及意義。「本地特徵」的散播至其他

領域可能是全球化的唯一可行方案：眾多本地文化無領土化成為不斷增長的邊緣，而並

非把一切同化，成為一個龐然大物的中心。

O 韋

空

frank@arts.cuhk.edu.hk

韋一空現為中文大學藝術系助理教授. 主要研究+八世紀迄今的中國畫理論史，及全球語境中各方面的中國當代藝術。他同時是活躍藝術家，曾在港舉辦多個個展，亦多次參與本地及國際性的聯展。

0 5

Deterritorialization the Arbitrariness of Cultural Identity Frank Vigneron There is today so much talk about a Hong Kong cultural identity - usually involving

terms like "hybridity”ÿ "floating", "diasporic" , and so on

that it has become

increasingly necessary to come up with theoretical frameworks that would allow for more innovative ways to understand that phenomenon. The publication of the series HK Lab in particular (initiated and edited by the architects Laurent Gutierrez and Valerie Portefaix), and the use its authors have made of fascinating concepts in sometimes

fairly anarchic ways, have led me to come up with my own theoretical game: it consists in playing with concepts invented by other people, and twisting them into new

combinations that would facilitate understanding, living and working in a place like

Hong Kong. May I therefore be forgiven for creating "designer concepts", through appropriation and bastardization, as other people are creating "designer drugs". Just like the use of these recreational drugs, the goal of that exercise is more about entertainment than it is about high-brow philosophy or sociology. But unlike the use of these illegal

drugs, I am not violating any anti-plagiarism rule since I believe playing a game of

appropriation with these concepts is still a creative act. To talk about and represent this entity called "Hong Kong cultural identity", I will use visual aids that might seem rather limiting, they are only here to allow that play with

concepts and have no pretence of being scientific in any way. Local cultures are constructs of a multitude of elements converging into something that can, over time and from a certain distance, be seen as a coherent whole. It is in fact impossible to make a list of all the elements entering into what can be called a cultural identity. It is

formed of real objects, concepts, real and virtual spaces, bodily habits, language,

literary and artistic traditions and a constant flow of exchanges between the human and animal actors of any given territory(/Vÿfe7人 The idea that any given representation of

a cultural identity can be achieved in any clear form is

naive,

but I will assume for the

duration of that presentation that it can be done. This coherent whole is therefore a

mirage, but a useful one as it will help us understand the mechanisms of its making. (Nore 1)

The term 'territory' also should be more clearly defined, but in the case of Hong Kong, history has

rendered that task easier than in other places: 'territory' is here the limits imposed by the former British colony.

In fact, as we will see, considering cultural identity as a smooth object becomes like "second nature” for its actors (as any cultural identity can only exist within and between the actors of any given real space). Similarly, the fact that we can reduce such a

complex object into a single expression like "Hong Kong cultural identity" is enough proof that one can see it as a single object. To explain that idea, I would like to briefly introduce one of the main concepts of the work of Pierre Bourdieu. The construction of a cultural identity becomes so deeply integrated into the

consciousness of the actors of a local culture that they are not aware of the

arbitrariness of its constitution. It becomes what Pierre Bourdieu has called "HABITUS".

Pierre Bourdieu, who was until his death in 2002 a professor of sociology at the College de France, is widely regarded as cme of the greatest sociologists of the twentieth

century. Inspired by the works of Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, and following the wave of what has been called post-structuralism, Bourdieu has developed a theory of social and cultural reproduction which is an attempt to find how individual freedom can function within constantly evolving social structures. Bourdieu believed that individual

freedom, paradoxically, can only exist within certain constraints, and his concept of "habitus" is essential to understand how social limitations can still generate a certain

kind of free will. The Latin, habitus, means condition (of the body); character, quality: style of dress, attire, disposition, state of feeling; habit. Bourdieu’s concept of human

habitus matches somewhat the original Latin meaning, it refers to socially acquired, embodied systems of dispositions and predispositions.

Inspired by structuralism and by Noam Chomsky’s generative grammar (for whom we are all genetically conditioned for language, which can explain why very small children are already capable of using it}, habitus is a "structuring structure" for Bourdieu. The actions and behaviors of habitus are not produced mechanically, but rather by historical and social conditions. It generates behaviors adapted to a given social field, and

Bourdieu always insisted on the embodied nature of habitus which is inscribed on the bodies,

gestures, postures and certain aspects of social conditioning. These

conditionings therefore appear as "natural” to the social agents, because they can only

grasp them through their habitus. I suppose a common way to refer to habitus in everyday language would be to call it "second natureÿi.e. the type of behavior we often

engage in without thinking of it as conditioned by external factors, even though Bourdieu insists that habitus always appear to us as entirely natural. A perfect example of habitus would be how women have been presented in many societies around the world: the idea that women are by nature the "weaker sex” is still thought about as

defined by nature and not by culture (the same could be said about sexual behavior in

general: there are certain expectations on how women and men should behave that are

seen as entirely natural, whereas these behaviors are as much conditioned by historical and social conditions as they are by any type of genetical conditioning). In the traditional dichotomy nature/culture, sociologists like Bourdieu thinks there is more culture than we like to believe in our behaviors.

To come back to the theme of cultural identity, there are many elements of a culture that end up becoming a certain type of habitus, what I would like to call "young habitus” because it was formed very quickly when we compare it to the way habitus is

usually constituted, generally over several generations. As I have said, we can reduce such a complex object into a single expression like "Hong Kong cultural identity" (which

is also the reason why I am representing it in the form of a single smooth object), and I would like to borrow a concept created by two major writers of the twentieth century,

Gilles Deleuze and Pierre Guattari (as unfair as it may seem, I will only call this concept

Deleuzian from now

on>. "HABITUS" always acts the

part of a smooth object: in reality,

it is made up of a large number of things (language, objects, places, etc.>, but, when the

constituting elements are numerous enough, the whole does not look like a construct any longer. It becomes something I would like to compare to what Deleuze has called a "Body without Organs" or "BwO". First, I would like to introduce the BwO as it appears in the work of Deleuze. His work

was

constantly

under

development

and

provisional,

making

the

following

oversimplication of his concepts necessary. However, Deleuze managed to make that incompleteness work in his favor since he presents the BwO as an unreachable limit. He

represents the world as made up of fluxes of desire, these fluxes being not only water, air, magma, blood, paint, electricity, not only grass, earth, sun, but also ideas, people, culture, books, conversations, etc. Because they are constantly flowing, they are

shaped by cutting off, restricting or drawing off other fluxes. In fact, the world we live in is shaped by these interruptions and ruptures among fluxes of desire. Without them there would be no reliable structure and, therefore, no world at all. However, fluxes of

desire do not want to be cut-off or restricted and they also strive to reach a state of

perfect balance between themselves, a state of balance that is ultimately impossible to reach. This impossible state of perfect balance between fluxes is what Deleuze calls the

BwO. BwO is therefore an entirely abstract concept that can only be conceived in one’s

imagination; this state of balance is also a state of immobility and Deleuze sometimes presents it as dead and non-productive.

Any representation of a cultural identity has to be made at a certain moment, just like a photo can represent someone jumping as perfectly static. But that type of

representation is necessarily limiting and is, somehow, always the picture of a corpse. This is why I would like to introduce this "designer concept" of a "cultural BwO", a kind of snapshot of a cultural identity represented as a smooth object within which all the

fluxes of desire have come to a standstill. A "cultural BwO" would be something many societies have tried to produce: the image of a state of completeness that has integrated

into a coherent whole all its foundational elements (language, place, things, etc.}, but this state of completeness is always delayed and forever unreachable. To continue the

appropriation of Deleuzian concepts, these elements (language, place, things, etc.> can also be compared to his idea of "desiring machines", each one of them being made up of

one flux and an interruption of that flux, something he represents as a mechanical device, like a trap or a switch. These "desiring machines" are always being hanged on a BwO in the hope that they will eventually become part of it and enter the eternal

process of cutting-off and interruptions. They can be extremely complicated processes of communication or social integration, but they can also be the simplest of objects, as we will see shortly. The local cultural actors of any given cultural identity are always hanging stuff/desiring machines on their "cultural BwO". But since the types of "desiring machines" are made

up of such a vast numbers of details and being put together by such a vast number of people, it is nearly impossible to know what shape cultural identity will take in the future. Trying to foresee that future with the already-existing elements of a given culture is a problem faced everyday by designers, advertisers and trend-setters. It is a job

relying as much on scientific data as personal intuition because the way "desiring machines" are being hung on the "cultural BwO" is almost always entirely subjective. Let us take an example. When a seemingly foreign element, a "desiring machine", like

the Hong Kong style /a/c/7a 奶茶， is hanged on the "cultural BwO", it can be seen for a while as an artificial addition. It only seems to be so because it has not had the time to become "HABITUS”. This is where the notion of "young habitus" might be helpful (let

me remind you that this is an idea high jacked by the author of this paper, it is nowhere to be found in Pierre Bourdieu’s work and is what I like to call a "designer concept’’}, because laicha

Hong Kong style black tea with condensed milk

hardly qualifies as

habitus and is a fairly recent idea. The subjectivity of that type of cultural choice and the youth of that habitus do not take away the reality of that element. <

c X

0 9

Even more recent additions, like the "redwhiteblue" of Stanley Wong, will add to the

sensation of artificiality only because it has not had the time to become inegrated into

something looking like a "BwO". Stanley Wong’s "redwhiteblue" (the name he gave to the ubiquitous synthetic fabric used in Hong Kong for construction, protection and

transportation} might seem a gratuitous choice, and it is not only found in Hong Kong, but that choice is still justified because he did not stop short at identifying the fabric as

something belonging exclusively to Hong Kong. He makes it clear from the start that the "HongKongness" he saw in the "redwhiteblue" fabric was a construct of many different elements (the bags carried around in and out of the territory, the suit worn by Sam Hui

during a concert, the awnings protecting the clients of booths and daipaaidong, etc.). And it is the interaction, cutting-off and interruptions of all these elements, all these

"desiring machines", that came together briefly into the coherent picture he presented in the exhibition he curated at the Heritage Museum in Hong Kong.

After some time, one added element will become part of the BwO as a new aspect of HABITUS; while the newest element will still feel like foreign bodies grafted by force on the BwO. Whether any of these elements can actually become part of the cultural BwO

is extremely hard to establish as the BwO is constantly receiving and rejecting new elements. It is extremely difficult to know what can be or cannot be grafted on the

cultural BwO, but it is possible (sometimes with a great deal of luck) to find a suitable candidate for a next graft (and I personally believe that "redwhiteblue” has already fulfilled the requirements to become part of the Hong Kong HABITUS). But, in the end,

it is impossible to make an accurate portrait of any "cultural BwO" as new elements get

added and dumped all the time. These elements, or "desiring machines", are so

numerous and so varied that they are impossible to put together following any type of organized systems. Traditional rules of construction therefore do not apply and I will borrow (this time basically unchanged) another concept from the father of structuralism, the ethnologist Claude L6vi-Strauss.

In The Savage Mind (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1968), Levi-Strauss

compares "mythical thinking” (the kind of thinking that is produced by the so-called "primitive" societies he studied in South America} with a certain kind of art he calls

"bricolage" (a French word that means "do-it-yourself", and has undertones of being made without a preconceived idea and without good technical knowledge). For Levi-Strauss, the "bricoleur" works with signs, and like an engineer, is always looking for messages. The "bricoleur", however, collects messages that have been transmitted

in advance (like using the leg of an old table to make a new one). Mythical thinking is a kind of intellectual "bricolage”ÿit creates myths and customs out of a large variety of

objects and concepts. Similarly, the "bricoleur" artists work with anything they have at their disposal and can thus obtain unexpected and brilliant results. Levi-Strauss

mentions Art Brut and Naive Art, but it would not be far-fetched to add the work of

artists like Kurt Schwitters, Robert Rauschenberg and Thomas Hirschorhn. Levi-Strauss always considered myths to be aesthetic objects, and this notion of

"bricolage" endows a certain type of art production with the status of myth. Since the idea of construct is central to the way myths are being shaped, it is not far-fetched to look at the building of many art objects as similar to the structure of myth. If a painting does not really fit that definition of artwork-as-myth, it is quite obvious that the art

production called rather vaguely "installation" fits perfectly this notion of "bricolage”. All the same, L6vi-Strauss does not believe that these artworks are myths (and the fact that one cannot multiply myths as easily as artworks would prove that point without any

difficulty) since he saw them as functioning in two different ways: if the artwork starts with objects and events to end up being a structure; the myth starts with a structure to

discover objects and events.

"Bricolage" can therefore be found in the way many artists work and one does not have to look too long among the artists of Hong Kong to see that many of them have taken it

up for their art making. The "grand daddy” of bricolage in Hong Kong would be Ha Bik-chuen who has been rampaging in the streets for many years in order to put together his amazing objects. Chan Yuk Keung also has been looking at "bricolage" for a long

time (even though his recent participation in the Venice Biennale has made him turn to

more planned ways of art making), and his participation to Stanley Wong's "Building hong kong redwhiteblue" exhibition came with the following statement: "I am not greatly preoccupied by themes, as they will emerge naturally as the works of art are completed. In contrast, I am more interested in the 'method of construction’ÿby working

out a construction method. I can always produce something, and the inspiration that is induced can be infinite. ( 我對主題並沒有太大的興趣，反正主題往往出現於作品完成之後；反之, 我對構成方法」有興趣

透過它無論如何都可做出一些甚麼來而且它不斷牽引靈感 . . .).

But the city of Hong Kong as architectural real space is full of the idea of "bricolage", as this photo 什 om HK "LAB 2" shows; and even though "bricolage" is present in every city,

it has taken on epic proportion in Hong Kong and has led artists and curators like Hou

Hanru to create the notion of "post-planning" (because urban planning seems to be lacking entirely in urban spaces like Hong Kong or Guangzhou), a theme that he

(Note2)

NERVE. Works of Chan Yuk Keung, p. 88

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% f:::齡

陳育強，《簷蓬下看書》，混合媒介，

1993-1994年。 Chan Yuk Keung, Reading a Book

Under the Eaves, Mixed media ' 1993-1994.

developed in his curatorial work at the "Guangzhou Triennial" this year (2005). To conclude on the idea of "cultural BwO”ÿ it is important to remind the audience how

impossible it is to capture even the appearance of any given cultural identity at any

given moment. Any representation of a cultural identity can be, at best, only a blurred and moving portrait because its subject is constantly changing. But it is also important

to remind everyone that it is an activity we constantly engage in, and designers are

particularly prone to do so as they have to picture in their mind what their clients and customers desire. It is like asking the exact time, it is an impossible task since time

never stands still, but everyone does it all the time. I believe the most important problem raised by the very complex problems created by these constant shifts is how to present a cultural product (artwork, book, but also watches or advertisings) that would fulfill the requirements of the actors of a local

culture while also being a satisfying product in an increasingly globalized marketplace. It

is obviously a critical issue for designers around the world, but it is also a problem faced

by many artists of the periphery (Hong Kong being obviously one, while Beijing would increasingly be a center of "mainstream" productions} who are trying to play a significant role in an art market still dominated by European and American collectors. The answer might be a type of "positive exoticism", an idea once again based on a Deleuzian concept: "Deterritorialization" which Deleuze usually defines as positive but with all sorts of precautions. In reality, "Deterritorialization" is a neutral concept; it can be both positive and negative as in what could be called "negative exoticism".

Deleuze established that one the most fundamental acts of any living being, and

particularly of human beings, is to create territories where they can withdraw from the turbulent "fluxes of desire” to find a kind of balance. However, and we must remember

that Deleuze saw the constant process of cutting-in and interrupting as fundamental to the creation of a world, "territorialization" is eventually a dead-end and unavoidably

leads to immobility and death. To put it very simply, "deterritorializationw, the act of

breaking down the boundaries of "territoriality" and moving out of any given sphere, is therefore the only possibility for the world to remain a dynamic system, generating renewed fluxes of desire. "Deterritorialization" seems today the general rule of this

late-capitalist phase of globalization, and, just like the interaction of fluxes of desire, that process has generated both good and bad results in equal measure. One of the most notorious bad results of the first disastrous attempts at physical deterritorialization, namely 19th century Western colonialism, has produced the

Orientalist style, a type of art and design which tried to bring into the markets of Europe and North America the stereotyped decorations and motives of other countries,

especially in Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, there are still artists practicing that type of

negative exoticism, as a French artist I have met a couple of years ago who made paintings about Hong Kong using meaningless cliches. At the other end of the spectrum of exoticism, there is something we might call "positive exoticism". Picasso would be an obvious illustration of that tendency, even though he did not show any interest for the

African cultures that produced the artifacts he used for inspiration. These African elements appearing in the work of a modernist Spanish artists living in France were an

interesting effort in the right direction, but it fell short of a true deterritorialization because Picasso was still working and creating in the context of a European and

American art market. The idea of a cultural center was still at the time an entirely

unchallenged situation and it was impossible for Picasso to think otherwise. Today’s situation is changing rapidly and the idea of deterritorialization has to take on shapes that have never been attempted before.

A very impressive, and very poetic, take on deterritorialization, was given by the artist

Rirkrit Tiravanija in the magazine Artforum. In "The Lay of the Land

- An

Experiment in

Art and Community in Thailand”ÿan article on a nearly-impossible to define art project initiated by this internationally famous artist, Daniel Birnbaum reported an opinion that makes complete sense when one sees the art world from a place like the Pearl River Delta. "Asked if his nomadic way of life should be seen as an attempt to create many centers, he replied that, on the contrary, he’s much more interested in the multiplication

of peripheries. 'Because then you will understand/ the artist offered gnomically, 'that the center lies on the outs\6e.,n(Note3)

But this may still be wishful thinking for the

majority of artists who are still relying on the Euro-American art market to make a living. The question then becomes: How can artists and designers concerned with the creation of cultural products aimed for consumption in local markets like Hong Kong make any kind of impact in a globalized economy?

(Note3) Birnbaum, Daniel: wThe Land", in Artforum, Summer 2005, p. 346.

fD X

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Let us take the example of a rather famous work by Leung Chi Wo (Untitled, after "Dream of a Path", 1996, set of five, oil on paper, each 244 x 60 cm, collection of the

Hong Kong Museum of Art). However beautiful this work is visually, one would have to understand the content of the Chinese text, the implications of the act of inscribing on

stone in classical Chinese culture as well as the unique food culture of Hong Kong itself to understand the many layers of meaning this piece actually has. The answer probably lies in the numerous acts of "hybridization" conducted by numerous artists working and

creating in all the peripheries emerging as new "centers" all around the world. Examples abound, from the Chicanos artists living on both sides of the USA-Mexico border, to the

Philippine) or Vietnamese artists working in Asia and around the world. In fact, the art

press printed in Europe and America is also increasingly interested in these artworks and articles on these artists are now a legitimate part of their reporting. Even though the

specific cultural content of these artworks cannot possibly be grasped by the actors of

other cultures, this process of hybridization can still be interesting to anyone thanks to

an attitude we might call "positive exoticism”. In the case of artworks produced in Hong Kong and taking as their subject matter the

local culture, what will be obvious to a local participant will be shrouded in mystery to

an outsider. But mystery itself can be a stimulating incentive to either appreciate the artwork on a purely formal basis or to spark an interest that will lead the viewer to learn

more about this local culture. In any case, the artwork will generate different types of

meaning that will be interpreted differently by each viewer; each one of them will actually bring his/her own cultural background to the mix. In that sense, the process of hybridization acts very much like yet another Deleuzian concept: the rhizome. Perfect figure of deterritorialization, the growth of the rhizome is ramification without a center. Gutierrez and Portefaix’s ideas of a city developing alongside its MTR system can also be seen in the light of that concept; it illustrates perfectly what is meant by deterritorialization in the realm of cultural identity: a concept is seen as both

representing perfectly one territory, but it is at the same time presented as being exportable as it is. This deterritorialization of an object or a situation would be adaptable to other contexts, producing at the same time other types of interpretations and

meanings. The dissemination of "local characteristics" to other territories might be the only viable solution for globalization: instead of the assimilation of everything into a

monstrous center, the deterritorialization of a multitude of local cultures into

ever-growing peripheries.

o Frank Vignero

frank@arts.cuhk.edu.hk

Frank Vigneron is working as an assistant professor in the Fine Arts Department, CUHK. His research focuses on the history of Chinese painting theory from the 18th century onwards, and on different aspects of contemporary Chinese art seen in a global context. He teaches courses on the history of Western art, Western art theory, the theories of Modernism and Postmodernism, and on

Chinese and Western comparative aesthetics. Frank Vigneron is also a practicing artist; he has held several solo exhibitions in Hong Kong and has taken part in local and international group exhibitions.

策展人常問的問題

「展覽策劃」並不單是找群藝術工作者和展品，擬定一個展覽題目，把作品掛上

牆那麼簡單。策展工作當然包括複雜的行政、管理、策劃等，但同時也是個極具挑戰性的文化分析、演繹和反思過程。策展人不斷在不同的文化價值觀之間爭

持，試圖將自已認為最適合的形式和角度把文化呈現出來。因此，策展人應是個不斷問問題的人，對文化藝術、對展覽的語言、美學價值觀，以至對文化藝術的

建制不斷作反思、回應和挑戰。

展覽：不同價值觀的戰場 1997 年初，我應香港政府的邀請，在英國愛丁堡藝術中心策展一個名為《今日香港》

(Hong Kong Today) 的展覽。這個關於香港高密度生活的建築展覽，由香港政府駐倫敦

辦事處負責籌辦，相信是英國人在香港回歸前在老家舉行的最後一個大型香港展覽。該

辦事處的負責人就是於殖民地年代在香港極具影響力的前政務司霍德爵士

<Sir David

Ford)ÿ由於展覽是由政府主催，在籌備過程當中均有政府官員的參與。我當

時的策展構思，是要展示香港的高密度建築環境，如何影響港人的生活方式和催生了什麼地區文化特色例如在?小公屋內，港人如何創意地設計盡量利用空間的傢俱。同時

也從如何分配使用細小的空間上，觀察港人在文化上的一些偏向和取捨 (例如無論廳有多細，電視必是大得不成比例，而且必定在家中核心位置

在展覽的中央，我決定一模

—樣地重構一個普通香港公屋家庭的室內擺設，作為展覽的核心。

當我向房屋署尋求協助時，他們馬上答應，並推薦把其展覽廳內的示範單位直接搬到英國去。可惜那示範單位擺的，全是乾淨簡約的北歐傢 ?，跟一般香港公屋內那些在梳化椅下也有兩排櫃桶的本地傢愀截然不同。當然，還有那些差不多每個公屋家庭也有的麻

雀檯、神主牌、掛牆的家庭照片、 X0 拔蘭地的展覽( 這點隨近年烈酒不再流行而逐漸消失) 也欠奉。當那些官員知道我要展出他們眼中認為是低俗無品味的地道東西時，他們

十分反感，認為是要在老外面前丟港人的臉，反而北歐傢?才可以表現香港現代化和進步的 _面。當然在我的眼中，那些「低俗雜亂」的居住空間，才最能反映香港文化的靈活

精妙之處。幾經爭持，對方才答應派員工到愛丁堡在展場搭建公屋單位，而屋內的傢

裝飾，則由我來搜集。

由於展覽裝置時間頗長，我安裝了好

_ 部份才送往愛丁堡。當我走進展場看見那示範單

位時，我怒不可竭，因為有人私下把那些北歐傢俱運到愛丁堡去，在未經我同意下，把有

些人認為是丟香港人顏臉的傢俱裝飾統統換上了北歐傢愀。肯定的是，他們對展出真實的公屋空間十分反感。當然，在我的堅持下，他們只有把原有的公屋傢俱裝飾放回示範單位內。

一切進展順利，開幕那天港督彭定康到臨參加開幕儀式，隨後我帶嘉賓參觀展覽。當我

陪同彭定康步入示範單位時，我幾乎要心藏病發。示範單位的客廳內，坐著一老頭和兩

小孩，三人都穿上顏色鮮豔、在唐人街賣給老外的唐裝異服，原來倫敦辦事處為了給示範單位加添香港色彩，在沒通知我的情況下，特別安排幾個演員，穿上「具地方特色」的衣服，客串扮演家庭成員。相信是計劃給我一個驚喜吧！

很明顯這褢出現對香港居住文化的三種不同演繹。公屋官員要展示的香港，是個現代化

的都會面貌，而這現代化最能從簡約的國際化設計中表達出來。這種思維普遍地出現在

香港的中產階層中，但肯定不能反映出公屋住戶階層生活空間的真實面貌。倫敦辦事處

的唐人街服飾，代表著十九世紀殖民地思維的東方主義獵奇心態，即使是百年之後，仍走不出殖民地官員的遐想。當然遢有一個土生土長的本地策展人對香港公屋居住環境

作為一種獨特文化現象的肯定，當然也隱藏著個人對香港文化的熱愛。三種不同形式的思維，反映出現代多元社會中不同文化，以及在複雜的權力架構內互相交接協商的繁瑣歷程。

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除了籌劃、主辦者的互動關係外，策劃展覽的過程還包括另一重要伙伴，那就是觀眾。問題是，究竟觀眾的對象是誰？《今日香港》是為西方觀眾而籌劃的，究竟應該如何

為這些觀眾投射一個香港的形象？公屋官員認為要展示現代和國際化的一面，才是有面子的正面形象；老殖民地官員神迷的，是那早已脫離現實的奇異東方；還有本地土生一

族，樂於展示已有的現寅狀況，並引以為傲。

「誰是觀眾」是個核心問題。雖然策展人都說他們希望接觸不同類型的公眾，越多越好，

但是始終有些觀眾是比較重要的，可能是贊助商、可能是文化界的元老大哥、社會名流、

政府高官。他們的存在，對展覽的安排，有決定性的影響。

誰作出決定？《今日香港》引起的種種爭議，正反映出展覽的策劃，是個不斷的爭論協商過程。一個展覽往往涉及很多不同的人物和機構，當中夾雜迴異的意識形態：可能是主辦機構的路

向和傳統、政府資助的規限、贊助商或合辦機構的要求，或是機構高層的影響，甚至是

當中個別人士的取捨等等，都可以在不同的層面影響展覽的面貌。當中涉及複雜的權力紛爭角力，雖然局外人未必能輕易察覺，但最後走出來的藝術展覽，其責已是經過重重染色。把藝術館視為純淨地讓藝術工作者表達思維和創意的空間，只是個美麗的誤會。即使不談種種繁複的外在因素，單是藝術機構如何決定甄選展覽，當中的評審過程，已明顯地經過某種觀看態度來過濾。

1988 年當我上任香港藝術中心展覽總監時，第一個要處理的是個上任前已安排好的項

目，名為《藝術化生活》

的《夏季藝術展》

with Art) 的公開展覽。展覽有點像倫敦皇家藝術學院 Art Show), 參展作品都是經評審團甄選後獲展出。作為一

個藝術工作者，後來變成策展人，我心底常有個問題：什麼人有權決定那些是藝術，那

些不是藝術？為什麼某些藝術被容許踏進藝術館的門檻，某些藝術卻會被視為低俗粗鄙而被拒？我們可否放下優劣、精緻或粗俗的分野，改從較接近人類學、社會學的角度

來看藝術，例如較全面的視藝術為一種普遍存在的社會活動現象。最後我成功說服策

展委員會，取消評審制度，展覽寅行來者不拒的政策，希望展示的，不是誰優誰劣，而是

以包容的態度展示我們社會中不同類型的表?形式和美學觀。

作為新上任的策展人，我的首個展覽便質疑策展的本質，有點近乎自我否定。因為我一直都是認同人類學那種從較為遼闊角度來看創意、把創作視為人類自然的活動，用以滿足不同的文化和實際的社會需要。對這放棄了精英甄選制度的策展態度反應最強烈

的，反而是本身強調以不停質疑所有東西為使命的當代藝術界，可能因為這展賢不單挑

戰了他們慣常的藝術定義，更威脅了他們那近乎神話式的優越地位。

要策展人來幹什麼？但是，如果放棄了評審，那麼只要找個行政組織專才每次收集和擺設作品便行，要策展

人來幹什麼？如果每次都是什麼都展出的展覽，展上幾次之後，還有人來看嗎？寅際上我們的社會需要演繹、要求體驗不同的視角。問題是，在重視個人的多元化社會 .策展人為何要為擁有自已的價值觀而感到歉意？藝術中心聘請我，正就是因為他們認同而且

喜歡我的觀點。

籌劃《藝術化生活》背後的感覺是複雜和充滿矛盾的，部份是來自權力的內咎感，因為藝術機構，始終對一個地方的文化藝術，包括對文化藝術的定義，有一定的影響力。

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現寅是，即使策展人努力不干預展覽的內容，也沒有客觀地全然展示藝術工作者原有創

作意念的展覽。當藝術品離開創作者的工作室後，是要經過複雜的社會過程，中間不斷被各種意識形態所影響和左右，而策展人要算是其中最具干預力的人之一。無論是展覽

擺設、宣傳品設計，均可直接影響觀眾對展品的看法，更遑論策展人對展品在理念上的演繹。即使是最真誠地希望盡量表現創作者的原意，任何展覽中，策展人的指印仍到處可見，演繹是無可避免。以為有客觀的策展只是個美麗誤會。問題是誰有這演繹的權

力？這最後又走到權力架構，和在這權力架構之下產生什麼的藝術價值觀這問題。

或許最重要的，不是逃避演繹這怎樣也逃避不了的東西，而是承認它的存在，不停對它

質疑、反思和批判。更重要的，是要確認和面對演繹時個人在視野上的種種局限。對策展人來說，這無疑是個專業上的大挑戰。如果演繹是無可避免的，我們便有義務去爭取

我們的社會，有多元發展、包容不同演繹角度的機制，而不是由一兩個機構獨大。

誰為藝術下定義？初入行時，我不時思索藝術機構在權力架構建制內的角色，以及它所使用的一套語言

背後所隱藏的意識形態。較特別的是，當時我工作的地方香港藝術中心，是香港唯一沒有政府資助但較具規模的獨立機構，它能給我質疑、挑戰甚至作反的空間也較大。

在《藝術化生活》展覽之後，跟著的另一個主要的本地展覽，是在1989 年和祈大偉博士。展覽仍沿著《藝術化生活》的民本 (Dr. David Clarke) 合作策劃的《找尋藝術》

路向，試圖質疑藝術的?隘定義。

《找尋藝術》展覽建基於一個理念，就是每個人的家都是個私人博物館。展覽邀請公眾把已沒有什麼具體功能，但仍然在家中明顯地擺設的物件借出來參展。很明顯這些「擺設物」，除留作觀賞外別無他用，究竟人們為何保留這些「觀賞物 J ? 參加者借出展品時，

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需要寫一段簡單文字，解釋這些東西對他們來說有何特別意義？為避免參展者都是那些

慣常到藝術館的中產觀眾，展 II 積極邀請較為與藝術機構絕緣的觀眾如低收入階層、長者、盲人等，目的就是希望得到一個較全面的社會圖象。

公眾對《找尋藝術》的反應相當熱烈，參展作品逾

_ 百件，展覽場地充滿了古靈精怪的

個人物品。有趣的是，從展覽發現，人們喜歡一件藝術品，不是因為它的藝術風格、視覺

語言、藝術史上的特別意義，而是因為那些「藝術品」與個人的親密關係：婆婆臨死前送

的梳子、男友細心編織的紙鳳梨、聖誕節派對抽獎贏取的玩具

以展覽的標題 (caption) 為例，為什麼畫的旁邊要放上標題？十八世紀歐洲貴族的私人畫廊不會放上標題，因為要看標題才可知道是什麼作品的人，根本就不配欣賞藝術。標題是藝術普及化 (或民主化) 的產品。上世紀八十年代英國泰德畫廊 (Tate Gallery)曾為應否

在展品旁加上詳盡解說的標題引發爭議，更令人想起這個小小的標題傳統，背後隱藏多少的複雜意念？例如究竟藝術館應否更普及化，把藝術向公眾解釋？但太多的演繹又是否扼殺了觀眾自行演繹的空間？究竟演繹還是不演繹，如果演繹又要去得有多遠？

還有就是標題的格式。為什麼標題上一定要有藝術工作者的名稱、作品的名稱 ( 即使是

原來沒有名稱的也要作一個）、年份等？這種標題的內容是否也反映出某種價值觀，例如對創作者的重視、要為作品點題解說、要把藝術放在一個歷史發展的時間歷程中。又

為什麼這些都是在展出藝術品時必須提點的東西？

1995 年，我應祈大偉的邀請，以藝術工作者兼藝評人的雙重身份，在香港大學馮平山藝

術館（現為香港大學美術博物館的古物部策劃裝置展覽。這名為《參與傳統：侵犯》 (Engaging Tradition: Violation) 的展覽，目的是質疑傳統的展覽形式。展覽其中一部

份，我更換了一些展品的標題，把「作者、題目、年份」的格式，換上「這是館長太太最喜

歡的東西，所以放在這裡」，或是「捐贈這批藏品的人堅持這不大好看的東西也要一同

展出」、或是「價值 $5, 000, 000」等。事實上有時候一件藝術品得以展出，和它的藝術價值、作者、年份，都拉不上什麼關係，反而是在那些好像很中性的標題後面，往往有其他的影響力令某些藝術品得以展出。

藝術館的權威從那裡來？在裝置《參與傳統：侵犯》展覽時，感覺是有點不舒服的。因為作為一個專業策展人，在人家典雅的古物展覽廳攪三弄四，好像真的侵犯了人家的專業，也冒犯了藝術館 (特別是

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色彩深沉的古物館) 的尊貴空間。藝術館給人家高高在上的權威感覺，是不爭的事實，它

內裏的擺設，同時也散發著權威的說服力。1997 年我策劃了一個名為《九七三世書：歷

史、社群、個人》

Hong Kong Incarnated: History, Community and Individual)

的展覽、展覽分成歷史、社群、個人三部份，當中的歷史部份，是個虛擬的香港遠古歷史

博物館我們根據一個本地傳說中的半人半魚動物「盧亭」，由一群學.者文化人共同塑造了一個虛假的本地遠古史。展覽的策展理念頗複雜，它不單討論文化身份的構成與締造、質疑歷史的真實性和界定演繹歷史的權力、探討比喻 (metaphor) 作為歷史的可能性

之外，還把玩藝術館的虛假權威。

盧亭像，一《香港三世書一九七博物館：歷史、社群、個人》，展覽， 1997 年。

Image of Lu Ting, wHong Kong Incarnated

Museum

97:

History, i,

Community,

1997

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展覽首先由策展小組以那相傳曾經聚居於大嶼山的「盧亭」為起點，虛擬本地的神話，但

故事也不是全然虛構，很多時候是以比喻的形式來勾劃本土的文化特色，例如盧亭那非人非獸，介乎水陸之間的在?蓬間存在，正好是香港的一個活寫照。擬訂歷史大綱

後，一群藝術工作者便根據故事製造假古物，佯裝香港的遠古?物。展場的設計，亦努力模仿傳統歷史博物館的模式，例如展覽箱是深啡色木箱，目的是要製造博物館的權威

感，令即使製作得極欠說服力的「古物」，也因為博物館的環境，變得有幾分的真實感。

不過這個「盧亭」展覽吊詭的地方，是它也不希望完全成功地說謊，如果觀眾離開時完全不相信展覽所說的，展覽當然是失敗了。但如果觀眾完全相信展覽內容，展覽也同樣地

失敗。只有當觀眾處於迷茫狀態，是非真假已無從分辨，當觀眾能體會那似真若假的歷

史荒謬感時，展覽才算成功。

策展人經常處理的那套傳統展覽模式，無論是標題還是展覽箱，都有值得反思和質詢的

空間，甚或把它們轉變成為新的表現形式的可能性。如果藝術工作者是不停地質疑的創

作人，那麼策展人亦同樣要不斷以批判的態度去思考展覽的本質和新的可能性。

展覽策劃不可能沒有主觀演繹的元素，但好的展覽策劃，往往在不經不覺的情況下，為

展品帶入另一層次的意義。在展出藝術工作者的創作時，策展人可突顯作品的特色，甚至引領觀眾從某特定的角度去觀賞那些展品。但展覽策劃人也不是完全自由獨立地去演

繹的個體，權力架構、機構的性質 (政府、民間、商業、非牟利）、展覽語言的傳統，均影

響展覽最後走出來的面貌。策劃展覽是個複雜的爭議協商過程。策展人需要明白和肯定展覽策劃的局限，才能不斷的反思、挑戰各種傳統和規範，擴闊策展的範疇和視野。因

為展覽策劃，和藝術創作一樣，是個不斷思索質疑的過程，當中也集合了創意和技巧，以及對傳統的承傳和反思，只不過它的運作，是由藝術工作者那頗親密的私人空間，發展

到另外一個較 ?的社會層面。正因為策展人是藝術品與公眾之間的重要中介，她 / 他有需要就自己的角色和使用的語言，不斷的提問。

什麼是有意義的藝術？另一方面，策展人也不單只反思自己的工作，而是對藝術、社會不停的思考回應。什麼是

好的藝術、壞的藝術，不是我關心的題目。我最感興趣的，是「什麼是有意義的藝術？ J 那就是說，在某

個時刻、某一種社會文化狀況下，什麼藝術最能呼應、反映、挑戰、豐

富當前的文化及其他方面的情況和需要。追求這個「有意義的藝術」，把藝術放在一個很實在的處境而不是大堆抽象的理念中。相信有些人不會認同我的看法，但這也無所

謂，反正是多元社會。

在這理念下，策展工作和社會文化情況便要緊密相扣。在九七回歸前，我每年策劃最少

兩個突顯本土文化的「香港文化系列展 j 。在回歸過渡期前面對快將來臨的強勢文化，香港人心怯弱，對本土文化的了解和認同，有逼切的社會和文化需要。但在九十年代

後期，本土文化意識日益強盛轉而變成心胸? 隘時，我舉辦一個較特別的香港文化系列展覽，名為《強勢以外》

Minority) ，展出的都是菲律賓、印度裔等非華裔香港

人，目的是提醒香港人我們的多元多種族文化，以及那國際化和包容的特色。

策展人是要服務大眾嗎？但呼應社會，也不等於不加思索地滿足觀眾的訴求，有時候反而是挑戰公眾的思維，希

望引發對文化、社會現象的反思。例如在九十年代初期，大批越南難民滯留香港，對香港形成巨大財政和社會歷力。過了一段日子，港人累積的怨憤日重，要求把越南難民送走的群情變得洶湧。在集體仇視越南難民的環境下，我們策劃了《靜止生命》

Lives) 展

覽，展出難民在營中畫的畫，向香港人展示難民營中無了期地被監禁的成人和小孩的感

受，希望港人能更人性化地對待他們。換句話說，策展也可以是一種社會運動。每份工

作都有它的特色和不同的影響力，而每個人都盡量利用其工作的獨特條件，爭取一個更合理和公義的社會，這和策展人的身份沒什麼特別的關係，而是每個負責任的市民應有的義務。

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和藝術創作一樣，展覽策劃也是個不停挑戰傳統價值的創意過程，只不過它是在和藝術

不同的層面上工作而已。展覽的語言、傳統、社會功能，以至所展出作品所顯現的思維和價值觀，都有必要不斷的重新評估。策展人需要不停地追問問題，有時候是呼應社區

文化需要，有時候是挑戰社群或美學價值觀。策展人是置身藝術品、藝術館、觀眾和社

會之間的「問題人物」，透過不斷的提問，策展人同時扮演了中介者、演繹者和挑戰者的角色。

(本文之中文版本原為2005年台北當代藝術館舉辦的「策展人國際研討會」演講講稿，經作者修輯。）

? 何慶基何慶基為前藝術中心展覽總監、上海當代藝術館創館館長，國際藝評人協會香港分會創辦人及現任主席，現為

獨立策展人。

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Translator: Amy Chin

A Curator’s Frequently

Asked Questions

* Oscar Ho Curatorship is not simply about looking for a group of artists and exhibits, setting a title for an exhibition and putting up works on the walls. Curatorial work certainly involves complicated administrative, managerial and planning work, but at the same time it is also a challenging process of cultural analysis,

interpretation and reflection. A curator constantly struggles among different cultural values, trying to present culture in what s/he thinks the most appropriate form and perspective. Therefore, a curator should be an enquiring person, constantly reflecting on, responding to and challenging culture, art, the

exhibition language, aesthetics and even institutions of art and culture.

Exhibition: A Battlefield for Different Values In early 1997, I was invited by the Hong Kong government to curate an exhibition titled "Hong Kong Today" in Edinburgh City Art Centre, United Kingdom. This architecture exhibition about population density in Hong Kong was organised by the Hong Kong

Economic and Trade Office in London, which was believed to be the last exhibition on a large scale about Hong Kong organized by the British in the United Kingdom before the sovereignty of Hong Kong was returned to China. The Director-General of the London

Office was former Chief Secretary Sir David Ford, who was influential in Hong Kong during the colonial days. Since the exhibition was initiated by the government, officials

were involved throughout the preparation process. My initial idea then was to show how the densely populated architectural space affected peoples' lives and shaped the local

culture. An example was how Hong Kong people creatively designed furniture that could maximize their limited space in their tiny public housing flats. Also, from the way they utilized their limited space, one could see certain cultural tendencies and preferences (for example, despite the little space of the living room, the television was always

disproportionately large and placed at the central spot in the household). I decided to reconstruct at the centre of the hall the interior of a generic Hong Kong public housing

flat as the focus of the exhibition. When I approached the Housing Authority for assistance, they agreed at once and recommended to ship directly to Britain the show flat to be exhibited in the hall. Unfortunately, the show flat contained nothing but all minimal northern European

furniture, completely different from the furniture in Hong Kong public housing where

there were two rows of drawers under the sofa. Of course, items that could be found in almost every public housing household — a mah-jong table, ancestral shrine, family

photos on the walls and brandy bottles (this item was rarely seen as hard liquor had

become less popular in recent years)— were all missing. The officials were offended when they learnt that I was going to exhibit what they regarded as tacky local things. They believed that would be a disgrace to Hong Kong people in front of foreigners.

Northern European furniture, on the other hand, was able to reflect the modernization

and advancement of Hong Kong. In my eyes, surely, the "tacky and messy" living space could best reflect the flexibility and wit of Hong Kong culture. After considerable debate, the Housing Authority finally agreed to send personnel to Edinburgh to construct a public housing flat, while I would collect the furniture and decoration.

Since it took quite a while to assemble the exhibits, I had installed parts of them before sending them to Edinburgh. When I entered the exhibition hall and saw the show flat, I was furious because the northern European furniture had been sent to Edinburgh.

Without my consent, someone had replaced the "shameful" Hong Kong style furniture and decoration with northern European furniture. What is certain is that they were completely disgusted by the idea of exhibiting the real public housing space. Upon my

insistence, nevertheless, they had no choice but to put back the original public housing

decoration into the show flat. Everything went smoothly. On the day of the opening, Governor Chris Patten

participated in the opening ceremony. After that I led the guests through the exhibition.

When I escorted Chris Patten to the show flat, I felt as if I had a heart attack. In the

living room of the show flat sat an old man and two children dressed in colourful

Chinese costumes, those sold to foreigners in Chinatown. What happened was, without informing me, the London Office intended to add Hong Kong features to the show flat

by arranging some actors in traditional Chinese costumes to act as family members.

That was probably meant to be a delightful surprise for me, I suppose! Apparently, there were three different interpretations about Hong Kong’s living culture

here. The Housing Authority officials wanted to present a modernised city, which could be best expressed through minimal international designs. Such a mentality was

generally found among Hong Kong’s middle class, but was certainly unable to reflect the true picture of the public housing residents' living space. The Chinatown costumes chosen by the London Office represented the 19th century colonial mentality and oriental fantasies. Even a hundred years later, the British government officials were still

subject to that colonial nostalgia. Of course there was my recognition on public housing estates as a unique Hong Kong phenomenon from a locally brought up curator’s point of

view, which contained strong personal affection for Hong Kong culture. These three

different mentalities revealed different cultures in a diversified society and the complex negotiation processes involved in a complicated bureaucratic structure. Apart from the interaction between the curator and organiser, the audience is another

important partner in exhibition. The question is who the audience are. "Hong Kong Today"

< c X

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was targeted at Western audience; what image of Hong Kong should be projected to

this group of audience? The Housing Authority officials believed presenting the modernised and international side of Hong Kong was right; the colonial officials were

obsessed with the out-dated exotic orient; and there were also the local people who were more than happy and proud to present the reality as it was.

"Who are the audience?” is a core question. Even though exhibition curators all claim that they want to reach different audience groups, the more the better, certain audience are more significant. It may be the sponsor, veterans in the cultural field, celebrities,

and government officials. Their presences are crucial to the arrangement of an exhibition.

Who Makes the Decision? The various controversies caused by "Hong Kong Today" precisely shows that curatorship is a continuous process of debate and negotiation. An exhibition often

involves many people and institutions, containing contrasting ideologies: the direction

and tradition of an organiser, restrictions imposed by government subsidies, demands from sponsors or co-organiser, influence of senior executives of an institution and even trade-off made by individuals. They can all shape an exhibition on different levels. The complicated power struggles involved may not be easily detected by outsiders, but the final exhibition is in fact one that has undergone rounds of furnishing. To consider an art museum as purely a space for artists to present their ideas and innovations is just a

beautiful misunderstanding. The screening procedures alone in which an art institution

decides which exhibition to hold, irrespective of the various complex external factors, show that an exhibition is filtered by a particular way of seeing. When I began to work as the Exhibition Director in 1988 for the Hong Kong Arts Centre, my first assignment was to take over a public exhibition entitled "Living with Art" which

had been planned before I took up the office. The exhibition was rather similar to the

"Summer Art Show” organised by the Royal Academy of Arts in Britain. Exhibits were selected by an adjudication panel before they were exhibited. As an artist and then a curator, ? often have a query: who has the right to decide what art is and what is not?

Why is some art allowed to enter a museum while some are rejected because they are

considered banal and vulgar? Can we discard the categorisation of good/bad and sophisticated/vulgar art, and see art from a more humanistic and sociological

perspective, for example, seeing art as a general social activity? Finally, I managed to convince the curatorial committee to abolish the adjudication procedures and to adopt

an open-door policy with a view to embracing different forms of expression and understanding of aesthetics rather than showing what is good or bad art.

As a new curator, my first exhibition questioned the nature of curatorship. It was almost

like a negation, because I have always been identified with the broader humanistic

perspective, one that sees creativity and creative work as a natural human activity that satisfies different cultural and pragmatic social needs. The group that reacted most strongly to the abolition of an elitist adjudication system, however, turned out to be the art sector, which emphasized the mission of constant questioning on the nature of

everything. Perhaps not only did this exhibition challenge their usual definition of art, it

also threatened their almost mythically prestigious status.

Why Do We Need a Curator? However, if we give up adjudication, we only need to find some administrators to collect

and display the exhibits every time, then why do we need a curator? If every exhibition

is about showing whatever that comes along, will people still come to an exhibition after a few times? The truth is our society needs interpretations and experiences

different perspectives. The question is, in a diversified society where individuality is emphasized, why does a curator feel sorry for having his/her own values? The reason Hong Kong Arts Centre hired me was because they identified with and liked my point of

view. The feelings of curating "Living with Art” was complicated and ambivalent, part of them was guilt derived from power, since an art institution, after all, had certain influence on

defining the art and culture of a place.

In fact, no matter how hard a curator tries NOT to interfere with the content of an exhibition, there is no exhibition that can present artists' original creative ideas in a completely objective way. When a piece of art leaves its creator’s studio, it has to go

through complicated social processes during which it will be influenced and interfered by various ideologies, among which a curator’s interference is most influential. The display of exhibits and the design of publicity material can directly affect the audience's

perception, not to mention a curator's interpretation of the exhibits. Even if the

intention is to present the artist’s work in the most genuine way, a curator’s fingerprints can be detected everywhere in an exhibition. Interpretation is inevitable. The thought

that objective curatorship exists is a beautiful misunderstanding. The question is who has the right to interpretation? At the end of the day, it goes back to power structure and the question of what artistic values will be produced under such a hierarchy. Perhaps the most important thing is not to avoid interpreting the inevitable but to acknowledge its presence, to constantly question, introspect and criticise. More

importantly, it is to acknowledge and face the limitation of one’s perspectives during

interpretation. This is undoubtedly a big professional challenge to curators. If interpretation is inevitable, we have the duty to fight for mechanism that tolerates

different different interpretations and accommodates diversified developments in society, so that the cultural scene is not dominated by one or two institutions.

Who Defines Art? When I was new to the profession, I kept on pondering on the role of art institutions in the power structure and the ideology behind the languages used by them. A rather special situation was that the Hong Kong Arts Centre where I worked was the only local

independent institution of a decent scale that was not government-subvented. It provided me with more room to question, challenge and even rebel. Another major local

exhibition following "Living with Art" was the "In Search of Art" exhibition co-curated

with Di\ David Clarke in 1989. The exhibition followed the populist direction of "Living with Art" and attempted to question the narrow definition of art.

In Search of Art was based on the idea that everyone’s home was a private museum. The exhibition invited the public to exhibit objects that had little practical uses but were displayed at home as decorations. These "decorations" obviously served no function

other than being looked at. Why did people keep these "exhibits"? When participants loaned their exhibits, they had to write a short statement to explain what these objects meant to them. In order to avoid having participants all being the middle class who are

frequent museum-visitors, the exhibition actively invited people who seldom had contacts with art institutions, such as low-income groups, the elderly and the blind,

with a view to achieving a more holistic picture of our society. The public responded enthusiastically to "In Search of Art". There were over 100 pieces of exhibits, filling the exhibition hall with interesting, eccentric personal objects.

Interestingly, as discovered from the exhibition, what people liked about a piece of art

was not attributed to its artistic style, visual language or significance in art history, but

the intimate relationship between the "art work" and the individual: a comb given by the grandmother on her deathbed, a paper pineapple woven with care by one’s boyfriend, a toy won at a Christmas party lucky draw. ..a heart-warming, intimate stories permeated

the exhibition. This also revealed an important blind spot of art criticism.

In the art critiques that one usually reads, one rarely gets to know the private, intimate stories intertwined behind these artworks. Exactly due to the lack of this knowledge,

discussions in turn are reduced to dehumanized formalism or numerous abstract terminologies, leaving readers puzzled. What "In Search of Art” attempted to show was exactly such a blind spot often seen in art perception/critiques. It is also this blind spot

that takes away the most humanistic aspect of art.

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Why Is an Exhibition Presented in This Way? Apart from the perspective of personal interpretation, the traditional language of

exhibition format also has a significant impact on the perception and understanding of art. In the 1960s, the western land art was well aware of the effect of an exhibition hall

on art, and attempted to challenge the traditional exhibition space. Despite artists' constant challenges to this space in the past few decades, the white exhibition hall remains

the dominant exhibition language. The only variation has been additional

promotional decoration. These traditional exhibition languages are the basic tools for curators, yet behind its seemingly neutral and simplistic facade lie a lot of preconceived

ideologies. Take the exhibition caption for example. Why do we put a caption next to a painting? In

the 18th century, there was no caption in European aristocrat’s private galleries because people who had to read the caption in order to know the art did not deserve to appreciate art. Caption is a product of the popularisation (or democratisation) of art. In

the 1980s, there was a dispute over whether Tate Gallery in Britain should provide

detailed captions next to the exhibits. The incident made one wonder just how many complicated ideas are hidden behind the tiny caption tradition. For instance, should art

museums be further popularized, explaining the art to the public? Will too much explanation, however, hinder the audience’s independent interpretation? To interpret or not to interpret? How far should we interpret?

Another issue is the format of the caption. Why does a caption always bear the artist’s name, title of the work (to make up a title even though it may not have one to begin with) and year?

Do such captions reflect certain values, for example, respect for the

creator, the need to explain the work and the need to place the work in a historical

context? Why must these things be highlighted when the works are displayed?

「

《無題》，寧描，作者未詳，靜止生命

滯港越南船民藝術作品展

1991 年

"Untitled", Drawing, artist unknown,

Shiilife - Art by Vietnamese Boat People in Hong Kong, 1 991.

：::七'，

1n 1995, being both an artist and a curator, I curated an installation exhibition at the Fung Ping Shan Museum of Chinese art and archaeology at the University of Hong Kong (now The University Museum and Art Gallery) upon David Clarke’s invitation. The

exhibition, titled "Engaging Tradition: Violation", aimed to question the conventional

exhibition format. One part of the exhibition, I changed the captions of some exhibits. I replaced the "author, title, year” format with sentences like "this work is put here

because it is the favourite of the curator’s wife", "the person who donated these collections insisted that the piece of work which does not look good be exhibited along

with the others” or "worth $5,000,000". As a matter of fact, sometimes whether a piece of work is exhibited or not has nothing to do with its artistic value, authorship or year. Behind the seemingly neutral captions, however, there are other forces that enable

the work to be exhibited.

Where Does a Museum's Authority Come From? I felt a bit uncomfortable when working on Engaging Tradition: Violationw. As a profes¬

sional curator, "fooling around in the elegant gallery space seemed to have offended the professionalism and the solemnity of a museum, especially the dark-coloured exhibition hall

of antiquities. Undoubtedly, museums convey an impression of untouchable authority. Their

d6cor also carries an aura of authoritative persuasiveness. In 1997, I organised an exhibition

titled "1997 Hong Kong Incarnated: History, Community and Individual". It was divided into three parts: History, Community and Individual. The History part was a fabricated Hong Kong ancient history museum. Based on a legend of a half-human, half-fish figure "Lu Ting”, a group of local scholars and cultural workers collaboratively created a fabricated local

ancient history. The concept behind this exhibition was complicated. Not only did it discuss the construction and creation of cultural identity, question the authenticity of history and the power of interpreting history, and explore the possibilities of using metaphor as history, it

also played with the fictitious authority of art museums.

The exhibition began with the legend "Lu Ting , which was said to once live on Lantau

Island. The planning team fabricated a local myth, yet not the entire story was fake; very often the story made use of metaphors to present features of local culture. For example,

"Lu Ting”ÿpartly man and partly beast seemingly existed in the gap between water and land

was a representation of Hong Kong. After drafting the historical framework, a group of artists started to create fake antiques based on the story and presented them as if they had been Hong Kong’s heritage. The design of the exhibition venue also imitated a conventional

history museum, for example, the use of dark brown wooden boxes as exhibition boxes

intended to create a sense of authority. Even though the "antique" itself was not very convincing, the museum environment had enhanced its sense of reality.

The intriguing thing about the "Lu Ting" exhibition, however, was that it did not entirely seek to tell a lie successfully. The exhibition failed whether the audience left the exhibition

without believing anything it presented or vice versa. The exhibition was only successful when the audience felt puzzled and could not distinguish between what is true and what is false; it was only successful when the audience could experience the ambiguity and absurdity of history.

The conventional exhibition mode, be it the captions or exhibition boxes, deserves reflec¬ tion, questioning and even possibilities of turning it into a new way of presentation. If an artist is a creator that never stops questioning, then a curator also needs to constantly and critically examine the nature of exhibition and new possibilities.

It is impossible for curatorship to be free from subjective interpretation, but good curatorship will bring in a ? additional level of meaning to the exhibits without one realising it. In exhibiting the work of an artist, a curator can highlight the works' features and even lead the audience to appreciate those works from a particular perspective. But a curator is not an individual with complete independence. Power structure, nature of the organisation (government, civil, commercial, and non-profit-making) and traditions of exhibition language

all play a part in shaping the final look of an exhibition. Curating an exhibition is a complicated process of negotiation and compromise. A curator has to understand and acknowledge the

limitations of the process in order to reflect on and challenge the traditions and conventions, and to broaden the scope and vision of curatorship. Since curatorship is like artistic creation,

it is a process of constant questioning involving creativity, techniques, inheritance and reflection on traditions. The difference is that it operates in a broader social aspect instead of an artist’s intimate private space. It is exactly because an exhibition curator stands between art work and the public that s/he needs to question her/his role and the language used.

What Contributes Meaningful Art? On the other hand, a curator does not only reflect on her/his own job, but also thinks about and responds to art and society. My concern is not about what is good or bad art. What interests me is "What constitutes meaningful art?", that is, at a certain moment, under a certain social cultural circumstance, what kind of art can best respond to, reflect, challenge

and enrich the situation and needs of contemporary culture and other aspects? I aspire to pursue this "meaningful art", putting art in realistic situations instead of a bunch of abstract

ideas. There might be people who disagree with me, but it does not bother me. It is a

diversified society after all.

With such a notion, curating an exhibition has to be closely linked to social and cultural contexts. Before Hong Kong was handed over to China in 1997, I had been curating at

least two exhibitions every year, the "Hong Kong Culture Exhibition Series”ÿ which

highlighted local culture. In face of the advent of a dominant culture during the transitional period, Hong Kong people became timid and weak. There were acute social

and cultural imperatives to understand and identify with the local culture. But in the late 1990s, when the awareness of local cultural had become stronger and narrow-minded, I

organised a rather different exhibition series about Hong Kong culture, titled "Being Minority”. The exhibits were works by non-Chinese Hong Kong residents, such as

Filipinos and Indians, aiming to remind Hong Kong people of our cultural and racial diversity, internationalization and tolerance.

?? x

0 4 8

Does a Curator Need to Serve the Public? Responding to society, however, is not equivalent to uncritically satisfying the

audience's requests. On the contrary, challenging the public's thinking is needed sometimes, hoping to initiate reflection o ? cultural and social phenomenon. For

example, in the early 1990s, the large number of Vietnamese refugees staying in Hong

Kong posed tremendous financial and social pressures on Hong Kong. After a while, the

accumulated discontent among Hong Kong people led to raging public sentiment demanding the refugees to be expelled. In an environment where there was collective hostility toward Vietnamese refugees, we organized the "Still Lives" exhibition to exhibit

paintings done by refugees in the camps to show Hong Kong people the feelings of adults and children in the detention camps for unknown period of time, hoping Hong

Kong people could treat them in a more human way. In other words, curatorship is also a kind of social campaigns. Every job embodies certain features and different influence;

everybody does her/is best to make use of the unique work condition to fight for greater

fairness and justice in society. It does not have much to do with a curator's identity; it is a responsibility of every responsible citizen.

Same as artistic creation, curatorship is also a creative process that constantly challenges traditional values. It, however, works on a different level from art. The mentality and values of exhibition language, convention, social function as well as the exhibits need to be re-evaluated on a constant basis. Curators need to ask questions all the time: sometimes it is to respond to the needs of community cultures; sometimes it is to challenge the values of community or aesthetics. A curator is a "man of enquiries" among the exhibits, the museums, the audience and society. Through constant

questioning, a curator plays the roles of a mediator, interpreter and challenger. (The Chinese edition, revised by the author, was originally a speech delivered at the

"Curators International Conference" organized by Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei in 2005.)

Oscar Ho Oscar Ho previously worked as Exhibition Director at the Hong Kong Arts Centre and Founding Curator at Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum. He was the founder and chairman of International

Association of Art Critics, Hong Kong. He currently works as an independent curator.

造磚記

談

開物

*何兆基

?口

與致用

造磚之想，或源於近日讀《天工開物》一書所生的啟發。

《天工開物》初刊于明崇禎十年 (公元1637 年 )，是中國首部綜合論述農

業及手工業生產技術的專著，在上、中、下三部共十八卷的篇幅中，作者宋應星詳述了超過一百三十項傳統產業的源革與生產工序，由物料的開發採集、提煉加工；到器物的製作成形、流傳應用，在此「開物」、「成器」、「致用」的過程中，似乎反映了中國人對物質世界的某種理解和信念。

《天工開物》卷七 ■陶埏，有這樣關於造磚造瓦的描述:

「凡埏泥造瓦，掘地二尺餘，擇取無沙黏土而為之，百里之?，必產合用土色，供人居室之用」

「凡埏泥造磚，亦掘地驗辨土色，或藍或白；或紅或?，皆以黏而不散，粉而不沙者為上，汲水滋土，人逐數牛錯趾，踏成稠泥，然後填滿木框之中，鐵線

弓畏平其面 ’而成述形」

「埏泥」，就是以水和泥的意思。凡製陶為器，水與泥是最基本的構成元素，當中，匠人

對泥土之採煉，尤其講究。「掘地二尺餘，擇取無沙黏土而為之」，是對外在物質條件一種由表至裏、由粗至細的體察；再而透過不斷實踐驗證，最終逢至對材質物性的透徹掌握。「百里之內，必產合用土色，供人居室之用」，正是長期經驗累積之下，形成對自然

世界的一種堅定信念；而當這一切皆以成器致用為目的時，對自然世界的信念，就更因其源於生活、貼近生活而顯得質樸平實。

細讀《天工開物》，不難發現書中處處體現了中國人原始樸素的自然觀。人與自然世界的關係，不單在於世間物質之供人取用，更在於人能體察及順應物性的變化。所謂「合用」，其實並無劃一標準，「或藍或白；或紅或 ?」，不過就地取材、因材致用而已。

0 5 3

何兆基，《造磚》，手造物件， 2006 年。

Ho Siu Kee# Making Brick, hand made object, 2006.

公元 2005 年，試參照《天工開物》所載之法造磚。選擇造磚，因其造形純以功能決

定，基本上不涉及美感的考慮。製器而不以器形之精美與否為念，心思或更能專注於成器過程中的種種物質轉化。

「凡埏泥造磚，亦掘地驗辨土色」，單這起始一步，原來就沒有想像般簡單。居住於繁華

鬧市，固然難有可掘之地，即使走到鄉郊野外，要覓得未經開發的原生土地，也極不容易。最後，於元朗一帶較荒僻處試掘，挖至約八十公分深，取得深褐色粗土約二、三公斤，惟黏性似未如理想，試以小量粗土和水搓揉，勉 ?達到「黏而不散」的標準。粗土帶

沙，還需以鋼質細目篩網濾過，得極細泥粉，然份量已不及原來三份之

一。將泥粉置於盤

中，加水蓋過表面，讓其徹底吸水滋潤，隔一晝夜備用。泥粉飽吸水份而成稠泥，約重三、四公斤，造份量自然用不著「逐牛錯趾 j，但仍得以雙手搓揉百遍，使泥質黏結成團，然後可以「填滿木框之中」，歷成磚坯。木框以四塊薄木片用榫口接合，構成了二十

0 5 4

公分長、+公分闊、六公分高之空間供填泥壓坯。約二、三公斤粗土，經重重工序處理，最後所得泥團，僅夠造磚一瑰。

於造磚的過程中，挖土、篩粉、和水、揉泥，雙手經驗泥土這種天然物料的不同形態變化，

時而粗鬆；時而細軟，到坯成後入富舉火，待火候足時，依《天工開物》所述，「從塞門透視?壁，土受火精，形神搖蕩，若金銀熔化之極然」。至此，富內磚坯燒得火紅通亮，已非

平常所見泥土之形貌。《天工開物》引《易•既濟》卦謂：「水火既濟而土合」，又謂：「水火既濟，其質千秋」，自然界的物質轉化，非切身體驗實難領會其妙；若能順應調協這種種轉化，以 ?到成器致用之目的，人類文明亦由之體現。

2005 年十二月九日，磚成。上有封泥印「阿基造磚」四字，概取《呂氏春秋》「物勒工名，

以考其誠」之意。器物上刻勒工匠之名，是匠人對自己工作認真盡貴的表現，僅此而已。

(本文之中文版本原載於藝訊 2006 年一月號，經作者修輯。）

參考資料：明宋應星，《天工開物》北京：中國社會出版社， 2004 年。

?何兆基

skho@hkac.org.hk

畢業於澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學獲藝術博士學位。現任職香港藝術學院學術總監。何兆基一直專注創作及藝術

教學工作，參與展覽包括第二十三屆聖保羅國際雙年展及第四十八屆威尼斯雙年展

0 5 5

And Some Thoughts on “Exploring 3 Materials”ÿ“Making Utensils” And “Applications”

I *Ho Siu Kee The idea of making bricks might have been inspired by the book 77an GOAÿ/(ÿ/ l/Wy 《天工開物》 Exploitation of the Work of Nature} which I have recently read.

77a/? Go/7分 /Ca/ Wiv, first published in 1637 (明崇禎十年

the 10th Year of Emperor Ch'ung Chen's reign in Ming Dynasty), was the first specialised book in China that gave an integrated account on agriculture and handicraft techniques. The book contains 18 chapters divided into three volumes, in which author Song Ying-sing (宋應星） presented in detail the evolution and production processes of over 130 traditional industries: from the discovery and collection of materials to the processing, formation, circulation and application of utensils. The processes of “exploring materials”ÿ“making utensils” and “applications’ seem to have reflected Chinese certain understanding and beliefs of the material world.

In 7"ao

/an (陶? Ceramics}, Chapter 7,

77aA7 Go/7沒 /Ca/. 1/Wy, there is such a description of

making bricks and tiles:

To mix the day for making tiles, dig the ground for over two feet and choose sticky mud without sand. Within a hundred miles, there must be day suitable for making tiles to build houses for people to live in.

To mix the day for making bricks, also dig the ground and check the colour of the day. Whether blue or white, red or yellow, the ideal clay should be sticky but not loose, powdery but not sandy. Moisten the day with water and step on it until the day becomes thick. Then, pour the clay into a wooden frame, use an iron thread to cut smooth the surface, and a raw brick is formed.

“Yan ni”（?泥 mixing clay}, literally means mixing water and clay, forms the fundamental elements in making ceramic utensils. Craftsmen were particularly concerned about the processing of clay. "Dig the ground for over two feet and choose sticky clay without sand" is a personal investigation of the external materialistic conditions, from the outside to the inside, from the coarse to the fine. Through continuous experimentation and verification, one reaches an ultimate understanding and mastery of the nature of material. “Within a hundred miles, there must be clay suitable for making tiles to build houses for people to live in” is a firm belief in nature accumulated from years of experience. When all these are aimed at making utensils for use, the belief towards nature appears to be down to earth and pragmatic because of its origin in and proximity to life.

Reading Tian Gong Kai Wu in detail, it is noticeable that the book very much embodies Chinese primitive and austere views on nature. The relationship between man and nature

is not just about man using things available in this world, it is more about man observing and adapting to the changing nature of things. There is no standard of what is "suitable.” "Whether blue or white, red or yellow", we simply make the best use of what we have.

In 2005, I tried to make a brick using the methods recorded in Tian Gong Kai Wu. The reason I chose brick was because the form of a brick is simply determined by its function, and basically does not involve aesthetic consideration. When one does not have to focus on the appearance and exquisiteness of utensils, one can perhaps be more focused on the materialistic changes during the process of making.

"To mix the clay for making bricks, also dig the ground and check the colour of the mud.” This first step alone was not as simple as one thought. Living in a crowded urban city, it was not easy to find a ground to dig. Even when I went to the countryside, it was hard to find a piece of land that had not been developed. I finally tried to dig the ground in a relatively remote area in Yuen Long. I dug to about 80cm deep and took two to three kilograms of dark brown crude clay. However, the clay was not sticky enough. I tried to mix a small amount of the clay with water to make it barely reach the standard of "sticky but not loose”. The crude clay was a bit sandy and needed to be sifted with a finely weaved steel sieve to get the extremely fine clay powder, which was eventually less than one-third of the original clay. The clay powder was then put in a bowl and soaked with the amount of water just enough to cover it, and left overnight to become thick clay weighed three or four kilos. This quantity did not require "stepping with feet”ÿ but I still had to use

Eÿ

5 8

my hands to knead for over a hundred times until the texture became sticky and formed dough. I then filled a wooden frame with the clay and pressed it into a brick. The wooden frame was made with four thin pieces of wood measured 20cm long, 10cm wide and 6cm tall. After a number of procedures, the two to three kilos of crude clay could only formed mud dough just enough to make one brick.

During the brick-making process, through digging for clay, sifting for powder, mixing with water and kneading, my hands experienced the changes in form and texture of this natural material clay - sometimes rough and loose, sometimes fine and soft. When the raw brick was finished it was put into a kiln to be fired. When the kiln reached the right temperature, just as it was written in Tian Gong Kai Wu, ''Looking into the kiln through the door, the clay, when heated by fire, changes its shape, as if it were gold and silver melted to the maximum' By then, the brick in the kiln had become red and bright, which did not look like any clay one saw in daily life. Tian Gong Kai Wu quoted a divinatory symbol from V7ÿ//n分 J/.Z/ (《易 ■既濟》 "water and fire combines to solidify clay", and "as water and fire combines, the texture of clay transforms which makes it last for a very

long time". In nature, the transformation of materials is so wonderful that one needs first hand experience to comprehend. Human civilisation is actualized when utensils are made for use by following and adapting to such transformation.

On 9th December 2005, the brick was made. The brick is sealed with the words “A Ji Zao S/7/ C/7UA7 Zhuan” in Chinese (「阿基造磚」Ah Kee Made Brick). This is a reference to . Qiu “Put the maker’s name on the object to express one’s sincerity”ÿ the craftsman’s name on the utensil simply represents the craftsman’s serious attitude towards one’s work and nothing else. (The Chinese edition, revised by the author, was originally published at the January 2006 Issue of ArtsLink.)

Reference: Sung, Ying-sung, Exploitation of the Work of Nature, Ming Dynasty, 1637, translated by Li, Chiao-ping, China Academy, Taipei, 1980.

o Ho Siu Kee

skho@hkac.org.hk

Ho Siu Kee obtained his Doctor in Fine Art degree from the RMIT University, Australia. He is currently the Academic Head of Hong Kong Art School. Ho has participated in various international exhibitions including the 23rd International Biennial of Sao Paulo and 49th Venice Biennale as Hong Kong official representative.

r? x

0 6 0

只破魚盤 I

1 二

* ?麗

把舊毛衣送到織補店修補，送回來時與新衣並無兩樣，巧奪天工的修補功夫令人嘖嘖稱奇，那時從未想過相似的修補方法亦曾被應用在陶

瓷上。

數年前到山東淄博看大魚盤，頭一次看到一隻用兩腳釘補過的盤子。師

傅先用手搖轉在裂痕兩旁轉出數雙小洞，再用小鎚子將釘腳輕輕打入洞中，將裂痕迫合，一只破盤就修好了。從事藝術創作者或許立刻由此獲得無限創作靈感，聯想到「媒介的混合」、「方法的轉移」等當代藝術詞彙：事實上，這只不過是一種以往北方人常用的器物復修方法而已。

細想一下，這種傳統對於我們來說並不陌生。廣東人愛喝湯，常以大砂煲煮湯三數小時，

，一道道裂紋便漸漸產生。人們對舊煲卻情

砂煲由粗糙低? 泥製成，由於經常受熱受冷

有獨鍾，於是想出「箍煲」的方法，用鐵線將裂痕迫住，_只大砂煲又給保存下來。

以往修補行業盛行，除了因為當時物質缺乏，亦反映器物在人們心目中的重要地位。人視器物如對待自己身體一樣，壞了總是想盡方法把它修補再用，令它重生，漸漸培養出

一種惜物的情操，那怕器物表面佈滿歲月的痕跡，「用即是美」成為一種人人認同的生

活哲學。

機械生產的出現，將手造手繪用器之獨特性搖身變成一個標準的模式，人人依循，物件的人性部份漸漸淡出。大量化的生產形式使用器價格低廉，隨手可得，人對物由愛惜，

尊重，變成支配，挪用，幾千年來器物與人建基於生活之上的相互關係漸漸消失。從此，陶瓷發展便走上分?路：做器物的人叫器匠 (potter), 創作非器物的叫陶藝家 (ceramic artist), 工藝與藝術 (art and craft) 進入紛辯不休的狀態。

造器重視取材，傳統器物製造講求材質、天時和地理的配合，缺一不可，反映當時人們擁有一個宏大遼闊的世界觀，這種敬畏大自然的事物觀，令器物的製造擁有一種獨特的

節奏和規律。傳統強調物盡其用，就地取材，令材料的品質得到最完美的發揮，在生活

上自然滲透，人從器物身上得到無窮的啟發。當代藝術強調概念的發展，「物」的層次漸

0 6 3

被降低，陶瓷成為表? 一種表達藝術的形式，而其本來之角色卻漸被 ?忘。當挑戰極限，

人定勝天成為座右銘，物盡其用就被演繹成將物料的某種可能性單獨抽出來運用，當其探索愈趨棰限，陶瓷與生活及整體環境的距離亦愈來愈遠。

器匠造器，講求身體力行，逐漸體會。在重複的練習過程中，人與物不斷地對話，兩者關係漸漸變得平等；熟能生巧，這「巧」便是指人與物之間在這過程中所產生的特殊關係，

創意與藝術在有意無意之間得到體現。然而，在強調單向創意的時代中，這種工藝精神

卻往往被誤謓為一種無意義的抄襲與臨摹，人在當中所錯失的，不言而喻。

在當代陶瓷中，傳統器物一方面被定性為

_ 種負面的封建象徵種受質疑與攻擊的對，一

象；另一方面，它的豐富內容卻又常被挪用在一些支離破碎的藝術拼貼當中。

每次看到器匠造器，我總是被這過程深深吸引，感覺到一種釋懷的舒暢。器匠都擁有一種知其位的謙虛與傳其藝的承擔。物盡其用，以人為本；造者、用者、器物三者之間由一種不可代替的關係維繫?，傳統實用器物自足的價值，亦建立於這

_ 道互通的橋樑之上。

工藝與藝術本來就是由生活發展出來，不單沒有衝突，還會互相輝映。立新並不建基於

破舊之上，回顧歷史，親歷其境地去體驗傳統，令我們有機會再發現一種久違了的根本，意識到身處失衡狀態的危機，人與物之間漸深的裂痕或許可以被慢慢地修補過來。 ( 本文之中文版本原載於藝訊 2005 年十二月號，經作者修輯。）

黃麗貞

fwong@hkac.org.hk

黃麗貞於1997年在中文大學取得藝術碩士學位，曾為香港理工大學、香港大學及 Beaver College in Philadelphia 的客席師，現任教於香港藝術學院。?氏的陶藝及混合媒介作品曾於加拿大、夏威夷、美國、德國、瑞士、台

灣、韓國等國家展出。

0 6 4

When I got back my old sweater from the mending shop, I was amazed by the flawless workmanship as it looked almost brand new to me. At that time, I had no idea that similar repairing skill had also been used in ceramics.

Wong Lai Chin

I went to Zibo of Shandong Province to see big fish platters a few years ago. That was the

first time I saw a platter repaired with two-tip nails. The restorer first made a few pairs of tiny holes on both sides of the crack with a hand-turned drill and then used a small

hammer to hit the nail tip into the holes, closing up the crack and fixing the broken platter.

This repairing process may offer artists endless inspirations and invoke them to think of contemporary art terms such as "mixed-media" and "transference of method”. As a

matter of fact, the process merely shows a common technique of fixing pottery employed by people in northern China.

Thinking more about it, we may not find this traditional method entirely unfamiliar to us.

Cantonese love soups. They often boil their soups in Chinese casseroles for long hours.

Since Chinese casseroles are made of coarse low-fire clay, cracks will gradually appear due to frequent heating and cooling. Yet people are so attached to their old casseroles that

a strapping method has been developed to close up the cracks with iron wire, thus preserving the big casseroles for further use. The repairing industry was popular in the past because the society was not so affluent. It also indicates the importance of pottery to the people at that time. People took the pottery just like their own body and would try every method to repair and revive those

utensils when they were damaged. Years passed and people learned to treasure the things they used even when they were covered by marks of time. "Utility is beauty” became a widely accepted philosophy of life.

The emergence of mechanical reproduction turned the uniqueness of hand-made or handpainted pottery into a standard model everyone would follow. The human touch in pottery

gradually faded away. Mass production has lowered the price of pottery to such an extent

that they are readily available. The care and respect for things has changed into control and appropriation of them. The close relationship between man and pottery, which had been built on daily lives for thousands of years, also slowly disappeared. From then on, a duality has formed in the development of ceramics: people making utensils are called

"potters" and those creating non-functional objects are known as "ceramic artists". A

state has reached where endless debates and arguments over the issue of art and craft

have been conducted.

Pottery making puts great emphasis on the choice of materials. Traditional way of making pottery asks for a harmonious combination of three elements: materials, time and geographical setting. None of these three elements is to be sacrificed. This tells us that

people in the past had a wide perspective of the world. This respect for nature has given

a unique rhythm and pattern to pottery making. Tradition lays a stress on the optimization of materials and the selection of suitable materials on site. The strength of the materials is given a full play, which will then be brought out naturally in daily lives. From pottery, people gain a good deal of inspiration. Contemporary art emphasizes the development of concept and gives scant regard to the utility of "object". Clay has become a means for artistic expression with the significance of its original role fallen into oblivion. As people believe in challenging the limit and take "man can conquer the nature" as motto, optimization

of materials is interpreted as isolating and applying a particular possibility of the material. When such an exploration has reached the utmost, pottery has also become more and

more distant from life and the larger environment. When the potters make pottery, they ask for diligent practice and through practice, they acquire a deeper understanding about pottery-making. In repeated practices, man and

object enter into incessant dialogues and eventually become equal in their relationship.

Practice makes perfect. The resultant "perfection" points to the special relationship between man and object in the practice process. It is during this process that creativity and art are naturally realized. In an age which emphasizes unidirectional creativity, however, this spirit of craftsmanship is often misinterpreted as meaningless copying and

imitation. What we have lost in such a misinterpretation is self-evident.

In contemporary ceramics, traditional pottery is, on the one hand, stereotyped as a

feudal symbol carrying negative implications, subject to queries and attack. On the other hand, its rich contents are frequently appropriated in some fragmentary art collages. Each time I see a potter modeling an object, I am always attracted by the process of his making and find in it a relaxed pleasure. All potters are humble in knowing their own

places and committed in passing on their skills. They utilize their materials to the best

and are people-oriented. Because of this, the maker, the user and the object are tightly

connected with each other. The self-contained value of traditional pottery is also founded on this interconnection. <

2ÿ

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Both art and craft are originated from life. They do not contradict with, but rather,

reinforce each other. It is not necessary to break the old in order to build the new. By looking back at history and experiencing tradition at first hand, we will have the opportunity

to re-discover the origins that have been long forgotten and realize the crisis of imbalance that we are facing. Through this realization, we may be able to repair, step by step, the

ever widening crack between man and the object he makes. (The Chinese edition, revised by the author, 2005 Issue of ArtsLink.)

Wong Lai Ching

was originally published at the December

fwong@hkac.org. hk

Wong received her M.F.A. at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1997. Wong has been a visiting lecturer at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the University of Hong Kong and Beaver College in Philadelphia. She now teaches at Hong Kong Art School. Wong’s works range from ceramic to mixed media pieces. Her work have been shown widely in Canada, Hawaii, U.S. A., Germany, Switzerland, Taiwan and Korea.

3ÿ

賴 ? r

在香港這個大都會生活，每天都被無數的影像包圍，它們佔據著公眾空間，從不同的媒

介入侵我們的眼睛、進駐我們的腦袋；這現象，因數碼科技普及而更加突顯。不知不覺間，影像成為了生活的鏡子，我們生活的指南；都市人要與影像看齊。而更甚的是，影像取替了語言成為了人與人溝通的橋樑，沒有了影像，人們不知如何生活下去。正如一些西

方學者的研究結論，當今的都市生活，是由影像建構；影像替代了可經驗的真實客觀世界，成為了都市人的第二自然

second nature),

_ 個比真實來得更加更真寅的超真

實世界 (the hyperreality)ÿ當我們去探討這個現象，得追溯攝影的出現和它所帶來的影

響。

攝影於1839 年披著神秘的面紗在法國出現。雖然當時人們還未準備好迎接它的誕生，但從事攝影活動的人士，大都認為攝影源於大自然，是大自然將影像顯現出來。英國攝影

先驅 William Henry Fox Talbot 在他1844 年出版的攝影集也稱之為《自然的畫筆》 Pern;// of /Vafivrdÿ借喻大自然對自身的描繪。當時人們高舉理性，認定相片是對客觀

世界的真實呈現；時至今日，大部份人仍然堅信相片中的世界，是真實的再現。

十九世紀的攝影活動，面向的是外在的世界。攝影用於對大自然的研究和記錄、見証都市的發展和興衰；人們通過相片認識遙不可及的國度和了解遠在他鄉親人們的生活境況。

當時的肖像攝影除了是有錢人的玩意，也是當權者對都市流動人口的監管，一如現今的身份証；而被展示於街頭巷尾的半身相，跟現時的通緝照無異，目的是為了維持社會穩

定。往後，攝影因著它真實的性格而變為商品廣告的代表，盛載著資本與消費主義。

0 7 0

熟悉攝影史的都知道，攝影的出現是達蓋爾

Jacques Mande Daguerre) 與法

國政府的_ 項交易。從一開始，攝影就與商品脫離不了關係，伴隨而來的是工業化和大

量生產的相機。早在 1833 年，攝影面世不到 50 年，美國柯? 公司便於紐約市蓋建廠房，生產菲林；五年後，更大量生產相機，附上菲林，以大眾能負擔得起的價錢出售。自此，攝影便從專業攝影師的手中，過渡成為中產階級的流行玩意。當時柯達相機的促銷廣告

口號：「你按下快門，剩下的交給我們。」使攝影迅速普及，進入家庭，發展成生活中不

可缺少的記憶，直至今天。

隨著科技進步，人口不斷膨漲，加上工廠的建立，使人們聚居都市；為了應付人們生活所需，工業化地大量生產日用品，似乎是唯

_ 可以滿足道方面需求的方法。鑑於都市生

活複雜和多元化，都市人開始要通過媒體和資訊來了解、面對他們的境況。而另一方面，商品也要通過影像與大眾接觸，使大眾認識，才能增加銷售，促進消費，帶動經濟。攝影頓時變成了消費的寵兒和代言人，大眾的消費對象不單是商品本身，還有它的化身：

商品的影像遍佈於都市不同的角落，影像主導著整個消費商業活動，俘虜整個城市，繼而漂洋過海，在香港這遙遠的東方之珠殖民。

香港的開埠，本身已是連串貿易歷史的反照，從開始便一身資本消費裝扮。雖然有機會脫離殖民，卻仍要聽命保持身段，濃妝豔抹五十年；守著那貿易自由的大門，供投資者

和自由行者穿梭。九七回歸以降，正值數碼科技孕育成型；消費影像乘數碼浪潮澎湃洶湧而至，淹沒整個小島。因為數碼影像是數據資料，它能夠以百變多樣的形態，出現於

左鄰右里；有如行者悟空，忽隱忽現，巨者如整棟高樓的外牆，或變貌成巴士在都市內穿街過巷，誘人膜拜。我們的衣、食、住、行無不服膺於它的鬼蜮技倆。

0 7

生活於香港的都市人，由身體開始：瘦身、潔齒、美白、去暗瘡；到四季時尚，服裝飾物的潮流文化；家居設計，樓盤的銷售書；以致放假旅遊，吃喝玩樂皆以影像為依歸。他們將從媒體看到的影像當作是真實和標準，用自己的行止舉動來裝扮對應，唯恐被眨是落後於時代，

滿以為跟著仿效，就是貼近大都市人的生活模式。這種現象，豐富了傅柯 (Michel Foucault) 在《規訓與懲罰》

沖有關圓形監獄

的論

述（註一。香港就是這所圓形的大監獄，那些無處不在的影像，便是監獄中心的監視塔，

生活在當中的人，變成是影像的階下囚，以影像來檢視自己的行為。

數碼影像其中一項特點，是它能夠在短時間大量製造和傳播，都市人樂此不疲地拍攝和上載。但只要我們細心研究和引證，不難發現那些影像的內容是互相對照，不斷重覆。

那些我們曾經觀看過的影像，會有意或無意在我們手中翻版再現；最佳例子是無數的「到此一遊」相片，尤瑞 (John Urry) 在他所作的《觀光客的凝視》

7btyr/_sr

Gaze>l

有詳盡分析 (註二。香港人放假離港旅遊，目的是拍攝以自己為主角並身處現場的相片，

以滿足自己和跟朋友交代，反之行程與感受變得次要。但不要忘記，拍攝行為本身是一種干擾；而無線電話 / 手機附有攝錄工能，使不停地拍攝記錄自己這種自我干擾，無限伸

延擴大。這種攝錄干擾行為，將原為一體的生命，剪輯成支離破碎的數據，在網絡虛擬世界遊走重組再現。

(註

Foucault, 1926-1984)，法國哲學家。在1975年出版的 S«//ve///erefPi/n/r 英譯為 Discipline

傅柯

& Punish, 1977 年面世第三章，借邊沁

的全景式監獄

論述權力對人們的規訓。

「我們是處於全景敞視機器中，受到其權力效應的干預。造是我們自己造成的，因為我們是其機制的一部份。」

節錄自《規訓與懲罰》劉北成、楊遠嬰譯，臺北市：桂冠，1992。p. 216。

(註二

尤瑞

Urry) 是英國蘭開斯特大學 7b(/r/sr

of Lancaster) 的社會學教授。他的著作《觀光客的凝視》

GazeJ 於1990 年面世，由 Sage Publications Ltd出版。

“ 攝影為旅程定出形式和方向。就是道個原因，人們會停下來，拍照（或抓拍一張快照），然後繼纗上路。攝影涉及資任。人們覺得他們一定不能錯過某些景點，否則就是錯過了在那兒拍照的機會‘

( 原文第128 頁）

謝明莊，《20060606,

旺角》，攝影，2006 年。 Tse Ming Chong, 2006 06 06f Mongkok,

photography, 2006.

三

二

0 7 3

在這個被喻為「後殖民時代的香港」，影像取替了十八世紀啟蒙運動所高舉的唯理思想。

網路上甚至有人以「我攝，故我在」為名，拍攝行為轉化成為一種自我肯定的表徵。可惜，

當今都市人所超量製造出來的影像，一是大部份以自己為主題，相片中的人物是拍攝者

自己，他 / 她們以模仿廣告、電影中的人物舉止為榮。二是沒有意識地在不斷重覆別人的影像，滿以為自己拍攝出來與其他人相仿的影像便是捕捉了真實，但卻忘記了他們是在

自相仿傚，真實早已在他們對照中漸漸遠去，? 留下的是虛擬影像；而都市人便以這個遠留下的擬像來建構他們的世界。 Reference: Foucault, Michel. Discipline And Punish, 1977. Newton, Julianne H.. The Burden of Visual Truth. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2001. Ronerts, John. The Art of Interruption, UK: Manchester University Press, 1998. Urry, John. The Tourist Gaze. London: SAG Publication Ltd, 2002. 駱穎佳。《後現代拜物教》。香港：學生福音團契出版社 2003 年。

? 謝明莊

tsemingchong@yahoo.com.hk

謝氏於 2004 年獲英國倫敦大學金匠學院影像與傳播系碩士，2003 年畢業於香港浸會大學新聞系。現為香港藝術學院學科統籌。謝氏不單是一個攝影師，他亦有興趣其它影像媒介，如時間媒介、舞台藝術和互勖媒介。他的作品關注個人、歷史與社會的關係

0 7 4

Translator: Wong Hiu Lam

Infiage Colonization

* Tse Ming Chong

Living in Hong Kong, a metropolitan city, we are surrounded by

pervasive images

every

day. Images are occupying our public living space; invading our eyes and storming our

brains from various channels. This phenomenon is intensified by the growing popularity of

digital technology. Without much awareness of it, images have become a mirror and a compass for our life. People of the city consider it necessary to lead a life comparable to

the images. To go further, images have replaced languages to become the bridge of

communication between people. Without images, people have few cues to live on. As some Western scholars have concluded in their studies, contemporary urban life is

constructed by images. They have replaced the experience of a real and objective world, becoming our second nature and being perceived as a form more real than reality - the hyperreality. We must trace the emergence of photography and its influence in examining

this observation. In 1839, photography came out with a mysterious black veil on it. People were not prepared for its emergence but most of those who took part in photographic activities

considered that photography was originated from nature and it was the nature that showed us the images. In 1844, William Henry Fox Talbot, a British inventor in photography,

described photography as the "Pencil of Nature” \n his album published in 1844, metaphorically suggesting that photography is the self-portrait of nature. People of the time held reasoning in esteem and thus firmly believed that a photo is an objective

representation of the real world. Nowadays, most people still believe that the world in a photograph is a representation of the reality.

In the 19th century, photographic activities mainly targeted at the outside world. Photography was used for studying and documenting the nature. It also witnessed the development as well as the rise and decline of cities. By means of photographs, people got to know distant lands and learned more about their relatives across the miles. At that

time, portrait photography was not only a fashionable item for the privileged, but also a

tool of those in power to monitor the moving population of a city, just like the use of identity card today. The Mug Shot displayed on the streets bore little difference from the

photos used nowadays to show wanted persons. They were aimed at maintaining social

order. Photography, because of its nature of revealing reality, was eventually transformed into a representative tool of the commercials, becoming a vessel of capitalism and

consumerism.

Anyone familiar with the history of photography is well aware that the emergence of

photography was the result of a deal between Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre and the French government. From the very first beginning, photography has been linked tightly

with commodities. What followed was the mass production of camera through industrial means. In as early as 1883, when photography was no more than 50 years old, the American

firm Kodak already built their factory in New York City to produce photographic film. Five years later, Kodak began producing in huge quantities cameras with film loaded and sold

them at an affordable price. Since then, photography was handed over from professional photographers to the middle class, who took it as a popular activity. With Kodak's slogan

"You press the button, we do the rest”ÿ the popularity of photography quickly went to

new height. Photography got access to families and became an essential part of daily memory. This is still true as at today.

The development of technology, continuous growth of population and the building of factories attracted people to settle down in cities. Industrial production of large quantity

of commodities appeared to be the only way to cope with the daily demands of the increasing urban population. As city life was complicated and full of varieties, it was necessary for people living in the cities to start learning and facing their surroundings

through media and information. On the other hand, the commodities had to get in touch

with the people and promote the brand name via images. In such a way, sales would be

stimulated and spending would be encouraged, facilitating the blooming of economy. All of a sudden, photography became the favourite medium and spokesperson of consumerism.

What people spent to buy was not only the product itself but also its images. Images of

commercial products could be found in every corner of a city and they formed the leading force of the consumer activities, eventually capturing the whole city. Images also

travelled a long way and colonized the distant Pearl of the Orient - Hong Kong. The founding of the city of Hong Kong was a story of trade in history. It has been wearing

the capitalist makeup from the first beginning. Even when it has the chance to be free

from colonization, it still needs to obey the order of keeping in capitalistic shape for 50 years,

guarding

the gateway

free trade

and

allowing

smooth access

investors/Mainland tourists. After the return of sovereignty in 1997, digital technology has been developing and taking shape. Images of consumerism have taken a ride in the

wave of digital technology, drowning this small island. Digital

images

are made of digital

data and can appear in the daily living space in thousands of forms, just like the Monkey

King in Chinese legend. They can be as big as the external wall of a skyscraper or travelling through busy streets in the shape of a bus, asking people to bow and worship. Every necessity of our daily lives: clothes, food, houses, transport, is controlled by the evil power of digital images.

People in Hong Kong use images as a reference of their daily lives, starting from body-

related issues like body slimming, teeth and skin whitening and removal of pimples, to

seasonal fashion and the trendy culture of clothes and accessories, home design, brochure on sales of flats, holidays and travels, as well as dining and fun. People believe that the images from the mass media represent the reality and the standard. They respond to that standard with their own appearance and behaviour, in fear of being labelled as old-

fashioned. They consider that modelling on such standard would bring them closer to the living pattern of a big city. This phenomenon enhances Michel Foucault's discussion on

the panopticon in his book Discipline and Punish

(Note 1).

Hong Kong is like the huge

annular prison, and the images are the surveillance tower in the centre. Those who live

in the city are just like prisoners of images and they use images to review their own

behaviour.

(Note 1)

Michel Foucault (1926-1984) is a French philosopher. In Chapter 3 of his book

Sfy/ÿe/7/er ef

厂

published in 1975 (the English translation Discipline & Punish was published in 1977), he quoted

Bentham's Panopticon in his discussion of men being controlled and supervised by power. "We are

A characteristic of digital images is that they can be quickly made and disseminated in huge amount. People enjoy shooting and uploading their pictures to the network. If we make careful study and comparison, it is not difficult to find that the contents of those images are cross-referencing with and repeating each other. The images that we have

seen may be reproduced in our hand consciously or subconsciously. The best examples are those photos taken at famous tourist spots, saying "I have been there”. There is a detailed analysis of this phenomenon in the book The Tourist Gaze by John Urry

(Note 2).

When the people of Hong Kong go for a holiday trip, their purpose is to take photos of

themselves at the places they visit so as to satisfy themselves and keep records to be shown to friends. The trip itself and the experience are often put in low priority. We should not forget that the act of photography is an interruption. The inclusion of camera function

in mobile phones has infinitely extended the self-interruption process of continuously taking pictures of oneself. This interruption process of photographing/recording cuts the life, originally in a whole, into fragmentary data which will travel and be re-assembled and

reproduced in the virtual world of computer network.

In this "post-colonial” period of Hong Kong, images have replaced reasoning, which was promoted in the enlightenment movement of the 18th century. There is even the saying of "I shoot, therefore I exist" on the Internet. Photographic behaviour has been

transformed into an act of self-reassurance. There are two points which are worth to

(Note 2)

John Urry is Professor of Sociology at the University of Lancaster. The Tourist Gaze was first published in 1990 by Sage Publications Ltd.

'Photography gives shape to travel. It is the reason for stopping, to take (snap) a photograph, and

then to move on. Photography involves obligations. People feel that they must not miss seeing particular scenes since otherwise the photo-opportunities will be missed. •••’ p.128.

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images is the people themselves. They are proud of

copying

the look and behaviour of

characters in commercials and movies. Secondly, people are subconsciously repeating images taken by others. They believe that they have captured the reality if what they have taken is similar to that taken by others. They are not aware that the reality has already stepped away when they copy from each other. As a result, only virtual images are left

behind and it is based on these virtual images that the city people construct their world.

Reference: Foucault, Michel. Discipline And Punish, 1977. Newton, Julianne H.. The Burden of Visual Truth. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2001. Ronerts, John. The Art of Interruption, UK: Manchester University Press, 1998. Urry, John. The Tourist Gaze. London: SAG Publication Ltd, 2002. 駱穎佳。《後現代拜物教》。香港：學生福音團契出版社 2003 年。

? Tse Ming Chong

tsemingchong@yahoo.com.hk

Tse received his master degree from Goldsmith’s College, University of London in Imaging and

Communication in 2004. He graduated from Hong Kong Baptist University in Chinese Journalism in 2003. He is now working as a subject coordinator at the Hong Kong Art School. Tse is not only a photographer; he is interested in every image-making media, time media and theatre art. His works

focus on how individuals behave in relation with history and society. Currently, he is exploring interac¬

tive media.

*譚偉

現代人所面對的是過度活躍的生活，這種活躍的生活狀態既是主動的個人選擇，亦是被動的無可奈何，這使我們在獲得利益的

同時，也喪失了自主。

圍繞著我們的是千絲萬縷的關係，我們的工作、我們的生活可能

影響著遠在他方的無名個體，也被不知名的力量和無形的群體

生活領著我們走向不屬於自己的未來。

我們無法獨自地生活，但不意味著獨立的意識並不重要，或許我

們更需要恢復這種以「個人」為單位的獨立意識，來平衡外在世界的「大一統」現象。

我們的世界存在著無數等待解決的問題，而我們採取的態度是

等問題出現後，才找解決的辦法。就是這樣把不同的問題一直纏

繞著，繼續擴大，積累為不能所動的力量，把我們推向更失控的處境。我們不應只以問題的解決方法為目標，更應注意問題的本

質是什麼。

「人」的本身就是問題的根本。哲學、歷史學、政治學、心理學、

人文地理科學

我是害怕對「人」的探討，在早期創作已避免把「人」放在作品裡，那是出於對「人」的不

理解，它的複雜性使我沒有能力處理「人」這個問題。但是，長時間的逃避讓我意識到理解人的重要性和其吸引力。對「我」的認識可以說成

自覺意識的恢復 (註一)，從「我」去認識「個體」相信是最為直接及少了要對他人負責的壓力。事實卻相反。當我想要看清自身時，卻發覺我們無論如何都無法看清真寅的自我，因為我們無法看見自己的外貌

切都需依靠外在的反射，像水裏的倒影 (作品一)，透過

、或另外的媒介才能看見影像的「我」，那是「二手」、「間接」的我，鏡子、影子、相片

個外在、不可信的「我 J 。窺探內在的「我」是危險的當試，因為要面對自我審視的過程。我必須要接受內在真實的「我 j 和外在日常的「我」之間的分裂差異，既是如此，那麼在「真實世界」和「現實世界J

中的我到底分別在哪裡？「現實世界」是「真實世界」的倒影，「現實」「真實」

來自倒影的自身。荒謬的、美好的、誘惑的、燦爛的、罪惡的

是可見的，

::匕

(作品

)

《倒影》. 35 厘米影片/2003 年 3分14秒，我慢慢地吸吮自己在水中的倒影，直至倒影消失。我把我的倒影喝掉

mt-m

(Artwork 1)

“Reflection", 35 mm film / 2003, 3 min 14 sec

I suck my reflection in a pool of water very slowly, until my reflection was disappeared. I drank my own reflection.

(註二

f f 本源 j 的意思在逋裡是指：一件事物，從何、和經由什麼，成為現在的它以及作為現在的它、使它成為現在的它、以及使它作為現在的它的那個東西，我們稱之為本質或本性，事物的本源是其本質的根源。j 海德格

(Martin Heidegger),《藝術作品的本源》f77?e O/57/7 of f/re

八

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生活是不需要理會每件事情的本質，久而久之現實生活會掩蓋、替代了真責，讓我們逃

避、接受、相信、滿足於現實世界中的狀態。包括現寅生活中的常規，教導我們不可直接表達自己的原始狀態一原始慾望及動物性。例如「現實世界」製造出「低等」及「高等」的概念，使「人」開始界定人與事的高低，產生出社會不同的教條、律法、標準；界定什麼

是正確的，什麼是錯誤的，建立

_ 套理性和一套認為對每個人最為合適的生活方式。但

它最終的目的是在「現實世界」中製造出統治者和被統治者的階級觀念。打破教條、律

法、標準是非常危險的意識，人們相信這會帶來破壞、不隱的狀況，恐懼脫離「現寅世界」後進入虛無、模糊、原始的狀態。

但是「我」要活在他人製造的「影子」中生活？還是要活在原始真寅的「我 ?

「真實」是可知但被阻礙接觸的。「人」還是要存活、依靠、接觸「現寅世界」後才可想像

及認知「真實」的存在，它甚至跟虛假有某種類同的相似。還有人把夢說成是唯一的真實，「真實」變成類似幻象的東西 (註三)ÿ 更加難於理解。它危險之處，在於如能恢復「真

實」的認知，將會改變現寅生活中的秩序，因為明瞭事物的本質後，再無須服從「現寅世界」中的條文。因此，當「人」恢復原始意識、狀態後，便不再受固有的價值觀所影響，「我」不再是活在別人製造的圈子或影子裡生活，而是清晰地恢復自我意識，隨著自己

的意向生活。

但寅際上，是我們離不開「現寅世界」，也不能隨時走進「真實世界」，因為要有「超人」（註四的意志，才能擺 ?社會、家庭、道德、標準、宗教、系統、體制等，幾千年來，人們用盡一

切心力建構的世界。然而問題卻在於，大部份人選擇棲身 (作品二) 於「現實」的生活中，對「真實」的認知顯得模糊和疏離。

「現寅」和「真寅」是處於二元矛盾的關係，在依附與脫離之間游離。

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物瞻_

ffiim_ _-

.•j5T"fe*';#

„

一

.••

一一

二 ,. . .ÿ

—

-<_ÿ-

那麼「真實」、「現實」和「藝術」之間帶有什麼的關係？

柏拉圖

的「藝術即模仿」

代哲人對藝術的態度《理想國》年輕的葛羅康

as imitationh 註五）之魔咒，一直纏繞著不同時 /7epcÿ//c)_ 書，講述蘇格拉底

和

之間的一席對話，蘇格拉底解釋了為何要把藝術家排除於理

想國之外，他認為關鍵在於藝術的本質與真正存在的本質。

以下是節錄的對話 (註六)

蘇：我們就拿一個普通的例子來說吧！世界上有恨多床和桌子，是不是呢？

葛：是啊！蘇：但這些傢俱只有兩種形式，一個是床的概念，另一個是桌子的。

葛：是啊！蘇：我們不也常說，工匠每製造一張床、桌子或其它物件時，都是按照適合那件用具的形式來製造的，但卻沒有一位工匠能製造形式本身吧！他哪能夠？蘇：其實有一種辦法可以使你自己製造出這一切事物？

葛：用什麼方法呢？蘇：那並非難事，有許多快速且輕易地完成這個奇蹟的辦法；最容易的莫過於拿面你馬上就會造出太陽、蒼穹、大地，以及你自己和所有鏡子轉來轉去試試看其他的動植物

葛：沒錯！在外形上我是能製造它們，卻不是它們本然的實體。蘇：畫家在某種意義上雖然也在製造床，卻不是真正在造出床的實體，是吧!

葛：是啊！就像旋轉鏡子的人一般，他製造的也只是床的外形罷了！蘇：我們可不可以就根據這些實例，來研究一下模仿的本質？

葛：請吧！蘇：好吧！床不是有三種嗎？一種為自然中本有，我想，不妨稱它為神所造的，難道會有其他的製造者嗎？ (註五

湯瑪斯 / 華賸伯格(Thomas E. Wartenberg), 《論藝術的本質》. 柏拉圖

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藝術即模仿。

(註六

Plato, Translated by Desmond Lee, The Republic, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd, 1955.

葛：不可能。蘇：第二種則是由木匠所製造的。

葛：是的。蘇：那麼畫家描繪出來的就是第三種？蘇••那麼畫家呢？他可否稱作床的創造者和製造者？葛：當然不可以。蘇：那麼畫家和床之間到底發生了什麼的關係？葛：我想，最好稱呼他為模仿者一模仿了神和木匠所製造的一切。蘇：所以模仿者和真實體存著一段距離，表面上它好像能製一切的事物，其實是因為它只取每件事物的一小部份，且那一小部份還只是一種影像。蘇：再想一想，影像的製造者，就是我們所謂的模仿者，只知道外形，對於存在的

真實體卻一無所知，是不是？

葛：沒錯。

蘇：荷馬確實為當代首屈一指的悲劇詩人，可是請千萬記著：除了頌神及讚美好人的詩歌以外，可不准其它詩歌闖入城邦?。你一旦讓步，准許甜言蜜語般的抒情詩或史詩進來，統轄城邦的執政者便不會是法律和一向被視為至尊的理性，而是極為平常的快樂與痛苦了。

「一種為自然中本有」應為事物的概念，跟「真實的世界」的概

首先我相信柏拉圖所講的

念是相符的；而「第二種則是由木匠所製造的」應為人造的事物，跟「現實世界」中人造的知識是相對的；而最後的「模仿」是否就是「藝術」呢？

「藝術 j 逃不了再現的功能，但非為它的目的。柏拉圖所說「模仿」的性質是三等的，藝術家從事的工作是複製的再複製，所以不應當真。然而「現代藝術」是發現、認知、啟示

及創造，而不只於純粹的模仿及影像的複製。那麼柏拉圖為什麼沒有指出藝術的本質呢？恐怕是因為出於對藝術的恐懼。藝術帶有啟發認知的能力，害怕人發現超乎理性以外

的想法，後果將會# 致「理想國」的失控和毀掉。藝術是相當危險的，它可引發出人內在

，一條穿越「現實世界」到達

的潛能，打破理性的規限，在非理性 (想像、幻象、夢) 中游走

「真實世界」的途徑。藝術不會是純創新，它應是認知以後把意識恢復的行為；藝術不是純觀念，它要透過創造的過程，來驗證真實的一面。

我通過《我的真寅生活》（作品三) 來驗證「我」的真實面，而不是從模仿中或概念中製造

」

藝術；不是以創作為出發點，而是從現實生活中觀察「我」，「我變為了客體，這過程之

後才有藝術的出現。藝術不是模仿現寅世界的事情之後的再現或再造，它是從生活中通過經驗藝術後直接進入本質；透過藝術創作所得的經驗，可以是無意識的經驗，一種非

，一種沒有功能性的活動，一種唯一透過藝術創造恢復的「原始」狀態。

帶有目的性的手段

理解通過藝術可逢到本質是一件事情，生活在現實的混亂中也是一種境界。 f 真實世界

和「現寅世界」可以是同一件事情，也可以是存著矛盾的兩個世界(作品四 )。我喜歡在這

兩個世界之間游走，累了便「入睡」，過了

陣子便會自然「醒來」。或許，明白了以後，

還是照樣地生活下去。

言軍偉平

ltam@hkac.org.hk

謀偉平畢業於英國倫敦大學斯萊迪藝術學院研究院。現任職香港藝術學院課程統籌及講師，亦為藝術地圖之

主席及其創辦人之一。作品曾於香港、中國、台灣、英國、美國及法國等地展出。

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Translator; Stephanie Cheung

—

一.3

Artist Statement: Here, I look at me over there *Tam Wai Ping The modern man lives in hyperactivity. This is a choice, and also something inevitable. Such a life is at times lucrative; at the same time it costs our autonomy. We live in a web of complex relationships: our lives and work affect some nameless entities far away; other unknown forces and collective lives bring us to a future, hardly willed by ourselves.

We cannot live alone, but independence is still important. In face of the pervasive "unification” taking place all around us, perhaps an independent consciousness is all the more essential. Our world is facing numerous problems, all yet to be solved. We are used to solving problems only when they break out. Very likely, problems get all mixed up and become more and more overwhelming. Problem solving is actually not good enough - we should rather see to the core of problems. People are basically the source of all problems. The ultimate project of philosophy, history, political studies, psychology, human geography...is always an understanding of people. If our problems all come from ourselves, the first and foremost way to tackle them is to sort things out on an individual level. Then all national, social, work and family problems will not be difficult anymore. This is not an advocacy for individualism, narcissism, emancipation,

idealism or any political ideology. I am just putting forth a discussion about an individual.

I am reluctant to talk about people. When I started making art, I always avoided showing people in my work because I did not understand their complexity. I simply could not handle the subject. Having run away from the subject for a long time, I got to realise the importance of understanding people, and the interesting thing about it. To rekindle such a consciousness, I started with self understanding (Note!). I started with myself because such an understanding is immediate and I do not have to be responsible to others. However, things turn out to the contrary. When I tried to look into myself, I never succeed fully. We cannot even see our appearance. We have to rely on reflections - on water (Artwork 1), in mirrors, shadows, photographs or through other media. The "self" in all these is "second-hand” and indirect. One can never trust such images.

{Note”

"What I have lost" "Whenever I gain something, I lose more, I can no longer verify this conclusion, written in my 20s. That pessimism has always stayed with me. Perhaps my life has always been troubled by feelings of insecurity. Doubts drive me to search. I know this is never-ending, like the mythical story of Sisyphus (who drags a huge rock all the way up a mountain; whenever he reaches the peak, he slips and starts from the bottom again). The only difference between my story and Sisyphus’s endless torture is that I am free when I make art. I can take a break from the routines of life.

Life's repetitions take up most of my time. Modern life mechanically devours my time and space; it even gets me used to its mode. Art-making becomes an occasional rebellion. Rebellious thoughts touch my nerves. This is all heedless; but it restores my self consciousness and wakes my senses.

Tam Wai Ping, 23 April 2003

Introspection, on the other hand, is dangerous. When one really looks at oneself, one sees the split between one’s inner-truth self and one's external everyday self. How are the true

self different from physical self? The physical world is a reflection of Truth. The former is the manifestation; the latter the origin of this "shadow". Absurdity, beauty, allure, glamour, evilness...are all descriptions of the real world. The realm of Truth, on the other hand, cannot be described. There are no human standards; only objective processes. Truth is the origin of the tangible; it is the path to the nature of things (Note2).

In everyday life, we do not have to bother about the nature of everything. Eventually, pragmatics evades Truth. This leads to escapism, compromise, make-belief and indulgence. The rules of everyday life overshadow our innate being - primitive desires and animalistic instincts. For example, the concept of class conventionalizes different doctrines, laws and standards. It delimits right and wrong, and configures a supposedly

rational and universal way of life. Ultimately, it creates hegemony of the ruler and the ruled. It is conceptually dangerous to break rules. People think that this would bring damage and instability. They fear that, if they turn away from this world, they would sink into primitive uncertainty. But should the self live in other people's shadow? Or should I resurrect its primitive, true nature?

(Note2)

"Origin here means that from and by which something is what it is and as it is. What something is, as it is, we call its essence or nature. The origin of something is the source of

its nature/' Martin Heidegger, The Origin of the Work of Art. [Translator’s note: The quoted part comes from an electronic version of Hofstadter.s English translation of Poetry, Language, Thought (Chapter 1: The Orgin of the Work of Art): http://btobsearch.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?z = y&btob=Y&ean = 978 0060937287&pwb = 1&displayonly = EXC]

Truth is knowable, just that knowledge of it is not immediate. People can only get to know Truth by experiencing the physical world. Sometimes Truth feels fake; some people take dreams as the only truth, thus turning it imaginary and unfathomable (Note3j. Such insights are threatening because once people see the nature of things, they would find it difficult to conform to the mundane regulations. When people rediscover their primitive consciousness, they are no longer governed by existing values. The self no longer lives in others' influence. Autonomy is restored. The self lives by its own standard.

Yet the fact is, we cannot leave the physical world, and we cannot just walk into the realm of Truth anytime. Only the uberman (superman)(Note4) is capable of transcending the ties of society, family, morality, religion and institutions forces that have shaped the world for thousands of years. Most ordinary people reside (Artwork 2) in pragmatics, in spite of the alienation from Truth.

—

The metaphysical polemics always mean a dilemma between conformation and alienation.

So, what is the relationship between Truth, the World and Art? The Platonic cannon of "Art as Imitation" (Note5) has far-fetching impact on aesthetics. In The Republic, Plato captures a conversation between Socrates and the young Glaucon. Socrates explains the exclusion of artists from the republic. His sees the reason in the nature of art - and the nature of existence.

(Note3)

"Men of philosophical disposition are known for their constant premonition that our everyday reality, too, is an illusion, hiding another, totally different kind of reality." Friedrich Nietzsche, The Birth of Tragedy. [Translator's Note: The quoted part comes from an electronic version of Golffing and Kaufmann's English translation of The Birth of Tragedy (Section 1): http://www.geocities.com/thenietzschechannel/bt3.htm ]

The following is an excerpt of the conversation (Nÿte6) : Socrates, 'Then let us take any set you choose. For example, there are many particular beds and tables, G/aucon, "Yes/

Socrates, "But there are only two forms, one of bed and one of table. Glaucon, JYes/ Socrates, 'Then we normally say that the maker of either of these kinds of furniture had his eye on the appropriate form when he makes the beds and tables we use; and similarly with other things. For no craftsman could possibly make the form itself, could he?’ f

Socrates, JDo you know that there’s a sense in which you could create them itself?’ Glaucon, 'What sense?" Socrates, It’s not difficult, and can be done in various ways quite quickly. The quickest way is to take a mirror and turn it round in all directions; before long you will create sun and stars and earth, yourself and all other animals and plants Glaucon, 'Yes but they would only be reflections, not real things/ /

(Note4) "Talent is the ability to maintain a purely sensual status, to discard the self in senses and to remove the knowledge that exists purely to worship in the ritual of the will// Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation.

[Translator's note: in the original Chinese version of the text the author uses the phrase " chaoren [超人] ", literally "superman", to refer to this Nietzschean idea of uberman {or Gbermensch }• The idea refers to strong-will individuals who can transcend social norms and create new values (see Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None, first published in German in 1880s1890s; trans. Graham Parkes, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005). To make it clearer for the English readers, Nietzsche's own term is used in this translation. In the Chinese original, this note includes a quote from a Chinese translation of Schopenhauer's The World as Will and Presentation. The quote, a discussion on talent, basically reassures the importance of self-consciousness and rejects the ritualistic hegemony of knowledge.] (Noted)

Thomas E. Wartenberg, On the Nature of Art. Plato, Art as Imitation. (Note6) Plato, Translated by Desmond Lee, The Republic, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd, 1955.

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Socrates: 'You may perhaps object that the things he creates are not real; and yet there is a sense in which the painter creates a bed, isn’t there? Glaucon: 'Yes, he produces an appearance of one•’

Socrates: 'Then shall we try to discover just what the activity of representation is, on the basis of this example?’ G/aucon: 'Yes, please/

Socrates: 'We have seen that there are three sorts of bed. The first exists in nature, and we would say, I suppose, that it was made by god. No one else could have made it, could they?’ Glaucon: 1 think not, Socrates: JThe second is made by the carpenter/ G/aucon: 'Yes/

Socrates: 'And the third by the painter?’

Socrates: 'And what about the artist? Does he make or manufacture?’ G/aucon: yNo/

Socrates: 'Then what does he do?’ G/aucon: 7 think that we may fairly claim that he represents what the other two make/

Socrates: 'The art of representation is therefore a long way removed from the Truth, and it is able to reproduce everything because it has little grasp of anything, and that little is of a mere phenomenal appearance.

Socrates: 'Now to another point. The artist who makes a likeness of a thing knows nothing about the reality but only about the appearance - that was what we said, wasn’t it?’ Glaucon: 'Yes/ Socrates: 'Homer is the best of poetry that should be allowed in a state is hymns to the gods and paeans in praise of good men; once you go beyond that and admit the sweet lyric or epic muse, pleasure and pain become your rulers instead of law and the rational principles commonly accepted as best,

Plato's idea of natural existence belongs to the realm of Truth. The second kind of things, which are "made by carpenters", are artificial, and correspond to man-made knowledge. As for "imitation", is it the same as art?

Art is inevitably representational. But this is not its goal. Plato’s idea of "imitation" refers to a third order: artists copy copies, so the work should not be taken as real. Modern art is about discovering, knowing, inspiring and creating. It is never just imitation. Why did Plato refrain from pointing out the nature of art? It was probably out of fear: art stimulates thinking; it transcends rationality; eventually it may overthrow his ideal republic. Art is dangerous. It can bring out Man’s inner potentials, and transgress the limits of rationality. In an irrational (imaginative, illusory, dreamy) manner, it leads one from the physical world to the realm of Truth. Art is not just about innovation. It is about cognition and consciousness. Art is not just about concepts. Through creative acts, it tests reality.

Instead of working on imitation or concepts, I tested my own reality through My Real Life (Artwork 3). The work did not start with art making. It started with observing myself in real life. I objectified myself, and the work came from the process. Art did not imitate nor represent the world. Rather, through live experiences, art got to the nature of life. When one gains experiences through art making, instead of being purposeful and strategic, s/he can be heedless. Such pursuits are not functional, just that they lead one back to a more primitive state. Seeing art's insight to the nature of things is one thing; living in the chaos of everyday life is another. The everyday world and Truth can be exactly the same. At the same time, they can be contradictory (Artwork 4). I enjoy wandering between the two realms. When I am tired, I "get some sleep. After a while, I "wake" naturally. Perhaps, after understanding all these, I just live on as before.

(作品三）《我的真實生活系列一譚偉平》，

照片/1997

2004 年，尺寸不一。

「我覺得非常混亂，記憶都翻倒了。

(Artwork 3) "My Real Life Series" - Tam Wai Ping, Photography / 1997 - 2004, Dimension variable. J,l am very confused. My memories are shuffled along with my consciousness,

FUJI RDPI

I I I1 I I mm if

r# %

《我的訪客》

《我的演出》

她對我說： f 神經病!」掉頭便走了，.我覺得我有一

她說：「不要。j 我知道她想著別的男人遢好，逭只是導演安排

點過份，有點歉意，但來得太快了，不知怎樣應對，

的情節 > 但生活中並沒有情節的安排，只有真實的事情。但戲還是

也不敢跟別人說.好像逭樣對我倆的形象都不好算了吧！要做的都做了，多想也沒意思•但心裡還

要繼纗的演下去。

是衝出一種莫名的馗尬及被輕蔑的感覺

My Acting She said, “No.” ? knew that she was thinking of another man, I knew it. Thank god that it was only a fictional drama created by the director. But there is no fiction in life, and there are onfy real happenings. But the drama goes on.

My Visitor She said, MYou nutsr and then walked away. / felt uncomfortable because / thought / was a bit over the line. But it happened too fast that / didn't know how to react. It seemed not appropriate to talk about it with other people as it might do harm to our image, hers and mine. Bygones! It is no use thinking about it over and over again as / have tried my best. But deep down in my heart / feel something awkward and being treated with disdain.

Mil

卞一炱一

《我的記者證》

《我的訪問》

想起當天電視台女監製差點兒跟同事打架，都瘋了。

我在電視訪問中介紹其他藝術家的作品 .? 有些外

外面各國的記者都齊集在大銀幕前觀看最要緊的時

國地方考慮政治的因素重些•有些地方則考慮人文

刻 .已在逋裡逗了幾天，大家都想趕快回家在臨時

的因素 .有些地方則不同 .純粹是藝術價值的發展

影廠內 .高級監製站在控制台的後排. 偶爾跟身旁的

我機械式的把介紹藝術台詞鯰完 ■•在藝術圈裡大家

入發表一下意見，前排的同事例行把按鈕及操控捍

都唸著差不多的台詞，大家都似懂非懂 .有台詞遢好 ,

推拿一下.最歷史性的時刻便發放於波頻去

戲才可演下去.看誰的比較好看

My Press Pass

My Interview

That day, the female TV producer nearly had a fight with other colleagues. They were all very mad. Reporters from all over the world, standing in front of and looking at the big screen, were waiting outside for the important moment to come. They had been waiting in here for a couple of days and all they wanted is to go home soon. Inside the temporary studio, the senior producer was standing at the back of the control panel, occasionally uttered a word or two to others. Some colleagues sitting in front of the control panel were switching the buttons and sticks as usual, and then the historical moment was broadcast in the air.

/ did an interview in a leading

》

TV station in Hong

Kong for promoting other artists works. "Some countries give more weight to political considerations, and some other countries are more inclined to humanitarian concerns, while some other places have very different views. This is purely a development of the value of art, / mechanically finished my lines on introducing art. In the art circle, everyone is speaking more or less the same thing, and it is questionable whether the speaker completely understands what he is talking about. Anyway, it is good to have these standard lines that facilitate the drama to go onÿ Let's see whose drama is better. f

•照片、海報《二度現寅》

沿彌敦

道從佐敦、油麻地、旺角、太子張貼 3000 張海報 / 兩星期時間 .由晚上六

時至零時三時）、裝置（時鐺酒店）、錄像(Kubrick 窨局 )/2005 年。

(Artwork 4) "Second Reality", Photography, Poster (posting 3000 posters for 2 weeks from 6:00pm - 3:00am at Nathan Road - from Jordon, Yau Ma Tei, Mongkok, Prince

cÿ尸

Edward), Installation (love hotel), Video (Kubrick Bookshop) /

二度現霣一後感

r 從樓梯轉上，聽到 [嘟 j -a後門便開了，是從閉路電視得知客人上門的•■先生是時租或過夜？帶你進去看看， 99 號尾房是間大房，算你便宜的 500 元。現在自由人客比較多 .房間都不一定有的，道間好不好 _? 好的出

. 道是間不錯的房間，

去登記

把門關好 .進入了只有我和你的世界，倆人相對著幾乎把空氣凝固，那是

次進入泥沼的關係，是那種慢慢陷

入而不能抽身的事情•無論前進或後退，總是步伐蹣跚•房間內就像無邊的泥沼，讓我無法找到自己的位置 .

唯有把電視打開，尋找現寅世界的依據，適已是一種慰藉的習? .像是進入家門先把電視開上，不要讓空氣凝固. 逭房? 帶著冬天陰寒的濕味•我把冷氣機當作?氣機使用，好像改變了性別似的 .排出機械性的?風 .斗

室的空氣總是怎樣調教 .也感覺得不自然. 放棄了，我們開始脫掉衣服，相信對方的體溫才是最自然的慰藉我在那

刻是逭樣想的

我突然清醒，好像想起了什

我把房間內唯一的窗戶打開，外面風很柔和，陽光照拂著草地，很大很大的天地

?非常重要的事情，那是一次非常嚮往、深刻的經驗，好像很久以前曾經發生過

但總是記不起在那裡發生及

和跟誰在一起，我只知道那次經驗對我非常的重要。而現在.我想尋回那消逝了的記憶 , 窗不知在那時已關上.然後燈關上 .腦裡通停留下一點殘光，終於熄滅了，進入了一個無夢的睡眠

課偉平寫於2005 年一月二十二日

Second Reality afterword MAfter a turn at the staircase and a Jbeep' sound, the door opened. They knew guests were coming from the closed circuit TV. Hourly rent or one-night-stay. Sir? I can show you the room if you like. No.99 is a big room at the end of the corridor. $500 for a night, that’s a good discount. Now we have more guests than before, sometimes rooms are full. How about this one? You can register for the room outside if you like. This is really a nice room. Shut the door. Now, only you and me, face to face. The air was condensed and still. We were dragged in the relationship, the mucky relationship. We fell and fell and fell, until one day we could no longer walk out of it. No matter we advance or retreat, we dragged through it. The room was a vast morass where I could not find my position.

In the search for a basis for the reality, I reluctantly switched on the TV. Such had long

been my habit of consolation once I stepped in my apart merit, I switch on the TV so as to switch on the air. The room was chilled with winter mist. I turned on the air conditioner as if it was a heater. Like changing sex, it began to exhaust warm air. No matter how I tried, I could never tune the temperature to make us easy. So, we started to take off our clothes, our body temperature became each other's only natural comfort. ? did believe so at that moment.

I opened the only window in the room. The wind was gentle and sweet, the sun beamed down upon the restful grass, and I saw the infinite sky. Suddenly, I was awakened, like something important suddenly crossed my mind. That was an unforgettable and beautiful experience. It happened before, but I could not recall when or with whom. I only realized that it was something great in my life. And now, I wanted to go back to my lost memory. Without noticing, the window was closed once again, then, the lights were out. The only fading glow in my head disappeared, and I, fell into a dreamless sleep,

Tam Wai Pingf 22 Jan 2005.

我倒沒有發覺事情是這樣的發生，相片中的我來得並不真實，那是一種發生過後才意識到的東西，相片最初只是作為一種紀事的活動，並沒有所謂觀念性的藝術。我想，每個人所經歷的真實比模仿性的真實來得更直接，沒有修飾，沒有動機，複雜得非常隨意，隨

意生活在混亂中，亂得分不清楚何謂真實。

I have never noticed things happened that way. My "self" constructed in the photographs seems so unreal, and I can only sort out the feelings afterwards. Originally, photographs are for the documenting purpose, and it has nothing to do with so-called conceptual art. However, I think that the authenticity of individual experience is more straightforward than the "mimic authenticity". No embellishment, no motivation. Relax, and live in chaos. Sometimes it is so chaotic that we can hardly know about the reality.

oTam Wai Ping

ltam@hkac.org.hk

Tam Wai Ping completed his postgraduate study with distinction from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College of London, UK in 1995. He serves as a programme coordinator and lecturer in the Hong Kong Art School. He is also the founder and director of Art Map & A.M. Post. His work has been shown widely in various countries, e.g., Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, UK, USA and France.

白管子《白文

『賣藝日』

作分享 i

TW .ÿ

:ÿ.rCÿP4

楊嘵棠老慧行楊美青

▲雄‘:•

前言老慧行

在香港有關視覺藝術的課程主要分為兩大類：就是藝術創作和藝術史課程；藝術創作課程是培育藝術創作者的、而藝術史課程是培育藝術研究學者的。藝術作為一門專業，上

述兩者固然重要，可是「藝術行政」訓練的重要性亦不遑多讓。

本地所提供的藝術行政訓練非常缺乏，大多是供業界進修 (註一)，或附著在整個藝術課程中的一個副修科目而已。以藝術行政掛帥，由零開始的藝術行政課程則欠奉。這現象是否意味著藝術行政管理比藝術創作和藝術史的地位低呢？還是藝術行政與一般行政無異，並不需要特別進修呢？

事實並非如此。藝術行政是專業，並且是很實際的一門學問，亦是各地藝術發展中不可

或缺的一環。藝術行政本來就是藝術系之中的一科，海外和國內的學府都不曾把藝術行政課程看輕。比方說，藝術創作就像廠家製造產品，而藝術管理就像展示、推廣及銷售

貨品，兩者都同樣重要。這樣看來，藝術管理和藝術創作又怎會不唇齒相依呢？如果沒有了藝術展覽場地，沒有適當的宣傳，沒有明確的策展方向，那管藝術家在工作室裡的

作品再好，也沒有機會讓人知道。

(註一）

香港藝術學院由 2002 年開辦了藝術行政專業證書課程 .但主要供業界人士報讀

0 4

學院藝術空間淺談楊曉棠

在藝術學院開設畫廊，應該是理所當然的事。藝術學生既可有途徑和機會發表作品，給予外界了解其水平，更可觀摩藝術家或同學的作品和構思，由於他們來自不同背景，又

從事不同媒介的創作，便能激發更多討論及創作動力。實際上，看來理所當然的行動，是否能理所當然地運作暢順，當中又會遇上多少得失？又有誰來支持它的運作呢？

作為一名藝術學生，由不太熟悉藝術這東西，到有機會從實際運作來認識藝術統籌及

管理工作，過程有點匆忙，但也認識到不少管理上要注意的地方。看著新學院畫廊連名字還沒有，到慢慢有不少傳媒刊物報導和介紹，讓筆者明白只要肯承擔責任，多複雜的

構想也可成事。而白管子 (香港藝術學院畫廊，下稱白管子 ) 便這樣成事了。它由香港藝

，一班願意承擔的藝術學生協助運作，擔任各職務及執行展覽統

術學院資深導師帶領

籌工作。白管子是由前學院畫廊演變的，現在除了給學院學生外, 也有藝術家用作展覽

場地，也出版有關藝術理論的刊物及舉辦藝術籌款展覽。那麼，它的出現有何意義呢？我們又在承擔什麼責任呢？

其實學院內藝術空間的出現，可以改變往常的藝術教育模式。我們一般期望在藝術學

校學習藝術品的製作過程，尋找和運用適當的物料，作為表達自我思想的工具。學校有

了自己的藝術空間後，學生便開始留意發表的可能性，意識到要為自己籌辦展覽。這可能只吸引到較為積極的學生，但他們的展覽能吸引院內其他學生的注意及校內導師的參觀，令這件事情變得更有互動性，展覽者會認真地想想作品的呈現方式和完成度，其

他同學亦會彼此感染，積極策劃展覽以展示自我學習成果及過程。這樣，籌辦展覽便成為一種學習風氣，藝術學院不再單純為學習完成藝術品各種技巧和竅門的場所，學校藝術空間的出現，使學習更全面，學生自信心也能大大提升。此外，幫助管理這類空間

的同學亦大有裨益。筆者從中明白唸藝術的學生也可以有不同出路，所謂出路，並非全然指畢業後賺取生活費的途徑，而是修讀藝術意藝的其他可能性。唸藝術不一定要成

為藝術家，但絕對可以憑著其他獨有的能力，應付有關藝術的工作，如藝術管理，寫作或策劃。

白管子在財政上具有頗高的獨立性，不用背著既有的理念和規則，讓我們想出以不同的

籌款方式支持白管子的運作。一年一度的賣藝日，邀請藝術學生或藝術家提供作品作籌款買賣，同學有機會發表創作成果，嘗試為作品定價，反應熱烈。為了令《白文本》能順利出版，我們想到一個頗新鮮的活勖一短片放映會。財政獨立可能阻礙白管子的發展，但我們從中想到多樣藝術活動，學習變通，更讓不同媒介的藝術有多一條的出路 (註二)。

獨立，讓白管子出現多個具革命性的展覽：較令筆者難忘的展覽包括白管子開幕日及首個展覽會。我們徵集多件以「新」作主題的不同媒介的作品，吸引了外界的全職和業餘藝術家。場地佈置更是別出心裁，我們以多條手製的透明管道連貫全場，藝術品放在內，給

人統一及鮮明的視覺效果。首個藝術家展?一《交換•歷史》，是香港藝術家林嵐在 Lamu 的作品記錄。一個個飄逸的紗帳，整齊地排列，吊掛在展場的中央，讓經過的人或觀賞者有全新的觀看體驗。還有《藝術的歷史，我們的故事》，以創作回應學生眼中的藝術史

，這類展覽在主題上很像課堂學習，但其實是可以引發很多學生之間的討論。故此，白管子是一個可以容納既實驗性又具專業水平的展覽空間。

總括筆者的經驗和觀察，白管子當然有需要改進的地方，包括展後討論、配合合適的宣傳、展覽資料的記錄及整理和內部溝通。相信這些都是其他藝術場地要面對的問題，筆者認為隨著經驗的累積，現存問題應能慢慢解決。

長遠而言，大家若能夠重視藝術管理教育及藝術學生出路就更理想。

(註二

短片放映會

——

個名為《白光影》的獨立影片與錄像欣賞會，於 2005 年七月二十日假白管子舉行。此放映會不

獨是白管子首次與其他媒體合作的項目，亦給子學生一個機會與媒體藝術創作者分享創作的心得。

f 白光影-獨立短片與錄像欣賞會 J 白管子， 2005 年

Z1, White Tube, 2005.

《白文本》的誕生老慧行根據近年學習所得，視覺藝術從來都不只是視覺上的東西，而是理論、實踐、想法、政治等問題加起來的一種語言。如果認識藝術只認識映影而不涉足理論研究，難免未能

明白藝術品背後真正的意義。認識藝術理論，文字出版是當然之選，奈何以中文編製的視覺藝術文字雜誌一向較少，尤其是談本地藝術的，細數之下不過幾部。出版數目

少，要談的事情多，自然而生的問題有二：一是內容不夠深入，二是聲音不夠全面。雖說

，一

多辦一部新的視覺藝術雜誌並不代表一切問題都會得到解決，但能夠向前踏出一步

定是一件美好的事。 2005 年白管子開始了《白文本》的出版。《白文本》談的是本地藝術理論，當中涉及到的

是不同科目或藝術理念的研究、不同作品的分析、自我論述、大小展覽感想和書評等等。

在過去數期中我們邀請了於藝術圈內不同位置的作者，就著自己的研究和經驗自由撰寫文章，希望文章能從不同角度帶出討論。我們的出版目的是單純的，除了給同學們?讀

這個教育目的，還藉此給本地視覺藝術帶來多一點討論空間，在這方面我們是成功的，因為《白文本》的確讓不同的作者分別道出了心中所想，同時亦提醒了我們這些修讀藝術創作科目的同學，在手藝之外，藝術還有其他很多的範疇。

《白文本》出版的時候，白管子的同學同時擔當管理，編輯和宣傳等工作。要成事先要有金錢；印刷、翻譯、作者稿費等，處處都花錢，《白文本》可算是白管子牽涉到最多金錢的項目。對於堅持以紙張形式辦《白文本》，是經過有關閱讀文章時的種種考慮。相比起螢光幕，書本是比較令人專注的一種載體，有利於思考和再閱讀，紙張印刷遂成為

《白文本》的發表形式。金錢對於我們來說是很困難的事，白管子向來舉辦展覽是免費的，只在一年一度的「賣藝日」，白管子才會有微薄的進賬，以應付日常開支。而《白文本》出版高度獨立，因為我們相信財政獨立是思想獨立的唯一法子。沒有財團支持，沒有穩

定贊助，《白文本》就只靠「賣藝日」賺回來的錢和四方八面籌募回來的善款維持第一期

的開支。那天我們左手拿著一張出版概念，右手拿著自製木造錢箱，沒有能夠說服別人資助的憑證，就這樣子走進藝術學院各班課室籌募善款：當天的一分一毫，都是同學們的信任和支持。至於《白文本》的售價，對學生來說雖不算是便宜，但絕對是支持持纗出版之中的最低價，為的就是希望有更多人可以接觸到這本書。相比起白管子的日常運作，《白文本》的運作需要更緊密的組織，當中時間控制和人手分配尤為重要。作為藝術學生，在創作的時候，獨立思考和自我追尋往往比一切重要，分工合

作和把握時間對於我們來說是一種久逢了的學習。學習需要時間，人與人之間亦需要時

間去磨合, 作為執行編輯，在《白文本》出版初期，一切都要從頭學起，不論是人際關係、管理技巧以至編輯統籌，由零開始到經驗的累積，當中的得著並不是課堂上能夠學到的。正如課堂經驗未必可以帶到工作，從工作中得到的經驗亦不是課堂經驗所能取代的。

白管子的同學並不是專業的藝術管理人員，不過我們相信只要努力做一件事情，結果是好是壞並不重要，得到的經驗就是再向前走一步的依據。

一件可喜?的事楊美青一群熱愛藝術的人為令到更多人對藝術多加一點了解，並拉近彼此之間的距離，所以鼓勵收藏藝術品，希望藝術普及化，令本地文化藝術多加一點色彩，多添一些熱鬧的氣

氛；在 2002 年，這一伙人就以此單純的理念開始實踐理想，而「賣藝日」便在這個構思下誕生。從香港藝術學院的舊址到現在香港藝術中心香港藝術學院十樓白管子

——

個

穩定的地方，至今「賣藝日」已舉辦了四年，所有收益作為白管子舉辦所有活動的支出及《白文本》出版經費之用。它是由香港藝術學院資深導師帶領一群願意承擔責任的香港藝術學院之學生，以義工形式參與統籌、策劃甚至實行的工作。

張慧婷老師連同四+ 位藝術文憑一年班同學. 「藝術的歷史 . 我們的故事] •白管子，2006 年。

知識、技巧及能力，在策劃活動上有著很重要的影響；而團體合作性亦緊扣著這三個特質。歷年來我們曾嘗試以不同的主題帶出藝術普及化這個概念，如在藝術品中尋找賓藏、藉收藏藝術品提高個人生活品味等等。另一方面，除了作品買賣之外，亦曾經擺設各種

類型以藝術為主的小攤子，如自製玻璃瓶裝飾、售霣白管子印製的杯子、自製咖啡室等等

有時候作品質素可能參差不齊，但看到每件作品各具特質，像似一個孕育過程中呈現出的一連串猜想不到的驚喜一樣。而買者亦會按照自己的喜好，從心出發來選擇收藏，建立個人品味。所以，尋找事物的本質，也許是藝術學生創作基礎的優勝之處吧！

一件藝術作品需要藝術家用時間來凝聚結晶，這是看不到的時間，而這些卻是創作中最可愛的地方。要逢到藝術普及化，讓普羅大眾都可以接近的藝術，是有賴於各藝術團體

以合一的心態來締造的。我們希望藉著「賣藝日」推動本地藝術文化之餘，令更多人知道香港藝術品是有價值，而且是可被大眾接受並推而廣之。再者，亦有助平衡整個藝術生

態，藝術家在經濟上得到支持，便可以更專注地創作。此外，藝術學生透過售賣作品而得到認同感，從而建立自信，對他們的學習過程中產生鼓勵的作用。

經過籌劃這個活動，幫忙籌備、管理的每一位同學所體會到的都不少於在課堂中的學習。而從陌生、混亂、模糊的狀態下，摸索一些解決問題的方法，並且發掘事情的可能性的

時候，我才察覺到這種經歷與學習藝術的過程甚是相似。一年又一年，「賣藝日」的可貴之處不在於賺的錢有多少，而是每個同學一起齊心協力去面對事情、去為事情幻想、坦

白地去表達自己的想法，然後一起迎接成果。所以它亦成為了我在學習藝術過程中一個珍貴的記號。

楊曉棠

hiutong_yeung@yahoo.com.hk

2006 年畢業於香港藝術學院與澳州皇家墨爾本理工大學合辦之文學士學位課程 ( 純藝術 )。 2002 年畢業於香港演藝學院服裝及佈景設計系文憑。曾為《伙炭工作室開放計劃》

及《藝訊》

撰文。現為白管子統籌

及兒童藝術# 師。

? 老慧行

lowaihang@gmail.com

2003 年畢業於嶺南大學文學士（文化研究）榮# 學位課程，現為香港藝術學院與澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學合辦

的藝術文學士學位 (純藝術) 之學生及《白文本》執行編輯。

楊美青

circleymc@gmail.com

畢業於香港藝術學院美術與設計證香課程及藝術文憑課程。現為該校與澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學合辦的藝術文學士學位 (純藝術) 之學生。曾於 2004 年資藝日參展及 2005/06 年檐任寶藝日統籌工作。

Translator: Amy Chin

Sharing on White Tube, White and "Art Fair" * Candy Yeung, Lo Wai Hang, Yang Mei Ching Foreword Lo Wai Hang In Hong Kong, there are mainly two types of course that offer professional visual art

training: studio art programme and art history programme. Studio art programmes aim at nurturing artists, while art history programmes aim at nurturing art historians. Both are essential for the development of art as a profession, but art administration training should be just as important as them.

Art administration trainings available in Hong Kong is very much lacking; most of them

are for people who are working in the industry, or are merely some minor courses included in an art programme

(NoteDÿThere

is not a single programme that bears the title MArt

Administration" and is totally dedicated to it. Does this mean that art administration has

a lower status than art creation and art history? Or does it mean that art administration is the same as general administration; and no need to go through special training?

The answer is No. Art administration is a profession: it is a very practical discipline, an essential part of art development in any given place. Art administration is a discipline

originally under the Art Faculty; overseas and Mainland Chinese institutions have never

regarded art administration programmes as unimportant. For example, art creation is similar to product manufacturing, while art administration is like displaying, promoting

and selling products. Both are equally important. From this perspective, art administration and art creation are in a totally interdependent relationship. If there are no exhibition

venues, appropriate promotions or clear curatorial direction, no matter how good the

pieces are, they will remain in the artists' studio without a chance of being known by others.

Eÿ

(Note1)

Hong Kong Art School offers the Professional Certificate in Arts Management programme since 2002; most students of this programme are those working in the industry.

A Brief Discussion on the Art Space in Hong Kong Art School Candy Yeung

To open an art gallery in an institute of art seems natural. Art students can have a channel and chance to show their works, an opportunity for being known, as well as a chance for them to learn about other artists' or classmates' works and ideas. As students come from different backgrounds and engage in creations of different media, an art gallery can stimulate

more discussions and creativity. In reality, can this seemingly natural thing be operated smoothly? How many gains and loss are involved? Who are there to support its operation? An art student like me has gone through a learning process from unfamiliar subject like art

making to art coordination and art administration work, I was a bit hectic, but I have learnt

a lot. From a new gallery without a given name, till it gradually received some media

reportage, I came to understand that as long as one is willing to take up the responsibility, even the most complicated ideas can become true. This was how White Tube (a gallery of

Hong Kong Art School) started. Led by experienced teachers and run with assistance from committed art students who helped in various posts and carried out exhibition coordination duties, White Tube developed from a gallery in school’s learning centre; now it is widely

used as exhibition venue for students and artists too. It also initiates publication in art

theory and organises fund-raising exhibitions. So, what are the implications of its existence? What kind of responsibilities are we taking up? The emergence of art space inside institute can change the traditional mode of art education.

In an art institute, we generally expect to learn the process of art making, the use of and find the appropriate materials to express our thoughts. When the school has its own art

space, students will look for possibilities to show their work in an exhibition setting. This can possibly attract the active. Their exhibitions will arouse the interest of other students and teachers in the school and led the whole event more dynamic. Exhibitors will give a

serious thought on the presentation and the completeness of their work. Other students will also be affected and actively organize their exhibitions to show their self-motivated

output and process, and this attitude becomes a positive learning atmosphere. The school is no longer purely a venue for learning the skills and tricks of completing artworks. The existence of an art space makes learning more complete; students confidence will also be

「資藝日05J , 2005年,

"Art Fair 05", 2005.

greatly boosted. Moreover, students who help to manage such space will also be benefited. I have come to understand that art students can also have many options in their career after graduation. By "options" I do not only mean the way to earn a living, I

also mean the meaning of studying art in other possibilities. It is not necessary to become artist, but we can definitely make use of our other abilities in art, to apply to many art

related work such as administration, writing or coordination work.

Financially, White Tube enjoys a rather high autonomy. It does not have the burden of set ideals and rules, so we can use different fundraising methods to support its running. The annual art fair invites art students or artists to provide artworks for fundraising. Students have a chance to present their creative work and set them own price. It has received

overwhelming responses. To enable the publishing of White Text, we thought of a new idea

- short film screening.

Financial autonomy may be a hindrance to the development

of White Tube, but it also enables us to come up with new activities, to be flexible, and

to offer additional outlets for the other media (Nÿte2).

As an independent organization, White Tube has many revolutionary exhibitions. The most memorable exhibitions included White Tube Opening Exhibition. We collected many works from different medium with "New" as the theme and attracted professional and amateur

artists. Venue design was ingenious. We used many hand-made transparent tubes to run

through the whole venue and put the artwork inside. This gave a sense of unity and created a sharp visual effect. The first artist exhibition "Exchange-History" was a record

of work at Lamu, by Hong Kong artist Jaffa Lam. Free-flowing curtains were placed neatly and hung in the middle of the venue, so that all viewers can have a new visual experience. Then there was "Art History", Our Stories which students used artwork to respond to their understanding in art history. Thematically speaking, this exhibition seemed like a

topic set for the class. It actually had a lot of discussions among students. White Tube is an exhibition space which encourages all kinds of professional experimentation works. (Note2) Short Film Screening: "White Light", an independent film appreciation and showcase was held at White

Tube on 20 July 2005. Not only it was the first cooperation between White Tube and other media, but also provide an opportunity for students to share their experiences on art and creativity with the

participating artists.

f 阿女 bra braj 邀請咭 . 白管子. 2004 年. MAh nii Bra Braw Invitation Card, White Tube, 2004. *ÿ"•.ÿ

Sir*二

According to my experience and observation, there are of course lots of areas needed to be improved in White Tube, such as, to have more exhibition discussions, good publicity, exhibition documentation and internal communication. I believe that other art venues also face these problems. I believe that as we gain more experience, we will solve the problems

eventually. In the long run, it will be even better if the public can be more aware of the importance of art administration and career development in art students.

The Birth of White Text Lo Wai Hang According to what I have learnt in recent years, visual art is never just about visual

images; it is a language combining theory, practice, thoughts and politics together. If one knows only images of art and neglect art theory, one will somehow does not understand its real meaning. Publication is one source to understand art theory. Unfortunately,

publication in Chinese language visual art journal is rare. In particular, there are only a few, which talk about local art. There are two problems arisen from lack of publications and of

too many issues to be discussed. They are: 1) the discussion is too shallow, 2) not enough

representation. To have a new visual art journal does not mean all problems will be solved, but it is definitely a positive thing that we are able to move a step forward.

In 2005, White Tube started the publication of White Text. White Text talks about local

art theories; it involves studies of different subjects and art concepts, analyses of artwork, statement by artists, reviews of exhibitions and books, etc. In the past few issues, we have invited authors from different institutions and circle in the art scene to

write from their own concern, in the hope that the different perspectives can stimulate discussions. Our purpose of publishing White Text is pure: other than the educational

purpose of offering students something to read, we also hope to create much space for the discussion of local visual art. In this respect we have been successful, because White Text enables authors to voice their views and reminds us as art students, that there are

many other aspects of art besides learning of art skills. When White Text was first published, students from White Tube helped to share duties in

administration, editing and publicity work. To make things work, we had to have funding.

Printing, translation, and writing fees for authors - everything needs money. White Text is a project that involves the most monetary costs. We insisted on adopting printing on

paper as publication form. Compared to the computer screen, a book is a carrier that enhances concentration. It helps thinking and re-reading. Paper therefore became the format of White Text. For us, money is a difficult issue. White Tube exhibitions are usually free. We gain funds from the annual Art Fair to support our expenses. White Text remains

highly independent; because we believe that financial independence is the only way to independent thinking. Without the backing of big financial groups and stable sponsorship, White Text can only rely on the money earned from Art Fair and supports from students

and friends for the publication of its first issue. I remember one of my hands was holding

a paper stating our belief and another hand was holding a hand-made wooden money collection box, without any evidence to convince people, we went to each classroom and asked for donation. Every cent we received represented the trust and support from our classmates. The selling price of White Text is not inexpensive for students, but it is

absolutely a very low price to pay in order to support our sustainable publication. We hope that more and more people can come to know it.

Compared with White Tube's daily operation, White Text requires closer relationship

among coordinators. Schedule and manpower are of particular importance. As an art student, independent thinking and self-pursuance tend to come first over everything else when one is creating work. Division of labour and time management seem to be something

we have long forgotten and something we need to learn. It takes time to learn, and it takes time for people to get used to working with each other. Be it people inter-personal

relationship, management skills as well as editorial coordination, we learnt from the very

beginning. The knowledge we acquired cannot be earned from any lectures. Just as things you learn in class may not apply to work, experience learnt from work cannot be replaced by any lecture. Students who work at White Tube are not professional art administrators, but we believe

that as long as we do our best, what really counts is not the end product. The experience

we get is what we base on to move another step forward.

A Pleasant Event Yang Mei Ching A group of art enthusiasts want to enhance people’s understanding of art and to draw artists and viewers closer. They encourage artwork collection and hope that art can be

popularized to make the local art more colourful and dynamic. In 2002, this group of

people began to turn their idea into action. That was how the idea of Art Fair was born.

From the old address of Hong Kong Art School to the present venue (Hong Kong Art School, 10/F Hong Kong Arts Centre}, a more stable place gave birth to the fourth Art Fair. All income generated will be used to organize White Tube activities and publish White

Text. Senior teachers lead a group of committed students to take part in the coordination, planning and execution - all on a voluntary basis.

Knowledge, skills and capability have big influence on planning activities; cooperation is also closely connected to these three attributes. Over the years, we have tried to bring out the concept of popularization of art with various themes, such as looking for treasure in art, enhancing personal taste through collecting artwork. On the other hand, besides

selling artwork, we also set up small stalls with art as the dominant theme, e.g. home-made glassware decoration, White Tube mugs, coffee shops etc, all embracing. After all, since this is a voluntary duty, students can apply what they have learnt, design the activities with innovation and discover interesting aspects. With certain demands imposed, we tried to make every activity flawless, in order to make a joyful, pleasant and dynamic atmosphere

throughout venue. The results were made possible because of everyone's patience, unselfishness and their cooperation.

As art students, apart from assignments, we can also learn how to organize an art exhib-

tion, activities and administrative skills through this opportunity. When we first handled

our duties, it was a bit chaotic and the results were not as good as we hoped. From promotion to collection of artworks from artists and students, every task was intimidating. Time was running short too, so the atmosphere became tense. When the day came, as

people arrived, we felt truly excited. We encountered many problems during the whole

process, e.g. how to finish work according to schedule, consideration of promotion, how to encourage students to take part and communication techniques. Moreover, it wasn’t easy on a limited budget. For art students, it wasn’t easy too to handle art administrative work. Yet through hands-on training, even though we were far from being professional,

we gained some basic knowledge in art administration.

I ii

As for artworks, other than works of a group of low profile artists, we also focus on

collecting student works. In the eyes of many, this is a rather risky move. The fact that student works are comparatively unsophisticated than artists is understandable; in fact, each and every student has a immature quality which becomes a unique feature of his/her work. Nevertheless, we hope that each piece of work is a result of genuine effort and is

something that the creator wants to present to the viewers. Sometimes, the quality of work might be inconsistent, but seeing each piece possessing its own uniqueness was

really exciting. A buyer will collect works from their taste. Perhaps, the winning aspect of art students' creation lies in the search for the nature of things!

A piece of artwork requires an artist’s time, the time that is invisible; this is the most adorable aspect of creation. To make art popular, we need effort from various art groups.

We hope that Art Fair can promote local art and culture, and let more people realize the

values of art from Hong Kong artists. Indeed, Hong Kong Art can be appreciated by the

public and be promoted, so that it will be a healthy art scene. With financial support, artists can then be more focused on this creative work. On the other hand, students gain confidence though selling their artworks. It is something very encouraging during process of learning.

By planning this activity, every student who helped to prepare and manage the event gained an experience that was no less important than what one learns in class. By exploring

ways of problem solving and discovering possibilities in new, chaotic and uncertain situations, I realized that how similar this experience is to the process of art making.

When time goes by, the value of Art Fair does not lie in the amount of money it generates; it puts students together to face challenges, to imagine possibilities, to express their

thoughts honestly, and to embrace the results together. In this way, it becomes a

precious marking landmark in the process of my art learning.

oCandy Yeung

hiutong_yeung@yahoo.com.hk

Candy Yeung is a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) programme, which is jointly organized by

Hong Kong Art School and RMIT University. Previously, she had obtained a Diploma in Set and Costume Design from Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2002. Yeung composed articles for Fotanian Open Studio (2004) and Arts Link (2005). She is presently an exhibition coordinator of White Tube and a children art teacher.

o Lo Wai Hang

lowaihang@gmail.com

Lo completed her first BA (Hon) Cultural Studies at Lingnam University in 2003. She is now studying her Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) programme, which is jointly organized by Hong Kong Art School and

RMIT University. She is also one of the executive editors of White Text.

o Yang Mei Ching

circleymc@gmail.com

Yang completed her Certificate in Arts & Design and Diploma in Fine Arts programmes at Hong Kong Art School. Currently, she is a student of the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) programme, which is jointly organized by Hong Kong Art School and RMIT University. She participated in Art Fair 2004 and has been working as chief coordinator of Art Fair since 2005.

張康生

由記者向展覽統籌查詢，《克力架》展覽中的作品是否用「克力架」作媒材這則笑話中，

可知道這並不是一個「顧名思義」的題目雖然筆者作為展覽的觀察員，亦曾經對命題與展覽概念之關係產生誤讀。

這個展覽是香港藝術雙年展 2005 的配套節目，由香港藝術學院及白管子主辦。參展藝術家均來自該學院藝術系的學生 (下稱參展人），而展覽的概念由學院的一眾講師 ( 下稱策

展人) 提出，以「工作進行中」為框架，強調創作至展出的整體過程而非完成作品。但對展

覽? 念的實際詮譯以至創作取材，從運作至推廣，卻是大幅度地容許參展人自主決策

參展人雖來自同一學院的藝術系，然而策展人刻意包攬由文憑至碩士、日間至兼讀制、

具代表性而非純粹精英的學生參與。由於背景相對廣寬，理論上?帶來更多可能性

藝術家抑或藝術學生？既然包攬不同程度的學生是一項策略，展覽亦不得不介紹參展人的學生身份；如此一來，

容易令人覺得是另一個藝術系系展，這當然不會是所有參與者的期許。直接換上藝術家身份參展，卻如何淡化學院對甄選參展人所行使的權力和講師介入的尷尬？故此籌備期間曾經展開對「學生藝術家」這種中介性身份的討論。

其實近年香港的專上藝術教育發展迅速，隨著各式各樣藝術課程的開辦、大學藝術系的增加，衍生出數量可觀的藝術系學生。學生們爭取不同的展出機會，又或聚集成不同的

工作室群以定期或不定期形式向公眾開放；而當中更有不少在求學階段已獲得各式的認同，例如參與國際展覽、獲頒本地甚或外國的獎項等等。可是這些展出的作品之中，仍難

免會受學院所設定的課題、或講師的指導所影響 (註一)。雖然，我們無需因此為作品加

添註腳；又或認為藝術家 / 藝術學生，純粹是稱呼上的問題，可以不值一提。但其實背後

隱含著對教與學的一種意會和狀態，「學生藝術家」的討論確實值得伸延

(註一）

以 2003年香港藝術雙年展為例，鄭廣泉的獲獎作品《這是橙》，源自香港藝術學院藝術文憑課程中《平面視像》的課程內容，

學生作品一般較易得到觀眾的寬容，因為在藝術教育過程中，對學生作品的評鑑只不過是實踐民主教育的表現。這種教育模式，體現了三種不同程度的民主觀念：一) 在受

到學院的保護之下，藝術的創作將會為公眾所認識；（二) 關於藝術作品的價值和效果，實質上取決於創作者以外的人的反應；（三) 學生的藝術作品首先由同學朋輩間所組成

的「陪審團」所評鑑 (註二 )。故此我們不會苛貴「學生展」作品的水準，不僅如此，公眾 (包括對藝術飽有認識的或一般觀眾) 更可能從中尋獲驚喜。然而對待藝術家，尤其是具

知名度或廣為人所欣賞的，公眾總不免充滿期盼。另一方面，學生們又未必甘於將自己的

作品被喻作學生作品。因此，討論「學生藝術家」的主要原因，是關乎公眾的壓力與期望。

參展人之一陳麗雲 (註三 ) 對這個稱呼作出最直接的理解，認為尚在求學時期的就是學生藝術家，完成學業的就是藝術家；但又認為藝術家可以是自學，不一定要經歷學生階段。這是一種以時間及學習階段作界定的說法，看似合情合理，卻又不無矛盾：藝術家之為

[家」是不是應以作品的質素為依據，而並非類似按鈕開關般因應求學或畢業的時態而隨開隨關？否則，由文憑到學士，進而碩士、博士，並不需要按年修讀，那麼各課程之間的進進出出又該如何計算？

其實近年本地藝術機構已習慣統稱參展藝術工作者為藝術家，或者應該放下對「藝術家」這個名稱的景仰。正如展覽統籌唐偉傑所言，不要認為藝術家就是高高在上，其實

不外是在我們身邊，一同生活一同呼吸的人罷了(註 eg)ÿ我對這番話雖表認同，但如果著眼於另一個觀點：正如上述討論，當學生以藝術家自居而淡化學生身份時，便難免要正

面面向公眾的壓力與期望。於是學生參展，需要自我要求展出可稱為「作品」之完成作 (註二) E.B, Feldman, Philosophy of Art Education (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996), pp. 50-51.

(註三

筆者在訪問陳麗雲之時，她已完成課程，但尚未完成畢業展及未獲頒學歷。而她在學時期的作品 Wearah/e 价

曾獲得旅英策展人 Julie Wu 賞識，到英國參與一個名為

設計。詳情可激 K http://www.juliewudesign.com

的時裝表演，擔任服裝

(註四

在訪問唐偉傑時，他憶述參與《灣仔現埸一駐場藝術家計劃》前後，對外地到訪藝術家的觀感，和對《克力架》展 M 的統籌經驗。

品，這樣不單阻礙學生對公開展示「未完成」作品的可能性，亦變相縮短了學生實驗創

作、並在同儕間取得評鑑的特權時期。關於這一點，唐偉傑對「學生藝術家」的看法更值得參考：其實求學階段，倒不必要急於做「作品 j , 也不必急於尋找自己的位置，反而

可以趁機多作酋試，不論在創作過程、或理論研究、或行政方法、或策展計劃等等，總之就是投入參與。

在求學階段盡量嘗試是+分積極與理想化的模式，然而理論歸理論，在實踐上始終有其局限。再者學習方法因人而異，學生如何看待自己作品的態度亦可以南轅北轍。學生

普遍對「學生作品」存在著貶義的理解。尤其在將藝術教肓與視覺文化掛勾的今正正強調學生自我的判斷力與思考力。對待藝術作品的態度，亦由過往以欣賞

天 (註五

(appreciation) 為主，改變為欣賞與評論 (critique)並重 (註六 )。學生對自己的作品已經有一套從自我與同儕的評鑑中釐訂的標準。在現實上，學院與講師亦有一套評定學生水平的準則，但困難在於藝術知識與其他學科不同，它是一種結構不良的學科 (ill-structured domain)ÿ要與學習科學知識的方法有所區別。對於藝術觀念的詮釋亦不能_概而論，

要因應不同作品而異

approach) (註七 )。講師在激發學生創作思維之餘，

不得不對學生作出批判以完成評估。問題是，在強調當代文化背景脈絡 (Context) 的重

要性時，「好」與「壞」是不容易判斷 (註八 )。講師穿梭於學院準則與學生自我評估之間，

若兩者有所差落，學生往往將問題歸咎於學院和講師行使的權力與權威 (註九 )ÿ 教與學之間始終存在衝突或誤解。 (註五

*花：〈視覺文化的品錕 >, 輯於《文化與藝術教育一當代的觀黏》（香港

陳

：香港教育學院藝術系， 2004)，頁 76。

(註六

郭楨祥、趙惠玲：〈視覺文化與藝術教育 >, 輯於《藝術與人文教育》（台北：桂冠圖書，上冊，2002) , 頁325-366。 (註七 )

A.D Efland, Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Arts Education Policy Review 1993, pp. 26-29. (註八)

K Freedman, Teaching Visual Culture: Curriculum, Aesthetics, and the Social Life of Art (New York: Teachers College Press, 2003), pp. 51-55.

2 2

(註九

E.B Feldman, Philosophy of Art Education (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996), pp. 45-49.

《克力架》展覽的機遇與作用筆者認為，《克力架》展覽隱現了對探討上述問題的契機。

有別於一般藝術系系展，《克力架》作為香港藝術雙年展的配套項目，展出地點又是離

開與院校相關的展館，本身無疑是一個具認受性的公開平台；而策展人盡量抽離作為

講師的角色，只是明確地拋出「工作進行中」為引子，營造一個較大自由度的實驗室。而展覽沒有扣上「學生展」的帽子，亦沒有刻意淡化學生的身份。在一個公眾藝術展館參展，卻又不鼓勵展示完成的作品。種種非正常的狀態，進一步驅使參展人不僅對自己的

作品，更要為是次展覽的本質作深度思考。

藝術創作是一個思考問題，亦同時是解決問題的歷程。除了創作「藝術品」的實體外，

若要更具體地滿足作品的完整性，便需要考慮展示方式與空間的運用。再進一步，學生透過參與實踐性的展覽籌劃，更容易引發對何謂「公眾」、如何確立「藝術品」的理解，

甚至對制衡藝術館權力等問題的反思。高層次的思考方法，不能單靠教授理論而獲得，更應該從每個人在尋求解決賣際問題的過程中領略 (註十)。策展人將籌辦《克力架》的

重任交到年輕的參展人與展覽統籌身上，騰出空間讓他們對這個以過程為本的主題各自詮譯，讓參展人積累實踐的經驗。而在這異常「鬆脆」的框架內，加上被默許擁有近乎

特權的「學生藝術家」身份下，參展人免卻了被評估的衝突；若在學時對成績有所不滿，這正是挑戰權力、權威的不二時機。

單以展出形式而言，由於每位參展人所運用的媒介與關心的課題大相逕庭，故此除了策展人所提示的展示工作室模式外，參展人亦大可以從過程藝術 (Process Art) (註十一)、偶

(註十

D.J Trefflinger, On the Edge (and keeping on the edge) about teaching thinking. In E.P. Torrance (Ed.), On the Edge and Keeping on the Edge (Westport, Connecticut; London: Ablex Publishing, 2000> pp.34-52. (註十一）

Process Art: 過程藝術。強調觀看靜止和持久的對象時，體驗時間的流逝性及轉瞬即逝的短暫存在。故此，藝術家多使用易於體現時間變化的軟性物料。他們認為藝術的制作過程比事前的構思更為重要。最初由積遜 / 波洛克(Jackson Pollock) 和海倫 / 法蘭肯柴勒 (Helen Frankenthaler) 等在創作中?意濺滴顏料道種偶然性所啟發。代表人物包括羅拔 / 莫里斯 (Robert Morris) 等。

2 3

發藝術 (Happening)( 註十二 )、現場藝術 (Live Art)( 註十三 ) 等經驗中取經，又或從 Process

art( 註十四）、

Art-in-progress

(註十五) 等教學和研究實驗中獲得啟發：例如利用「工作

進行中」對所強調的過程，進而對展覽期限、展館場地、與觀眾的互動、創作的開放性等

方向加以探討。十二位參展人，理應有十二段不同的過程經驗。加上由展覽計劃、設計、

」

建構、安裝、場地運用到糾正錯誤，參展人均高度自治。究竟以這種特製的「麵粉，可以烘焙出怎樣的一塊「餅乾」？筆者十二分期待著。

?「過程』換上「結果」出乎意料，結果是「結」了一個異常成熟的果」。

「

大部份參展人選擇展出成果一可說是相當成熟的作品，「過程」反被埋藏得妥妥貼貼，

當中更有些幾乎原封不動地從畢業展中「搬運」過來，而工作進行中的概念原來就是一本本製作前的草圖與方案。其實有些作品，例如阮美?的《恆河》，展出數十只以肥皂雕琢而成的小艇；縱使排列井然有序，觀眾仍可以從一刀一刻深淺有別的紋理中感受到創

作過程。然而作品由過程至成果是可以預期的，正如乘座巴士途上會知道何處為終站一

(註十二）

Happening: 偶發藝術。以表現偶發性的事件或機遇為手段，重現人的行為過程，以探討人的本能反應。這 Happenings in 6 個名詞來自 1959 年艾倫。卡普羅 (Allan Kaprow) 在紐約展出《六幕十八項偶發事件》 parts) 的作品，由演出者和觀眾共同創作的一件環境藝術作品。卡普羅認為，這種藝術概念摒棄傳統藝術的技巧和永久性，著重藝術活動機遇性，創作在於即興發揮。 (註十三）

Live Art: 現場藝術。以英國為發展基地，在國內翻譯為「現場藝術」。是一種個人化的現場表演藝術。

Live Art 不被定義，因為它旨在模糊過往涉及表演的藝術分類，使它可以跨越行為藝術、身體藝術等各種藝術形式的界線。英國的 Live Art Development Agency 為最具代表性的民間機構，可參考

http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk.

(註十四）

Advisor Program) 中，曾舉辦以美國佛蒙特大學 (University of Vermont) 的「指導老師課程」 Process as art 為實驗目榡的課程，現已停辦。可參考 http://www.uvm.edu/~artclass/process.html.ÿ (註十五）

波蘭亞蓋沃大學 Uagiellonian University) 哲學博士生以 Art in process as a type of the open work of art 為題，以安伯托 / 艾可 (Umberto Eco) 的「開放作品 J 觀念 (Open Work) 為藍本，研究 Art in process

的可能性。可參考 http://www.filozofia.pl/zf/en/?nzw = uz&nr=121.ÿ

樣，較難引起延伸討論。而陳麗雲將收集自不同國家的雜誌，以碎紙機切

@為條狀新聞

片段，再加以編織為一幅文化交 ?的大「字」「布」大字報），再邀請觀眾參與剪織。但

雜誌早經精工處理，展品亦妥善懸掛，再親身以事先預備的剪刀邀請觀眾修剪其作品，觀眾參與的模式變得公式化；後期觀眾不按指示破?作品只不過是插曲一首。余迪文以

藝術家的角度重繪國際時事，畫作本身已相當完整，每天增加剪報數量和更改位置，可

算為切合主題而「增值」而已。陳惠蓮的《終極》最為顛覆，以膠袋包裹著一件未完成的陶作，以列印方式將本來立體的工具平面化，帶有「以什麼創作？」，「是誰在創作？J 的暗示。這件關於「過程」的示範作，與她剛在藝術碩士畢業展展出的作品比較，兩者之間的創作取向迥異，不能窺知真正屬於她的藝術內涵。此類作品，很可能是為了展覽主題而作調節，在探討自我發展與認同中失卻長遠意義。就回應展覽的概念而言，眾位

參展人雖各展己長，卻未能恰如其份。

阮美寅《恆河》（組合展示 )，雕塑.

於「克力架」展出作品，2005-2006 年。

Yuen Mei Po Meipo, Forever River (installation view), sculpture, exhibited in "Crackers", 2005-2006.

|nj EH

余迪文《圖繪新聞》（局部 )ÿ混合媒介，於「克力架」展出作品， 2006 年。

Solomon Yu Press Painting (Installation View), mixed media, exhibited in "Crackers' 2006

—

n—ÿ

事後，筆者卻意外地在其中一位參展人的網誌上找到另類顛覆: 方向曰報來電詢問 Crackers 是否真的用克力架餅乾來創作藝術品。我們的半官方回

應其實是一群「粉餅」胡亂拼湊，將未完成的功課集體展示而已。策展的老師很聰明， VVoM //? /?rÿflrress... 是此展覽的註腳，所謂的學生藝術家，只是未臨死線也不

趕工的混蛋 ( 註十六 )。由此可見，部份參展人並沒真正理解「工作進行中」與「學生藝術家」可堪玩味之處。而這個可貴的襪遇，到頭來又成為一次「正正經經」的展覽。若然再有機會，策展人有必要

在更早的階段，促使參展人認真地思考究竟如何去發展一個認受性與實驗性俱備的展不平台。

後記：文章中提及的《克力架》展覽由白管子主辦，香港藝術學院全力支持， 2006 年三月九日至十六日於香港視覺藝術中心舉行。參考香目 Efland, A.D. Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Arts Education Policy Review, 1993. Feldman, E.B. Philosophy of Art Education. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996. Freedman, K. Teaching Visual Culture: Curriculum, Aesthetics, and The Social Life of Art. New York: Teachers College Press, 2003. Trefflinger, D.J. On the Edge (and keeping on the edge) about Teaching Thinking. In E.P. Torrance (Ed.), On the Edge and Keeping on the Edge. Westport, Connecticut; London:

Ablex Publishing, 2000. 陳瓊花：〈視覺文化的品鑑〉，輯於《文化與藝術教育- 當代的觀點》香港：香港教育學院藝術系， 2004 年。郭禎祥、趙惠玲：〈視覺文化與藝術教育〉，輯於《藝術與人文教育》台北：桂冠圖書，上冊，2002 年。 (註十六）

由於網誌的連結上有參展人的姓名，機於私人理由，請恕不便公開來源。

? 張康生

enocheung01@yahoo.com.hk

張氏畢業於香港藝術學院與澳洲皇家墨爾本理工大學合辦的藝術文學士學位 (純藝術課程 )ÿ及後在澳洲皇家墨

爾本理工大學完成其藝術碩士學位。現為香港藝術學院兼任講師。作品於香港、日本、韓國等地展出。

2 6

m 、氏

Ktr

dr:

"Crackers" Exhibitionintrospection on the Process of the Study of Art from the "Crunchy" Crac|<s *Enoch Cheung

From the anecdote that the press enquired whether crackers had been used to make the exhibits in the "Crackers” exhibition, one can tell that this exhibition title is not a straightforward one. As the exhibi¬ tion observer, however, I once had misunderstandings about the correla¬ tion between the exhibition title and its concept too.

The exhibition, organised by Hong Kong Art School and White Tube, was a programme of

the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2005. Participating artists were all students (participants) of

Hong Kong Art School, and the concept was proposed by lecturers (curators) of Hong Kong Art School. "Work in Progress” was used as the framework to emphasize the whole

process from creation to exhibition instead of focusing on the finished works alone. A high degree of autonomy was given to the participants, from interpretation of the concept, selection of materials to the management and promotion of the exhibition.

Although the participants all came from the Fine Art Department of the same institution, the curators deliberately chose a range of representative but not elitist students from various courses and study modes, from Diploma to Master students, day-time to evening

part-time students. It was believed that the relatively diversified background could bring about more possibilities.

Artists or Art Students? Since the involvement of students from different levels was a strategy of the exhibition, it was inevitable to introduce participants' student identity. However, it might convey an

impression that it was yet another departmental exhibition, which was apparently not the participants’ intention. If they participated in the exhibition as artists, however, how

could the embarrassment caused by the authority of the school in selecting participants and lecturers' involvement in the exhibition be diluted? In this regard, there had been discussions about the neutral identity "Student Artist" in the preparation process.

The rapid development of tertiary art education in recent years, as a result of the expansion of art courses and art departments, has produced a large pool of art students. Students

actively look for opportunities to exhibit their work, or collaboratively form studios to display their work to the public regularly or irregularly. Quite a number of students have received various recognitions in the course of their studies, e.g. participating in international

exhibition and receiving local and eve ? overseas awards. Yet these exhibits are still

inevitably influenced by the topics set by the academy or the lecturers' guidanceWofe/). Even though we do not need to add a footnote to the works because of this, nor are we bothered by the issue of artist/art student because it is just a matter of title. However,

{Note”

Take the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2003 as an example. Cheng Kwong-chuen's award-winning

piece This is an Orange was taken from the 2D Visualization, one of the courses from the Diploma in Fine Arts programme of Hong Kong Art School.

behind this there is a certain understanding and condition of teaching and learning, and the "Student Artist” deserves further discussion.

In general, the public is more lenient towards students' works, because in the process of

art education, commenting on students' works is only a way of actualizing democratic education. Such mode of education has represented democracy on three levels: 1) Artistic

creation will be introduced to the public under the protection of the academy; 2) The value and effect of artwork actually depend on the responses of people other than the creators themselves; 3) Students' artworks are first assessed by an adjudication panel formed by

classmates and U\en6s(Nÿte2). Therefore, not only will we be demanding on the standard of work in a "student exhibition", the public (including those who are familiar with art and the general public} may be surprised by the works. To artists, however, especially those

who are famous or well known, it is inevitable that the public has certain expectations of

artists. On the other hand, students may not be satisfied with their works being classified

as students’ works. As such, the main reason for discussing "Student Artist” originated from public pressure and expectation.

One of the participants, Movana Chen,(Nÿte3) interprets this term in a most straightforward

way. She thinks that one is a student artist if one is still studying; and one becomes an artist when one’s studies are completed. However she also thinks that an artist can be

self-taught and does not necessarily need to go through the student phase. This definition

by time and study phase seems reasonable but paradoxical. Shouldn’t the definition of an artist be based on the quality of work instead of qualifications? On the contrary, if qualification is ignored, how can one classify the progressive studies from diploma to bachelor to master and then doctor/PhD level?

Actually in recent years, local art organizations have accustomed to calling exhibition

participants artists, probably it is time we let go of the admiration once dedicated to the

(Note2)

E.B Feldman, Philosophy of Art Education (Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice-Hall, 1996),

pp. 50-51 (Note3)

When I interviewed Movana Chen, she had already finished the course but had yet to

complete the graduation exhibition and to obtain her certificate. During her study, her work Wearable Art, Body container was picked up by UK-based curator Julie Wu and Chen was invited to participate as a fashion designer in a fashion show titled You make me. More

information is available from http://www.juliewudesign.com.

term "artist". As the exhibition coordinator, Damon Tong, said, artists were not superior to others; they were no more than any other person living in the same world and breathing the same air as the rest of us 6\6(Note4). I agree to this view, but from another perspective

as in the above discussion, when students regard themselves as artists and attempt to tone down their student identities, they are exposing themselves to public pressure and expectation. As a result, when students participate in an exhibition, they demand themselves to present finished work that qualifies to be called "work”. This not only

hinders students 什 om presenting to the public some "unfinished” work, it also in a way

shortens the privileged period when students can experiment with their creation and

receive comments from their contemporaries. In response to this, Damon Tong's view on "Student Artist” deserves our attention: There is no need to rush for "finished work" when one is still learning, nor do we need to hurry in figuring out one's position. Above all, one should take the chance to be actively involved in the learning process, to experi¬

ment no matter in the creative process or theoretical study or administrative method or

curatorial planning.

It is very positive and ideal to try as much as one can during the course of studies. But in

practice there are still limitations. Moreover, people learn in different ways, the ways students look at their own work can be totally contrasting. In general, students tend to have a negative view on "students' work", especially when art education is linked to visual

culture nowadays(A/ofe5人 when emphases have been put on students' individual thinking

and judgement. Attitudes towards artwork have also changed from appreciation-oriented to dual emphases on both appreciation and cnt\que(Nÿte6). Students already have a

standard towards their work based on their own judgements and their contemporaries’. In

reality, the academies and lecturers also have a set of criteria in assessing students' work. The difficulty, though, is that knowledge in art is different from other disciplines; it is an

ill-structured domain to be differentiated from other schools of knowledge. There is no standard interpretation to the concepts of art but only a case-by-case approachÿ/VofeZÿ.

While lecturers are trying to stimulate students' creativity, they cannot help but criticize (Note4)

When I interviewed Damon Tong, he talked about the incidents before and after RE: Wanchai,

International Artists Workshop, his thoughts on interviewing overseas artists and his experience in

coordinating the "Crackers” exhibition. (Note5)

陳瓊花：〈視* 文化的品鑑〉，輯於《文化與藝術教育

當代的觀點》

(香港：香港教育學院藝術系， 2004) , 頁 76。 (Note6)

郭禎祥、趙惠玲：〈視覺文化與藝術教育〉，輯於《藝術與人文教育》（台北：桂冠圖書，上冊， 2002)，頁325-366。

students in assessment. The question is, while emphasizing the importance of contempo¬

rary cultural context, it is not easy to judge what is

and what is ''bad'' (Note8).

Lecturers are caught between the academy’s criteria and students' self-assessment. Should there be a discrepancy between the two, students tend to blame the power and

authority exercised by the academy and the lecturersWofeÿÿ. Conflict and misunderstand¬

ing still exist in teaching and learning after all.

"Crackers" Exhibition: Opportunities and Functions In my opinion, the "Crackers” exhibition has provided an opportunity to discuss the above issues.

programme of the Hong Kong Art Biennial 2005, distinguished itself from an ordinary departmental art exhibition. The venue, a gallery away from campus, was undoubtedly a recognised open platform. The curators tried their best to detach from their roles of lecturers and only gave "Work in Progress" as a guideline to give more 什 eedom to experiment. The exhibition was not labelled as a "student exhibition”ÿnor did it try to conceal students' identities. Set in a public art gallery, yet it discouraged the "Crackers”, as a

display of finished works. All these exceptional conditions further drove participants to contemplate not only about their work, but also about the nature of this exhibition. Artistic creation is a journey of thinking and problem solving. Other than creating the

physical "artwork", one needs to consider the display and use of space to make the work

complete. Furthermore, by participating in the curatorial work, it is easier for students to

gain more understanding about what it means by "public” and how to establish an //artwork,/, and even to reflect on issues such as how to counteract the authority of muse¬

ums. The sophisticated way of thinking cannot be taught simply through theories, but has to be experienced by actual participation in the problem-solving process Wofe/OA The curators passed the important task of coordinating "Crackers” to the young participants (Note7)

A.D Efland, Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Arts Education Policy Review, 1993, pp. 26-29. (Note8)

K Freedman, Teaching Visual Culture: Curriculum, Aesthetics, and the Social Life of Art

(New York: Teachers College Press, 2003), pp. 51-55. (Note9)

E.B Feldman, Philosophy of Art Education (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996), pp. 45-49. (NotelO)

D.J Trefflinger, On the Edge (and keeping on the edge) about teaching thinking. In E.P. Torrance (Ed.), On the edge and keeping on the edge (Westport, Connecticut; London: Ablex Publishing, 2000) pp. 34-52.

and exhibition coordinators, leaving room for them to interpret this process-oriented theme, through which experience was accumulated. Under this exceptionally "flexible"

framework and with the exceptional identity as "Student Artists", participants avoided the conflict of being assessed. If they are not happy about their grades in school, this was

the best time to challenge those in power and authority.

In terms of the exhibition format alone, since the participant’s choices of medium and

topics were so different from each other, on top of the workshop format proposed by the curators, participants could also make reference from Process /KiX(Note11), Happening (Note12)and Live ArtfNote13), or seek inspirations from teaching and research in Process as art(Note14)

and Art-in-progressWÿfe/5ÿ. For example, making use of the emphasis on

"Work in Progress”ÿ one could further explore issues like exhibition period, location, (Note11)

Process Art: Emphasizes the experience of the transience of time in observing still and lasting objects.

As a result, artists tend to use soft materials that are easy to embody change of time. They think that the process of art making is more important than the planning beforehand. This idea first came to Jackson Pollock and Helen Frankenthaler when they arbitrarily splashed paint onto their work.

Representative figures include Robert Morris and others. (Note12)

Happening: Uses the presentation of sporadic incidents or chances as means to represent human behaviours to explore human instinctive response. This term came from Allan Kaprow’s works at the 1959 exhibition 18 Happenings in 6 parts, in which the performer and the audience created an

environmental artwork together. Kaprow thought that this kind of artistic concept discarded

techniques and eternity in traditional art forms and emphasized chance and spontaneity of artistic activities. (Note 13)

Live Art: Developed in the U.K., Live Art is a form of individualized live performance. There is no clear definition of Live Art, for it aims at blurring the categorizations about performances in the past so that

it can cross over to various forms of art and performances including behavioral art and body art. Live

Art Development Agency in the UK is the most representative civil organization. More information is available from http://www.thisisliveart.co.uk. (Note14)

The Teacher Advisor Program at the University of Vermont once offered courses with Process as art

as experimenta卜oriented module. More information is available from http://www.uvm.edu/~artclass/process.html. (Note15)

A PhD candidate at Jagiellonian University in Poland used Art in process as a type of the open work of art as his/her thesis and Umberto Eco's Open Work concept as blueprint to research into the

possibility of Art in process. More information is available from

http://www.filozofia.pl/zf/en/7nzw = uz&nr = 1 21•

譚家榮 .《紙皮箱》，攝影，於「克力架 j 展出作品• 2006 年。 Tam Kar Wing, Carton Box, photography, exhibited in #,Crackersw, 2006.

陳麗雲•《閱讀雕塑》，裝置， 2006 年,

Movena Chen, "Reading Sculpture", installation, 2006.

輕麵

Pi'i bÿsm

-ÿjm

interaction with the viewers and openness of creation. Twelve participants should have

twelve different kinds of experiences. Moreover, participants enjoyed high degree of

autonomy in planning, design, construct, installation, use of space and correction of mistakes. Mook forward to seeing what kind of "biscuit" would be made out of this kind

of specially blended "flour mix".

"Result" instead of "Process" Surprisingly, the outcome was extraordinary. Most of the participants had opted to display finished works - a collection of rather

sophisticated works. The //process/, on the other hand had been concealed with perfec¬ tion. Some exhibits were even direct transfers from the graduation exhibition, and the

work-in-progress turned out to be a collection of proposals and visual diaries. Some exhibits, such as Meipo Yuen’s "Forever River”ÿshowed a collection of small boats crafted

from soap; despite the neat order of display, the viewers could still experience the creation

process by looking at each and every marks differed in strength. However, the process from start to finish was foreseeable which made further discussion difficult, just liked

passengers on a bus knew where the terminal was. Movana Chen shredded her collection of international magazines into strips of paper to weave into a big piece of banner, and invited the viewers to take part in the cutting and weaving process. However, the maga¬ zines had already been processed, and the exhibits had already been properly hung. When it came to inviting the viewers to cut and edit her work with ready scissors, viewers’

participation became nothing but a formal gesture. It was just an anecdote when some viewers ignored the instruction and damaged the work towards the end of the exhibition. Solomon Yu repainted international current events from an artist’s perspective. The

paintings themselves were rather complete. By adding newspaper clippings and changing the location every day, it was just an act of adding value to match the theme. Denise Chen’s "The Ultimate" was the most revolutionary. She wrapped an unfinished ceramic

work in a plastic bag, and used printing to make a three-dimensional work two-

dimensional, conveying an implication of

"What does one create with?" and "Who is

creating?" When compared to her work at the Master of Fine Art Graduation Show, one saw a huge difference in the creative direction, and could not tell which was her real intention. These works were probably adjusted to match the exhibition theme, but the

meaning in the long run was lost in the exploration of self-development and identification. In terms of responding to the exhibition concept, the participants, despite showing their

strengths, did not show their true identities.

Afterwards, I accidentally found an alternative subversion on one of the participant’s online journal: The O-daily called and asked me if the Crackers Exhibition was really made of crackers.

Our semi-official reply was that it was an exhibition of unfinished assignments, just like

putting together a group of dough. Our curator teachers had been very smart in using JJWork in Progressÿas the footnote to that exhibition. The so-called Student Artists were only a group of idiots who would not rush to finish their assignments until the deadline

was near(Note16). From this, we can see that some of the participants have not truly grabbed the trick of

"Work in Progress” and "Student Artist". This precious opportunity turned out to be yet another "formal" exhibition. Given another chance, curators should urge participants

from the start to seriously think about how to develop a display platform that is both

recognisable and experimental. Reference List Efland, A.D. Teaching and Learning in the Arts. Arts Education Policy Review, 1993. Feldman, E.B. Philosophy of Art Education. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1996. Freedman, K. Teaching Visual Culture: Curriculum, Aesthetics, and the Social Life of Art. New York: Teachers College Press, 2003. Trefflinger, D.J. On the Edge (and keeping on the edge) about Teaching Thinking. In E.P. Torrance (Ed.), On the Edge and Keeping on the Edge. Westport, Connecticut; London:

Ablex Publishing, 2000. 陳瓊花。〈視覺文化的品鑑〉，輯於《文化與藝術教育一當代的觀點》香港：香港教育學院藝術系， 2004 年。郭禎祥、趙惠玲：〈視覺文化與藝術教育〉，輯於《藝術與人文教育》台北：桂冠圖書，上冊， 2002 年。

Post-Script: "Crackers", presented by White Tube, supported by Hong Kong Art School and held in Visual Arts Center on March 9-16,2006 (Note16)

Apologies for not revealing the source to protect the students since the online journal includes students' personal information.

o Enoch

Cheung

enocheung01@yahoo.com.hk

Enoch Cheung graduated from the Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) programme which is jointly

presented by Hong Kong Art School and the RMIT University. He then received his Master degree in Fine Art at the RMIT University, Australia. Currently he is a part-time lecturer at the

Hong Kong Art School. His work has been widely shown in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea etc.

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