一座關於島嶼的島嶼-鄭亭亭個展
An Island about Islands Ting-Ting Cheng Solo Exhibition
2021/11/28 – 2022/1/2
登島後，你會先在一樓遇到「到達烏托邦的路徑」(Paths to Utopia)（2021），島嶼的未來。聽著海浪的聲音，看著高六公尺、看似熟悉的Google Map世界地圖從牆面貼下，你仔細一看，發現朝鮮半島變成了獨立的島嶼，北美和歐洲的中間則有一塊陸地寫著Atlantis（亞特蘭提斯），西藏和蘇格蘭都變成獨立的國家，接著你還發現其他許多「異常」的描述。在這個烏托邦地圖上，藝術家將歷史上曾經有過的幽靈島嶼（Phantom Islands）加上主觀詮釋，創造了一個烏托邦地圖。該作品為2020年底，藝術家參與鳳甲美術館與曼谷Jim Thompson Art Center合作的線上駐村計畫的創作成果。歷史上的幽靈島嶼反映著每個時代、不同文化下的我們對於烏托邦的想像，在展覽中，藝術家在地圖旁放置了不同顏色的單色貼紙、剪刀和島嶼申請表，希望邀請觀眾在這張地圖上加上自己心中的烏托邦島嶼，在島嶼申請表中，申請人必須回答該烏托邦島的政治體制、生態系統、經濟結構等，希望邀請觀眾進一步去思考什麼樣的島嶼是我們想要的。
The first project you would encounter is “Paths to Utopia”. The 6-meter-tall world map is applied on the wall and the floor of the gallery space. Despite it looks like the Google Map we are familiar with, after a closer look, you would notice that the California here is an island instead of a peninsula; a piece of continent is found between North America and Europe with the name Atlantis written on top of it; Tibet and Scotland are both independent countries; and many more unfamiliar descriptions. On this utopian map, Cheng visualized the Phantom Islands that existed throughout history on top of her own subjective interpretation of the world. Cheng believes that each phantom island represents a version of utopia in different eras. In the exhibition, Cheng also invites the audience to create its own utopian islands while listening to the sound of the ocean. The project is a result of the online residency programme organized by Hong-Gah Museum and Jim Thompson Art Center in 2020.
接著在地圖的對面，你遇到了一張古老的素描，描述著一座不知名的島嶼，素描的旁邊有著一系列的影像：在那裡，素描中的島嶼從小到大地的出現，隨著你進入展場，你也慢慢地靠近那座島嶼，由遠至近，卻沒辦法登島。隨著展覽動線，你上了二樓，你在牆上看到不同的島嶼碎片漂浮在空中，在這裡你遇到了「明日出土」(Unearth Tomorrow)（2021），這座島嶼的過去。古老的素描是17世紀的歐洲人從和平島上的San Salvador看過去的基隆嶼，隨著殖民者的來去，島嶼的名字也不斷的變更。漂浮在空中的石塊是藝術家從和平島考古現場撿拾而來的歷史物件。所有的現在和過去都會在明日出土。
In front of the map, you would notice an old drawing describing an unknown island. Next to the drawing, you would find a series of images, depicting the said island from small to large. As you enter the space, the island would get bigger, as if you were getting closer, however, you would never be able to reach. The drawing is made by an unknown European in the 17th century, depicting Keelung Island seen from San Salvador, a Spanish Colony in the north of Taiwan at the time. As the colonizers came and left, the name of the island also changed throughout time.
As you continue walking, you would encounter some fragmented islands floating in the air. What you would be seeing here is “Unearth Tomorrow”. The floating islands are the ruins collected by the artist at the archeology site of San Salvador. Everything will be unearthed tomorrow.
慢慢地，你走進展場的最後一個空間，在這裡你被多頻道錄像所圍繞。你進入了「沒有人走路的城市」(The City Where No One Walks) (2019)，這讓你想到這座島嶼的現在。「沒有人走路的城市」是藝術家於2019年在台東美術館駐村時的創作。畫面上，你看到海浪慢動作般地打到岸邊，樹木也將搖動的速度減緩，坐在沙發上的心理諮商師請你放鬆，閉上眼睛，進入你心中的那座島嶼，像果凍一樣，在碗裡搖晃。在這個被投影堆砌出的城市中，藝術家結合自己心理諮商的經驗，並訪問了台東當地的牧師、部落巫師、收驚師傅、心理諮商師和園藝治療師等，試圖討論宗教在心理／心靈治療上所扮演的角色，且更進一步檢視我們如何面對死亡，以及自身的心理健康和Self-Care（自我照顧）。
「一座關於島嶼的島嶼」是藝術家鄭亭亭在南台灣的第一次個展，本次展出的三個系列也都是全球首次正式展出，分別代表島嶼的未來、過去和現在。利用觀眾參與、影像和多頻道錄像，該展覽試圖帶領觀眾去創造自己的烏托邦島嶼，並找出登島的方法。
Once you enter the last space in the exhibition, you would encounter “The City Where No One Walks”. Sitting in front of the multi-channeled installation, you would see the waves slowly hitting the shore, while the trees gently move with the wind. The therapist sitting on the sofa is asking you to relax, close your eyes, and enter the island in your mind. Through Cheng’s personal therapy experience, and interviews with local Christian missionary, Taoist medium, shaman of aboriginal Payuan religion, psychotherapist and horticulture therapist, the work examines the relationship between religion and mental health, discussing death, grief, and Self-Care, under the scenic nature of the city where no one walks. The project is a result of Cheng’s artist in residency at Taitung Art Museum in 2019.
Through sound, audience participation, images and videos, Cheng invites the audience to look at the future, the past and the present of the island.
