翻譯/ 陳仲麟
儘管身為創作者，面對許多國內外當代藝術展覽，已經超越了過去單純把「畫掛在牆上」的形式，這個問題仍然不太容易回答，因為每個人的狀況都不一樣。有時候我們是因為不懂其中的規則，有時候是作者真的在亂搞。但是如果把問題限縮一點，變成：
為什麼比較難看懂當代藝術？我們也許可以提出一些解釋。
Even me as an artist, it’s still hard to dealing with the forms of exhibitions now. So many gallery which not even inside Taiwan, but also those spaces abroad, ways that they displaying items, it’s not just simply “ hanging the painting on the wall ”. And about why we just can’t understand contemporary art, this is a tough question to answer, because everyone would have different responds on facing this problem.
Sometimes it’s because we didn’t’t get the secrets behind the scene, but other times it might just because even the creator don’t know what he’s doing. But if we turn the question into: “ Why is it more difficult to understand modern art? ” maybe we can offer you some sort of explanations.
- 資料照片：莊志維提供 / Italy / 2017 / Courtesy of CHUANG Chih-Wei
確實相較於比較「傳統」的藝術類型，像是繪畫或是雕塑，我們即使仍然不了解其中的技術內涵或是藝術史背景，可是觀眾還是能從那些「藝術的樣子」、畫布中的人物、景致中，得到一些直觀的愉悅。儘管我們不會說我們真的看懂這些藝術，但是至少還能得到立即性的報酬，且不會如此充滿的困惑。可是問題就出在「藝術的樣子」。
It is true that compare to the “ Traditional art, ” as painting or sculpture, even thought we don’t understand the technique or history, we would still felt happiness through those image which we think that is “what art supposed to look like ”. For instance people in the panting or the view.Although we wouldn’t’t say we understand these art, at least we get some directed feedback, and we won’t be so confused.
But that is what the problem lies in, the theory of “what art supposed to look like ”.
- 資料照片：莊志維提供 / 明斯特雕塑十年展 Sculpture Projects Münster / 2017 / Courtesy of CHUANG Chih-Wei
Advance guard: A way to break through the present situation Revolution of old art stander way before conceptual art started, artists had insist one faith, that was denied “what art supposed to looked like ” if it was on painting, it might be some carefully planned detail, if it was on music, it might be some “ perfect scale ,” that people loved it, and it would never went wrong.
This is what conceptual art want to fight about, and the most easiest reason would probably because they are all unsatisfied with main stream art, and more accurately to said, this is a mature developing path of early avant-garde art.
The best way to break this situation is denied the art stander that we now have. It’s not hard to understand, when we are not in the main flow and been a loser, we would want to revolutionized the system.
前衛：一種突破現狀的方式 推翻既有的藝術標準
在觀念藝術發展之始，藝術家有一個信念，就是想要否定「藝術的樣子」，在繪畫上可能是一種精細的形式安排，在音樂上可能是和諧的音階。觀念藝術想要挑戰這些，最簡單的原因可能是，他們都不滿於主流藝術，精確的說是早期前衛藝術發展成熟的樣子。而最好突破現狀方式，就是完全不承認那一套計有的藝術標準。這一點並不難理解，當我們既邊緣又魯蛇的時候，我們也會想要推翻一切。
The sheer pleasure of contemporary art even dropped the way that art “ should ” look like. The more important is, concept artist think essential of art should be more pure. Compare to the artists before 1965s, they have gone so far, they abandoned the beauty and concrete which art supposed to reflect. But it’s still not enough for concept artist, from their point of view, art still have a “ way that should be ” and “ creator’s elements ” excited.
當代藝術的純粹，甚至拋棄藝術「該有」的樣子
但是背後更深的原因是，觀念藝術家認為藝術的本質應該是更加純粹。論起1965年以前的藝術家，已經向前跨出一大步了，他們拋棄了具象，拋棄了藝術要反映美德。可是在觀念藝術看來仍然不夠，因為對他們來說，藝術仍然有一個「樣子」以及「作者」的存在。
- 資料照片：余梓勤提供 / Taipei / 2017 / Courtesy of Yu Tzu-Chin
當藝術跳脫觀賞時直接性的愉悅，藝術與思考共存時
我們都熟悉一種談論藝術的方法，觀者從作品中看見作者的精神與情感，或是從形式上發現一種純粹的感官愉悅。我們如此理所當然地相信這個，相信這就是藝術應該有的基本樣子。可是為什麼呢？為什麼作品要看起來像作品？為什麼作者一定要表現在創作之中。
When art jumped out of the directed happiness through watching it, think about when we compatible with art. We all get used to talk about art in an established way, viewer can fell the artist passion through their work, or discover a pure sensory pleasure from some typical forms. We deeply believe in this, and truly think this is the basic mode that what art should be like.
But why? Why is artistic creation had to looks like art works? Why is artist had to put those elements in the work?
- 資料照片：余梓勤提供 / Paris / 2016 / Courtesy of Yu Tzu-Chin
因為當代藝術本來就不想讓他們的作品看起來像藝術。
因為有這樣的懷疑，觀念藝術發展各式各樣看起來不像藝術，甚至去除作者的作品，譬如他們在工作室裡面展現一個無意義的行為然後記錄下來，又或著完全在創作之中隱身。某種程度上這構成了當代藝術的元素。這就可以解釋為什麼我們比較看不懂當代藝術，因為當代藝術本來就不想讓他們的作品看起來像藝術。
Because having this suspect, Conceptual art developed so many different kinds of pieces that don’t look like art, even not having creator excited. For instance they would present a nonsense action in their studio and record it, at some point this contained the element of contemporary art.
This could explain why we cannot understand contemporary art, because they don’t want their work looks like art.
