林中路 Off the beaten track
賴雯淑 藝術裝置展 Installation by Wen-Shu Lai
“Wood” is an old name for forest. In the wood there are paths, mostly overgrown, that come to an abrupt stop where the wood is untrodden. They are called Holzwege.
Each goes its separate way, though within the same forest. It often appears as if one is identical to another. But it only appears so. Woodcutters and forest keepers know these paths. They know what it means to be on a Holzwege.
~ Martin Heidegger,
“Off the Beaten Track”
「林」乃森林的古名。
林中有路，蔓生的路徑多半突然斷絕在杳無人跡之處。
它們被稱為林中路。
雖屬同林，卻各行其是。
看來幾乎無法區分，但只是看來如此而已。
伐木工人和森林守護者知曉這些路徑。
他們知道何謂在林中路上的涵義。
~ 馬丁•海德格《林中路》
創作自述
“Art is a unique incident, a happening. It is something that has become you inwardly.” The above writing is a note I put on the page of the book “Off the Beaten Track.” I do not remember if it was an afterthought after reading or a note from the original text. However, I feel now that it was a dialogue with myself. For me, creating art is an inward journey into oneself. Two worlds are explored: the relationship between the artist and his/her art and the one between the artist and the world. Life exists and evolves through relationships entered with “others.” The “other” here could refer to men, nature, or spiritual beings.
This exhibition is called “Off the Beaten Track.” Using light as a vehicle, I intended to reflect on the origin of the artwork—a pursuit that was undertaken by the great philosopher Heidegger as well. Creating art is an act of actualizing myself, which allows for an evolution of the meaning of my being in the world.
之後領悟到，從溪中撿起的Candlenut(也稱Kukui Nuts)到後來解開「石栗」之謎，中間相隔了一段時空，我所知覺的內外世界也有了很大的轉變，雖忙碌混亂，卻偶爾也能瞥見自己內在的定靜，漸漸體會到種子落地，粒粒各得其所，若能看透表象，就能進入內在，猶如石栗果實有著一層又一層的包覆，短暫的相逢並無法察覺深沉的意義，尤其是看似不解或大悲大喜的經驗，更需耐心和定靜。遭逢之際，除了保持覺知、開放的心，繼續前行外，並無需急著求答案、下判斷、論成敗。就好像林中常有紛雜不知通往何處的岔路，然而順著任何一條走，都會有一個迎面展開的世界。生命也如是，無論走在任何一條路上，都是探入深林的旅程，從中接收和領會沿途所遭逢的景象與人事物，由此，我們有機會逐漸對生命達到深切的瞭解。沒有所謂的誤入歧途或是步上正道，它們其實都是向內探索的路，終將展現尚未出現於眼前的彼端，只有走在看似無徑可行的林中，世界才有機會對人顯現出那尚不為人知、既定框架外的一面和可能。生命和創作是一條沿著想像變異，直觀存有本質的路。在這條路上，標示無法予人指引，只能依著直覺持續地走下去，直至「人」成為他自己的「路」。
這次光纖藝術裝置展的互動技術研發和應用，是清華大學電機系和交大跨領域藝術團隊的合作。對跨領域的探索也是踏入未知的深林，雙足落地的那一剎那，路才彷彿在腳下浮現。路徑雖隱約不明，但卻提供了科學和藝術在時空交會碰撞的可能，指向另一個跨領域對話和異種混生的新世界。
- 註1:石栗樹開花後結核果，圓球形，徑5-6釐米，具縱棱；果具木質種皮，堅硬如石，內藏種子1-2粒。種仁含油，可做油漆；樹皮可減輕痢疾；搗成漿狀的核仁和煮過的葉子可做治頭痛、潰瘍和關節腫大的藥方，木質硬殼具微毒，不宜置入口中啃咬，也可能會導致皮膚過敏，長時間觸摸後需洗手。
The origin of this exhibition, “Off the Beaten Track,” can be traced back to 2009, when I took a walk in the wood of Maui Island. I spotted a brownish, rusted-looking seed in a stream below a hill. It sparkled in the sunlight and water, and stunned me in its moment of beauty, capturing all my attention. Without hesitation, I walked into the stream and picked up the seed. I had never seen a seed like that before, and I wondered if it was a hard shell nut. I could not find out then, so I carried it with me on my “off the beaten track” journey that began in that moment. It took me five years to solve the mystery of this seed when I spotted it in a seed store located in Tainan, a city in southern Taiwan. The seed is called Shih-li: it comes from a Shih-li tree (candlenut tree).1 Later, I realized that it is also Hawaii’s state tree, which is called Aleurites molucanna (Kukui). Kukui is one of the most useful trees that was introduced by the aboriginal people of the Pacific Islands. It is also said that the Kukui tree was first brought to the islands by early Polynesian settlers, approximately two thousand years ago. The traditional uses of Kukui are extensive.2 Throughout Polynesia, Kukui is known in local languages using words whose etymology can be traced to “light,” referring to the traditional use of its seeds and oil for illumination.3 It is natural that Kukui has developed into a symbol of enlightenment, protection, and peace in Maui. I have been enthralled by light for a long time. I explore its meaning and metaphors in many aspects of my art making, teaching, research, and living. Light can be found in both the physical and spiritual worlds—deriving from and depending on one another.
It has been five years since I first encountered Kukui in Maui. As a result, my way of perceiving the world, both inwardly and outwardly, has transformed. I can now catch a glimpse of the calmness and quietness within me in spite of being surrounded by the chaos of life. Gradually, I have begun to understand the significance of how seeds always settle into the right soil. One can see the inner meaning if she/he is able to look beyond the outward appearances. An analogy can be drawn from the hard shell of Kukui nut that covers all its inward charms. A single encounter might not be enough to grasp its richness and profound meaning. This is the way of the seed, and this is the way of life—both in times of delight and sadness. We must keep our doors facing perception clean and open, and remember to move forward in life. The experience of the seed taught me to be patient while waiting for answers we eagerly want to know and wait for the truth to reveal itself. Do not rush to judge and evaluate what can be seen on a surface level. The forest contains many separate paths—no matter which one we follow, it will lead us to a unique landscape unlike anything else. This is a journey of seeing, knowing, and understanding life; no path is wrong. Each path leads us to our inner world, and each path will reveal things that we have not yet seen. For this, we have to have the courage to wisely tread on Holzwege—the untrodden path.
- 1: Shih-li means “stone nut” in Chinese.
- 2: Many parts of the plant, including the seed, leaves, flowers, and bark, were used in traditional medicine. Caution is advised in using the plant medicinally or for consumption, as all parts of the tree are toxic. Today, in addition to its traditional uses, Kukui has found commercial uses, particularly in the cosmetics industry.
- 3: http://agroforestry.net/tti/Aleurites-kukui.pdf (accessed on 03/15/2014).
作品簡介
The Inner Space 《內在空間》
文字或思想最多只能指向真理，但它本身永遠不會是真理。真理與自己的本質是無法分開的，內在空間是生命本質所在，如果一味地向外尋求，那麼每次都會錯失它。
Message of the Seed 《種子的訊息》
事物的美好與奧秘，很難從外表知曉；種子落地，粒粒皆得其所。
The Suchness of Life 《生命如是》
創作是一個特殊事件，一種發生，是一條沿著想像變異，直觀存有本質的路。在這條路上，標示無法予人指引，只能依著直覺持續地走下去，直至「人」成為他自己的「路」。生命亦如是。
Disintegration, Encounter, Transcendence《崩塌．相遇．超越》
當手段、偏見、成規命名慢慢消融，內在之光逐漸通透，就會回到嬰兒的狀態。與本真的相遇，常常是在崩塌毀壞處，這一刻是超越，也指向新的可能。
Back to Source, Whatever Is 《回歸本然》
定靜感受，進入自我察覺的狀態，這裡就是平安的內在空間，就是回歸本然。
光纖與科技
光纖(optical fiber)，在科學應用上原是提供一個可以讓光旅行的路徑，有通訊和傳達資料的實質意義，但更吸引人的是這樣的意義和功能在美學和設計上所可能蘊涵的潛能與隱喻。交大跨領域藝術團隊與清華大學電機系合作，將其研發原用於生醫領域，關於呼吸、心跳、聲音等生理訊號的微小型感應系統，應用在光纖藝術裝置作品的互動上，在現場擷取觀眾的生理感知資料，並以電腦運算加以分析整合，進而直接或間接控制光纖光源的變化，同時啟動一連串影音反應，將原本僅能供醫學症狀判讀的人體生理訊號，轉化成為能夠為各種感官所接收的信號，生理也將對這些信號再度做出新的回饋反應，除了讓人沉浸在一個既虛擬又真實的鏡像世界，亦即，視覺化的訊息是生理訊號資料經運算後抽象化的呈現；而訊息經視覺化後的呈現，跟觀者的生理訊號相關，又是可解讀的。觀者若能定靜感受，進入自我察覺的狀態，這裡就是平安的內在空間，就是回歸本然。
藝術家團隊
賴雯淑於美國愛荷華大學完成設計/藝術碩士(MA/MFA)和藝術教育博士學位。2001至2004年在美國Angelo State University擔任藝術與音樂學系助理教授，目前任教於交通大學應用藝術研究所，也是交大跨領域藝術團隊的核心成員。
多年來，她以藝術存有學的視域出發，探索藝術的本源問題，透過研究、教學和藝術創作實踐，來思考人的意義，並以這樣的方式來沉澱對生命的瞭解。賴雯淑在2010年獲「傅爾布萊特專業人員及創作藝術家」獎助，於次年赴美進行光纖複合媒材實驗和藝術創作。光纖提供一個讓光旅行的路徑，蘊涵著各種可能的隱喻，而這些光之隱喻正是這次展覽所要探索和表達的。
【林中路展覽工作團隊】
- 藝術家、展覽論述暨中英文編輯 | 賴雯淑
- 展覽規劃、3D設計暨電腦模擬 | 邱筠穎
- 展覽施作監督 | 境衍設計事務所
- 微小型生理訊號感應系統研發 | 清華大學電機系教授 黃柏鈞、馬席彬、黃元豪
- 交通大學跨領域藝術團隊指導教授 | 賴雯淑、董昭民、侯君昊、謝啟民
- 互動裝置技術 | 陳宜惠、李宸安、葉韋鉦、王嘉葳、莊嘉瑋
- 光纖複合媒材實驗 | 賴雯淑
- 作品製作 |
賴雯淑、郭家宏、黃建達、鄭介瑤、陳韋翰、黃詩婷、郭育伸、陳昱丞、賴克、蔡一豪 - 作品集暨文宣製作 | 郭家宏、陳韋瀚
- 攝影暨錄影 | 郭家宏、黃建達、盧冠廷
- 原網頁設計 | 徐慈璟
時間 | 2014.01.02 – 24
地點 | 交通大學藝文空間
1.02（四）12:00 開幕茶會
1.02（四）13:30–14:30 創作者導覽
開放時間 |
星期一～星期五 10:00 am – 19:00 pm
星期六～星期日 10:00 am – 17:00 pm
展場地址 |
新竹市大學路1001號 交通大學圖書館B1
洽詢電話 | （03）513-1233