大館當代美術館的全新展覽「言語不通」將於2020年5月25日至9月13日在大館賽馬會藝方舉行。是次展覽由日本大阪國立國際美術館與新加坡美術館聯手呈獻，旨在探討文化交流的意義，探索藝術可在當中扮演的角色。
Tai Kwun Contemporary is proud to announce a new group exhibition They Do Not Understand Each Other, which runs from 25 May to 13 September 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries in JC Contemporary. Co-presented by the National Museum of Art, Osaka (NMAO) and Singapore Art Museum (SAM), They Do Not Understand Each Other considers what it means to engage with one another, and looks at the potential of art in facilitating understanding.
新展「言語不通」由日本大阪國立國際美術館策展人植松由佳，以及新加坡美術館策展、節目及出版總監葉德晶博士共同策劃。
They Do Not Understand Each Other is curated by Yuka Uematsu, Curator at the National Museum of Art, Osaka; and Dr. June Yap, Director, Curatorial, Collections and Programmes at Singapore Art Museum.
展覽標題「言語不通」出自加藤翼（Tsubasa Kato）的同名作品。這幅影像拍攝於韓國和日本中間的對馬島，影片中兩人一起執行簡單任務，卻絲毫聽不懂對方的話。加藤翼和他的韓國夥伴在島上攜手合作，最終達成目的，似乎不僅由於他們的幽默個性與耐心，更因他們超越了語言層面而能互相理解。
The exhibition title is inspired by an artwork by Tsubasa Kato, They Do Not Understand Each Other. On a small island that lies between Korea and Japan, two figures are seen performing a simple task together while not comprehending a word uttered by the other. The success of the artist and his Korean collaborator in this act of cooperation appears to have been achieved, if not by virtue of their good humour and patience with each other, then by an understanding that exceeds the plane of language.
不過，英文展題所說的「互不理解」並非指最後的溝通結果，而是指最初的語言隔閡。藝術家想藉作品的原題「言葉が通じない」來突顯沒有溝通的狀況，及後轉譯成英語標題「互不理解」，在相中關鍵的地理位置的脈絡下，進一步反思缺乏對話將會導致什麼後果。大館當代美術館將這個中文展題定為「言語不通」，就把互相交流的範圍擴展到文化上（而語言是其中的核心成分）。這一連串翻譯展現了文化既可透過設身處地而彼此溝通，也有可能會引起互不理解的反效果。
Yet this English title was not the first. Originally captioned 言葉が通じない (kotoba ga tsūjinai) in Japanese, the artist’s intent was to mark a lack of communication, which was then translated into the English title “They Do Not Understand Each Other” — for a broader reflection upon an absence of dialogue, in the context of the geographical location that is the subject of the artwork. Its subsequent Chinese translation — 言語不通 (Cantonese: yìhnyúh bāt tūng; Putonghua: yányǔ bùtōng) — is meant to build upon and extend its reference of exchange to the subject of culture (within which language is central), with this succession of translations also speaking to the commutability of culture and the possibility of its obverse — understanding.
文化的前提若是對一切人、事、物的「再現」，那麼人們可以合理假設文化交流就是為了確保大家能互相理解。但是要保證互相理解，這背後的基礎是什麼？
If the premise of culture is representation, then the promise of cultural exchange — as one might reasonably suppose — is understanding. But what underlies this promise of understanding?
大館藝術主管Tobias Berger表示：「香港市民可藉『言語不通』展覽欣賞到亞洲兩所主要美術館的當代藝術藏品，機會十分難得。是次展覽建基於文化理解和合作，向公眾展示多件非傳統意義上的藝術作品，而這些攝影、錄像、演出等的表現手法現已成為藝術文化中不可或缺的一環。」
Tobias Berger, Head of Art at Tai Kwun, said, “This is a unique chance to see some of the most contemporary works of these two major Asian museums. Taking the idea of understanding and collaboration as a foundation, the exhibition also shows how much intangible artworks like photography, video and performance entered important institutions and are now seen as an essential part of our cultural heritage.”
日本大阪國立國際美術館策展人植松由佳表示：「日本大阪國立國際美術館很高興能在大館舉行『言語不通』展覽。文化交流不應只以互相理解為目標，更應開啟各方之間的不同對話。我們與新加坡美術館和大館兩個合作單位均期待全港市民親臨展覽，發掘各種創作媒介的藝術力量。」
Yuka Uematsu, Curator for NMAO, said, “On behalf of the National Museum of Art, Osaka, we are delighted to bring the exhibition to Hong Kong at Tai Kwun. Cultural exchange is not about perfect understanding, but rather opening up a dialogue via unique perspectives. Together with SAM and Tai Kwun, we welcome everyone in Hong Kong to come and experience this unparalleled showcase of artworks that represent the power of their respective mediums.”
新加坡美術館策展、節目及出版總監葉德晶博士表示：「展覽的每件作品不僅詮釋了文化理解與交流的本質，更互相進行對話，與植松由佳和本人的策展理念不謀而合。我們幸與大館的Tobias Berger和其團隊分享相同觀點，得以促成是次合作。『言語不通』透過言詞和表述、以及一切現有的關係達成展覽目的，而這些關係存在於人與人、物件與物件，甚至意念與意念之間。新加坡美術館與策展夥伴日本大阪國立國際美術館和大館一致希望，所有觀眾都能夠從展覽中有所收穫。」
Dr. June Yap, Director, Curatorial, Collections and Programmes for SAM, said, “The subject of understanding and exchange goes beyond the individual artworks, to a dialogue between artworks, and a convergence at a curatorial level on the subject of interrelation that resonated with both Yuka and myself. This is a connection that we also felt with Tai Kwun via Tobias Berger and his team, whom we appreciate for enabling this collaboration. The promise is thus fulfilled, not merely by what is said or expressed, but also in simply the relation that exists. A relation that exists between us, between things, even between ideas. On behalf of our curatorial partners NMAO, Tai Kwun and SAM, we hope this will be the experience and understanding that visitors will take with them from the exhibition.”
日本大阪國立國際美術館及新加坡美術館分別集中收藏亞洲東北部和東南部的當代藝術作品，而「言語不通」展覽的作品正來自兩國美術館的23件收藏，加上兩件特別委約的新作，聚焦於對文化的協商和期望。
They Do Not Understand Each Other presents 2 new commissions and 23 artworks from the collections of NMAO and SAM. These two institutions have built national collections of art with their regional foci — Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia, respectively — and have been collecting contemporary art widely. Through encounters between the two collections and the newly commissioned works, this exhibition considers the negotiations and expectations of culture.
來自新加坡、日本、馬來西亞、韓國、越南、菲律賓、波多黎各和其他地區的藝術家，運用錄像、混合媒介、繪畫、雕塑、紡織、故事、演出、動力裝置及攝影等多種形式，展現他們對文化再現與交流的獨特理解。在這裡，藝術家擔當調解者的角色，即使他們是在文化展示和文化交流的框架內進行表演。這些藝術品在觀察文化及其本質時，加強了藝術作為中介及再現的力量。
The diverse range of artworks include videos, mixed-media works, paintings, sculptures, textile, stories, performances, kinetic installations, and photography, with artists hailing from Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Puerto Rico, and beyond, each bringing a unique perspective on representation and cultural exchange. Here, the artists appear as mediators, even as they perform for and from within the frame of cultural presentation and exchange. In observing culture and the nature of culture, these artworks reinforce the agency of art and its power to represent.
Artists on show:
- Saori AKUTAGAWA (MADOKORO) (Japan)
- Jennifer ALLORA & Guillermo CALZADILLA (Puerto Rico)
- Agnes ARELLANO (Philippines)
- chi too (Malaysia)
- Heman CHONG (Singapore)
- CHUA Chye Teck (Singapore)
- HO Tzu Nyen (Singapore)
- Sojung JUN (South Korea)
- Tsubasa KATO (Japan)
- Charles LIM (Singapore)
- Kumi MACHIDA (Japan)
- Jun NGUYEN-HATSUSHIBA (Japan/Vietnam)
- Wit PIMKANCHANAPONG (Thailand)
- Kohei SEKIGAWA (Japan)
- Kazuo SHIRAGA (Japan)
- Akira TAKAYAMA (Japan)
- THAN Sok (Cambodia)
- Ming WONG (Singapore)
參觀須知
「言語不通」展覽將於2020年5月24日至9月13日在大館賽馬會藝方的藝術展廳舉行，公眾可免費入場，同時亦將能透過大館網站的360度虛擬展廳參觀是次展覽。
訪客亦可於同期參觀另一個當代藝術展覽「承受著自身的姿態」，由譚雪策劃，帶領觀眾遊走於限制和束縛之間。
大館於每天上午10時至晚上11時開放；賽馬會藝方則於每天上午11時至晚上8時開放（逢星期一為下午2時至晚上8時）。館方建議訪客在到訪前於大館官方網站免費預約大館入場證，以確保可以進場。同時，大館亦歡迎即場到訪，入場安排則受限於場內訪客人數上限而定。詳情請瀏覽：https://www.taikwun.hk/zh/visit/taikwun_pass。鑑於目前的疫情狀況，大館現正實施適當的衞生措施，敬請各位訪客留意。
Visitor information
They Do Not Understand Each Other runs from 25 May to 13 September 2020 at Tai Kwun’s art galleries, at JC Contemporary. Admission is free. A 360° virtual gallery will soon be on view on Tai Kwun’s website for local and international audiences to experience the exhibition online.
Along with They Do Not Understand Each Other, visitors are welcome to My Body Holds Its Shape, an intriguing contemporary art exhibition that walks through limits and restraints, and is curated by Xue Tan.
The entire site of Tai Kwun is open to the public daily from 10am to 11pm, while JC Contemporary is open from 11am to 8pm daily (except Monday from 2pm to 8pm). Visitors are encouraged to book their free Tai Kwun Pass online via https://www.taikwun.hk/en/visit/taikwun_pass prior to visiting for guaranteed admission. Walk-ins are also welcome, subject to site capacity conditions. Please note that appropriate sanitary measures are in place with regards to the ongoing coronavirus situation.
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「言語不通」展覽 They Do Not Understand Each Other Exhibition
Date:
25 May to 13 September 2020
Time:
Monday 14:00 – 20:00; Tuesday to Friday 11:00 – 20:00
Venue: 大館賽馬會藝方藝術展廳
Tai Kwun’s art galleries, JC Contemporary
香港中環荷李活道10號
10 Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong
Souce: Tai Kwun Contemporary
