畸零地景藝術交流會Marginal Landscape Art Forum

今年九月，「畸零地工作室」團隊有幸參與「Res Artis 2024」台北年會，並認識了同樣在年會上發表學術成果的藝術史學者——阿樂（Roberto Alvau）。他來自位於義大利的薩丁尼亞島（Sardinia Island），作為地中海的第二大島，實際上卻是一座在歷史變遷中屢屢遭受佔領、轉換政權的島嶼，在這樣的生命背景下，阿樂對於臺灣正面臨的地緣政治現況、人民的身份認同處境感到非常親近，並且深受共鳴。本場分享會，團隊特地將地點舉辦在屏東縣東港鎮，除了扣合本場三位講者的分享主題，更呼應了薩丁尼亞島民同樣也食用「烏魚子」的飲食文化。

在一邊享受烏魚子風味的 #古蹟燒 的同時，阿樂以「畸零地景、輪廓與身體性：對於台灣（邊緣）藝術的思考」為題，分享他長期以「社會參與」（socially engaged art）作為研究軸線，並尤其著重於藝術家吳瑪悧的「樹梅坑溪環境藝術行動」等計畫，作為案例分析的主要對象。

在阿樂的分享環節中，他特別強調在探討「邊緣化」議題時，首先需要避免將「邊緣／中心」作為對照組，以免落入這個「霸權結構」的重申循環當中。與之相反，阿樂引用葡萄牙詩人的詩句說道：「你需要離開島嶼，才能看到島嶼。」（You Need to Leave the Island to See the Island.）他建議先將「邊緣主體」暫時懸置，並轉換視角，從外圍的周邊關係中回頭勾勒出主體的輪廓、形狀。正因為「每個中心都有其限制」，反而使得這些邊緣化的地區顯得生機盎然：「每一個邊緣的界限，都由居住其中的聲音和構成的空間勾勒而成。」

相對於阿樂對於「畸零地景」的研究者觀點，陳佳暖則以創作者的視角，分享她過往與之相關的作品《城市綠地紮營計畫》，從先前台北市政府以獎勵容積鼓勵閒置空地進行綠美化的「台北好好看」都更計畫，探討「公共／私人空間」的模糊界線，並以「紮營」進行短期佔據。

另一件作品《陳金岳記念館籌備委員會》則從佳暖自身的家族史爬梳，她的祖父母是東港觀光漁市旁邊「朝隆聖堂」的首任堂主，家中神桌收藏的《陳金岳經畧傳》則記載著她伯公（祖父的大哥）歸神的故事。

書中記載著陳金岳本是金龍童子，三番五次因故被貶下凡修行、轉世的過程。有別於常見的降乩儀式，陳金岳的事蹟卻是透過不同神明轉述而成，亦即透過外部詮釋受到口述、轉譯。在佳暖訪談家中姑婆等長輩的過程中，發現她們稱呼陳金岳為「「アニキさん」（A-ni-ki-Sa-n），然而日文實際上不會將「アニキ」（A-ni-ki）和「さん」（Sa-n）合併使用，顯示了在中、日語混雜使用的環境下，特殊的語言狀態。

在本次交流會活動中，透過三位講者相異的詮釋途徑，共同為「畸零地景」提供了一個更廣泛的思考框架，在這些案例中「藝術」並非僅作為議題倡議的工具，而本身即是指認出「畸零地景」的觀看方式，只有在將衝突、矛盾與邊緣化的條件本身變得「可見、可感、可思考」的時候，或許，人們才可能依此建立改變的途徑。正如在吳瑪悧的案例中，藝術家透過藝術行動成功喚起群眾對於城市流域的關注，並進一步引發政府更加重視該流域的建設、整頓與都市景觀設計。

This September, the Ground Zero Studio participated in the “Res Artis 2024” conference in Taipei, where we met the art historian Roberto Alvau, who also presented his academic research at the event. Alvau is from Sardinia Island, the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, which has been repeatedly occupied and subjected to regime changes throughout history. This background has made Alvau deeply resonate with Taiwan’s current geopolitical situation and the identity struggles of its people. Our team specifically chose to hold the event in Donggang Township, Pingtung County, not only to match the themes of the three speakers but also to echo the shared culinary culture of Sardinians, who also enjoy mullet roe.

While savoring the mullet roe-infused local dish #BurnDownCake, Alvau presented a talk titled “Marginal Landscapes, Contours, and Corporeality: Reflections on Taiwan’s (Marginal) Art.” He shared his long-term research, which focuses on “socially engaged art,” highlighting the work of artist Wu Mali and her “Art as Environment – A Culture Action at the Plum Tree Creek,” a case study where the artist successfully raised public awareness of urban waterways, leading the government to take greater interest in their maintenance and urban landscape design.

During his presentation, Alvau emphasized the importance of avoiding the “margin/center” dichotomy when discussing marginalization, as it risks reinforcing hegemonic structures. Instead, he quoted a Portuguese poet, saying, “You have to leave the island in order to see the island.” He suggested temporarily suspending the notion of the “marginal subject” and shifting perspective, redrawing the subject’s contours from the peripheral relationships surrounding it. Because “every center has its limitations,” these marginalized regions are often full of vitality: “Every marginal limit is outlined by the voices that inhabit it and the spaces that compose it.”

Contrasting Alvau’s perspective as a researcher on “marginal landscapes,” artist Chen Jia-Nuan shared her related works from a creator’s point of view. In her “Urban Green Space Guerrilla Camping Project,” Chen explored the blurred boundaries between public and private space by conducting short-term occupation through camping, referencing Taipei’s urban renewal plan that encouraged green beautification of vacant lots. 

Another work, “Tân Kim-Ga̍k Memorial Hall Preparation Committee,” delves into Chen’s family history. Her grandparents were the first temple leaders of the Chaolong Temple near Donggang’s tourist fish market, and her family altar houses a biography of her grand-uncle, Tân Kim-Ga̍k, who ascended to the gods. The book records Tân Kim-Ga̍k’s numerous reincarnations, different from the typical rituals of spirit possession, as his story was passed down through various deities, relying on oral transmission and interpretation. During her interviews with her elder relatives, Chen discovered they referred to Tân Kim-Ga̍k as “アニキさん” (A-ni-ki-Sa-n), a unique linguistic blend of Chinese and Japanese, reflecting the multilingual environment in which they lived.

Through the diverse interpretative approaches of the three speakers, this exchange event offered a broader framework for thinking about “marginal landscapes.” In these cases, “art” is not just a tool for advocating issues; it becomes a way of recognizing and viewing these “marginal landscapes.” It is only by making the conditions of conflict, contradiction, and marginalization “visible, tangible, and thinkable” that people may begin to find paths for change. As seen in Wu Mali’s case, the artist’s actions successfully prompted public attention to urban waterways, leading to increased government efforts in construction, maintenance, and urban landscape design.