The Maze with Invisible Walls 看不見牆壁的迷宮：2024年台北當代藝術博覽會

A brief exegesis of the 2024 Taipei Dangdai Contemporary Art Expo

觀看當代藝術展時，我很容易感到疲憊。
因為我的腳步總是不自覺地加速，想要趕快找到這座迷宮的通道 — 這座迷宮四處散落著炫目寶藏，然而牆卻是隱形而不可見的。

相較於走在傳統藝術品的展場，在這裡我時常感覺自己走著走著就會突然撞上一面牆。這座展場似乎充斥著無數面牆，無數面隱形的牆，佇立在我和當代藝術品之間。

這些隱形的牆目的不是為了保護寶藏，是寶藏本身創造了這些牆。當代藝術乍看之下更為親民 — 畫中做在扶手椅裡的不是皇家成員，而是有著銀色髮絲的老奶奶；雕像不在是關於皇帝或將軍，而是一個可愛、寶可夢般的生物。然而，當代藝術並不是真正擁抱所有人，它通常是擁抱那些和藝術家擁有相同品味，或類似人生經驗的人。就像你一開始會覺得這個微笑著、像寶可夢般的生物真可愛，但接著你突然看到它的身上佈滿大量塗鴉和打叉縫合線的傷疤。你忍不住懷疑自己「或許…我並不是真的理解這件藝術品?」這種突然被拒絕的感覺就是那面隱形的牆，直到你迎面撞上才發現它的存在。

I get tired easily when I walk into any contemporary expo.
My feet always speed up unconsciously as I’m trying to find the passages after I enter this maze that is built with invisible walls and dazzling treasures.

As someone who comes from a traditional art background, whenever I walk into a space filled with contemporary art, I often feel that I’m bumping into something  it seems there are countless walls, invisible walls, just stood right between me and the art pieces.

The invisible walls are not made for the treasure, but made from the treasure. Contemporary art seems more welcoming, more friendly than traditional art. It’s not a royal family member, it’s a normal grandma with silver hair sitting in the armchair; it’s not a statue of a great emperor or general, but a cute Pokemon-like sculpture. However, Contemporary art is not embracing of all people, it’s for someone specific; someone who has the same taste; someone who has had a similar experience with the artist. As you stare at the grinning Pokemon-like sculpture, you might feel heart-warming and delightful, but then you see the graffiti and stitch marks all over its body, you might question yourself ”Do I actually understand this art piece?” The rejection is the invisible wall, and you only know its existence when you bump into it. 

迷宮的寶藏是那些令人眼花繚亂的藝術作品。

傳統藝術選擇了大多數人都能理解的熟悉主題，而當代藝術的靈感則更多地來自藝術家生活中的特定事件，這就是為什麼它們看起來千變萬化。

曾經，藝術是用人類的臉孔或軀殼來傳達情感，但現在卻是熊、僧侶、流星，或是未知生物。它們不僅外表獨特，身份、時間、地點等所有的誕生因素都令人不得其解。

當代藝術品的主題更不是一眼就能看明白的。
它不是關於愛情，而是關於在特定情況下，痛苦的情感經歷 — 也許是在一個寒冷、下雪的日子裡，你在東京街頭經歷了一場折磨人心的分手談話後，麻木地刷著寶可夢GO。愛情依舊可愛，但卻是支離破碎的。它也不是關於成功，而是關於我們所有人都曾失敗的遊戲。畫作裡描繪著兩方對立陣營的足球迷互相憤怒指責，即使這種情況在台灣不常見，疲憊感卻湧上心頭，生存遊戲裡到底誰算是贏家? 或者還有另一個我們都熟捻當敗方的遊戲，當你看著閃閃發光的莫比烏斯環狀陶瓷雕塑品，思緒忍不住跟著繞呀、繞呀不斷循環打轉。才發現我們最終都會輸給上帝 — 因為我們終將輸給死亡。

The treasures are the dazzling art pieces.
Traditional art expresses familiar themes to which most people can relate, while contemporary art is more from specific occasions in numerous artists’ lives, which is why the looks are kaleidoscopic. It used to be human faces or figures expressing the feelings, but now there is a bear, a monk, a shooting star and sometimes unknown creatures. They are unusual, not just for their looks. But their identities; the timing and places they were born. The themes of the art pieces are not easy to discern at  first glance. 

It’s not about love, it’s about the painful experience of being in love in a certain circumstance  Perhaps when you are playing Pokemon GO on a cold, snowy day right after an agonizing breakup talk in the streets of Tokyo. Love is still cute, but shattered.

It’s not about success, it’s about the games that we all have lost. When the paintings are actually about the two opposing, angry soccer fans pointing at each other, there's a slight familiarity. Or there is another game we all have lost, when your mind circled in the shining, ceramic infinite loop, we will all end up in the game of god, and we will lose to death.

許多時候，我以為自己理解了某件藝術品，就像我把目光放在迷宮中心的寶藏上一樣，但我卻遲遲找不到通往它的路。所以我只能向它們揮手告別，有時甚至可能向它們脱帽致敬，然後離開。我開始在心裡念想，希望角落裡會有一件作品正在鋪設紅地毯迎接我、擁抱我。

也許就是這整座迷宮的意義，經過長時間令人沮喪的「拒絕進入」，終於獲得被接受的喜悅。你一次又一次地碰撞在牆壁上，突然間，帶著恐懼和驚訝，你發現自己輕鬆地走向一件藝術品，並緊鄰著它。「允許進入」。你終於被允許進入一個角落，在這個瘋狂、喧囂、巨大的迷宮中。也意味著你仍然被這個所謂的先進世界所接受，即使對每個人來說，它似乎轉變得太快了。

這場遊戲的推薦度依然未明。
如果你想要體驗這份刺激的感覺，迷宮開放時間只剩下1小時了。
不過，還是得再提醒一次，我只知道入口喔。

Many times I found myself snatching a hint of the concept of the pieces, like I had set my eyes on the treasure in the center of the maze, but I just couldn't find my way to it. So I just waved goodbye or sometimes maybe doffed my hat to them, and left. And then I started to hope there will be one piece in the corner that is rolling a red carpet for me, welcoming me to walk forward and invest in it.

Maybe this is what the maze is made for, the joy of acceptance after a long and frustrating “ACCESS DENIED.” You keep bumping into walls and walls, and all of a sudden, with great fear and surprise at the same time, you find yourself walking towards the artwork effortlessly until you are right beside it. “ACCESS APPROVED.” You are accepted to ONE corner, in this crazy, noisy, giant maze. You are still acceptable to this so-called advanced world that seems shifting way too fast for everyone.

The recommendation of this game is uncertain. If you want to experience this thrilling feeling, the opening hours are counting down for the next 1 hours. Just so you know, I only know the entrance.