2 minute read
Public Space and Public Art Participation 思考公共空間與藝術創作
from Spun Dragon
by mill6chat
In the eyes of many, our city is well-organised and planned. Facilities such as benches in parks, footbridge staircases, streets, alleyways and waterfront concrete are all neatly placed and serve their functions. The culture of the city, taught from a young age, is to treat them respectfully. But that also means we rarely think outside our habits and try to do something more interesting with them.
Having lived in Hong Kong during different periods, Taguchi is experienced in organising unexpected participatory activities in the city’s public spaces. In 2016 he wove unwanted T-shirts between fences and signposts across Hong Kong, using ordinary objects to fire people’s imaginations and provide them with new experiences. When he returned in 2018 for the Spun Dragon project, he made use of mundane facilities like pavilions and benches in Tsuen Wan parks as temporary weaving studios.
The focus of the project lies not only in using public spaces, but also in unleashing them from their original functions and converting them into creative platforms, shaking up citizens’ fixed beliefs. While developing the project, Taguchi first thoroughly examined those areas, then carried out assessment to design the public space as a vessel that could embody random, casual interventions from users.
The pivot to making art in public spaces takes into account the right to use these spaces of all stakeholders, and adopts a collective rather than a top-down approach to creation. It relies on the creator’s ability to observe and embrace openness, showing enough care to every participant. Taguchi does not presume that art is everything, just part of life, one that isn’t more important or special than others. Users of these spaces or passersby could choose to take part or to enjoy their own ways of being in these spaces. When he held activities, the function and usual use of these spaces were respected: he made use of existing facilities and his creativity to fuel events that naturally became part of the environment, without disturbing other stakeholders. With repeated, durational activities and a new practice is formed in these spaces. The artist spent time there communicating with people about the thinking behind his creative acts, giving them a chance to respond. If the feedback was negative, Taguchi would move elsewhere to continue his work.
In the past couple of years Taguchi has demonstrated an achievable plan to transform public spaces across Hong Kong while showing respect and concern for the participants. Any participatory project will of course eventually deliver an outcome of some sort; what makes one successful lies in the process. Taguchi has presented a tactile, vivid-looking Spun Dragon, but it is his attitude – being open to and showing perseverance in communicating with the public that counts.
Him Lo
Curator, Community and Learning
思考公共空間與藝術創作
在很多人眼中我們的城市井井有條，公園的座位、行人天橋的樓梯、大街小巷或海邊石 壆等等都經過悉心安排。我們從小開始便被教育如何去使用這些空間，大部份人也會遵 從這些約定俗成的習慣在這些空間之中互動。但我們有否想過這些空間其實可以在我們 慣性之外發生更多有趣的事情。 田口在幾次駐留香港期間，經過長時間的準備及有條理地思考，從紡織出發在香港各區 大街小巷不同的公共空間引發出令人意想不到讓公眾參與的互動項目。例如是 2016 年 他回收各種舊布料，於各區的路牌與欄杆之間紡織，成功轉化了我們對日常街道上物件 的想像及看法。及後到 2018 年，當他來到香港準備紡織龍的時候，在荃灣大大小小的 公園把平平無奇的涼亭及公園內的座位轉化成讓大眾參與製作紡織龍的臨時工作室。 這些構思及行動重點在於如何透過公共空間準備及創作不同的平台，讓大眾參與，更加 能夠讓不同背景的人士對這些空間固有的想法帶來衝擊，讓我們對生活空間有重新的想 像及思考。觀察田口創作的期間，發現他在公共空間創作之前必定會到這些地方進行考 察，及後於各方面作出評估及設計，希望能夠讓這些空間成為載體，讓更多區內的持份 者在輕鬆的情況下介入。 在公共空間創作，重點在乎如何平衡公共空間內不同持份者使用的權利，如何能夠讓藝 術自然地介入而不是由上而下從天而降的操作。這種決定的能力在乎創作者的觀察及心 態，這是對參與者的一種關懷。田口明白創作並不是生活的全部，只是各位生活中的一 部份而沒有高低之分。經過的行人可以參與，同時亦可以選擇繼續以他們自己的方式去 享受這些公共空間，田口在計劃這些公共空間的活動時，十分尊重空間原有的習性及功 能，所以他會在這些空間不同物件原有的功能再加上創意，讓這些創作活動在不影響其 他持份者的情況下發生，自自然然地變成這些空間的一部份。當然透過時間的累積，讓 這些活動重複發生而成為新的習性，讓不同的持份者有足夠的時間互相理解，田口亦會 和在場的朋友溝通，交流對他創作方式的想法。如果有些人在溝通之後不滿意的話，田 口會想方法在其他地方繼續進行他的創作。
盧樂謙
社區及共學部策展人
