Curatorial Statement 策展人的話

Craft, material, space and art – when all of them come together, what we get is something like Taguchi Yukihiro’s artistic practice, which always concerns people and their lives. Spun Dragon is Taguchi’s collaborative project for CHAT’s 2018 Summer Programme, CHAT Go! Let’s Build a Textile Village. In creating it, he has provided a sound example of how contemporary artists can facilitate co-creation with community groups and members of the public. By juggling art and craft, individual and collective, contemporary and participatory art, he achieves a point of equilibrium.

Origin

Taguchi spent three months in Hong Kong in 2016 as part of our Artist-in-Residence programme. In his 2008 stop-motion video work Moment: Performatives Spazieren there are traces of how he observes and interprets mundane objects in daily life through deconstruction and reconstruction. His approach challenged common perceptions of public spaces and objects, and even inspired an interesting shift in our perspective as we try to understand the city.

In line with his lively, humourous character, when he came to Hong Kong in 2016 Taguchi explored streets and public facilities across the city, weaving in districts including To Kwa Wan, Wan Chai, Tsuen Wan and Happy Valley. Signposts, railings and canopies became his creative sites, where unwanted clothes were torn into strips and weaved. During the residency he developed new possibilities for weaving in public spaces, as well as encouraging the donation of recycled clothes for participatory activities.

Recollection

Two years after Taguchi’s exploration of and experimentation in Hong Kong, he decided to return with an artwork that would become part of people’s lives. Art doesn’t only happen inside museums and galleries; Taguchi believes it to be for everyone: participatory, progressive and experiential. He thought of creating a mythical Asian creature, Spun Dragon, through members of the public weaving. The outcome is not the main concern in any participatory art project; what matters is the openness of the creative platform, so that it can include the efforts of participants from diverse backgrounds.

After thoroughly considering what materials to use, Taguchi settled on bamboo to build the framework. This natural material enlivens the dragon, delivering a versatility that cannot be matched by stainless steel or anything else. Collaborating with Master Ng Kwong Nam of Aberdeen Dragon Dance Club, Taguchi learned a lot about crafting paper and about fire dragon dance movements. Taguchi praises Ng’s upholding of tradition, while Ng says he respects the artist’s creative concept. The Spun Dragon is a vivid example of locality-merging art, elevating the essence of collaboration.

During the creative process we conducted 9 workshops with social groups, schools and members of the public. The participants not only came to weave but also brought their unwanted T-shirts and other clothes so Taguchi could show them how to strip the fabric into pieces, a way of promoting reuse and recycling.

Him Lo

Curator, Learning and Community

策展人的話

如果要用一個名字去概括工藝、物料、空間及藝術，田口行弘會是一個很適合的選擇， 更為重要的是他的創作能順其自然地融入大眾的生活之中。紡織龍是田口行弘於 2018 年夏天為 CHAT 六廠「盛夏手作：來建紡織村」創作的作品。在這次創作的過程中田口 展示了當代藝術家如何去建立平台讓不同背景的參與者及群組於作品不同的細節上共同 創作。而透過這些互動讓「藝術與工藝」、「個人及群體」，「當代藝術與參與式藝術」 之間找到一個平衡點。

源起

田口行弘為 CHAT 六廠 2016 年為期三個月的駐館藝術家。從他 2008 年的視頻作品

《Moment: Performatives Spazieren》中不難發現田口一向擅長以看似普通的街頭物品， 以定格動畫的方式透過方式，通過拆解及重組遊走於不同城市的大街小巷之中。在過程 中不斷挑戰我們平常對街道空間及物件固有的看法，更以幽默且富趣味的方式讓我式， 讓我們從另外一個角度去了解城市。 於2016 年，他同樣以一向幽默活潑的手法在香港不同的地區包括土瓜灣、灣仔、荃灣及 跑馬地等地方發掘街道及公共空間上的物件作紡織工具。他於電燈柱、扶手欄杆、簷篷 之間，使用回收的舊衣物剪成布條，紡織出一塊又一塊的紡織布氈。那次他向我們展示 了紡織與公共空間之間的關係及創作的可能性，更初次嘗試以運用回收布料作為大眾參 與平台。

沉澱

兩年之後，田口行弘經過一段時間的沉澱及消化 2016 年的經驗，希望及後創作出一些 更能夠走入大眾生活的藝術作品。對田口來說，藝術不只是在藝術館或畫廊內發生，應 該能夠讓大眾參與、經歷及體驗，他構思利用紡織的方法，與大眾共同創作一條具東方 色彩的《紡織龍》。參與式藝術最重要的並不只是作品最後的狀態，反而是藝術家如何 去建立一個開放的平台去承載更多不同背景的人士的共同創作。 在選取物料方面，田口經過一輪思考之後堅持使用竹這種天然材料作為製作整條紡織龍 的主要物料。相比起不鏽鋼或其他材料，竹的確能夠讓整件作品更有生命力。

田口與香港仔火龍師傅吳江南共同研究傳統火龍的紥作方法及舞動火龍的形態。吳江南 師傅及田口持開放的態度去了解雙方的概念及文化，讓整條紡織龍更貼近本地文化，亦 讓背後的故事更加立體。 在紡織龍的製作過程中，我們一共舉辦了 9 個工作坊，邀請了不同的社福團體、學校及 公眾人士參與。在工作坊中，參加者不但一同製作龍身的部件，他們更帶同自己穿過的舊 T 恤，在田口的指導下把這些T恤製作成紡織龍的織料，透過親手製作來了解更多循環 再造的可能性。

盧樂謙

社區參與及共學項目策展人

First dragon dance rehearsal with workshop participants, 2018 工作坊參與者第一次舞龍綵排，2018