Kotodama Exhibition - Brochure

Isaac Chong Wai • Kiri Dalena • Susan Hiller • Hsu Chia Wei Kim Woojin • Nortse • Okui Lala • Tang Kwok Hin Danh Vo • Wong Hoy Cheong • Nicole Wong Wu Jiaru • Yang Jiechang • Alex Yiu

許 家 鄧 維 國 騫

Curated by 策 展

月

周 盈 貞

姚 少 龍 王 思 遨

Kotodama

André Chan

陳 子 澂

26 8

諾 次

楊 黃 詰 海 蒼 昌

16 6 月

吳 傅 佳 丹 金 儒 佑 珍 莊 偉

言 霊

言言 霊霊

2 言 霊

文化與語言唇齒相依，不同的語言及文化系

言的使用時，其他語言及與之相關的諸多文

統對世界的思考與描述都有其微妙的差異。

化傳統也相對受到了威脅。華裔馬來西亞藝

「言靈」是一種獨特的日本信仰，它相信語

術家周盈貞在複雜的本土語言環境中開啟了

言對物體有神秘的影響力──通過咒語或祈

一場重構母語觀念的旅程；香港藝術家鄧國

福，語言能夠承載並行使講者的意志；因

騫與家族中的晚輩交流關於未來教育的看

此，語言本身具有改變他者命運的力量。語

法；許家維的作品講述了一個神明的信眾如

言不僅是溝通的媒介，它也承載文化、保存

何通過儀式和唱誦維持信仰，並以此提示語

記憶、傳遞智慧，並成為構成許多群體認同

言在神話的保存與傳播中所扮演的角色；傅

的一部分。然而，今日大量的語言瀕臨危

丹與黃海昌的文字作品揭示了殖民者如何藉

機，原因在於受到其他語言帶來的文化霸

由語言管理加強對新領地的控制； Susan Hiller

權、直接的政治壓迫、社會經濟的影響等。

關注世界各地數門處於瀕危、消亡以及復甦 的語言的現況。

是次展覽探討了語言的多種機制與特質，指 出語言的消失正在威脅整體人類文化。亞太 地區擁有全世界最多樣性的語言分類，擁有 逾 1500 門 不 同 的 語 言 ， 約 占 全 球 語 言 總 數 的 三分之一。在過去一個世紀，世界上有大量 的語言正逐漸式微或頻臨滅絕。數十年來， 中國大陸與台灣的許多少數語言的使用者數 量正急速銳減，而在香港由於粵語的大量普 及，其仍被視為中國最強勢的方言之一；近 年來，受到政府政策推動的影響，普通話的 使用越趨普遍。 展覽中金佑珍、諾次與吳佳儒的作品重溯了 現代華語地區語言政策所帶來的影響。當各 國政府在教育與媒體政策中強化推行官方語

Kotodama

Cultures underpinned by various languages think about and describe the world slightly differently from one another. Kotodama is a unique Japanese belief that words can magically affect objects, carrying and enacting the speaker’s will in their curses or blessings.

Speech alone would therefore have the power to change the fate of another person. Language is more than just a means of communication; it also carries culture, preserves memories, transmits wisdom, and forms part of many communities’ identities. Yet, a large number of languages today are withering, owing to the cultural hegemony of another language, outright political oppression, socio-economic factors, or a combination of the above.

This exhibition discusses the mechanisms and idiosyncrasies of language, positing that the disappearance of languages endangers human culture as a whole. The Asia-Pacific region has one of highest language diversities in the world, boasting over 1500 languages, about a third of the global total. In the past century, many languages around the world have ceased to exist, and currently there are many more that are endangered or vulnerable. In recent decades, the number of speakers of many languages in mainland China and Taiwan has dramatically dwindled.

Cantonese in Hong Kong remains one of the most robust Chinese languages, but Mandarin is becoming ever more present in the city, backed by government policies.

Presented in the exhibition, the works by Kim Woojin, Nortse, and Wu Jiaru recount the aftermath of language policies in the Sinosphere since the modern era. As different governments push their national language agenda in education and media

policies, other languages are threatened, along with the many traditions related to those languages. Okui Lala, a Malaysian artist of Chinese descent, embarks on a journey of reconstructing the idea of mother tongue in the complex linguistic landscape of her country.

Tang Kwok-hin talks to the younger generation in his Hong Kong family about an education for the future.

Evoking the role of languages in the preservation and dissemination of mythologies, Hsu Chia Wei follows a deity whose devotees struggle to keep the faith alive through rituals and songs. Works by Danh Vo and Wong Hoy Cheong employ texts to reveal how language was used by colonisers to exert control over the newly conquered. Susan Hiller focuses on several extinct, endangered, and revived languages around the world.

Hip hop, which initiated in the African American community in the Bronx, New York City during the late 1970s, began as a subculture and art movement, and was subsequently embraced as a musical language by oppressed and disenfranchised communities around the world. Its emphasis on the colloquial and the telling of local struggles makes hip hop a major form of poetry of our time. A special feature in the exhibition will showcase a selection of hip hop music created in various local and indigenous languages from around the world.

Curated by André Chan, this curatorial proposal was chosen from an international pool through Para Site’s Emerging Curators program, now in its fourth year.

4 而開始反思自己對中國/香港的認識，並思考以粵語歌唱 中國國歌的可能。《香港．香港》中，莊偉呈現了一段 自己對國歌的哼唱，借助哼唱的曖昧形式探索語言與國 籍間的模糊關係。作品中同時呈現了一個折疊並凝滯於 水晶樹脂塊中的香港區旗，以此沉思「 50 年不變」之下 滯怠、含混的狀態。

香港•香港 2017 水晶樹脂、旗、紙、聲音 19.9 x 26.4 x 8 厘 米 , 2分 49”秒 由 藝 術 家 及 香 港 Burger Collection提 供

1990 年 生 於 中 國 廣 東 ，

中，他邀請來自不同國家的人共同唱出各自的國歌，進

現生活工作於德國柏林及香港

莊 偉

在莊偉 2017年於柏林世界文化宮的表演《國歌練習》

Hong Kong and Hong Kong 2017 Crystal resin, flag, paper, soundtrack 19.9 x 26.4 x 8 cm, 2’49” Courtesy of the artist and Burger Collection, Hong Kong

For his performance The National Anthems Exercise, Isaac Chong Wai invited people from different countries to sing their own national anthems. He then reflected upon his own relationship toward China and Hong Kong by attempting to sing the national anthem of China in Cantonese, ultimately concluding that it is impossible for it to sound correct this way.

In Hong Kong and Hong Kong Chong chose to hum the tune of the Chinese anthem, employing the idea of ambiguity; humming does not divulge language, it can perhaps come across as a mockery, or as if he is preparing to teach the tune to someone new. In this way, he intends to blur the lines between Cantonese and Mandarin. Accompanying this soundtrack is a folded flag of Hong Kong suspended in resin. Chong further asks what it must be like to be fifty years unchanged – to be suspended in a stage of ambiguity.

Born in Guangdong, China, in 1990.

Lives and works in Berlin, Germany and Hong Kong.

Isaac Chong Wai

6 名來自長期受到政府迫害地區的農民抗爭者的女兒在菲 律賓棉蘭老島北部廣袤的稻田上以米沙鄢語唱著一支歌 曲，娓娓講述著當地農民所遭受的不公與壓迫，並召喚 他們奮起反抗。

農民 2015 單頻錄像 2分 7秒 由藝術家提供

1975 年 生 於 菲 律 賓 馬 尼 拉 ，

題的錄像作品《自黑暗深處》中的一部分。作品中，一

現生活工作於馬尼拉

《農民》為菲律賓藝術家 Kiri Dalena反映菲律賓人權問

Mag-uuma (Farmer) 2015 Single-channel video 2’07’’ Courtesy of the artist

This clip, from the documentary Gikan sa Ngitngit nga Kinailadman (From the Dark Depths) directed by Kiri Dalena, is a song describing the plight of indigenous farmers from Northern Mindanao, Philippines, who have been historically persecuted for their land and livelihood. Mag-uuma is performed in one of the Manobo languages; a group of languages associated with the region and its native tribes.

Born in Manila, the Philippines, in 1975.

Lives and works in Manila.

Kiri Dalena

8 中，所有的軼事、記憶和歌曲都圍繞著語言展開，作品 中的字幕則作為入口，供觀眾一窺這些不同語言講述者 背後多元的文化圖景。 作品中的首個語言樣本取樣自印度洋阿達曼群島上十個 大安達曼部落之一的阿卡波語，然而隨著最後一位使用 阿卡波語者在 2010年的離世，這個據傳擁有 65,000年歷史 的部落及其語言已不復存在。

失去與尋回 2016 單頻高清錄像 30分 鐘 © Susan Hiller. 由 藝 術 家 及 Lisson畫 廊 提 供

1940 年 生 於 美 國 佛 羅 里 達 州 ，

危、或復甦的語言。在 Susan Hiller作品裡的這批聲音檔案

現生活工作於英國倫敦

《失去與尋回》以視覺及聲音重現了二十三種滅絕、瀕

Lost and Found 2016 Single-channel HD video 30’ © Susan Hiller. Courtesy of the artist and Lisson Gallery

Lost and Found is a composition of visual renderings made from 23 audio recordings of extinct, endangered, and dormant languages. The anecdotes, memories, and songs relayed through the recordings often relate to the languages themselves. The subtitles that follow the oscillation of sound waves on the screen provide the viewer with further insight into the narrator’s personal thoughts about their language and the unique cultural circumstances that surround it.

One of the recordings, for example, is of the Aka-Bo language. Named after one of ten Great Andamanese tribes, The Bo tribe is thought to have had a history of over 65,000 years on the chain of islands in the Indian Ocean. The language, and the tribe by extension, was declared extinct in 2010 after the death of the last of its speakers.

Born in Florida, USA, in 1940.

Lives and works in London, UK.

Susan Hiller

10 在轎上以轎上突出的筆桿降下指示的儀式）來維持與信 眾的關係。藝術家延續這一與神靈的溝通方式，在攝影 棚內藉助乩童的福州話翻譯，進行與神靈對話的扛乩儀 式。基於此，藝術家在虛擬世界裡重塑了鐵甲元帥曾位 於武夷山的廟宇的原貌，並 利 用 動 態 捕 捉 這 一 新 興 拍 攝手法，將扛乩儀式中代表神靈的神轎重置於三維 動畫場景之中。

神靈的書寫 2016 雙頻錄像裝置 9分 45秒 由藝術家提供 由 Le Fresnoy和 尊 彩 藝 術 中 心 共 同 製 作

1983年生於台灣台中，

明，遷到馬祖後，藉由扛乩儀式（由乩生問話、神靈坐

現生活工作於台灣台北

許 家 維

「鐵甲元帥」，即「蛙神」，本是閩江一帶信仰的神

Spirit-writing 2016 Two-channel video installation 9’45” Courtesy of the artist Co-produced by Le Fresnoy - Studio national des arts contemporains and Liang Gallery

Marshal Tie Jia, the Chinese frog deity, is associated with a belief system originating from the Minjiang region of China. When it reached the Kinmen Islands, just outside of Xiamen, China, the faith began to rely on the fu-ji or spirit writing ritual to remain in practice. During the ritual, a devotee asks questions of a god, and the god in turn, offers instruction. The frog deity is usually seated on a sedan chair, carried by the performers of the ritual.

The artist replicates the fu-ji ritual, reinstituting this mode of communication with the gods. Using a contemporary motion-capture filming technique, the fu-ji ritual and the holy sedan chair return to the architecture and surroundings of Marshal Tie Jia’s home in Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Hsu can be heard asking questions of the deity.

Born in Taichung, Taiwan, in 1983.

Lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan.

Hsu Chia Wei

12 在《鐵甲元帥—龜島》中，許家維請來唯一能夠演唱當 地酬神歌曲的耆老，在台灣龜島上的元帥廟中一邊玩著 牌九一邊用福州方言吟唱元帥喜愛的打油詩。隨著鏡頭 的慢慢推開，觀眾將發現廟宇的場景只是依靠綠幕在島 上進行的虛擬重建，昔日的鐵甲元帥廟早已不復存在。

鐵甲元帥 - 龜島 2012 單頻錄像、文件 6分 35秒 由藝術家提供

Marshal Tie Jia - Turtle Island 2012 Single-channel video, document 6’35” Courtesy of the artist

The Chinese frog deity, Marshal Tie Jia, is revered to this day amongst many Taiwanese people as the commander of Turtle Island.

Hsu Chia Wei’s piece explores the history of the island using a performance of a folk opera regarded to be one of the Marshal’s favourites. An elder is invited to sing the opera while playing pai gow, a Chinese dominoes drinking and gambling game, renowned as another one of the deity’s preferred pastimes. The elder is thought to be the only person remaining who can perform the folk opera in the original Fuzhou dialect.

Hsu constructs a temporary, site-specific scene on the island, slowly revealing the details of the wider surroundings. As the camera zooms out from the opera, the green screen becomes apparent, finally divulging the scene to be merely a piece of visual reimagining by the artist. The final scene shows the bleak, smallness of Turtle Island; the temple and customs of the past no longer exist here.

14 起，台灣開始推廣弱勢語言，將國家語言定義伸延至所 有族群，包括本土語言、原住民族語、新住民語等，使 台灣成為華文地區第一個解除了以單一語言作為國家語 言的地方。 金佑珍在台灣駐村時，與當地中、老年居民進行訪談， 詢問他們對台語、客語的記憶，並請他們以台客語唱 歌。對語言的刻意淘汰不只在台灣發生，在藝術家出生 的韓國亦可見到。

記憶

1976 年 生 於 韓 國 首 爾 ，

語如閩南語與客家語皆受到不同程度的壓迫。 1990年代

現生活工作於韓國京畿道

金 佑 珍

十七世紀開始，台灣的原住民語及官話以外的台灣漢

2016 單頻錄像 27分 鐘 由藝術家提供

Memories 2016 Single-channel video 27’ Courtesy of the artist

Starting from the 17th century, the various languages and indigenous dialects spoken in Taiwan have been under varying degrees of oppression and eradication following both Dutch and Japanese colonisers, and the arrival of Kuomintang in 1945. It was only at the turn of the century that the definition of ‘national’ languages extended to include ‘native’ languages of all ethnic groups, by law. With this, Taiwan became the first amongst Chinese speaking regions to officially recognise more than one national language.

When Kim Woojin resided in Taiwan, she visited middle-aged and elderly people to tap into their memories of Taiwanese and Hakka, spoken by the Han Chinese. She tries to explore the indigenous components of these languages and cultures, and implies a contemporary disconnection from their ethnic histories. These experiences can also be paralleled to the histories of the artist’s birthplace of Korea.

Born in Seoul, Korea, in 1976.

Lives and works in Gyeonggi-do, Korea.

Kim Woojin

16 的西藏社群多加關注。

《木焦4》

1963 年 生 於 西 藏 拉 薩 ，

的文字與圖像碎片。藝術家呼籲社會應對這些身份漸失

現生活工作於拉薩

諾 次

《木焦4》呈現了一塊燒焦的山毛櫸木和來自西藏文化

2014 山毛櫸木、亞克力、紙、白色膠合板底 65 x 15 厘 米 由 藝 術 家 及 Rossi & Rossi 畫 廊 提 供

Cinder 4 2014 Beech wood, acrylic, paper, white plywood base 65 x 15 cm Courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi

Cinder 4 is a piece of burnt beech wood collaged with fragments of texts and images addressing Tibetan culture. The artist wishes to directly refer to the crises of identity faced by Tibetan communities, within the larger context of ongoing marginalisation in society.

Born in Lhasa, Tibet, in 1963.

Lives and works in Lhasa.

Nortse

18 語」這一概念。在《 Chinese Whisper:〈天頂一粒星, 地下 開書齋〉》中，她試圖追溯語言在世代間的傳承，以父 親作為傳話人，她向祖母習得了一首潮汕民歌──在這 一過程中可以觀察到移民群體的語言在本土之外的平行 演變。

Chinese Whisper: 〈天頂一粒星, 地下開書齋〉 2018 雙頻錄像 4分 51秒 由藝術家提供

2018 Two-channel video 4’51’’ Courtesy of the artist

Okui Lala’s works often focus on the relationship between language and migration. In Chinese Whisper:〈天頂一粒星, 地下開書齋〉 , she specifically deconstructs the idea of a mother tongue, to explore how language is passed down from generation to generation.

She learns a folk song from her grandmother, through her father who serves as a mediator between the generations. Through this process, Okui demonstrates how this mother tongue has evolved outside of its community of origin.

Okui grew up as part of a sizable Teochew-Chinese migrant community in Penang, Malaysia.

Born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1991.

Lives and works in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.

Okui Lala

1991年生於馬來西亞檳城，

實踐側重於探索語言與移民之間的聯繫──尤其是「母

現生活工作於馬來西亞檳城及吉隆坡

周 盈 貞

周盈貞是一位生於馬來西亞檳城的潮州華僑。她的藝術

20 之物。藝術家將香港特首的施政報告題目置於鏡上，使 這些昂揚之辭在過時的道具上顯得尤為空洞。鏡前的講 台上放置著一台錄音機，播放鄧國騫與一個孩子的對 話，他們討論著媒體上的報導和特首講話中具體詞彙的 含意。

1983 年 生 於 香 港 ，

傳統賀禮，直至八十年代都是餐廳或醫生診所中的常見

現生活工作於香港

鄧 國 騫

鄧國騫的作品由兩部份組成，牆上的鏡子是新店開張的

孩子 2016 裝置 由藝術家提供

Child 2016 Installation Courtesy of the artist

Tang Kwok Hin’s work is comprised of two parts. The mirrors are traditional gifts given to commemorate a newly opened shop, commonly found in restaurants and clinics throughout Hong Kong in the 1980s. Tang has recontextualised them into contemporary political props by inscribing these mirrors with the titles of the 2016 agenda of the Hong Kong Chief Executive’s Policy Address. The words of elation seem especially empty on these out-dated, once celebratory props.

On the podium in front of these mirrors, there is a recorder playing a conversation between Tang and a child. Tang and the child can be heard discussing the meaning of several words taken from newspapers and from speeches given by the former Chief Executive of Hong Kong.

Born in Hong Kong, in 1983.

Lives and works in Hong Kong.

Tang Kwok Hin

22 Vénard因拒絕放棄原有信仰以求自保，在 2月 2日被越南

政府除以死刑。受刑前幾日，他寫下了這封給父親的 訣別信。作品中的手抄信由傅丹的父親謄寫，他的父 親是一位天主教徒，也曾是一名書法手抄師。只要每 次作品被售出或需要展覽副本時，他的父親便會將摹 本重新寫謄寫一份。由於法國殖民政府在越南推行羅 馬拼音書寫，傅丹的父親因而習得書寫拉丁字母，卻 始終無法閱讀法文。

1861年 2月 2日 2009 - 至 今 墨、信紙 41x 29.5 厘 米 由藝術家及容穎怡提供

2.2.1861

1975 年生於越南巴地，

年，先後在遠東及越南傳教的法國傳教士 Théophane

現生活工作於德國柏林和墨西哥城

傅 丹

《 1861年 2月 2日》是一封訣別家書的手抄摹本。 1861

2009 - ongoing Ink on paper 41 x 29.5cm Courtesy of the artist and Zoie Yeung

2.2.1861 is a handwritten copy of a farewell letter written by the French missionary Théophane Vénard to his father. Vénard left France for the Far East in 1852 and was eventually transferred to Vietnam, where he was captured in 1860 for proselytizing locals into the Catholic faith. He was given the option of renouncing his faith but refused. As a consequence, he was sentenced to decapitation. The letter was written a few days before he was killed on February 2, 1861.

The letter is copied by Danh Vo’s father – who does not read French – each time it is sold or an exhibition copy needs to be made. A Catholic himself, Vo’s father owes his handwriting skills to the fact that Vietnam, under French rule, adopted the Roman alphabet. He made his living as a copyist at a time when the use of this Romanised alphabet was still unpopular amongst the Vietnamese.

Born in Bà Rja, Vietnam, in 1975.

Lives and works in Berlin, Germany, and Mexico City, Mexico.

Danh Vo

24 書籍。其中，《治國 ABC定本》由 Adolf Hitler（德國）的 《我的奮鬥》和 Mahathir bin Mohamad（馬來西亞）的 《馬來人的困境》製成；《民族誌ABC定本》則由 Margaret Mead（美國）的《薩摩亞人的成年》和 V.S. Naipul（特立尼達島/英國）的《在信徒的國度：伊斯蘭

世界之旅》製成。 透過文字與材質間的轉換，文字中的意圖、洞察與現實 都被攪碎、解構並形成新的平面。黃海昌使用的書籍中 所包含的多種語言亦提示著文字與意義的多重與無垠。

Malaysian artist, Wong Hoy Cheong reorganised four books on totalitarianism and postcolonialism into two hybrid volumes.

The Definitive ABC of Government is made up of Mein Kamf (My Battle) by Adolf Hitler and The Malay Dilemma by Mahathir Mohamad, recently re-elected Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The Definitive ABC of Ethnography is made up of Coming of Age in Samoa by Margaret Mead and Among the Believers: An Islamic Journey by V.S. Naipul.

By turning text into texture, the meanings of the books dissolve into gibberish and fiber. With the physical act of demolishing the books, Wong also deconstructs the claims to definitions, truth, and propaganda made by the authors. A variety of languages are used within the books – English, Malay, Indonesian, Pinyin Chinese, Arabic, Jawi, and German – so that the understanding of “words” and “meanings” can never be complete.

Born in Penang, Malaysia, in 1960.

Lives and works in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Wong Hoy Cheong

1960年生於馬來西亞檳城，

書以手工方式攪碎揉爛並製成手工紙，重新生產為兩本

現生活工作於馬來西亞吉隆坡

黃 海 昌

馬來西亞藝術家黃海昌分別將關於獨裁與後殖民的四本

治 國 ABC 定 本

民 族 誌 ABC 定 本

1999 手造紙、文字 26 x 16.5 x 2.5 厘 米 由藝術家及誠品畫廊提供

1999 手造紙、文字 26 x 16.5 x 2.5 厘 米 由藝術家及誠品畫廊提供

The Definitive ABC of Government

The Definitive ABC of Ethnography

1999 Text printed on handmade paper 26 x 16.5 x 2.5 cm Courtesy of the artist and Eslite Gallery

1999 Text printed on handmade paper 26 x 16.5 x 2.5 cm Courtesy of the artist and Eslite Gallery

26 家的出海尋找，卻最終被證實並不存在。藝術家以描繪 不同藍色的詞彙為基礎，為這個四面環繞碧海的島嶼想 像出一門虛構的語言。

藍(除了藍)

1990 年生於香港，

個幽靈島，這個神秘的島嶼由於誤傳與記載吸引了科學

現生活工作於香港

王 思 遨

在不同版本的地圖上都可見到澳大利亞的海岸附近的一

2017 單頻錄像 1分 59秒 由 藝 術 家 及 Rossi & Rossi 畫 廊 提 供

Bluets 2017 Single-channel video 1’59” Courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi

The starting point of this work is with the “undiscovery” of a phantom island off the coast of Australia. This island was first recorded in the 19th century, and has more recently appeared in digital databases following a series of misunderstood records and human error. Sandy Island had enticed a group of researchers to conduct a voyage in 2012 to confirm its non-existence.

Nicole Wong imagines a fictitious language for this mythical place. She constructs the language using a vocabulary of existing words associated with different hues of blue; much like the various blues of the sea that would surround Sandy Island.

Born in Hong Kong, in 1990.

Lives and works in Hong Kong.

Nicole Wong

28 王思遨對溝通的障礙與障礙的溝通有着濃厚的興趣，她 發現手語的精密程度與會話的語言並無差別，但手語缺 乏了很多詞彙，尤其是有關人類感情的形容詞。在《殞 滅、謊言及絮語學會》中，她將不同語言中描述情感的 詞彙「譯」為手語，繼而將手語動作轉錄為詩般的文 字；而在《藍色國際學會》中，她則反其道而行之，將 各地表達不同藍色的手語轉譯為詩歌，藉由介乎虛構與 事實的文字，書寫手語中微妙的細節與詩般的意境。

殞滅、謊言及絮語學會 2017 紙上文字 100 x 200 厘 米 由 藝 術 家 及 Rossi & Rossi 畫 廊 提 供

The Institution of Losses, Lies and Inner Acoustics 2017 Typed text on paper 100 x 200 cm Courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi

藍色國際學會 2018 紙上文字、鐳射打印、顏料 100 x 200 厘 米 由 藝 術 家 及 Rossi & Rossi 畫 廊 提 供

The Institution of International Blue 2017 Typed text, Laserjet print, pigment 100 x 200 cm Courtesy of the artist and Rossi & Rossi

Nicole Wong’s works often explore her interest in the barriers to communicate and the communication of barriers. She discovered that sign language possesses the same exactitude as oral language but interestingly, lacks numerous lexicons, particularly adjectives, related to human emotion.

In The Institution of Losses, Lies and Inner Acoustics, the artist creates her own sign language lexicon, following the format of a poem, in an attempt to translate the experience of emotion and nuance into kinetic vocabulary.

Contrastingly, in The Institution of International Blue, Wong is interested in translating the poetry innate in gestures, into its textual form. She departs from existing signs for the colour blue, taken from various sign languages around the world, and writes a poem reflecting upon the imagined nuances of each selected movement.

30 老舍逝前談話/對話的複述，將這位因受到文革迫害 而投湖自盡的中國作家遺留在身邊人記憶中的語言抽 出，並打印出來貼於 16毫米底片的音軌上，伴隨著附有 藝術家頭髮的手繪藍色底片的流動，溢出一段段如鯁 在喉的聲波。

現生活於香港

吳 佳 儒

吳佳儒摘錄《老舍之死：口述實錄》中不同見證者對

臨終之言 2017 手 繪 16米 厘 底 片 、 投 影 機 、 頭 髮 、 文 字 打 印 1分 24秒 由藝術家及刺點畫廊提供

The Death of Lao She 2017 Hand-drawn 16mm film, projector, hair, printed text 1’24” Courtesy of the artist and Blindspot Gallery

The details surrounding the death of Chinese novelist and dramatist Lao She (b.1899, d.1966, Beijing, China) still remain unclear. According to some testimonies, during the Cultural Revolution, he was held at Guozijian, Imperial College of Beijing, and after enduring prosecution and torture, was found dead in a nearby lake supposedly having committed suicide.

Wu Jiaru borrows existing textual documentation surrounding Lao She's persecution and death. She dissects statements made by Lao She's family and friends, and places them onto the audio belt of a 16mm film strip, ultimately transforming written text into sound. The sounds are accompanied by hand-drawn scenes, covered in blue paint and pieces of the artist's hair, in an act of memorialising Lao She's death.

Lives in Hong Kong.

Wu Jiaru

32 詩經楚辭乍看之下與德語風馬牛不相及，吳佳儒卻在 學習德語介詞時，聯想到小時候背誦過的詩經楚辭章 句，《 note i – iii》藉助詩詞中的意象將德語的介詞三個 場景化，透過作品，可觀察到不同語言文法在表達上 的普遍性。

note i - iii 2018 紙上丙烯、印章、鉛筆、墨、啫喱筆、現成幻燈片 每 張 42 x 29.7 厘 米 由藝術家提供

2018 Acrylic, stamp, pencil, gel pen and ink on paper, and found slides 42 x 29.7 cm each Courtesy of the artist

“Classic of Poetry” and “Verses of Chu,” both important anthologies of early Chinese poetry, do not show signs of any relevance or relationship to the German language.

Wu Jiaru, however, deliberately relates sections of the poems found in these classical anthologies, which she was taught as a child, to the German prepositions she studied later on. note i – iii is an abstract visual representation of scenes taken from these Chinese verses, and then inserted with invented symbols representing German propositions. The artist used this imagined visual construction of interactive languages as a method for remembering rules of German grammar.

34 角》是他在第二屆廣州三年展《珠江》中用以表達粵語 文化的一句口號，作為回應 2003年頒布的《關於建立更 緊密經貿關係的安排》所進一步帶來的「普通話普及」 的黑色幽默。

我們什麼都會，只是不會講好 普通話 – 珠三角 2005 絲面丙烯，裱於布面 162 x 229厘 米 由藝術家及漢雅軒提供

1 9 56 年 生 於 中 國 佛 山 ，

話，《我們什麼都會，只是不會講好普通話──珠三

現生活工作於法國巴黎

楊 詰 蒼

楊詰蒼出生並成長於廣東佛山，到成年後才會說普通

We Are Good at Everything Except for Speaking Mandarin - PRD 2005 Acrylic on silk, mounted on canvas 162 x 229 cm Courtesy of the artist and Hanart TZ Gallery

Yang Jiechang was born and raised in Foshan, Guangdong, China. He only managed to speak Mandarin fluently when he became an adult. We Are Good at Everything Except for Speaking Mandarin – PRD is a slogan for Cantonese culture, using dark humour to comment on the very real “Mandarinisation” of the Pearl River Delta Region which began in 2003, following the enactment of CEPA.

Born in Guangdong, China, in 1956.

Lives and works in Paris, France.

Yang Jiechang

36 類學家相信，姍杜是加拿大紐芬蘭到地區原住民的少數 族群比沃蘇克族的後裔。而這支族群則在 19世紀初期歐 洲殖民者的奴役和疾病的傳播下逐漸消失。歌曲的內容 早已無從考證，歌曲中的「文詞」則因過於含混而無法 被轉譯為音標。藝術家在委託創作的《姍杜之歌》中， 探索著語言在音樂中的轉化，利用粵語的發音，將這支 歌曲轉錄為以粵語為基礎的中文。

姍杜之歌

1989 年 生 於 中 國 湖 北 ，

向父親習得的比沃蘇克族歌曲，「姍杜之歌」。許多人

現生活工作於香港

姚 少 龍

1910 年，美國人類學家 Frank Speck為姍杜錄下了她幼年時

2018 檔案級打印、錄音 67 x 50 厘 米 由藝術家提供

Santu’s Song 2018 Archival print, sound recording 67 x 50 cm Courtesy of the artist

The title of this work is derived from a recording made by an American anthropologist, Frank Speck, in 1910. The recording is of a song sung by a woman, Santu, who is thought to have been one of the last descendants of the Beothuk, a First Nations tribe, from the Newfoundland region of Canada. The Beothuk tribe was eventually forced into extinction by European colonisers who started to arrive in the 17th century.

Santu, who was only half Beothuk, claimed to have learned the song from her father when she was a child. At the time of the recording, she was at the age of 75, and was unable to explain the syllables because they were of no sequential meaning to her. The song, therefore, had no meaning to begin with.

Alex Yiu, for his rendition, transcribes “lyrics” for the song, replacing sounds with Traditional Chinese characters using the pronunciation of Cantonese as a cipher. The words become merely onomatopoeic, but this act of transcription attempts to “translate” a song that has lost its meaning, metaphorically returning this along with instructions for singing.

Born in Hubei, China, in 1989.

Lives and works in Hong Kong

AlexYiu

姍杜之歌 Santu's Song #5 & 8œ œ œ 斯 呀 劈 si a pek

j œ 44 œ

œ

œ

œ

卡 ka

箍 ku

拿 na

撇 pit

# & œ

˙

œ

怕 pa

提 tai

他 ta

5

滅 mit

5 4œ œ ˙

#6 & 4œ œ œ ˙ 斯 si

# & ˙

13

Œ

呀 劈 a pek

Œ

呀 a

鶯 ngaang

茄 ke

他 配 他 啦 ta pui ta la

6 4 ˙™

# & ˙

41

你 nei

筲 saau

‰ œj 44 œ 卡 ka

滅 mit

œ

œ

葵 kwai

他 ta

œ 46

œ

œ

œ

箍 ku

拿 na

撇 硬 pit ngaang

4 œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ™

兩 leung

拿 拍 麻 na pa ma

滔 瑪 啦 拿 tou ma la na

œ ˙

加 ga

蘇 sou

œ

˙

œ ˙

拿 na

嘩 卵 蘇 waa leun sou

呢 野 惡 li ye wu

嫁 ga

œ

瞇 嘩 mi waa

撇 pit

故 gu

œ ˙™

˙

練 lin

杜 tou

呀 a

˙

沙 sa

œ

唎 li

œ ˙

啦 la

蘇 sou

˙

斜 che

œ ˙

射 se

拿 na

啦 la

œ J

斯 si

知 能 怒 野 chi nun nou ye

˙

œ ˙

似 chi

Œ

˙

œ

˙

œ

你 ne

嫁 ga

編 pin

故 gu

他 ta

œ ˙

啦 la

媽 ma

道 dou

鑊 劇 掛 掛 要 野 wok kek kwa kwa yiu ye

⽽ 加 拿 yi ga na

乃 nai

鐵 tit

到 tou

œ œ œ ˙™

Œ

œ ˙

爹 te

烏絲哪 爹 wu si na de

32

妮 nei

逾 yu

騙 pin

大 dai

4˙ 4

œ

踢 tek

j 5 œ 4˙

啲 吐 di tou

腦 nou

22

# & ˙

œ œ™

姓 sing

拿 噴 na pan

窮 來 輪 壇 kung loi leun taan

赦 se

數 啦 潑 sou la put

Œ

4 ™ j 3 4 5 3 j œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ 4 œ œ œ œ 4 œ™ œ œ Œ 4 œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ 4

17

#3 & 4˙

˙

j œ œ œ œ ™ œj œ œ œ 45 œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ 46 œ œ œ™

6 œ 4˙

⽽ yi

#6 & 4 ˙™

œ

6 4œ œ œ

œ œ œ œ 43 ˙

茄 啦 知 ke la ji

9

姍杜．東妮 譯：姚少龍 SANTU TONEY Trans. ALEX YIU

Œ

到 度 dou dou

˙

掛 kwa

˙

œ ˙

呀 a

啦 la

蘇 sou

œ ˙

到 道 dou dou

œ ˙

度 到 dou dou

Œ

˙™

œ

˙

哪 na

呢 le

拿 na

œ ˙

œ ˙™

鐵 tit

他 ta

啦 la

馬 ma

Œ

38 展覽同時呈現了一個取樣自世界各地、以不同語言表演 的嘻哈音樂空間，包括我們所熟悉的廣東話和台語，以 及澳洲及美洲原住民的在地語言。房間中呈現了一批展 覽特別收錄的歌詞合輯和超過 150首歌曲的音樂錄像，藉 此探索此一音樂種類所形成的全球現象，以及嘻哈音樂 人透過本土語言對此一樂種進行的在地創新，繼而思考 它與地方語系以致身份和文化的連接及互動。

The exhibition also presents a case study into hip hop, showcasing numerous examples of a diverse hip hop culture from around the world, including songs in the more familiar local sounds of Cantonese and Taiwanese to the indigenous languages of communities in Australia and the Americas. Together with the accompanying lyric book, the over 150 music videos compiled and shown in the room attempt to survey the global influence of this musical genre, and more specifically, the ingenuity of artists in localising the genre using local vernacular; the room explores how hip hop has been used as a tool to translate and establish local culture and identity around the world.

40 策展人

陳子澂 陳子澂於倫敦與多倫多分別學習策展與東亞研 究，曾任職漢雅軒等多家國際畫廊，並於世界 各地策劃並製作多個展覽，包括在上海美術館 的《陳福善的世界》、《時．地．戲：印中當 代藝術展》等。 作為獨立策展人與作家，研究集中於藝術家實 踐與當代城市問題，曾在各地策展的展覽與表 演包括《那是一個最好的時代，那是一個最 壞的時代》、《 I Like Blue When There is More White》、《鮫人之淚》、《異位同形》、《不 落言筌》與《此岸》等，文章散見《號外》、 《立場新聞》與《台南藝訊》。

Curator

André Chan Chan was educated in Curatorial Studies and East Asian Studies, in London and Toronto respectively. He has since worked in a number of international galleries, such as Hanart TZ Gallery in Hong Kong, and has produced various exhibitions around the world, including “The World of Luis Chan,” Shanghai Art Museum, and “Place . Time . Play: India-China Contemporary Art Exhibition” in Shanghai.

His work now focuses on artist practice and contemporary urban issues. Chan has curated exhibitions and performances in several cities including Shanghai, Seoul, Gwangju, Chicago, Vancouver, and Hong Kong. Recent projects include, “It Was the Best of Time, It was the Worst of Times” (Mana Contemporary, Chicago, 2017), “I Like Blue When There is More White” (KIGOJA, Seoul, 2017), “Snark: A 4-Act Performance” (Hong Kong, 2016), “Form Simultaneity” (100ft Park, Hong Kong, 2016), “What Potions Have I Drunk of Siren Tears” (A+ Contemporary, Shanghai, 2016)”, “Songs without Words”(100ft Park, 2016 Hong Kong, 2016) and “These Shores” (Rossi & Rossi Hong Kong, 2013).

Para Site Para Site 藝術空間為香港首屈一指的當代藝術 中心，亦是亞洲歷史最悠久、最活躍的獨立藝 術機構之一。成立宗旨在透過展覽、出版刊物 及教育項目等活動，促進在地與國際間的對 話，希冀打造一個對當代藝術、社會現象提出 批判性論述及理解的平台。

Para Site is Hong Kong’s leading contemporary art centre and one of the oldest and most active independent art institutions in Asia. It produces exhibitions, publications, discursive, and educational projects aimed at forging a critical understanding of local and international phenomena in art and society.

Team / 團 隊

Cosmin Costinas 康 喆 明

Board / 理 事 會

Founding Friends

Alan Lau Ka Ming 劉 家 明

Executive Director / Curator

Chair

Shane Akeroyd Mimi Brown and Alp Ercil Burger Collection, Hong Kong Kevin and Reina Chau Stephen Cheng CMBB Cultural Organization Mimi and Chris Gradel Inna and Tucker Highfield K11 Art Foundation Wendy Lee Edouard and Lorraine Malingue marc & chantal design Heidi & James Paradise Mina Park Yana and Stephen Peel Stefan Rihs SUNPRIDE FOUNDATION Honus Tandijono Susanne and Gregor Theisen Virginia Yee

執行總監 / 策展人

Jehan Pei Chung Chu 朱 沛 宗 Claire Shea 謝 清

Co-Vice Chair

Deputy Director 副 總 監

Mimi Chun Mei-Lor 秦 美 娜 Freya Chou 周 安 曼

Co-Vice Chair

Curator 策 展 人

Bonnie Chan Woo Tak Chi 胡 陳 德 姿 Qu Chang 瞿 暢

Treasurer

Associate Curator 副 策 展 人

Sara Wong Chi Hang 黃 志 恆 Fanny Chan 陳 趣 源

Secretary

Project Manager / Assistant Curator 項目經理/助理策展人

Celia Ho 何 思 穎 Project Coordinator / Assistant Curator 項目統籌/助理策展人

Catherine Lau 柳 家 媛 Project Manager /Assistant Curator 項目經理/助理策展人

Apoorva Rajagopal Development and Communications Coordinator 發展及傳訊統籌

Jenny Tam 譚 蔚 廷 Gallery Manager 畫 廊 經 理

Kurt Chan Yuk Keung 陳 育 強 Alan Y Lo 羅 揚 傑 Mina Park Yana Peel

Friends Nick and Cordula Adamus-Voegtle Christine and James Boyle Jonathan Cheung Lawrence Chu Andrew L. Cohen Patricia Crockett, Sprüth Magers Jane DeBevoise Faux Amandine and Edouard Hervey IEs Collection William Lim, CL3 Lisson Gallery Elaine W. Ng and Fabio Rossi Joe Pang Jay Parmanand and Diana d’Arenberg Esther Schipper Virginia and Daniel Weinberg Bonnie & Darrin Woo

Kotodama 言霊 André Chan 陳 子 澂 Curator 策 展 人

Catherine Lau 柳 家 媛 Exhibition production coordinator 展 覽 執 行 統 籌

MAJO Graphic design 平 面 設 計

a o n a architects Exhibition Design

Para Site, the curator, and the artists would like to extend our deep gratitude to the following, who have provided crucial support and research for this project: Para Site 藝 術 空 間 、 展 覽 策 展 人 及 藝 術 家 在 此 向 本 展 覽 下 列 重要支持者致以最深謝意: Adonian Chan 陳 濬 人 Hera Chan 陳 思 穎 Kenji Chang 曾 維 茵 Sheena Choi 蔡 吉 軒 Jing Chong 張 瀞 尹 Olivia Chow 周 宛 昀 Léuli Māzyār Lunaʻi Eshrāghi Fei Dawei 費 大 為 Patrick Flores Hsiu-hui Liao 廖 修 慧 Andrew Luk 陸 浩 明 South Ho 何 兆 南 Candice Hopkins Nástio Mosquito Bonaventure Soh Bejeng Ndikung Wendy Ng 吳 詠 彤 RPG Remy Siu 蕭 逸 南 June Sham 岑 寧 兒 Chifor Valery Su Wei 蘇 偉 Zoie Yeung 容 穎 怡 And all of the hip hop artists and record labels who have generously lent their work to this project 以及所有向展覽項目借出音樂作品的音樂人及廠牌

Para Site 22/f, Wing Wah Industrial Building 677 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong Wednesday–Sunday: 12–7 pm Closed Monday, Tuesday, and public holidays

w w w. p a r a -sit e . ar t