Tsang Kin-Wah: THE INFINITE NOTHING, Hong Kong in Venice

Tsang Kin-Wah: The Infinite Nothing Hong Kong In Venice 曾 建 華 —— 無盡虛無 香 港 在 威 尼斯

Doryun Chong and Stella Fong 鄭道鍊、方詠甄 with contributions by Sharon Chan and Winnie Lai 陳敏、黎穎撰文

M+, West Kowloon Cultural District 西九文化區 M+ 博物館

Page

004

頁

Preface

005

Wilfred Wong and Victor Lo

006

Foreword

序言 王英偉、羅仲榮

008

Lars Nittve

前言 李立偉

010

Plates: The Infinite Nothing

010

圖版 — — 無盡虛無

022

A Becoming: Tsang Kin-Wah

026

一種演成 — — 曾建華

Doryun Chong

030

A Glossary of Key Terms for Artist’s Mind Map

鄭道鍊

048

Winnie Lai

064

Plates: Selected Works 2002–2014

黎穎

064

Sharon Chan and Winnie Lai

202

Without End, Without Beginning: A Conversation with Tsang Kin-Wah

Artist Biography

圖版 — — 2002 至 2014 年作品選輯 陳敏、黎穎

219

Stella Fong

232

藝術家概念圖關鍵詞淺釋

沒有終結、沒有開始 — — 與曾建華對談 方詠甄

238

藝術家簡歷

The Infinite Nothing: 0 2015 Multi-channel video and sound installation 6 min. 19 sec.

Dimensions variable

無盡虛無 — —0 2015年 多頻錄像及聲音裝置 6分19秒 尺寸不一

TSANG KIN-WAH

A Becoming: Tsang Kin-Wah

by Doryun Chong

For Tsang Kin-Wah, the white cube has never

venue — the ground floor of a residential

been satisfactory. Rather paradoxically for

apartment building that opens out to an

an artist who pursued an advanced degree in

enclosed courtyard — has undergone a radical

book arts after studying fine art, Tsang’s work

transformation with a large box occupying

over the last decade has flagrantly confounded

almost all of the outdoor space, turning day into

potentials of intimate experience and subjects

night. Upon entering, viewers find themselves

of art, turning the mysterious and the anxious,

in the midst of a churning river, a slowly moving

at times the terrifying, and even the shameful,

image titled The Infinite Nothing: 0, which in fact

into seductive spectacles, though text has

requires some time to be perceived as water.

consistently been a crucial aspect of his practice.

Wading through this virtual water, viewers come

Tsang early on made a name for himself with

into the second space, an elongated, white-

a series of wallpaper installations (sometimes

walled gallery with three blind arches at the end.

covering the floor and the ceiling as well),

On the middle archway is projected the second

which first immerse viewers in all-enveloping

work, The Infinite Nothing: I. The video begins

environments decorated with floral or decorative

with a shadowy, equine figure that seems to

patterns, and then gradually shock and possibly

grow and mutate. The light seemingly emanating

repel or titillate them with in-your-face words

from the depth of the space pulses and expands,

that compose the patterns. Adopting moving

accompanied by a gradually amplifying

image in recent years, he has integrated the

cacophonous and ominous soundtrack, and

element of time and further heightened the

soon begins to spew out words. The words spin

intensity of perceptual experience, with hypnotic

as soon as they emerge from the light and

and awe-inspiring results. Now widely renowned

quickly disappear like harried breaths into the

for his ongoing The Seven Seals series (begun

surrounding darkness. As more words pour out of

in 2009, with six works completed to date), Tsang

the archway, they blindingly illuminate the whole

has of late incorporated found footage in his

space, until another figure appears, perhaps

video projections, as seen in Ecce Homo Trilogy I

the same horse again but this time lying on its

(2011–12), which features documentary images of

side, quivering or struggling to get up, until it

the final hours of the Romanian dictator Nicolae

disappears into the light.

Ceauşescu (1918–89).

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From there, viewers go through a narrow As suggested by the titles of the aforementioned

constructed passageway to come out into

video works, the Bible — especially the Book of

the third space and face a wall with a pair of

Revelation — and the philosophy of Friedrich

windows. A pair of existing windows have been

Nietzsche (1844–1900) have been important

blacked out and turned into screens, upon which

sources of inspiration as well as reference, to

is projected The Infinite Nothing: I. Viewers see

which Tsang has returned repeatedly over the

a dark, stormy sky and raindrops rolling down

years. And they serve again as the springboard

on the trompe l’oeil windows. It is clear that the

and fount for his most ambitious installation to

windows are shut from inside a contrived space

date, created for the Hong Kong exhibition at the

of art, and that the projections are rendered

Biennale Arte 2015. Titled The Infinite Nothing,

images of what viewers could potentially see,

the work consists of four independent but

were the windows open and exposed to nature.

conceptually linked projections. The exhibition

Entering the fourth and final space, viewers

THE INFINITE NOTHING

face a long horizontal projection, The Infinite

to drink up the sea? Who gave us the sponge

Nothing: 0. The video begins with a little flicker

to wipe away the entire horizon? What did we

of light that quickly grows to reveal a black door.

do when we unchained this earth from its sun?

In a reverse of The Infinite Nothing: I, words begin

Whither is it moving now? Whither are we moving

to appear from the two ends of the projection,

now? Away from all suns? Are we not plunging

beginning with a series of affirmations and

continually? Backward, sideward, forward, in all

negations such as ‘THE RIVER’ and ‘NOT THE

directions? Is there any up or down left? Are we

RIVER’, ‘THE YOU’ and ‘NOT THE YOU’, and then

not straying as through an infinite nothing?

more evocatively conjure a mental landscape

Do we not feel the breath of empty space? Has it

with phrases like ‘WADE INTO THE WATER’,

not become colder? Is not night and more night

‘TOSS UPON THE SEA’, ‘IN THE LONELINESS OF

coming on all the while? Must not lanterns be lit

THE WILDERNESS’, etc. With another growing

in the morning? Do we not hear anything yet of

cacophonous din, the words begin to pour into

the noise of the gravediggers who are burying

the opening, vanishing in ghostly puffs, but soon

God? Do we not smell anything yet of God’s

a deluge of words overwhelms the exit. As soon

decomposition? Gods too decompose. God is

as the door is obliterated, the words begin to

dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him.

curve and bend, as if they were being sucked

How shall we, the murderers of all murderers,

into a black hole. The doorway appears again,

comfort ourselves? What was holiest and most

this time as an emanation that overwhelms the

powerful of all that the world has yet owned has

darkness with more blinding white light. Almost

bled to death under our knives. Who will wipe this

immediately, the whiteness is split by a black

blood off us? What water is there for us to clean

line that materialises in the dead centre, and

ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what

the former is overtaken by the expansion of

sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the

the latter.

greatness of this deed too great for us? Must not we ourselves become gods simply to seem worthy

The cycle of The Infinite Nothing, consisting of

of it? (italics added)

‘the river’ (0), ‘the cave’ (I), ‘the passage and windows’ (I) and ‘the door’ (0) thus completes,

Nietzsche made this famous pronouncement

and viewers exit the final gallery only to find

of the death of God not in propria persona but

themselves at the beginning of the cycle — in

instead put it in the mouth of the ‘madman

‘the river’. Tsang explains his conception of this

who in the bright morning lit a lantern and ran

multi-part video installation with a quote from

around the marketplace crying incessantly’.

Nietzsche: ‘Are we not straying as through an

This outpouring of words is fittingly mad,

infinite nothing? Do we not feel the breath

anxious and torturous. Self-doubt, guilt, pride

of empty space?’ This rather mystifying,

and many other emotions and questions swirl

metaphysical-sounding sentence is in fact part

around this breathless and brilliant rant of an

of a well-known, perhaps notorious passage

enlightened lunatic, a secular holy fool — modern

(Section 125) from The Gay Science (1882):

consciousness at the threshold of pained birth.

‘Whither is God’ he cried. ‘I shall tell you. We have

Around this fulcrum, Tsang brings together other

killed him — you and I. All of us are his murderers.

central tenets expressed in famous metaphors

But how have we done this? How were we able

and allegories from different stages of the

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

一種演成 — — 曾建華 鄭道鍊

對曾建華來說，白立方的展場空間從來並不令他饜

原是露天圍封的庭院部份蓋起一個大盒子來，把所

足。儘管文字一直是他藝術創作的重要面向，過往

有戶外的空間幾近完全佔蓋，並將白晝變為黑夜。

十年的作品都是恣無忌憚地擾亂私密體驗的可能性

甫進場，觀者會發現自己置身於一條緩緩流動的河

和不同的藝術議題，將神秘的、焦慮的、時或恐怖

流之中：題為《 無盡虛無 — — 0 》的錄像作品，影像

的，甚 至 是 難 堪 羞 恥 的，變 成 誘 人 魅 惑 的 藝 術 場

流動之慢，讓人得花點時間才能識別為一道水流。

景。這對於一位先後獲取純藝術學士及書籍藝術碩

邁過這條虛擬的河流，便會進入第二個空間：一個

士的藝術家而言更為吊詭。他早期以一系列的牆紙

長型白牆的空間，盡頭牆上有三個盲拱，圓拱門形

裝置作品（ 偶爾更遮蓋地板及天花 ）成名：觀眾先

的 裝 飾 似 門 非 門。而 投 映 於 中 央 盲 拱 的，正 是 第

被四面八方的花卉紋飾或裝飾圖案包圍，沉浸其

二件作品：《 無盡虛無 — — I 》。錄像開首的一道形

中；然後他們便會慢慢察覺到這些花紋圖案竟是由

象，馬的身影朦朧不清，彷彿在突變形成之中。光

挑釁的字句所構成，撲面而來的惡意令人訝異，或

芒看似從盲拱中央的深處產生、跳躍、膨脹，伴隨

是抗拒，或是情緒受其撩撥。近年，曾建華開始運

着音量逐漸增強的配樂聲音，感覺嘈吵而氣氛詭異

用流動影像創作，匯合時間元素，進一步加強知覺

不祥。大量文字不停地湧出，旋轉飄浮，後又像急

經驗的力量，效果催眠森然。他廣為人知的《 The

促的呼吸般迅即消逝於漆黑之中。隨着越來越多文

Seven Seals 》系列始於 2009 年，現已完成當中六

字從拱門中傾出，光芒照亮整個空間，令人神迷目

件作品；近期的錄像投映作品則多以現有的錄像片

眩，直至另一影像的出現為止。那，或正是開首的

段剪輯而成，例如《 瞧！這個人三部曲之一 》 （ 2011

馬，但，這次牠側臥在地，或是顫顫巍巍，或是看

至 12 年 ），集中呈現羅馬尼亞獨裁者尼古拉．壽西

似要掙扎起來，直至再度消失於光芒之中。

斯 古（ Nicolae Ceauşescu，1918 至 89 年 ）人 生 最 穿過一條狹窄的通道離開，觀眾便進入第三個空

後數小時的紀錄片段。

間。面前的牆，上有一對窗戶，皆被糊黑而變作螢 從上述作品名稱可見，《 聖經 》 （ 特別是啟示錄一

幕，投 映 着《 無 盡 虛 無 — — I》 ：窗 外 天 色 漆 黑，狂

卷 ）和弗德里希．尼采（ Friedrich Nietzsche，1844

風驟雨，雨水在錯視畫般的窗戶上滑落。這些窗戶

至 1900 年 ）的哲學理論正是曾建華的重要靈感來源

很明顯地都是被關起來以營造一個藝術空間，投映

Page 026 — 027

1

和參考資料，多年來一直重複不已。 而這次代表香

着打開時可能會看見的自然景物。進入第四個也是

港參與第五十六屆威尼斯視藝雙年展而特意創作的

最後的一個空間，觀者會看到一個長型的橫向投映

作品，同樣以二者為概念的基礎及靈感的來源。作

作品《 無盡虛無 — — 0 》。錄像以一小束光開始，漸

品題為《 無盡虛無 》，當中包含四組獨立但概念上

次 擴 大 而 顯 露 出 一 道 黑 色 的 門 來。與《 無 盡 虛

又互為緊扣的錄像投映裝置，是曾建華迄今最具野

無— — I 》相反，文字是從兩端開始出現，先是一連

心之作。位於一幢住宅底層的展場被大肆改動，在

串的肯定和否定，例如「 THE RIVER 」 （ 那條河 ）和

1

譯者註：《 The Seven Seals 》作品名稱源自《 聖經 》啟示錄第 5 至 8 章「 七封印 」異象；《 瞧！這個人三部曲之一 》則借用尼采同名 着作《 瞧！這個人 》。

THE INFINITE NOTHING

「 NOT THE RIVER 」 （ 不 是 那 條 河 ）、「 THE YOU 」

繼 續 墜 落 嗎？然 後 朝 着 所 有 方 向 後 退，側 移，前

（ 那個你 ）與「 NOT THE YOU 」 （ 不是那個你 ），然

進？這裏還有叫『 上 』 『 下 』的東西嗎？穿越無盡

後 便 是 諸 如「 WADE INTO THE WATER 」 （步進水

虛無時，難道我們不也在迷失嗎？難道我們感受不

裏 ）、「 TOSS UPON THE SEA 」 （ 海上顛簸 ）、「 IN

到虛空的吐息嗎？ 它不是越來越冷嗎？黑夜不是一

THE LONELINESS OF THE WILDERNESS 」 （在曠

直降臨在我們身上嗎？難道我們不必在清晨點亮提

野的寂寞裏 ）等，彷彿能召喚出一片心靈風景的語

燈嗎？挖掘墓穴的人正在埋葬上帝，難道我們聽不

句。在另一組越來越吵鬧的背景音樂伴隨下，文字

到他們的嘈吵聲嗎？難道我們沒有嗅到神靈的腐臭

開始湧進空間的出口處，像幽靈的呵氣般消失，但

嗎？眾神，同樣，腐敗。上帝死了。上帝已死。是

很快又是另一波文字淹沒了出口。文字沖撞着那道

我們殺了他。我們如何能夠安撫自己，這個兇手中

門並開始彎曲，且又彷彿被吸進黑洞般似的，門廊

的兇手？世上最聖潔、最大能的上帝，在我們刀下

則 再 次 出 現，更 是 光 芒 流 溢，令 人 目 炫 地 壓 垮 黑

失血過多而死，誰能洗淨我們手上的血腥？哪裏會

暗。這片白茫茫瞬即被一道黑線分割開來，在中心

有水讓我們洗淨自己？我們應該發明怎樣的贖罪祭

處擴大並淹沒一切。

典、怎樣的神聖把戲來救贖自己？這種大罪對我們 來說不是太沉重嗎？如果要跟這事相稱，難道我們

《 無 盡 虛 無 》的 循 環，包 括「 河 」 （ 0 ）、「 洞 穴 」

不該乾脆變作神更好嗎？」 （ 斜體自排 ）

（ I ）、「 通 道 與 窗 」 （ I ），並 在「 門 」 （ 0 ）作 結；觀 者離開最後一個展覽空間，只會發現自己回到循環

尼采並非親自發表「 上帝已死 」這一著名的公告，

的起點：在「 河 」中央。曾建華以尼采的一句話解

而是借助一個「 青天白日點着提燈，在市場跑來跑

釋這組錄像裝置的概念：「 穿越無盡虛無時，難道

去，尖叫不已的瘋子 」的口說出來。這一傾露的語

我們不也在迷失嗎？難道我們感受不到虛空的吐息

句貼切地瘋狂、焦慮也痛苦。自我懷疑、內疚、驕

嗎？」。這相當神秘而又帶有形而上氣息的語句，

傲，還有許多別的情緒和問題，都在這個頓悟的瘋

實則來自《 快樂的科學 》 （ 1882 年 ）一書中的第 125

子氣喘吁吁、卻精采絕倫的咆吼中迴蕩，一個既世

節，一段廣為人知甚至是惡名昭彰的文字：

俗又神聖的傻子 — — 現代的意識正伏在陣痛連連的 門檻上。

「 上 帝 在 哪 裏？」他 喊 叫 道，「 我 告 訴 你！我 們 殺 死他了 — — 就是你們跟我！我們所有人都是殺害他

環繞着這個重心，曾建華將尼采在不同事業階段和

的兇手。但我們是怎樣做到的？我們如何能飲盡海

演化時期的著名隱喻和寓言闡述的其他核心概念，

洋？誰給我們抹掉地平線的海綿？我們把這個地球

都一併匯集起來。對古典思想家的反思和批判，一

脫離太陽的引力時，正在做甚麼？地球現在要移往

直是尼采哲學體系的重要組成部份。除了他的思想

哪裏？我們要去哪裏？遠離所有太陽嗎？我們不是

學說以外，兩位主要思想家同樣在是次的展覽中佔

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

Artist’s Mind Map

WILLIAM MORRIS

Andy Warhol

Evil(ness)

Wallpaper Jacques Derrida

Screen Printing

Speech

Handicraft

Extreme Emotions Foul Language

Writing

Illusion Madness Language

Ferdinand de Saussure

Passive Text

Chariot Allegory

TEXT Sign

Active Text

Light

Text (Video)

Visual

TRUTH Absolute

Filippo Tommaso Marinetti

Author Space Guillaume Apollinaire

Authority Poem

Futurist Manifesto

Calligram Stéphane Mallarmé

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Heaven

Good(ness) Typography

Calligraphy

God CHRISTIANITY

Reality

Signified

Dead

Rational

Plato

Linguistic

Signifier

Roland Barthes

Shadow

CAVE ALLEGORY

Representation

THE INFINITE NOTHING

Arthur Schopenhauer

Will Xunzi

Escape

Embodiment

HUMAN NATURE

Art

BĂŠla Tarr

Sound Music Instinctive Emotions

Sisyphus The Turin Horse

Purest Form

Irrational

Karma Dionysian

Albert Camus

Turin Breakdown

Horse

Buddhism

Cycle

Absurdity

CAMEL SPIRIT

Sea

Apollonian DEATH OF GOD Four Horsemen

DOOR

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE

Human Evolution

Dasein

Life

Refined Nature

Water RIVER Ignoble Part of Soul

Monolith Stanley Kubrick

Ethnic Cleansing

Death

Polluted

Interpretation Historic Recurrence

Martin Heidegger

Hell River

The Lie

OVERMAN

Race Struggle

Taoism

Rare Species

Man

Master Morality

Physical World

Reincarnation

ETERNAL RECURRENCE

Slave Morality

Suicide

Changes

Die Immediately

Not To Be Born

Silenus

Class Conflict 2001: Space Odyssey

Heraclitus

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

CAMEL SPIRIT

Camel Spirit is the first state of the Three Metamorphoses, which describe the transformation of human consciousness, as presented in FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE’s philosophical novel, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

This is the way it was

(1883–91). In the book, Nietzsche crystallises a number of his most

until the final victory.

important ideas, including the DEATH OF GOD, ETERNAL RECURRENCE

Until the triumphant

and the OVERMAN (Übermensch). Man, in the imagery of a camel,

end. Acquire, debase,

is a weight-bearing soul burdened by the trials and obligations of life

debase, acquire. Or I can

that are undertaken through a sense of duty. When the dutiful camel

put it differently if you’d

begins to question his condition, and renounces pleasures and exercises

like. To touch, debase

self-discipline in a search for TRUTH and freedom, it is sent to a spiritual

and thereby acquire,

desert where it must become a fearless lion (second metamorphosis).

or touch, acquire and

The lion must use its might and ferocity to challenge the dragon

thereby debase. It’s

of tradition, of inherited commandments, and once this is done it

been going on like this

transforms into an innocent child (third metamorphosis), who represents

for centuries. On, on

freedom and spontaneity. The child, existing in the present rather than

and on. This and only

tied down to the past, is able to create new values and beliefs. Having

this, sometimes on the

passed through these Three Metamorphoses, the individual becomes the

sly, sometimes rudely,

overman, who possesses the will to power.

sometimes gently, sometimes brutally but

Highly self-referential, The Infinite Nothing is an illustration of Tsang’s

it has been going on

reinvention of self. At the beginning and the end of the video The Infinite

and on.

Nothing: I, the artist adopts the imagery of the horse, taken from the

— Bernhard in The Turin

film The Turin Horse by Béla Tarr (see DOOR), as a visual metaphor

Horse1

that connects the idea of the Camel Spirit with Nietzsche’s position on CHRISTIANITY as put forth in his writings on slave morality. The video

A whip for the horse, a

closes with the collapsed, static and immovable horse, lying still on the

bridle for the ass, and a

ground — an allusion to the overburdened camel, now poised for its

rod for the fool’s back.

transformation into a lion in the desert, an in-between state the artist

— Book of Proverbs

associates with himself in the process of metamorphosis. A symbol of

26:32

the mysterious force for human evolution in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, the monolith appears in The Infinite Nothing also as a reference to this metamorphosis. Kubrick’s film makes particular reference to the Three Metamorphoses, with the rebirth of the main character as the ‘star child’ in the final scenes.

Sympathetic towards Confucian Xunzi’s proposition that humanity is evil in nature (see HUMAN NATURE), Tsang is, in many ways, sceptical of the attainability of the absolute purity of the child state, and therefore of the ultimate possibility of becoming an overman. The artist imagines that very few people, if any, who are able to achieve this state of rebirth would be much like the child-like condition as described by the Chinese adage, ‘a wise man might appear ignorant’. Thus, Nietzsche’s Three

Page 034 — 035

Metamorphoses and overman are more metaphors and reminders for 1 The Turin Horse, dir. by Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky (TT Filmmühely, 2011).

2 All Bible quotes follow the English Standard Version.

the artist to continuously strive to overcome the faults and evilness natural to his being rather than actual attainable goals.

Narrated through a dialogue between Socrates and Plato’s brother, Glaucon, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in The Republic is one of the key statements of classical Western philosophy regarding TRUTH,

But, whether true or

representation and man’s search for knowledge and enlightenment.

false, my opinion is

Plato has Socrates describe a group of prisoners who, from birth, have

that in the world of

been chained and immobilised within a dark cave, facing a blank wall

knowledge the idea of

that is dimly lit from a fire positioned behind them. This fire casts the

good appears last of all,

shadows of various objects onto the wall, forming an illusion of reality

and is seen only with an

that the prisoners mistake for truth. Socrates goes on to describe

effort; and, when seen,

the freed prisoner’s transition from disbelief to gratitude, and the

is also inferred to be

resistance from his kin in reaction to his new-found knowledge of the

the universal author of

true world. Through the discussion, Plato questions the nature of truth

all things beautiful and

and reality, illuminates human ignorance due to the illusionary nature of

right, parent of light

representation and interpretation, and calls for a reflective and sceptical

and of the lord of light

mind. The disbelief and revelation of the freed prisoner is akin to the

in this visible world, and

discovery of knowledge by a philosopher, and the painful but rewarding

the immediate source of

process of education and enlightenment.

THE INFINITE NOTHING

CAVE ALLEGORY

reason and truth in the intellectual; and that

Turning one of the rooms in The Infinite Nothing into Plato’s cave, Tsang

this is the power upon

parallels Plato’s reference to the imagined world outside the cave with

which he who would

the realm of the divine promised by CHRISTIANITY, all of which are

act rationally, either in

hinted at by what is supposedly behind the DOOR. Sceptical of the

public or private life,

existence of both Heaven and absolute truth, Tsang questions religious

must have his eye fixed.

values as well as our fundamental understanding of the world and

— Plato1

reality as he incorporates elements of FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE’s ETERNAL RECURRENCE and Heraclitus’s ever-changing RIVER into the work.

Reality and representation are prevailing themes in Tsang’s practice.

In BLACK! BLACK! BLACK! (2008), the artist made direct reference to the prisoners’ contemplation of ‘truth’ and ‘reality’ in the Cave Allegory through his use of the colours black and white. By upturning associations common to the two colours, the artist underscores Nietzsche’s famous dictum: ‘it is precisely facts that do not exist, only interpretations.’

Or, as Tsang himself put it, everything is ‘nothing but interpretations!’

The artist questions the validity and truthfulness of reality, and proposes the view that, in the end, our understanding of the world is unstable and fluid because it is based on mere representation and subjective interpretation.

1 From The Republic, Book VII, trans. by Benjamin Jowett (New York: Vintage Books, 1991), pp. 253–61 <http://www. historyguide.org/intellect/ allegory.html> [accessed 14 February 2015].

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

威廉·莫里斯

藝術家概念圖 安迪·華荷

惡

牆紙 雅克·德里達

絲網印刷

手工藝

演說

極端情緒 粗言穢語

寫作

幻象 瘋狂 影子

被動性文字

語言

洞穴寓言

再現

弗迪南·德·索緒爾

戰車寓言

文字 符號

理性的 柏拉圖

語言學

光

神

文字（錄像）

能指

主動性文字

基督教 現實

所指

天堂

善 視覺

羅蘭·巴特

真理

字體學

書法

絕對

作者 菲利波·托馬索·馬里內蒂 空間 權威

紀堯姆·阿波利奈爾 詩

死

《未來主義宣言》

圖象詩

Page 048 — 049

斯特凡·馬拉美

THE INFINITE NOTHING

阿圖爾·叔本華

意志 荀子

逃避

實現

人性

藝術 貝拉·塔爾 聲音

西西弗斯

音樂

《都靈之馬》

最純粹的形式

本能情緒

因果

非理性的

阿爾貝·加繆

酒神 馬

都靈崩潰

循環

佛教 荒謬

駱駝精神 海

太陽神

自殺

轉世

上帝之死

弗德里希·尼采

永劫回歸 道教

四騎士

馬丁·海德格爾

忘川河 奴隸道德 稀有物種 人

主人道德

物質世界

死亡 謊言

門

此在

生命

受污染的

超人 人類演進

完善本質

水

河

詮釋

馬上死去 種族鬥爭

歷史重演

靈魂的卑劣一角

黑碑石 變化

階級矛盾

從未出生

西勒諾斯

史丹利·寇比力克

種族清洗 赫拉克利特 《2001太空漫遊》

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

駱駝精神，是描述人類認知蛻變的「 精神三變 」 （ Three Metamorphoses ）

駱駝精神

之 第 一 階 段，出 自 弗 德 里 希．尼 采 的 哲 學 小 說《 查 拉 圖 斯 特 拉 如 是 說 》 （ 1883 至 91 年 ）。在這本書中，尼采具體闡明了他的一些重要思想觀念，包 世事一直如是，直到最後

括「 上帝之死 」、「 永劫回歸 」及「 超人 」 （ Übermensch ）。人首先以駱駝的

勝利。直到凱旋結束。獲

形象出現，乃是一個背着重擔的靈魂，因責任感使然，受人生的各種試煉

取，貶低，貶低，獲取。

與義務所束縛。當忠於職守的駱駝開始質疑自己的處境，宣佈放棄舒適的

你喜歡的話，我也可以換

生活，奉行自律，尋求真理和自由，牠就會被差遣到精神的沙漠中，並成

個說法。去撫摸，貶低，

為一隻無畏的獅子，即第二變。獅子必須以其力氣和兇猛，挑戰象徵傳統

從而獲取；或者去撫摸，

和戒律的龍，而當獅子征服龍，就會變成代表着自由與自發性的天真小孩，

獲取，從而貶低。這已經

即第三變。小孩存在於當下，不被過去綑綁，能創立新的價值觀與信念。

持續了好多個世紀，一

人經歷此精神三變，就成為擁有「 權力意志 」 （ The Will to Power ）的超人。

直，一直都是這樣。從來 如是，亦只能如是，時而

《 無盡虛無 》是曾建華對自我改造的陳述，作品呈高度自我指涉。在錄像作

狡猾，時而粗野，時而溫

品《 無盡虛無 — — I 》的開首和結尾，藝術家以取自貝拉．塔爾《 都靈之馬 》

和，時而殘暴，但它從來

（ 見「 門 」）的馬作為視覺隱喻，把尼采論及「 奴隸道德 」 （ Slave morality ）

如是，一直如是。

時對基督教所作的評價，與駱駝精神連繫起來。錄像以一匹倒塌在地、動

— —《都靈之馬》伯恩哈德1

彈不得的馬作結，猶如不堪重壓的駱駝正準備蛻變成沙漠中的獅子，這種 中間狀態，亦是藝術家正處身蛻變階段的自況。與史丹利．寇比力克的電

鞭子是為打馬，轡頭是為

影《 2001 太空漫遊 》中那塊象徵人類演進的神秘力量的黑碑石一樣，《 無

勒驢，刑杖正是為打愚昧

盡虛無 》裏出現的碑石，也是人類蛻變的象徵。在《 2001 太空漫遊 》的結

人的背。

局中，男主角沒有死去，反而重生為「 星童 」，顯然是引用了尼采的「 精神 2

— —《聖經》箴言26:3

三變 」。

曾建華較為認同儒家荀子「 性本惡 」的觀點（ 見「 人性 」），從多方面來說， 他對人能夠達至小孩般的絕對純潔、繼而最終成為超人的可能性，皆存有 懷疑。在藝術家的想像中，即便有人能達到這種重生的境界，必然為數甚 少，亦應該較為接近中國諺語的「 大智若愚 」。因此尼采的精神三變和超人 皆非能確實達到的目標，對藝術家而言，倒更像是隱喻或一種警醒，提醒 他不斷努力，克服自己的缺點與邪惡的本性。

1

貝拉．塔爾、阿尼亞斯． 赫拉尼茨基執導：《 都靈之馬 》 （ Tt Filmmühely Kft.，2011 ）。

Page 050 — 051

如非特別註明，引文中譯本由編 者提供，下同。 2

譯者註：全文所有《 聖經 》經文， 中文譯本一概沿用《 和合本修訂 版 》，2010 年。

洞穴寓言，出自蘇格拉底和柏拉圖兄長葛樂康之間的一段虛構對話，載 於柏拉圖《 理想國 》一書。這則寓言是古典西方哲學傳統中，闡釋真理

THE INFINITE NOTHING

洞穴寓言

（ Truth ）、再現（ Representation ）以至人類追求知識與啟蒙的其中一篇 但是，無論這解釋是對或

重要論述。柏拉圖藉由他筆下的蘇格拉底，講述一群囚犯，從一出生就被

錯，我的想法是：在知識

關在幽暗的洞穴裏的故事，他們腳戴鎖鐐，不能動彈，面前的洞壁被身後

世界裏，「善」的理念總

的火微微照亮，那火光照亮了不同物件，投影於洞壁上的影子便成了現實

是最後才出現，而且必須

（ Reality ）的幻象，令囚犯誤以為這就是真理。接着，蘇格拉底講述其中一

付出努力才能看見；人一

個逃離洞穴的囚犯，由起初難以置信到最終滿懷感激的轉變，以及其他囚

旦看見了，就能推斷出以

犯聽到來自真實世界的新知識後所表現的抗拒。藉由蘇格拉底和葛樂康的

下結論：「善」的確是一

討論，柏拉圖對真理與現實的本質提出質疑，闡明人類的無知，乃源於再

切美麗與正義的源頭，是

現和詮釋（ Interpretation ）的虛幻本質，呼籲人要抱有反思和懷疑的頭腦。

這個可見世界的光之源頭

那個獲釋的囚犯所經歷的懷疑及啟蒙，儼如哲學家發現知識，又像人接受

與主宰，也是智者的理性

教育與啟蒙時痛苦而獲益良多的過程。

和真理之直接源頭；人如 果能在公共或私生活中都

曾 建 華 將《 無 盡 虛 無 》的 其 中 一 個 房 間 變 成「 柏 拉 圖 之 洞 」，以 門 外 的

行事明智理性，「善」正

假想世界，比作柏拉圖筆下那個洞穴外的想像世界，以及基督教應許的

是令他目光堅定不移的力

神聖國度。藝術家對天堂與絕對真理同樣抱有懷疑，他將弗德里希．尼采

量。

的「 永劫回歸 」和赫拉克利特的無定之河的相關元素放進作品，藉此對宗教

— — 柏拉圖1

價值及人對世界和現實的基本認知提出質疑。

現 實 和 再 現 一 直 是 貫 穿 曾 建 華 藝 術 實 踐 的 主 題。以《 黑！黑！黑！》 （ 2008 年 ）為例，藝術家透過黑白色彩的運用，直接指向洞穴寓言中囚犯 對「 真理 」與「 現實 」的沉思。作品顛倒黑白兩色予人的一貫聯想，強調 尼采的名言：「 現實從不存在，一切只是詮釋 」，又或者像藝術家所言： 「 NOTHING BUT INTERPRETATIONS! 」 （ 一切都是詮釋！）。他質疑現實的 確實性與可信性，並認為我們對世界的認知，最終也是流動、不確定的， 因為我們對這個世界的理解，亦只能建基於各種再現與主觀的詮釋。

1

柏拉圖《 理想國 》卷七。英語 原文摘自《 The Republic 》1991 年 Benjamin Jowett 英譯本， 頁 253-61。柏拉圖撰，Benjamin Jowett 譯：《 The Republic 》 （ 紐約：Vintage Books，1991 ） <http://www.historyguide.org/ intellect/allegory.html> [ 檢索日 期：2015 年 2 月 14 日 ]。

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

Racism, cultural shock and conflict were driving forces behind the predominance of coarse language in Tsang’s early works. He revealed in a number of interviews an encounter he had with black teenagers who attempted to agitate him with Cantonese swear words, an experience that resulted in the graduate work Interior (London, 2003). Playing with different languages in a clever and subversive manner, Tsang highlights the discrepancies in experience for viewers of different cultural backgrounds in works that incorporate various languages, such as Chinese!

It's Chinese . . . Chinees! Eikel Chinees . . . 死鬼佬! 正白痴 . . . (Eindhoven, 2005).

The brilliantly subversive play on words During his studies in London, Tsang became

continued as Tsang returned to Hong Kong and

interested in the relationship between artwork

created wallpaper installations that visualise

and the viewer, and experimented with words

his reflections on nationality and identity. The

as pattern, image and space with the school

flip side of Hong Kong’s and China’s economic

project Untitled — Bible (London, 2002). Desiring

growth in the past few decades was widespread

to liberate the book from its physical dimensions,

materialism and rising social tension. Shown

Tsang tore apart a Bible and lined the pages

across the border, works such as Untitled — Hong

uniformly across the floor. Following this, Tsang

Kong (Shanghai, 2003–04) and District Borders

was inspired by William Morris’s designs and

(Hong Kong, 2006) explore cross-border conflicts

began to arrange text in floral patterns, resulting

following the 1997 handover and the unstable

in the launch of his pattern and text art in 2003,

definition of being Chinese and a Hongkonger.

also commonly known as his ‘wallpaper’ works.

Tsang further explored notions of nation and power within a broader international context in

Colourful and aesthetically pleasing patterns

monumental installations such as Let Us Build

were formed by distorted text, shown in early

And Launch A Blue Rocket To His Heaven (Lyon,

works such as Untitled No.1 (Hong Kong, 2003).

2009), for which the cylindrical exhibition space

With a closer look, another world emerges to

in La Sucrière was covered in English, French

topple the viewer’s initial experience of the work:

and Chinese texts in his distinctive wallpaper

the graceful swirls and delicate floral patterns

patterns.

are composed of aggressive and provocative swear words, channelling strong emotions such as anger and sarcasm. Playing with appearance and truth, this format promotes a duality in experience that allows the artist to explore a multitude of topics and emotions.

曾建華在早期作品中大量使用粗鄙語言，其背後的 驅動力是對種族主義、文化衝擊與衝突的關注。他 在不同的訪問中均有提及一群黑人少年以廣東話 曾建華在倫敦求學期間，便開始對藝術品與觀眾之

髒話來挑釁他的遭遇，這次經驗最終啟發了曾建

間的關係感到興趣，亦在他的學校習作《 無題 — —聖

華創作畢業作品《 Interior 》 （ 倫敦，2003 年 ）。在

經》 （ 倫 敦，2002 年 ）中，摸 索 以 文 字 構 作 圖 案、

《 Chinese! It’s Chinese . . . Chinees! Eikel Chinees . . .

圖像與空間的可能。為了嘗試把書本從它的物理形

死鬼佬！正白痴 . . . 》 （ 恩多芬，2005 年 ）等作品

狀解放出來，曾建華將一本聖經剖開，再將紙頁整

中，他以聰明而顛覆的方式把玩不同語言，突顯了

齊有致地鋪在地上。隨後，他又受到威廉．莫里斯

文化背景迴異的觀眾對於結合不同語言創作的作品

（ William Morris ）的設計影響，把文字排列成花卉

帶來的經驗落差。

圖案，於 2003 年正式開始了他的文字圖案藝術， 即為人熟知的「 牆紙 」作品。

回香港以後，曾建華繼續以這種絕妙而顛覆的文字 遊戲來創作牆紙裝置，以視覺形式呈現他對國籍

早期作品如《 無題一號 》 （ 香港，2003 年 ），以扭

與身份的省思。香港與中國在過去幾十年的經濟

曲變形的文字構成鮮豔美觀的圖案。當近距離觀

增長，背後卻是物質主義泛濫與社會矛盾越趨緊

看，卻 展 現 出 另 一 個 世 界，推 翻 了 觀 眾 原 先 的 觀

張，曾於中港兩地展出的作品，例如《 無題 — —香

感：那些螺旋狀的花卉圖案形態優美精緻，實乃由

港》 （ 上海，2003 至 04 年 ）與《 District Borders 》

充滿惡意與挑釁的粗言穢語寫成，傳遞了憤怒和嘲

（ 香 港，2006 年 ），分 別 探 討 1997 政 權 移 交 後 的

諷等強烈情緒。這種把玩表象與真相的形式使作品

兩地矛盾，與身為中國人和香港人的不確定義。在

展開一種雙重的經驗，容許藝術家探討更多樣的題

大型作品《 Let Us Build And Launch A Blue Rocket

目與情感。

To His Heaven 》 （ 里昂，2009 年 ）中，他進而在更 寬闊的國際框架中探討國家與權力的概念，以英、 法、中文的獨特牆紙圖案，覆蓋整個索恩河文化中 心（ La Sucrière ）的圓筒形展覽空間。

Untitled No.1 無題一號

2003 Silkscreen and acrylic on paper Dimensions variable Hong Kong Museum of Art

2003年 絲印塑膠彩紙本 尺寸不一 香港藝術館

District Borders

2006 Black tape 896 x 350 x 325cm Shanghai Street Artspace, Hong Kong

2006年 黑色膠帶 896 x 350 x 325厘米 香港上海街視藝空間

Tsang’s pattern and text installations brought him great acclaim and various awards, including the Asian Art Prize from the Sovereign Art Foundation in 2005. The success prompted Tsang to reflect through his wallpaper works on the position of the artist within the art world ecology and the arbitrary definition and valuation of art.

A solo show at a commercial gallery, White Cube (Hong Kong, 2005) was intentionally

to the institutional level. In works such as Fucking

paradoxical and a bold statement about the

Art Made By The Fucking People And For The

convoluted art market. The white, Morris-style

Fucking People, A Joy To The Fucking Maker And

patterns that covered the white walls and also

The Fucking User (Apeldoorn, 2007), the interior

the windows of the commercial gallery were

of CODA Museum was covered in a systematic

made up of English and Chinese profanities that

repetition of the artist’s signature geometric

attacked all the key players in the system, from

floral patterns, made up of provocative foul

collectors, buyers and dealers, to even the gallery

language.

owner: ‘FUCKINGWHITEMANJOHNBATTEN’. A series of camouflaged white paintings were for

Reflective of his practice, Tsang commented on

sale, accompanied by a ‘Price List’ that further

language and conceptualisation as a form of

revealed Tsang’s sarcasm and humour: prices

artistic representation in a commissioned work

for the works titled ‘For you, platinum art lover’,

in response to the works and practice of the

‘Kill me please, U DEALER!’ and ‘R u happy with

conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth. Installed at

this? ARTIST’, etc., were shown crossed out and

Para/Site Art Space, Tsang’s If Someone Calls

repriced poking fun at the arbitrary pricing

It’s Art, It’s Kun(s)t. (Hong Kong, 2009) included

system of art as commodity. Tsang’s swear words

a print by Kosuth that explores ideas of rhetoric

also appeared in museums, bringing his critique

and allegory. Wavy lines of grey text seemed to rupture and squirm from the corners of the gallery’s concrete ceiling and walls, shouting sentences such as ‘CONCEPT FUCKS ARTISTS’, ‘THE KUNT IS REAL’ and ‘THE TEXTS ARE FALSE’ in the viewer’s face. The experience was further dramatised by the pulsing glow of a dim light bulb that flicked on and off, and a humming discord of shuffling and tapping noises that loomed in the background.

曾建華的文字圖案裝置為他帶來很高評價與多個 獎 項，其 中 包 括 傑 出 藝 術 基 金 會（ Sovereign Art Foundation ）於 2005 年頒發的亞洲藝術獎（ Asian Art Prize ）。創作上的成功促使他開始以其牆紙作 品反思藝術家於藝術圈生態的角色，與及藝術品的 恣意定義和定價。

作為一個於商業畫廊舉辦的個人展覽，《 白立方 》 （ 香港，2005 年 ）刻意對藝術市場提出大膽吊詭的

商品的任意定價制度。曾建華的粗言穢語亦出現

宣言。作品以莫里斯風格的白色圖案，把畫廊的白

於 多 個 美 術 館 中，把 他 的 批 判 帶 到 建 制 層 面。以

牆與窗戶全部覆蓋，而這些圖案均以中英文寫着

《 Fucking Art Made By The Fucking People And For

各種下流不敬的說話，攻擊藝術建制的所有主要

The Fucking People, A Joy To The Fucking Maker

成員，包括收藏家、買家與經紀、甚至畫廊主人：

And The Fucking User 》 （ 阿珀爾多倫，2007 年 ）為

「 FUCKINGWHITEMANJOHNBATTEN 」 （他媽的

例，藝術家以其招牌幾何花卉圖案，把 CODA 博物

白人約翰百德 ）。一系列白色的偽裝畫作亦陳列出

館（ CODA Museum ）的室內空間，有系統地以挑

售，並且附上「 Price List 」 （ 價 $ 表 ），更顯出他的

釁的粗言穢語重重覆蓋。

嘲 諷 與 幽 默：名 為「 For you, platinum art lover 」 （ 為 你 而 設，白 金 藝 術 愛 好 者 ）、「 Kill me please,

在 一 個 回 應 概 念 藝 術 家 約 瑟 夫．科 蘇 斯（ Joseph

U DEALER! 」 （ 殺了我吧，你．這．買．手！）、「 R

Kosuth ）的委約作品中，曾建華嘗試反思自己的藝

u happy with this? ARTIST 」 （ 滿 意 了 吧？藝．術．

術實踐，對語言與「 概念化 」作為一種藝術再現形

家 ）等多幅畫作的售價都被胡亂塗改，以諷刺藝術

式 提 出 批 評。他 的《 If Someone Calls It’s Art, It’s Kun(s)t. 》 （ 香 港，2009 年 ），於 Para/Site 藝 術 空 間內裝置，包含科蘇斯一張探討修辭與託寓的版 畫，呈波浪形的灰色字體猶如從畫廊的水泥天花 與 牆 壁 角 落 破 壁 而 出，四 處 蠕 動，對 着 觀 眾 直 呼 「 CONCEPT FUCKS ARTISTS 」 （ 概念幹翻藝術家 ）、 「 THE KUNT IS REAL 」 （ 偽術臭貨是真的 ）、「 THE TEXTS ARE FALSE 」 （ 文字都是假的 ）。加上不停開 開關關、釋出昏暗光芒的燈泡，與及隨機播放的敲 打背景聲音，若隱若現，嗡嗡作聲，令整個體驗更 形戲劇化。

White Cube 白立方

2005 Silkscreen and acrylic on paper and canvas Dimensions variable John Batten Gallery, Hong Kong

2005年 絲印塑膠彩紙本及布本 尺寸不一 香港約翰百德畫廊

If Someone Calls It’s Art, It’s Kun(s)t.

2009 Vinyl, light bulb, CD player, speakers and Joseph Kosuth’s print L’essence de la rhétorique est dans l’allégorie 480 x 800 x 270cm Para/Site Art Space, Hong Kong

2009年 塑膠布、燈泡、CD播放器、揚聲器及 Joseph Kosuth版畫《L’essence de la rhétorique est dans l’allégorie》 480 x 800 x 270厘米 香港Para/Site藝術空間

The Fifth Seal — HE Shall Deliver You Up To Be Afflicted And Killed As HE Was 2011 Digital video and sound installation 6 min. 40 sec.

Dimensions variable Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan 2011年 數碼錄像及聲音裝置 6分40秒 尺寸不一 日本東京森美術館

TSANG KIN-WAH

Without End, Without Beginning: A Conversation with Tsang Kin-Wah Stella Fong

S : I’d like to start with the title of your work It Would Be Better If You Have Never Been Born . . .

(2009). I wish to talk about your upbringing, and why you wish you had never been born.

T : What do you mean?

S : You were born in Shantou, China, in 1976, and you moved to Hong Kong in 1982. You’re from a rather traditional family, and although you’ve broken away from the influence of Mainland China, you still have an awareness of the identity.

What are your thoughts on this?

T : I used to feel so embarrassed about my ‘identity’. I wasn’t aware of that when I moved to Hong Kong as a child, but then I realised Hong Kong people liked calling the Chinese immigrants ‘country bumpkin’ or ‘Ah Chank’.1 The term ‘Hongkonger’ was used only to refer to people who were born in Hong Kong . . .

S : I’m intrigued by this definition, because Hong Kong has always been a place for refugees; everyone came here to escape the war in the Mainland. One can say, basically everyone has no ‘roots’ in Hong Kong, and there’s no such thing as a ‘real Hongkonger’.

T : To me, local people were those born and raised in Hong Kong and they had to be BN(O) [British National (Overseas)] passport holders.

What I held was just a travel document, known as CI [Hong Kong Certificate of Identity], which needed renewal every year, so my identity was pretty awkward back then.

S : Is that why you question and reflect on your

Page 202 — 203

own identity in some of your works?

1 ‘Ah Chank’ refers to Ching Chan, a fictional character from the 1979 Hong Kong television series The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Characterised by unsophistication, awkwardness and lack of taste or style, Chan is a clownish figure who came to Hong Kong from a small village in the Mainland to join his family. ‘Ah Chank’ is thus used as a derogatory label for newcomers from Mainland China.

THE INFINITE NOTHING

T : I guess it is, especially during the period when I returned to Hong Kong from the United Kingdom, after I received my master’s degree and saw a lot of strange things. For example, the Individual Visit Scheme hadn’t been launched before I left for studies in the UK.2 By the time I came back, I noticed that Hong Kong people had changed to welcome the Mainlanders enthusiastically. This was so different from what I had experienced in my childhood. So I wondered: what exactly is identity? That’s the idea of my work Untitled — Hong Kong (2003–04), in which I thought about how the Mainlanders and the Hongkongers treated each other. To be frank, I don’t even know where I am from. When people ask me this question, I say I’m from Hong Kong.

Most of the time I don’t tell people that I’m a Chinese artist, because that’s what we usually call artists from Mainland China.

S : Do you consider Hong Kong to be just a place where you live?

T : No, it’s just me looking at everything from a rather detached perspective, and I’m doing this more and more often now. Most of the time I’m like an observer hiding in some corners; that is, I don’t engage myself with some sort of identity or group. I prefer to do things I like.

S : But this time you’re representing Hong Kong at the Venice Biennale.

T : Yes. I am an artist representing Hong Kong.

S : Do you think you need to present so-called Hongkongness to the world at Venice?

T : No, I don’t. To tell you the truth, that isn’t appealing to me. Also, I don’t think we need to emphasise that we are Hong Kong people or to present so-called Hongkongness. It’s the same as you wouldn’t keep saying ‘I’m a Hongkonger’ when you meet friends outside Hong Kong.

2 The Individual Visit Scheme, initiated in 2003, allows Mainland residents to visit Hong Kong and Macau on an individual basis.

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

THE INFINITE NOTHING

沒有終結、沒有開始 — — 與曾建華對談 方詠甄

方 ： 我 想 以 你 的 作 品 題 目《 It Would Be Better If You Have Never Been Born . . . 》(2009 年 ) 為開始。 先談談你的出生，又為甚麼你不想出生。 曾 ： 怎麼了？ 方 ： 1976 年在中國汕頭出生，1982 年移居香港，你 的家庭環境比較傳統，雖然脫離了大陸的影響，但 仍有那種身份意識，只是不太強烈。那你怎樣看待 自己的身份？ 曾 ： 以前「 身份 」對我而言是很尷尬的。小時候移 居香港，身份意識沒那麼強，後來發覺香港人很喜 歡將從大陸來的人呼作「 大陸仔 」或者「 阿燦 」1。 而所謂香港人就只限於本地出生的人 …… 方 ： 這定義其實很有趣，因為香港本身是個難民的 地方，人人都是在打仗時逃難來的，基本上這兒的 人都沒有根，也沒有「 真正的香港人 」這回事。 曾 ： 但對我而言，本地人就是香港土生土長的人， 當時持有 BN（ O ） （ 英國國民海外護照 ）的那種。 那時我只持有 CI（ 香港身份證明書 ），每年都要續 證，所以我的身份其實有點尷尬。 方 ： 所以在你的作品中也有對自己身份的質疑和 反思？ 曾 ： 有，尤其是當我在英國畢業後回港，發覺香 港有很多奇怪的事，例如我離開時尚未實施「 自由 行 」2，畢業回港後發現香港人突然很歡迎大陸人。 那種看法跟我小時的觀感完全相反，所以我想：那 種身份到底是怎樣的？於是便創作了《 無題 — —香 港》 （ 2003 至 04 年 ），思考大陸人和香港人如何看 待對方。坦白說我也不知道自己是甚麼人，每當被 問到這問題時，便只說是從香港來。基本上不會說 自己是中國藝術家，因為那是內地藝術家的通稱。

1

「 阿燦 」 ：1979 年電視劇《 網中人 》程燦一角，由內地鄉下來港， 是劇中的丑角，後成為對內地新移民的貶稱。

2

自由行：「 港澳個人遊 」的通稱。自 2003 年起，中國居民可透過 簡單的簽證手續以個人身份來港旅遊。

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

方 ： 那麼你覺得香港是純粹居住的地方嗎？ 曾 ： 不，但我自己對所有事都比較抽離，越來越如 是。很多時候只是躲在一角，當個觀察者，所以我 不會很投入某種身份，反而比較喜歡做自己喜歡的 事情多一點。 方 ： 但這次你要代表香港參加威尼斯雙年展。 曾 ： 是，我是香港的藝術家。 方 ： 你會否覺得在這次威尼斯雙年展中需要展示 所謂的「 香港性 」？ 曾 ： 不 需 要。坦 白 說，首 先 這 並 不 吸 引 我，其 次 覺得不需要如此強調自己是香港人或要展示「 香港 性 」這回事，就如你不會見到外國朋友就不斷說 「 我是香港人 」一樣。 方 ： 這是頗有趣的，因為香港上一輩的藝術家努力 尋根，創作時不斷尋找自己的文化身份，抓住傳統 元素而用於作品中。後來大部份的藝術家都可以說 沒有這種包袱，就像是說「 我就是這樣的 」，你同 意嗎？ 曾 ： 我不會多考慮，亦不會探究「 香港性 」是甚麼。 不是穿件唐裝衣就是中國人，不是吃碗牛肚河就是 香港人，那似乎是比較陳腔濫調的做法。還有，我 覺得不應把目光只集中在香港，可以看寬一點，看 看別的，因為你不只是香港人。較為「 大同 」地說， 其實是地球村的人，所以不應只顧及香港發生的 事。而因為我所關心的不止是香港，所以覺得不必 在作品中刻意強調或販賣「 香港性 」和香港身份。 方 ： 你剛剛提及在英國留學。為何你在香港中文 大學藝術系畢業後，會選擇到英國深造 Book Arts （ 書籍藝術 ）這門科目？ 曾 ： 當時是以地點作考慮的，因為我不諳其他語 言，自然地選擇了英語的地方。申請了幾所英國院 校 讀 藝 術，剛 巧 在 香 港 有 機 會 面 試。有 一 位 教 授 看 過 我 幾 本 書 冊 的 作 品 便 說：「 好 像 Camberwell （ 坎伯威爾藝術學院 ）的 Book Arts 較適合你。」在這

Page 220 — 221

「 陰差陽錯 」下我便選讀了這科目。

TSANG KIN-WAH

This publication accompanies the exhibition ‘Tsang Kin-Wah: The Infinite Nothing’, 9 May-22 Nov, 2015, produced by M+, West Kowloon Cultural District and co-presented by M+ and Hong Kong Arts Development Council.

The Exhibition

Co-commissioned by Wilfred Wong, Chairman, Hong Kong Arts Development Council Victor Lo, Chairman, Museum Committee, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority

Project Team of Hong Kong Arts Development Council Betty Mak, Director, Planning and Development Wendy Tso, Director, Arts Promotion and Corporate Affairs Brenda Lam, Projects Manager

Co-curators

Gigi Tong, Senior Projects Officer

Doryun Chong, Chief Curator, M+ Stella Fong, Curator, Learning & Interpretation, M+

Consulting Curator Lars Nittve, Executive Director, M+

With Sharon Chan, Assistant Curator, M+ Apple Yu, Curatorial Intern, M+

Learning Programme by Tina Pang, Curator, Hong Kong Visual Culture, M+ Winnie Lai, Assistant Curator, Learning & Interpretation, M+

Page 244 — 245

Joey Yau, Curatorial Assistant, Learning & Interpretation, M+

The Working Group of Hong Kong Arts Development Council Chairman: Chris Chan Members: Caroline Cheng Leung Sung-yum Alan Lo Magnus Renfrew Ellen Pau Sara Wong

Technical Support Dino Tech

Supported by

Coordinator in Venice

Veronica Castillo, Head, Collection & Exhibition Services, M+

PDG Arte Communications

Moody Tang, Assistant Registrar, M+ Noah Wilson, M+ Collection & Exhibition Technician, M+

THE INFINITE NOTHING

The Catalogue

Published by M+, West Kowloon Cultural District

Editors Doryun Chong Stella Fong

Managing Editor Winnie Lai

Copy Editors Michael Lacoy Carmi Lam

Translators Carmi Lam Caddie Lau

Design CoDesign Ltd.

ISBN: 978-988-16240-7-9 Printed in Hong Kong All rights reserved. Copyright Š 2015 the artist, authors, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Hong Kong Arts Development Council

BIENNALE ARTE 2015

TSANG KIN-WAH

本展覽圖錄為配合「 曾建華 — — 無盡虛無 」 （ 2015 年 5 月 9 日至 11 月 22 日 ）而編製， 由西九文化區 M+ 博物館出版，展覽由 M+ 和香港藝術發展局合辦。

展覽

主辦機構

香港藝術發展局項目團隊

香港藝術發展局主席王英偉

策劃及發展總監麥蓓蒂

西九文化區管理局博物館委員會主席羅仲榮

藝術推廣及外事總監曹敏儀 項目經理林鴻怡

策展人

高級項目主任唐浩儀

M+ 總策展人鄭道鍊 M+ 教學及詮釋策展人方詠甄

香港藝術發展局工作小組 主席﹕

顧問策展人

陳錦成

M+ 博物館行政總監李立偉 成員﹕ 及

鄭禕

M+ 助理策展人陳敏

梁崇任

M+ 策展實習生余家韻

羅揚傑 Magnus Renfrew

教學活動 M+ 香港視覺文化策展人彭綺雲

鮑藹倫 黃志恆

M+ 教學及詮釋助理策展人黎穎 M+ 教學及詮釋策展助理邱燕華

技術支援 Dino Tech

支援 M+ 館藏及展覽服務主管 Veronica Castillo

Page 246 — 247

M+ 館藏助理管理主任鄧夢茵 M+ 館藏及展覽技術員 Noah Wilson

威尼斯統籌 PDG Arte Communications

THE INFINITE NOTHING

圖錄

出版 西九文化區 M+ 博物館

編輯 鄭道鍊 方詠甄

編輯統籌 黎穎

審稿 Michael Lacoy 林嘉敏

翻譯 林嘉敏 劉偉娟

設計 CoDesign Ltd.

ISBN: 978-988-16240-7-9 香港印製

版權所有翻印必究。版權屬藝術家、作者、西九文化區 管理局及香港藝術發展局所有 ©2015

BIENNALE ARTE 2015