Limitless Landscapes

Curator
HU Yung-Fen

Artists
WU Chi-Tsung, LIN shukai, KAO Yating, CHEN Wan-Jen, LIAO shin-Yu, Ava HSUEH, HSIEH Mu-Chi

Exhibition Dates
18 March – 30 April 2017

Venue
Art Influence Gallery
No. 3, Lane 90, Section 1, Anhe Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106

It was only 500 years ago that landscape paintings became a new form of western artwork. In other words, the landscape painting is the first proof of liberation and progressiveness in human civilization. Nowadays, “landscape paintings” continue to arouse specific stereotypes today. People tend to think of landscape paintings as depictions of mountains and rivers, grass, and trees, or various natural phenomena such as thunders and lightning, tornados, clouds, rain, or fogs, and different traces of human activity, such as paths and architecture. This categorization spread to Taiwan and still used today, proof of landscape painting, which has transformed into a typed form, seeping into the art education in Taiwan and stiffening the concept through systematic art education.

The concept behind “Limitless Landscapes” is to present the “landscape painting,” this classic and precious painting category that was originally limitless and filled with charming quality but has gradually become stiff and lacking in imagination. This exhibition is a declaration and attempt of revitalization and extension.

The word “limitless” was inspired by extreme sports. As we all know, extreme sports refer to a group of dangerous sports activities that require skills and physical strength. The “extreme” in extreme sports is linked to the concept of limitations. Therefore, my own interpretation of the word “limitless” extends to the borders of possibility: re-extending, re-exploring, repeatedly trying and developing all possibilities.

This may not be a logical or trendy title, but it is a theme with rich meaning and forever deserves investigation, classic and contemporary at the same time. This opening exhibition curated for Art Influence and the seven participating artists elaborate the multivariate creative interpretations of “landscape” in contemporary Taiwanese art.

極限風景

策展人
胡永芬

藝術家
吳季璁、林書楷、高雅婷、陳萬仁、廖心瑜、薛保瑕、謝牧岐

展期
2017.03.18－04.30

地點
心動藝術空間
臺北市大安區安和路一段90巷3號 (捷運信義安和站 1 號出口)

座談
3／26（日）15：00 與談人：廖仁義老師 藝術家：高雅婷、謝牧岐、林書楷
4／23（日）15：00 與談人：蕭瓊瑞老師 藝術家：薛保瑕、吳季璁、廖心瑜、陳萬仁

「風景畫」成為一個新的西洋畫種，只不過是近五百年來的事，也就是說，這是人類文明史上一個解放的、進步的產物與證據。不過時至今日，「風景畫」卻形成了某些既定的刻板印象，不外乎各種地貌特徵如山海江河、各種地表生物如草原林樹、各種自然現象如雷電捲雲雨霧，以及各種人類活動的痕跡如路徑建築等等。所謂的「風景畫」作為一種類型化款式，已經完全滲入台灣系統美術教育，異常僵固了。

「極限風景」的思考，就是將原本具有無限可能，卻莫名走上一種僵化且逐漸缺乏想像的「風景畫」這個珍貴的古典繪畫品種，在今日此時重新激活、延展它的一種宣示與嘗試。

「極限」二字挪用了「極限運動」一詞裡的「極限」字義，「極限運動」本泛指各種危險性比較高、技巧性以及體能的需求也特別高的運動項目，兩字在這裡有著近乎於「極端性」的意涵。本展挪借以詮釋的概念，則是將「極限」的語意再延伸到對於一種可能性之邊界盡其所能的再延展、再探索、再嘗試、再開拓……，極盡所能的。

這或許不是一個合乎時潮的、流行的題目，卻是一個豐饒厚重、永遠值得開拓的題目。既古典、也當代。因此，「極限風景」這個展覽邀請了七位藝術家，來勾繪台灣當代創作者在「風景」這個概念下多元多樣的創作。