TRANSITION泰國攝影師的臺灣鏡像攝影展

參展藝術家：Angela Srisomwongwathana
時間：2016年7月28日（四）至2016年 8月 29日10:00~17:00（周一公休）
地點：未來．傳統實驗基地（臺北市北投區學園路1號，臺北藝術大學．藝大咖啡旁）

主辦單位：臺北藝術大學 傳統藝術研究中心
策展團隊：陳婉麗、江明親、莊博揚、蔡昀馨
工作團隊：莊博揚、蔡昀馨、林韻丰、張蘊之、江篠萱、文宏

泰國是東南亞唯一不曾被西方殖民的國家，境內的泰族、高棉族、孟族、華人等二十多個民族，加以近現代西方文化的影響，展現多元共融的綺麗面貌。本次參展攝影師Angela Srisomwongwathana所共同創辦的「小人物保存組織（The Little People in Conservation Group）多年來在泰國各地進行文化資產保存工作；她也是泰國清邁大學工藝與傳統藝術保存計畫主持人，目前正致力推動清邁以「工藝與民俗藝術之都」加入聯合國的「創意城市網絡」。Angela的另一個身分是古蹟攝影師，在世界各國進行文化資產的拍攝與紀錄工作，她的觀察力極為敏銳，總能洞悉眼前事物的表象，窺見文化交流共冶的細微層理。

2016年6月北藝大傳統藝術研究中心特別邀請Angela Srisomwongwathana來臺參訪交流，期待透過Angela的鏡頭，發掘你我習以為常，但可能十分珍貴而特殊的臺灣文化價值。在臺期間，Angela參訪了在地的特色建築與傳統工藝保存者，她發現「Transition（轉化）」在臺灣無處不在，漢民族的今與昔、傳統與西化的日本、原住民、客家……層層疊疊的文化交織融合，形成難以區分、定義，卻又十分獨特的樣貌，而這個持續在變化中的、過渡性的樣貌，就是臺灣最迷人的文化風景。Angela在泰國進行文化資產的保存工作時，也深切感受到「Transition」在泰國這片土地上巨大的影響力，其中有許多和臺灣類似、互相呼應的面向，也在本次展覽中呈現。

Thailand is the only Southeast Asian country that has never been colonized by the West. There are more than twenty ethnic groups like Thai, Khmer, Mon, and Chinese within its territory. Along with modern Western cultural influences, Thailand presents gorgeous faces from multiple and fused backgrounds. The photographer of this exhibition, Angela Srisomwongwathana, co-founded The Little People in Conservation Group and has been undertaking cultural heritage preservation in Thailand for many years. She is committed to promote Chiang Mai as the “Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art” to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN). Angela’s another role is a photographer, photographing and documenting historical sites and cultural expressions around the world. With her sharp observation, Angela always discerns the immediate appearance of things and has insights into the subtle layers of cultural interactions and fusions.

Angela Srisomwongwathana was invited by the Center for Traditional Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts to visit Taiwan in June 2016. Through Angela’s lens we could rediscover the valuable and unique Taiwanese culture we often take for granted. During Angela’s stay, she visited historical architectures and traditional craft artists. Therefore she discovered that “Transition” could be observed everywhere in Taiwan: the then and now of Han Taiwanese, traditional and westernized Japan, aboriginal, or Hakka etc. Layers of culture are interwoven into undistinguishable, indefinable but extremely unique expressions. These continuously changing, transiting appearances are the most fascinating cultural landscape of Taiwan. While Angela undertaking cultural heritage preservation in Thailand, she always has the profound feelings for the tremendous influence by ’transition’ for this land. Many of these similar and reflected aspects to Taiwan are presented in this exhibition.

感 謝
臺北市關渡宮、臺北市屈原宮、大龍峒保安宮、台灣歷史資源經理學會、台灣藺草學會、遊漆園、卓也小屋、李榮烈老師、湯文君老師、林秀鳳老師，給予此次展覽協助。