「以島為家—失敗藝術家回顧巡展」
Home Land Is Land - Retrospective Tour of the Failure Artist
「我想辦個展，紀念我沒有成為藝術家，你要幫我當策展人嗎？」
這是我跟 林耕舞 合作的開始，帶著浪漫而血淋淋的真誠，讓我無法迴避。
我與耕舞是英國留學時期的同學，在我的印象裡他總以玩笑與輕蔑的口吻輕描淡寫自己的作品，像是想告白卻怕被拒絕的戀人，只能用玩笑包裝自己的愛意。記得某一次用餐席間，我不經意的問他：「耕舞，你有考慮過轉行嗎？感覺你不一定要走藝術。」 他愣了一下，用我沒看過的認真神情以沈穩的語氣說：「我知道我常常看起來把自己的作品當玩笑，但是我是認真的對待我每一件作品的，我沒有辦法停止創作，我也努力了十幾年了。」
於是在兩年後聽到回台灣的耕舞說要放棄成為藝術家，則讓我驚訝與好奇不已。我深知像耕舞這類人是不可能停止成為藝術家的，他這輩子恐怕是逃不掉了；但更讓我好奇的是在他身上的那種挫敗感，那種返鄉的挫敗感，那種幾乎確信 台灣/家 無法讓他大展身手的挫敗感，像是一座島嶼容納不下異質個體與狂妄的夢，在我身上也有過。
這一次有幸能與藝術家一同嘗試以「展覽」面對/拆解/實驗 這個帶著我們各自人生重量的課題，送給依然在藝術創作中掙扎的你。
長椅小姐
寫於台中房間
2021年6月13日
“I want to put on a solo exhibition to commemorate that I didn't become an artist. Do you want to be my curator?"
This was the beginning of my collaboration with Kengwu Yerkikaya, with that romantic and bloody sincerity, I cannot rebuff it.
Keng and I were schoolmates while studying in the UK. In my impression, he always undertook his work with jokes and contempt, as if a lover who craves to express affection but is too afraid of rejection, can only cover it all up by jokes.
I remember one time during the dinner, I asked him inadvertently: "Keng, have you considered changing careers? I don't think going down to art is your only option."
He froze for a moment and said in a calm tone with a serious expression that I hadn't seen before. "I know that I often seem to take my art work as a laugh, but I actually take every single piece of them seriously. I can't just suddenly stop. I have been doing it for more than ten years now."
So two years later, when I heard Keng who returned to Taiwan said that he would give up becoming an artist, which made me surprised and curious. I know that it is impossible for people like him to stop being an artist, escape isn’t on the table; but what makes me more curious is the frustration in him, the frustration of returning home. The frustration that he is almost convinced that Taiwan/Family cannot let him show his talents, like an island that cannot accommodate heterogeneous individuals and arrogant dreams, which has also happened to me.
As a curator, I am fortunate to be able to work with the artist to try to face/dismantle/experiment with the subject which carries the weight of both our lives via exhibition, dedicated to you who are still struggling in your artistic practice journey.
Miss Bench
Written in room, Taichung
June 13, 2021
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Spacial thanks to:
Technical Support: Foggy Incense (O-wave, Psychobaby Gill Lin)
English Proofreader: Elliot Gibbons
Graphic Gesign: Crystal YP Lin
Sponsor: Gulkan Yerlikaya
Reciter: Stanley Lin
Yao Space: Andy Hsieh & Wei Hsuan Chen
Artogo: Howard Yang, Frank Ho
展覽方
長椅小姐 Miss Bench
長椅小姐
Miss Bench
長椅的一端坐著女公爵，另一端坐著無家可歸的流浪漢， 一段談話正要開啟。
這就是展覽的存在，向上面對購買藝術品的百萬富翁，向下面對對藝術感興趣的普羅大眾。這一刻，它將一個線性的二維關係轉化成了一個存在在三維空間的平台，無論你是誰，歡迎進入這場談話，這有可能是現存改變世界最平和的的方式了。
長椅小姐是一名對旅行上癮的策展人、平民藝評人、日常中的奇觀鑒察者，以下內容為她的見聞分享，僅供擁有獨立思想的個體閱讀，尋找正確答案者勿入。
2018年，「異常狀態」，切爾西藝術學院，倫敦
2018年，「//」，切爾西藝術空間，倫敦
2019年，「儀式性動物」，柳美術館，台中
2019年，「O//O」，柳美術館/窯座，台中
On the end of the bench sits the Duchess, with the homeless tramp at the other end, thereby a conversation is about to begin.
This is the existence of the “Art Exhibition”, facing upwards to the millionaires who purchase art, and downwards to the general public who are interested in it.
At this very moment, it transforms a linear two-dimensional relationship into a platform that exists in three-dimensional space. No matter who you are, welcome to the conversation. This may be the most peaceful way to shift the world.
“Miss Bench” is an curator addicted to travel, a civilian art critic, and an observer of daily spectacles. The following content is her experience and thought sharing, which is only for individuals with independent thinking to read. Those who are seeking the correct fixed answers should not enter.
2018, Abnomal, Chelsea College of Arts, UAL, London
2018, //, Chelsea Space, London
2019, A Ceremonial Animal, Liu Museum, Taichung
2019, O//O, Liu Museum / YAO Space, Taichung
藝術家
林耕舞 Kengwu Yerlikaya
林耕舞，
1993年生於台北。曾就讀於國立臺北藝術大學 電影創作學系， 而後於倫敦藝術大學的雀兒喜學院，取得藝術學士。同時是一名演員、作家、視覺藝術家。
他將自身的肉體、時間、經歷作為創作媒材，沈浸/扮演著社會所給予他的不同身份，透過探尋自身矛盾的身份認同，質問著制式社會框架下所形成角色分工、角色形象及角色期待。
在靜態的展示語言中擅長使用錄像、現成物及文字，仍在不斷的嘗試與擴張中。近期，他將個人關注轉向更為宏觀的社會議題，諸如少數群體人權、性別政策和全球運動，在其近作《這是我們所承諾的未來嗎？》中更層層揭開近年諸多大國為經濟利益而選擇背棄社會正義的真相。
Born and raised in Taipei City, Kengwu Yerlikaya (b. 1993)
studied at the Department of Filmmaking, National Taipei University of the Arts, going on to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Chelsea College at University of the Arts London.
Kengwu begins with his body as media itself, exploring societal expectation and the contradictory image it creates. Identity and labour division are central themes. Using video, ready-made objects, and text – his work operates as both experimental and expansive.
Recently, he has shifted his personal attention to macro social issues, such as minority human rights, gender policies, and global movements. In his recent work “Is This The Future We Promise For?”, countries that abandon social justice for economic gain are primary concerns.
"Selected exhibitions, Screenings, Conference, Art fair:"
Other ways of watching together (film screening), 2020 Rotterdam, Netherlands
(https://thisismama.nl/events/home/other-ways-of-watching-together)
QUEER ARTist NOW (exhibit artist), 2020 London, U.K
(http://queerartistsnow.com)
A World Without End (exhibit artist), 2020 Online, U.K
(https://www.nobarkingartgallery.com/#/)
So Close (exhibit artist), 2020 Online, U.S
(https://sidexsidecontemporary.com/So-Close-International-Online-Juried-Group-Exhibitio)
Out The Window (film screening), 2020 Bristol, U.K
https://www.instagram.com/weareoutthewindow/
Chelsea college of arts (degree show), 2019 London, U.K
(https://chelseadegreeshow.com/archive/)
Widening the Gaze (presenter as artist), 2018 London, U.K
A conference exploring the role of Race in Creative Practice today
(https://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/events/widening-the-gaze)
LOA-upload gallery (exhibit artist), 2018 London, U.K
(https://www.leaveofabsence.london)
Jouska (exhibit artist), 2017 London, U.K
(https://www.artrabbit.com/events/jouska)
Taipei Free Art Fair (exhibit artist), 2014 Taipei, Taiwan
(http://www.freeartfair.tw/)
2014 Super-Novart (exhibit artist), 2014 Taichung, Taiwan
(https://www.facebook.com/events/872150919484597/)
