策展人｜徐婉禎
展期｜2022.11.2－12.21
開幕｜11.13 (日) 15:00
座談｜11.13 (日) 16:00
與談人｜林鴻文、徐婉禎、黃志偉
地點｜102當代藝術空間



回歸內化的自然主義─少年虎山行‧林鴻文的展
Backtracking Internalization of Naturalism
─Youth Adventurer Towards Tiger Hill‧Lin Hong-wen Solo Exhibition
策展人╱徐婉禎 Woanjen Hsu


102當代藝術空間(102ART)所在地舊名「牛稠子」，是臺灣新石器時代「牛稠子文化」涵蓋的區域，遺址位於臺南臺地東南「虎子山」四周、虎山路文華路交會處，即現今臺南市仁德區成功里一帶。臺地「虎子山」形成的山坡，據說曾經有大量飼養的牛隻散佈，故有「牛稠子」得名。區域內有「台糖研究所」，其前身為日本時期「台灣糖業試驗所」，專職糖業的研究調查，二戰日本戰敗之後改隸屬於台灣糖業公司，在此所擁有的大片農地，俗稱：台糖虎山農場。日本時期地址台南州新豊郡永寧庄之台灣製糖株式會社車路墘製糖所，機構內建有構內神社，名為「虎山社」，亦稱「車路墘社」，保留至今改稱「阿彌陀佛亭」。自「牛稠子文化」至今已4,200-3,300年，以台灣糖業為根據地，歷史悠久不斷積累進而發展出涵蓋廣袤的人文脈域，我們或可將此群居地名為「泛-虎山」。

因為父親工作的關係，林鴻文自幼即隨父母家人居住在「泛-虎山」之地，成長過程中的耳濡目染，受到此地兼具自然乃至人文的深厚陶養，致使「虎山」這個臺南的一個群居地域名稱，對林鴻文而言，既是自小生長的地方，是一個人生的起始，然如今而言，同時也是一個回歸，這是林鴻文以其藝術展於102ART「少年虎山行」的回歸，更是林鴻文以其藝術創作回歸內化的自然主義宣稱。

「自然主義」(Naturalism)時常被連結到科學的唯物主義或實證主義，核心精神在於當我們對自然界進行探索時，必須排除沒有邏輯、不受實證的「超自然」神秘作用。這種對不可知性的反對，表現為對科學方法的依賴，認為科學的經驗方法是認識自然界的唯一可靠手段，人的直覺或神秘體驗都不能作為發現真理的管道。然而，我們在「少年虎山行‧林鴻文的展」所看到的，也還是「自然主義」，卻迥異於科學的唯物主義或實證主義之既定認知，在這裡這是專屬於林鴻文「回歸內化的自然主義」，這是反而必須回到人、回到只能透過人的直覺或神秘體驗才有的自然本質主義。

「回歸內化的自然主義」不是無所作為地荒誕放任，空虛意志地隨波逐流。曾經藝專就學、服兵役而短暫停留北方，對於當時北方汲營於表面形式與政治議題的藝術生態，自覺難以違逆本心而與之相容，隨著兵役結束回到南方故土，頓時豁然開朗，唯有站在生養自己的土地上，才能自信昂揚。最終返回的林鴻文，現正猶如歸山之虎，徜徉優遊於山林之中，過著藝術即是日常的生活。林鴻文的人生從「虎山」這裡出發，其人亦如猛虎出閘地向外征戰探險，而今，向外征戰探險的擴張豐收在洗落鉛華之後，沉積為向內留存最飽滿的實在。少年虎山行回到起點，卻已不是當初的起點，林鴻文以藝術將其外在乃至內在的回歸，顯現為游刃有餘的泰然自若，自我與其處境、自我與其自我的和諧，那是一種返璞歸真才有的恬適。自我個體與自然、藝術創作與生活，全都融合為一個整體性的存在，共同吸吐、共同生滅，不被形式化的禮教束縛仍能順應自然而不逾矩，在無為的最大自由中猶有積極作為，正如老子之所言「處無為之事」(第二章)「專氣致柔，能嬰兒乎？」(第十章)。因此之故，林鴻文「少年虎山行」的回歸，不僅指的是人生過程中出去回來的回歸，也指的是探索的轉向─自外在對象化世界的唯物認識，轉向往主體內在世界的唯心感知，最終回歸為一個整體，「我」仍然存在並未消失，卻已能在靜觀中體悟自然的本質，與之達致內外同時共振的和諧。

「少年虎山行」所闡釋的回歸內化的自然主義，按林鴻文的話說，那是「需要耗盡一生去拼湊屬於這塊土地的缺！屬精神自覺認同的些許是對的堆砌罷！」


The district where 102ART Gallery is located now was originally named Niuchouzi, which comes from Niuchouzi cultural heritage during the Neolithic period in Taiwan. Its historical remains sit around Tiger Hill, southeast Tainan plateau, and at the intersection between Hushan Road. and Wenhua Road. Taiwan Sugar Research Institute—which specializes in professional research in the study of the sugar industry, also sits in this area. It has been affiliated to Taiwan Sugar Corporation since Japan’s defeat in WWII, and its wide farmland was known as “Tiger Hill Farm of Taiwan Sugar Corporation ＆#039;＆#039;. During Japanese era, its full address is Cheluchang Sugar Factory, Taiwan Sugar Co., Ltd., Yongning Village, Xinfeng County, Tainan Province; an institutional Shinto shrine named Sharoken Jya, was established in the sugar factory, which remains today and is now called Amitabha Pavilion. It has been around 4,200-3,300 years since the birth of Niuchouzi culture. This area, deriving from the blooming Taiwanese sugar industry, has developed into a place with a wide variety of cultural qualities due to its historical context; hence we may title this currently populated area Pan-Tiger-hill.

Lin Hong-wen has lived in Pan-Tiger-hill area along with parents and family members since early childhood, due to his father’s occupation. Being immersed in and nurtured by the natural and human characteristics of this neighborhood in his youth, for Lin, the name of the district Tiger Hill in Tainan means homecoming as well as the first phase in his life—the place where he spent his childhood. This solo exhibition of Lin’s at 102 ART gallery is now both a homecoming event and the artist’s internalized naturalistic statement through his creative endeavors.

Being frequently associated with scientific materialism or positivism, the core value of Naturalism is about the necessity to banish mystical, illogical, unverifiable supernatural phenomena as we inquire into nature. This denial of unknowability thus conveys a dependance on scientific methods, deeming scientific empirical method the only reliable means to understand the natural world; while human intuition or mystic experiences cannot serve as ways to discover truth. And yet, though labeled as naturalism, what we encounter in Youth Adventurer Towards Tiger Hill: Lin Hong-wen Solo Exhibition is different from the stereotypical scientific materialism and positivism. At this point, this exhibition demonstrates a naturalism that returns to human internal which belongs to Lin’s work—which is a kind of natural-essentialism which originates from humanistic qualities, perceived only with man’s intuition or mystical experiences.

This naturalism that returns to human internal does not suggest irresponsible inaction or drifting along with no willful decisions. Lin had temporarily lived in the northern area while studying art at National School of Art and during his military service. He then found the northern art world in a rat race about superficial expressions and political issues, and was not able to accommodate it for that would betray his personal intentions. Having returned to his southern hometown after finishing his military service, Lin was enlightened all at once: he could only be confident and radiant when he stood on the homeland that had given him life and nourishments. The artist, who has returned to his own place, is akin to a tiger returning to its territory, roaming in the forest on the hill and living each day as if art imitates his life. At the Tiger Hill marked the starting point of Lin’s life, presently his artistic persona went on an adventure to conquer like a tiger unleashed; but now, having tasted then abandoned worldly glamor and vanity, his gains from the adventurous journey became his richest inner wealth. The youth adventurer towards Tiger Hill has returned to where he first set foot indeed, yet he is no longer where he was in the beginning anymore. Through his art, Lin has represented his homecoming, in both literal and internal sense, in a natural and skillful attitude, demonstrating the artist’s inner self and his life situation at harmony—a peacefulness acquired only with one’s pursuit of simplicities.

For Lin, all things work together for a unity of existence—whether it is individual versus nature, or art versus life, they live and are codependent. This is an attitude that goes with the flow of nature without overstepping boundaries, rejecting the formalistic bondage of feudal ethics, and withholding the freedom of spontaneity while making a positive action. It reminds us of Laozi’s words, “the Sage relies on actionless activity” (chapter 2), as well as “When one gives undivided attention to the breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of pliancy, he can become as a tender babe.” (chapter 10). Hence Lin’s return via Youth Adventurer Towards Tiger Hill isn’t just about homecoming in his life progress, but also about a redirection in his searching: from materialistic cognition of the objective external world to idealistic understanding of the subjective internal realm, and how they eventually become one and whole. At this point one’s self still exists, yet they already can perceive the core of nature via contemplation, and thus reach a harmony from inside out.

In Lin’s own words, this naturalism that returns to human internal demonstrated by Youth Adventurer Towards Tiger Hill can be summarized as: “With all my life, I am attempting to piece together this vacancy in our homeland’s character: perhaps, it is right for me to attempt at issues about self-identity through my art!”

REFERENCE

102當代藝術空間