基於某種衝動，我和絕對空間談了一檔展覽。

然後我才發現事情大條了，因為我根本沒有東西可以展，甚至沒有東西想要展。後來我想說，既然大家都在說故事，我也算是喜歡聽故事，那不然我也來說個故事好了。然後麻煩又來了，我不想說我自己的故事，因為關於我自己，我並沒有特別想說什麼；我也不想說別人的故事，因為我好像沒有特別想說哪個別人的故事，我也不真的了解任何別人的故事，所以我想說，那還是先不要說別人的故事好了。我才發現我好像無話可說。然而，「不知道要說什麼」雖然是真的，「想要說點什麼」卻也是真的，到頭來我仍然必須面對這個不知哪來的衝動。

「故事」可以是假的，但「說」必然是真的，所以，我想我之所以把「故事」當成展覽的模型，只是因為它能夠逼使我去面對關於「說些什麼」的各種難題－－說什麼？為什麼說？怎麼說？…但是我不能直接從這些問題著手，因為似乎就是它們讓我陷入無話可說的窘境。所以我繞了個彎，轉而回想曾經有過的故事經驗。我發現，好的故事經驗就是，無論是說故事的人還是聽故事的人都好像身歷其境，跟真的一樣。所以我就想說，好，那就讓大家身歷其境；不只是展示故事，而是進一步讓展場變成故事發生的地方，讓大家來看完展覽後，也可以變成說故事的人。然後我想，既然這樣，那這個故事不要太複雜，我只要把故事的基本條件設定出來就好。所以我就假設我在絕對空間做了一檔展覽。我假設裡面應該有一些作品。我想像了一些這個展場可能會發生的事。我找了一個演員在展期飾演展覽空間的行政。我請他在佈展期間做一些我想像中這個角色可能會做的事，然後我在一旁將這些紀錄下來。

我暫時不問「說什麼？為什麼說？怎麼說？」，而是改問「在哪裡說？對誰說？」；不是為了逃避那些真正困擾我的問題，而是據此，我才能足夠妥善地面對它們。關於展場、關於絕對空間、關於絕對空間作為展場、關於作為展場的絕對空間…我想說，既然我自己無話可說，那就讓空間說，讓大家說。


關於 黃奕翔 /

1995年生於台南
2017年畢於國立台北藝術大學美術學系學士班

展覽經歷
2017 《引信X引力》，台北藝術大學地下美術館，台北
2017 《2017藝術新聲—畢業生推薦展》，台中
2015 《戀愛是米》，台北藝術大學地下美術館，台北

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The maiden's prayer – Huang Yi-Xiang Solo Exhibition

Date: 2018 / 7 / 18 – 8 / 19
Opening: 2018 / 7 / 21 Sat. 3:00 pm
Artist talk: 2018 / 7 / 21 Sat. 3:30-5:30 pm
Guest: Wang Sheng-Hung (Art critic and adjunct lecturer of Department of Fine Arts at Taipei National University of the Arts)

Exhibition Statement /

For some kind of impulse, I consent to have an exhibition in Absolute Art Space.

And then I realized something was wrong. I had nothing to show for the exhibition, not even a thought for it. People tell stories and I like to hear stories, so I thought maybe I could also tell a story. But here came a problem. I didn't want to tell my own story because I had nothing to say about myself. I didn't want to tell stories of other people, either. Why? Because there was no one I particularly wanted to talk about. Also, I didn't really understand their stories. So I made up my mind that I put away stories of others. Then, I found out that I had nothing to say. However, though it is quite true about the fact that “I have nothing to say,” the idea that “I want to say something” is real. At last, I still have to face this impulse coming from nowhere.

“Story” can be unreal but the act of “telling” has to be real. So, the reason I take “story” as a model for my show is that it can force me to think about the difficulty of “saying something,” such as “what to say,” “why I say it,” and “how to say.” However, I can’t simply start from these questions that put me into a situation of having nothing to say. So I make a turn and think about the past story experiences. I Then, I realize that a good story can make both teller and listener have a simulated feeling as if it were really happening. Great! So I am going to let people who come to see the show have a simulated scene like being on spot. The show not only presents the story but also makes the space a story spot. People who come to see the show also become storytellers. For this reason, the story must not be too complicated. All I need to do is set up the basic elements. So I assume that I have a show in Absolute Art Space and there should be some works. I imagine something that might happen in the space. I put a character in the show who plays the role of administrative staff. I ask him to do things that this role might have done in the art space during my preparation for the exhibition, then I record his act.

At this stage, I don’t ask “who to say,” “why I say it,” and “how to say,” but “where to say” and “whom to say to.” Doing this doesn’t mean that I escape from those bothering me, but by dealing it from this aspect can help me properly face them. As for the art space, Absolute Art Space, the space as an exhibition domain, and an art space like Absolute Art Space, I just want to say; since I have nothing to say, then I’ll leave it to the space and everyone to say.

Organizer: Absolute Space for the Arts
Sponsor: National Culture and Arts Foundation, Ministry of Culture, Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City

展覽期間：2018 / 7 / 18 – 8 / 19
開幕茶會：2018 / 7 / 21 (六) 3:00 pm
藝術家座談：2018 / 7 / 21 (六) 3:30-5:30 pm
座談與談人：王聖閎（藝評人、國立台北藝術大學美術學系兼任講師）