對於小琉球出生的我，記憶與大海是密不可分的存在，即便國小以後即搬遷至東港、台北、墨爾本、高雄等地生活，即便這海洋基因被多重文化的洗禮而弄得模糊不清。然而，中原五千年的精緻文化卻無法覆蓋這基因的靈韻，日本及美國的強勢文化也帶不走島嶼的海洋氣味，生命的溯源，本是一件再自然不過的事，血液裡的基因，召喚著那些無法抹滅的自然印記，那珊瑚礁群與白沙之間形成的天然有機圖像，正是Tiffiny藍的故鄉；春天的馬尾藻茂密的保護著海裡的生態繁衍；那蝦蟹魚群的圖騰，形塑了海中世界的美景。童年時光，頂著烈日享受著海水的波動，也忍受著酷曬之後的脫皮疼痛；赤腳穿梭在潮間帶，不畏馬糞海膽的針刺；大海裡張大眼睛，只為遍覽海底的一景一物。這些記憶的景象不正召喚著血液裡的海洋基因，重新回到生命的最初。

對於海洋的想像無遠弗屆，我常想著一種區域藝術板塊的概念，一種以海洋做為連結島嶼文化的區域藝術特色，它有別於西方的主流藝術發展，也不同於中原板塊文化，它散發著島嶼特殊海洋民族的共同生活經驗與行為模式。表現於創作上，不同於潛意識或無意識創作，也不同於塗鴉(Graffiti)。它是一種透過海洋經驗，本能式(Instinct)的創作，試圖串聯著大南方的島嶼國家與這些區域藝術的共同基因。高美館也曾經以南島語系作為連結的起點，這種創造區域藝術板塊的企圖有些類似於60年代日本具體派(Gutai)的目標，其藝術理念原自禪宗，專注於從靈性角度描繪存在的特質，用以區別西方的抽象表現主義。它同時也出現於韓國的單色畫(Korean monochrome painting)，不同於西方抽象繪畫的狂亂與多變，單色畫正足以突顯其兩千多年的韓國文化特色。對於台灣，對於海洋，不斷的探尋與挖掘，是夢想也是期待！

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Echo: Ming-Chueh Hung’s 2020 Solo Exhibition

As a person born on the Liuqiu Island, memories and ocean are two inseparable components. Migrating does not change this fact: even though I moved to other places like Donggang, Taipei, Melbourne, and Kaohsiung later on in my life, I still regard myself linked to the ocean. Moreover, although Taiwan is deeply tainted by Chinese, Japanese, and American cultures, the smell of the ocean is still deeply imbedded in my fellow islanders’ flesh and bones. To look for the roots of our lives is the most natural thing one can ever do. The blood in our veins is constantly calling the natural signs branded so deeply by nature, coral reefs, sand, and the pink blue ocean. In spring, sargassum flourishes in the sea, protecting the reproduction of marine creatures. Schools of fishes, crabs, and shrimps consisted the view of the marine world. In my childhood, I would bear the sunburn to feel the flow of seawater that went through my feet; I walked through intertidal zone, not fearing the spikes of hemicentrotus that could easily puncture my skin; I opened my bare eyes in salty sea water just to see the scenes around. Such images are constantly calling the genes of the ocean in my blood, and return to the roots of my life.

I have boundless imagination towards the ocean. I constantly think of the concept of artistic regional plate, that is, an art form that treats ocean as the connection between islands. This concept is different from western art historiography and Chinese continental culture. On the contrary, this art from embodies the common living experience and mode of behavior of an unique oceanic people. It is also different from subconscious or unconscious creations. Rather, it is a form of art based on instinctive marine experiences, which aims to connect the islands in the Western-Pacific. The Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts had also hold exhibitions based on the notion of Austronesian Languages. The attempt of creating relational art is somewhat similar to the Gutai school of arts that dates back to the 1960s. Gutai originated from Zen, as it focuses on picturing existence through the scope of spirituality, so that they can distinguish themselves from Western Abstract Expressionism. The concept of regional plate can also be seen in Korean monochrome painting; unlike chaotic Western Abstract works, monochrome painting highlights Korean culture in a simple, single-colored method. It will be an huge excitement to see how Taiwan and Ocean are expressed in this art form.