Phantoms Agora
2019
Siao-long Children’s Museum of Art, Tainan / Taiwan
The new installation “Phantoms Agora” at Siao-Long Children's Museum of Arts held as permanent exhibition, created by Japanese artist YUYA SUZUKI, is composed of various media such as three-dimensional work, animation, lightbox and fabric work mainly, and each image is based on his observation in several East Asian cities, mainly in Taiwan.
The elements he picks up from the city are out of the context of the city's function and meaning, which is an unconscious element in the city that we are used to passing through. He records these elements by photographing through urban observation and creates symbolic images while imitating, copying or abstracting elements of the reality through the drawing process. Those images that look like unintelligible characters or symbols without meaning and content that appears as descriptions of collective unconsciousness in the city help to dig up a layer of potential images from the reality of the city where we live.
Based on the symbolic images generated from his walking and observation, he transforms them into three-dimensional objects and animation, or forms such as electric advertisements (lightbox) and multiple objects that can be seen in the city, then finally he composes the installation work by these art pieces. With this method, he tries to create the secondary reality by presenting a simulation of the real world. While it is an approach to the world’s potential and collective unconsciousness, it gives a new perspective on this reality we live in.
In this exhibition, YUYA SUZUKI creates one place for the public beyond the framework of installation by taking advantage of characteristic that this space is usually visited by many local people, mainly children. He envisions to create a new place where has characteristics crossing between installation work and semi-public space. It means, in this installation work, the viewer's activities become part of the artwork, and at the same time, this artwork becomes part of the place where they live. He names this space “Agora” derives from the ancient Greek word “αγορά” where Greek people gather, talk and think. As Comparing to it, in this installation space, Viewers (visitor, local people and children) can do everyday activities despite being in an installation work. For example, in this place the viewer can rest, play, read a book, draw a picture, hold a workshop, be alone with absent-minded, chat and so on. In addition, based on the features of the art pieces, the viewer can touch them or bring them for using as a chair or a desk depending on their activity. In this place where many children visit usually, these art pieces will be involved in their play while the changing arrangement and composition will always create a fluid landscape.
This is significantly different from the conventional art appreciation method, but by choosing this way he tries to eliminate the hierarchy that lies between the artwork and the viewer and build a new equivalent relationship. Furthermore, he thinks the artwork will change to a more organic one by intervening the life and customs of the viewer.
Presenter : Cultural Affairs Bureau of Tainan City Government
Organizer : Siao-long Cultural Park
Photograph : Tai pu, Yuya Suzuki, Lin Pei-Yi
Lighting Design : Ho Chung-Chang
蕭壠兒童美術館現在展出的裝置藝術常設展「幻影阿哥拉」，是由日本藝術家鈴木悠哉創作，結合了不同媒材，如3D立體作品、動畫、燈箱和布製品等。每個呈現的影像都是藝術家以台灣為主及其他多個東南亞城市的觀察。
他從城市中挑選出來的元素，並非遵循城市功能和意義的脈絡，而是那些我們常漫不經心經過的潛意識元素。藉由都會觀察，他以攝影記錄下這些元素，並在繪圖的過程，透過臨摹、複製、將現實抽象化，創造出象徵性的圖像。這些圖像彷彿難以理解的文字或無意義的符號，而內容則呈現出對於城市中集體潛意識的描述，從我們所居住城市的現實中，挖掘出一層潛在的圖像。
依據這些從其散步和觀察得來的象徵性圖像，他將之轉化為3D物件及動畫，或是一些如電子廣告（燈箱）形式，還有各種不同在城市間可見到的物件，最後再由藝術家將這些作品組合成裝置藝術。以此手法，鈴木悠哉企圖呈現模擬真實世界所創建出的次要現實，如此一來，除了揭示潛在這世界的集體潛意識，也促使我們用全新的觀點來看身處的現實。
鈴木悠哉創造了一個空間，讓觀眾能跨越裝置的框架，並善用這場域來訪的社區民眾和兒童等人潮，希望能營造新的空間，一個串聯其裝置藝術及以半公共空間的場域，也就是說，在裝置內，觀眾的活動也成為藝術創作的一部分，同時，這件作品也能成為他們生活的一部分。藝術家命名這空間為阿哥拉(Agora)，取自古希臘文αγορά，意指古希臘人聚集、聊天、思考的地方。觀眾（遊客、當地民眾、兒童）可以在展場進行日常活動，休息、玩樂、閱讀、畫畫、舉辦工作坊、獨處放空、聊天等。此外，依不同作品特性，有些可以觸摸、有些可當作桌子或椅子使用，作品也可變成兒童遊戲的一部分，擺設與構圖也會隨著變動，創造一種流動地景的概念。
這樣的展覽方式，迥異於傳統藝術欣賞方法，但藉此手法，藝術家企圖消弭藝術品和觀眾之間的階級關係，進而創造一個新的平等關係。此外，鈴木悠哉認為透過藝術介入的方式，將觀眾的生活和習慣帶入作品，能讓藝術創作變得更能有機發展。
