Sam

星期六本是我專心在家畫畫的日子，但是答應了朋友上午參加了一個開幕式，下午又一個開幕式讓我掙扎了許久。果然我這跑來跑去的辛苦，老天沒有讓我白費。

開幕式長官的談話有點制式，但到了座談會時就格外精彩。幾位藝術家的論述，加上主持人引導的提問，座談會慢慢隨藝術家表達展覽的精神而達到高潮。

台灣的開幕式已經趨向於過度制式以及錦上添花，似乎少了這種真正探索藝術的精神以及對藝術的批判。大家只在乎畫的美不美，終究美術和藝術是不同的。

而當中高雄的藝術家提到了一件事情正中我的紅心，就是單打獨鬥的時代已經過去現在應該是團體合作的時代。透過彼此之間的衝突以及互相的資源共享來成就別人也等於成就自己。

前一陣子的會議讓我有點心灰意冷，我為團體奮鬥快10年了，這幾年少數人的冷言冷語，以及只替自己著想的想法，真的讓我有點累了。心裡想著這10年，我如果把心思都放在我自己的繪畫努力上不曉得結果是如何？

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Saturday is usually my day to focus on painting at home, but I promised a friend to attend a morning opening ceremony, and I struggled for a while about going to another one in the afternoon. After all the running around, it turns out my efforts weren’t in vain.

Although the official speeches at the opening were somewhat formulaic, the discussion panel later on was truly fascinating. The artists’ insights, along with the moderator’s guided questions, gradually brought the discussion to a peak as they expressed the spirit behind the exhibition.

In Taiwan, opening ceremonies have become overly formal and ornamental, seeming to lack the genuine spirit of art exploration and critique. People only care if the painting is beautiful, but beauty in fine arts and art itself are not the same thing.

What particularly struck me was when one of the artists from Kaohsiung mentioned that the era of working solo is over; now is the time for group collaboration. Through conflicts and resource sharing, by helping others succeed, you also succeed yourself.

However, a recent meeting left me feeling disheartened. I’ve been working for the group for nearly 10 years, and in recent years, the cold remarks from a few people and their self-centered attitudes have really worn me down. I can’t help but wonder—if I had put all that energy into my own painting efforts over these past 10 years, what would the result have been?

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