山海「經」
文/王藁賢

上古神話「山海經｣裡提及太陽從扶桑東昇，若木西下，大自然因循其自然法則運行，一切生物孕育而生。展覽定名為『山海「經」』除取其神話原意之外；更有其地理位置的重要意涵，展覽場域位於北新庄的興華驛站；是旅人通往台灣西北部海岸與大屯山脈的必經路線，北新庄是重要的運輸節點，更是南來北往旅人的驛站，此地孕育豐富的自然生態資源與生物的多樣性，先民移居於此與自然共存，遺留下許多的古道，藝術家與自然進行對話，創作作品；透過藝術家詮釋的手法表達對環境議題的關注，人與自然共存，理解環境；自然就不會像是荒誕離奇的怪獸與人類對立。

此次展覽係由策展人邀請七位藝術家；李欣樺、林庭暐、黃文琳、陳美嘉、寧芮潔、Martyn Barratt、Jorge Rivera對進入大屯山系的環境及生態議題進行探討，透過藝術家的眼睛；感受人類與自然的深沉對話，不全然以知識性的理解方式認識環境，藉由與藝術作品的共鳴，感受訊息，猶如山海經裡提及的建木，能與自然交流。

The Path From the Mountain to the Sea

Text by Frank Wang

The ancient myth “Shan Hai Jing” mentions that the sun rises in Fusang and sets at the Ruomu, nature operates according to its natural laws bringing life to all living things. Inspired in this ancient myth the exhibition is called “The Path From the Mountain to the Sea”, this is due to the fact that the location of the exhibition is at Xinghua Station in Beixinzhuang which is a necessary pathway for travellers to the coast of Northwestern Taiwan and the Datun Mountains. Beixinzhuang is an important transportation passage and an inn for travellers journeying from north to south, it is rich in natural ecological resources and biodiversity. The ancestors moved here to coexist with nature, leaving many ancient roads for us to explore. The artists engage on a dialogue with nature in order to create their works, they express concerns about environmental issues through their personal interpretations. Human and nature coexist and understand the environment “nature is not simply a ridiculous monster that opposes humans”.

Seven artists invited by the curator to take part on this exhibition:

Xin-hua Lee, Ting-Wei Lin, Wen-Lin Huang, Mija Chen, Iris Ning, Martyn Barratt and Jorge Rivera. Their works engage with a discussion of environmental and ecological issues concerning the Datun Mountains. The artists’ eyes sense and interpret the deep dialogue between man and nature. The environment is not to be understood intellectually, to resonate with the artwork could bring us deeper insight into nature. In the same way that “Jianmu” was mentioned in the classic “Book of Mountains and Seas” these interpretations of nature could perhaps bring us closer to it’s real essence.