年度主題

生態，作為一個思考

前言-以生態的

「事件」總是某種出乎人意料的方式發生的新東西，它的出現會破壞任何既有的穩定架構。延續前兩年的關渡國際自然藝術季所策畫《療癒，作為一個方法》與《自然，作一個禮物》兩檔展覽，關渡自然公園試圖回應「後疫情」時代（after COVID-19）「自然」作為恢復”社會秩序”的一種另類方案後(我們試圖回歸並且創造與自然情感連結方案)，我們似乎需要回頭思考事件（COVID-19）後所面臨的現實：

意即面對這樣（對人類生態重大影響的）「事件」後，除了逐漸恢復既定的社會秩序與衍生出的國際社會中關於「永續」的響應外，我們也試圖進一步思考如何透過藝術與策展來回應事件後的環境變遷所產生的各種影響與變化。在此我們需要以一種更為「生態的」角度去思考：譬如永續在環境中的概念。

「永續」是從生態系裡是指各種生物對維繫生存所產生的對資源競爭作用，並且使得大部分的物質可以在內部循環使用，來達到一種平衡的意思，那麼以生態的角度或姿態思索事物，就是意謂著必須審思環境各種因素與條件與其環境中各種生物行為或動作的相互關係，是一種更為整體與動態的思辯過程。而藝術在這個層面能夠扮演甚麼角色與功能，也是值得探查的面向。

以藝術的

如果「事件」是以一種突破框架的姿態降臨在環境之中，並且破壞其中的平衡關係。那麼藝術這種非日常性、非常規的表達與詮釋方式，似乎更接近事件所帶來的影響。藝術本身就具有事件性質，知名理論家Slavoj Zizek 齊澤克在論及「事件」的性質時曾經說到：

「事件性的結果以回溯性的方式決定了自身的原因或理由」

這種回溯性的後設與自身生成的原因，往往超越理性邏輯的因果推斷，而是一種循環性的方式呈現。那麼藝術作為具有創造性、多樣性與個人性詮釋無非是事件的另類版本，儘管在規模上是不能比較的，而對比現實社會中理性的與目的性技術操作，藝術具有突破既有框架的潛能與更彈性、跳躍的詮釋的可能性，

可以說，藝術本質上也具有某種「事件性」或樣貌與現象。例舉著名的生態藝術作品-波伊斯（Joseph Beuys）在第七屆的卡賽爾文件展的《7000棵橡樹——以城市造林取代城市管理》（7000 Eichen – Stadtverwaldung statt Stadtverwaltung） 為例，在被問及創作動機與目標時，波伊斯聲明：

「我認為樹是一種表現永恆的雕塑形式，而生長緩慢、木質堅固的橡樹更是如此。史前的德魯伊信仰者相信橡樹是萬物的根基，因此他們用橡樹作為聖域的象徵，並以「橡木知曉者」自居，而我也預見相同的未來……我用這七千棵橡樹，向世人提出一種簡單但激進的可能性。」

「《7000棵橡樹》是象徵性的開始，玄武岩石碑則是象徵性的標記。這項計畫的未來目標包括：1. 以環境生態教育為目的，向世界推廣城市綠化；2. 提高城市居民對生態環境的重視；3. 以持續性、創造性與包容性的藝術行動活化社會。」

在此，波伊斯這位以「社會雕塑」著名的藝術家，把「雕塑」視為一種塑造建構與行動的意義，而所處理的對象則是環境、社會或現象本身，這種在傳統上對物質的關注轉換到對現象的興趣，影響了藝術介入自然的原初面貌與時代性的典範作用，如果回顧藝術介入自然的歷史---從地景/大地藝術發展初期嘗試脫離機制中介的空間性與傳統媒材的突破的價值到對生態採取更加關懷的態度的「生態藝術」，藝術介入自然的層面不但變得更加深入，在美學的價值上也從單純藝術性轉向社會性與政治性。或許也是因為自然作為一個對象不再是一個空間與材料的限制而且本身所具有多重社會關係與價值的場域。

不過，這並不意謂著在實際治理上我們不仰賴科學與技術，而是這兩者的處理的與影響的層面不同的緣故。我們企圖用生態的角度（除了以自然作為對象，也包括作為一種性質的概念，意即更廣泛的思索環境內各種因素整體性），結合藝術所突破理性工具的框架的潛能，來面對事件的影響與思考。

關渡的

如果說《沒口之河》在2023年獲得台灣文學的金典獎，是自然書寫的一個里程碑，那麼促成這個書寫的動機則是最近幾年最為知名的環境運動-知本光電開發案-所以引發的環境保護運動。當在閱讀作者黃翰嶢嘗試以散文的筆觸、報導文學紀錄性，並融合地方誌，民族誌，在地的物種觀察，地景變遷，部落故事，人和土地長久的互動，與反對當時光電開發案的社會運動的紀錄交織出的多層次的溼地故事時，不禁也疊合到關渡平原種種的環境變遷與自然公園的歷史。恰巧的兩者有著類似環境樣貌與挑戰：

關渡平原也位於淡水河之「末」，基隆河與淡水河交接處，也同時是溼地的樣貌，而保留區的設定也同樣來自環保運動的參與，甚至近代環境變遷也有類似的生命歷程。

正如同書中所描述，溼地是時間空間裡各種生態（包括人）相互作用的交會處，是土地與水，城市與荒野，人與自然的界限與空間，作為這樣的空間，關渡自然公園與保留區事實上具有社會對環境保育的象徵意義，並且擔負環境保育與教育的功能的職責，而藝術季即是擔任這個功能的項目之一，早在2006的第一屆自迄今的藝術季，藝術即是辯證自然環境的各種關係的方式。誠如2016年中的宣示:

走過十年，這場藝術行動為關渡自然公園描繪了一幅河口文化、濕地保育與環境藝術共生的藍圖，自2016年開始以「關渡國際自然藝術季」為名，藉由十年累積的經驗與感動，進一步落實、深化對地方的了解與關懷，期望參與的每個人，更能主動積極地重建自己與環境的關係，受自然啟發，共同為未來的永續找到方向.

如果說，從戶外裝置到自然藝術的名稱的轉變，是一種更具生態性的觀察與實踐，那麼也是回應當代美學的移轉，更具教育性與思辯性的藝術的轉向。或許也是回應人類世（Anthropocene）[8]與事件的一種方式。

思考與契機

著名的技術社會相關聯的哲學家貝拿爾.斯蒂格勒（Bernard Stiegler）所曾言：

「人類世是一種「熵世」（entropocene），也就是說，是熵的大量生產時期，等於是無序的增加或秩序的減弱，在這種情況下，熵為負質，也就是「負熵」 。

當全球暖化、極端氣候、空氣汙染、生態與生物多樣性的衰減等等，當種種「例外」與事件變成常態，越來越多的藝術家開始關注這樣的現實，如果60-70年代的嬉皮運動的回歸自然的呼喚，那麼身處21世紀的我們更需反思與關注環境變遷的種種問題。

那麼何謂生態的藝術或藝術家，根據保羅•阿登納（Paul Ardenne）在《生態藝術-人類世與造型的創作》一書所提及的內容：

• 隨著地景藝術的發展，在自然空間工作
• 紀錄生態系統危機狀態
• 情境(語境)藝術家，發揮自己的才能，以及譴責人類活動與其生活空間之異常關係的題材
• 以關懷為驅動力的藝術家，關懷他人以及與環境之間的關係

簡言之，其創作對關懷生態的態度是一種基本的判準。當生態成為藝術家的態度，展現出來就是對生態觀察的一種思考。一種啟發後人積極介入社會，為公眾利益，以藝術改變環境與人的姿態。美國著名藝評家Lucy Lippard曾經說到：

『生態』在希臘文中代表『家』。現在很難找到像『家』的地方，因為世界上許多人都沒有『在家』的感覺。我們能夠採用以互動性、過程性為主的藝術，將人們帶領回家嗎？」(Lucy Lippard ︰四下看看，《量繪形貌》 p. 140)

Theme of the Year

Ecology, as a Perception

Preface - Ecological

"An 'event' is always something new that occurs in an unexpected way, and its emergence can disrupt any existing stable structure. Continuing the two exhibitions "Healing, A Methodology" and "Nature, A Gift" curated in the previous two years of the Guandu International Nature Art Festival, Guandu Nature Park tries to respond to the "post epidemic" era (after COVID-19), where "nature" has been used as an alternative solution for the restoration of "social order" (we try to go back to and create a solution for emotional connection with nature), it seems that we need to go back and think about the reality that we are facing after the event (COVID-19):

That is to say, in the face of such an "event" (which has a significant impact on the human ecology), apart from the gradual restoration of the established social order and the resulting response to "sustainability" in the international community, we also try to think about how we can respond to the various impacts and changes generated by the post-event environmental changes through art and curation. Here we need to think in a more 'ecological' way, such as the concept of sustainability in the environment.

"Sustainability" refers to the competition for resources generated by various organisms to maintain their survival, and makes most of the materials can be recycled internally to achieve a balance, so pondering from an ecological point of view or attitude means that we must consider the interrelationships between various factors and conditions of the environment and the behaviours or actions of various organisms in the environment, and it is a more holistic and dynamic process of thinking. It is also worthwhile to explore what role and function art can play in this aspect.

Artistic

If "event" is a gesture that breaks through the framework and destroys the balance of the environment, then art, as a non-routine and unconventional way of expression and interpretation, seems to be closer to the impact of the event. Art itself has the nature of an event, as renowned theorist Slavoj Zizek has said when discussing the nature of the "event":

"An eventual outcome determines its own cause or reason in a retrospective manner."

Such retrospective postulates and self-generated causes often transcend the rational logic of cause and effect, but are presented in a cyclical manner. Then art, as a creative, diverse and personal interpretation, is no more than an alternative version of events, though not comparable in terms of norms, and compared to the rational and purposive technological manipulation of real society, art has the potential to break out of the established framework and the possibility of a more flexible and leaping interpretation.

It can be said that art has a certain "eventfulness" or appearance and phenomenon in its nature. Take for example the famous eco-art work "7000 Eichen - Stadtverwaldung statt (7000 Oaks - Replacing Urban Management with Urban Forestry) by Joseph Beuys in the 7th Kassel Documenta as an example, Beuys declared when asked about the motivation and goal of the creation:

"I see the tree as a form of sculpture that expresses eternity, especially the slow-growing, solid wood of the oak tree. Prehistoric Druids believed that the oak tree was the foundation of all things, so they used it as a symbol of sanctuary and called themselves 'Oak Knowers', and I envision the same future. ...... With these 7,000 oaks, I offer the world a simple but radical possibility."

"The 7000 Oaks is the symbolic beginning and the basalt monument is the symbolic marker. The future goals of this project include: 1. to promote urban greening to the world with the aim of environmental and ecological education; 2. to raise the awareness of city residents about the importance of the ecological environment; and 3. to revitalise the community through sustainable, creative and inclusive artistic action."

In this regard, Beuys, an artist famous for his "social sculpture", regarded "sculpture" as a kind of shaping the meaning of construction and action, and the object dealt with is the environment, society or the phenomenon itself. Such a shift from the traditional concern for the material to the interest in the phenomenon has influenced the original appearance of art's intervention in the nature and the exemplary role of the modern era. If we look back at the history of art's involvement in nature - from the early stage of art's development when it attempted to detach itself from the spatiality of the intermediary mechanism and the value of the breakthrough of the traditional media to the "eco-art" that adopted a more caring attitude towards the ecology, the level of art's involvement in nature has not only become more in-depth, but also shifted from the pure artistic to the social and political in terms of its aesthetic value. Perhaps it is also because nature as an object is no longer limited by space and material, but also has multiple social relations and values.

However, this does not mean that we do not rely on science and technology for practical management, but rather that they have different levels of treatment and influence. We attempt to address the impact and implications of events from an ecological perspective (not only in terms of nature, but also as a concept of nature, meaning a broader consideration of the totality of factors within the environment), combined with the potential of art to break out of the framework of rational tools.

Of Guandu

If《The Lost River》, which won the 2023 Taiwan Literature Awards, is a milestone in nature writing, then the motivation for this book was the environmental protection movement triggered by one of the most well-known environmental movements of the last few years, the Chihpen Photovoltaic Development Project. When reading the multi-layered story of the wetlands, which the author Hwang Han Yao tried to weave together with prose strokes, documentary journalism, and the integration of local and ethnic diaries, observations of local species, landscape changes, tribal stories, and the long-lasting interactions between people and the land, as well as the record of the social movement against the Chihpen photovoltaic project at that time, one can't help but overlap with the history of the Guandu Plain's environmental changes and the nature park. Coincidentally, they share similar environmental patterns and challenges:

The Guandu Plain is also located at the "end" of the Danshui River, where the Keelung River meets the Danshui River, and is also a wetland, and the designation of the reserve area also comes from the participation of the environmental movement, and even the recent environmental changes have a similar history.

As described in the book, the wetland is the meeting place of various ecological (including human) interactions in time and space, and it is the boundary and space between the land and the water, the city and the wilderness, and the human and the nature. As such a space, the Guandu Nature Park and Reserve actually have the symbolic significance of the society to the environmental conservation, and they are also responsible for the function of the environmental conservation and education, and the Art Festival is one of the projects that performs this function. As early as the first festival in 2006, art has been a way of debating the relationship between the natural environment and its surroundings, as declared in 2016:

After ten years, this art action has drawn a blueprint for the Guandu Nature Park for the symbiosis of estuarine culture, wetland conservation and environmental art. Starting from 2016, under the name of "Guandu International Nature Art Festival", we took advantage of the past ten years of accumulated experiences and emotions to further implement and deepen our understanding and care for the local area, and we hope that everyone participating in this art festival will be able to actively rebuild their own relationship with the environment, and to be inspired by the nature, and to find a direction for the future sustainability together. Together, we will find a direction for a sustainable future.

If the change of name from outdoor installation to nature art is a more ecological observation and practice, then it is also a response to the shift in contemporary aesthetics to a more educational and discursive art. Perhaps it is also a way of responding to the Anthropocene and its events.

Perceptions and Opportunities

Bernard Stiegler, the famous philosopher of the techno-social correlation, once said:

"The Anthropocene is an "entropocene", that is, a period of mass production of entropy, which is equivalent to an increase in disorder or a weakening of order, in which case the entropy is negative, or "negentropy".

When global warming, extreme weather, air pollution, ecological and biodiversity decline, etc., when all kinds of "exceptions" and events become the norm, more and more artists begin to pay attention to this reality. If the hippie movement in the 60s and 70s called for a return to nature, then in the 21st century we need to reflect and pay attention to all kinds of problems of environmental change.

So what does it mean to be an ecological art or artist, according to Paul Ardenne in his book《 Ecological Art - The Human World and the Creation of Form》?

• Working in Natural Spaces with the Development of Landscape Art
• Documenting ecosystems in a state of crisis
• Situational (contextual) artists, utilising their own talents and denouncing the abnormal relationship between human activity and the space in which they live.
• Care-driven artists, caring for others and their relationship with the environment.

In short, the attitude towards caring for the ecology in their creations is a basic criterion. When the ecology becomes the artist's attitude, it manifests itself as a perception on ecological observation. It is a gesture that inspires future generations to actively intervene in society, to change the environment and people through art for the benefit of the public. Lucy Lippard, a famous American art critic, once said:

"The word 'ecology' in Greek means 'home'. It's hard to find a place that feels like home these days because so many people in the world don't feel at home. Can we use interactive, process-based art to bring people back home?" (Lucy Lippard: Look Around, 《Measuring the Shape》 p. 140)

In 2024, we want to make a clearer statement and emphasise the reconstruction of the relationship between people and the environment, and seek the concept of sustainability. What attitudes and actions shall we take towards the ecology, and what values shall we convey to the people involved? When the ecology becomes the artist's attitude, the presentation is a perception on ecological observation, a gesture that inspires future generations to actively intervene in the society and change the environment and human beings through art for the benefit of the public. Therefore, the curatorial theme of 2024: "Ecology, a perception " is an invitation to artists and the public to think about the real environment together, and to take an ecological care as the starting point of the road back home.