In this part of the interview I asked Yi-ting Wang about how is it like being a new parent and how she came to create Disembodied Posture in 2017. We also talked about the impact of COVID-19 and the artist’s reluctance to address social issues in her works, and finally Yi-ting provided us with a peek into her life outside of the profession and some of her future plans for the upcoming year of 2022.
For the first part of the interview please follow the link.
Axel Wang: 當⼀名新⼿家長已經是⾜夠繁忙的⼀件事了, 更不要提同時您的⼯作還是藝術創作。您覺得孕育新⽣命有給您帶來什麼不⼀樣的視⻆嗎?
It’s hectic enough being a new parent, let alone working as an artist at the same time. Do you think giving birth to a newborn has granted you a different perspective?
Yi-ting Wang: 這個問題對於現在的我來說似乎還是有點早，因為我還是身處於當下的狀態之中。生活作息以及工作勢必都因為新生兒的關係而有所調整，我也還正在學習如何安排創作和照顧小孩的平衡。生為一位女性，或許是因為天性使然或是生理影響心理，常常放心不下小孩，很難全心全意投入在工作狀態裡，必需不時地切換成照顧者的狀態，這大概是影響我最多的部分。但同時，觀察一個新生命從認識自己的手中開始到一點一滴認知這個世界的舉動，我彷彿也跟著他重新認識這個世界。
我很開心我做了這個決定，擁有孕育一個新生命的經驗，這樣的經驗難能可貴，也如同創作一件獨一無二的作品一般，唯獨這件作品需要更多的耐心與愛。我期望我的小孩未來能和我一起創作作品，我也期望他能隨時保有對世界的好奇心，隨時一起探索這個世界。
I’m guessing perhaps in a few years I would be able to answer this question properly. Lifestyle and working hours had to be adjusted, because of the newborn for obvious reasons, I’m still trying to learn about the balance — creating work while looking after an infant. As a female, I can only imagine this being natural, that you worry about your child ever so often to a degree that it’s sometimes difficult to concentrate on the work. But then to watch him growing up day by day, how he unearths everything around him, a lot of the times I felt like I was being brought back to a child-like state where, I got to see things through his eyes and rediscover the world once more.
I’m glad that I made the decision to give birth to a child, to have that experience for me as an individual, is also an incredibly valuable chapter. Almost like creating a new piece of artwork, only that the child demands more attention, patience and love. I wish one day I would be able to explore the world together with him or create works together even.
“我著迷於自然媒材當下的狀態，他並非永遠不變…”
“I’m fascinated by the presence of natural materials, they never remain in the exact same state…”
AW: 提到新生，我們很難不提及死亡。綜觀您作為藝術家至今的職業生涯, 很大部分的作品都與植物有關聯，您的創作概念很多是圍繞著生死，尤其體現在「不存在的姿態 (2017-2018)」，是什麼啟發了您去探討死亡相關的議題從而進行創作呢?
Speaking of newborn, I think it’s inevitable that we bring up death. Throughout your career as an artist, nearly all your practices seem to entangle with plants, the concept of your artworks mainly revolves around the essence of life and death, it was well reflected in Disembodied Posture (2017-2018) in particular, what inspired you to create the piece?
YW: 創作「不存在的姿態」時，我正經歷回台灣後再一次的文化衝擊以及面對親人的逝去。在一次偶然逛松園時，我了解到原本在東方文化中地位崇高珍貴並且象徵長壽的Bonsai，一旦略有枯黃，便了無價值。在這樣巨大的價值觀差異下，我疑問生命是否也是如此，以松樹擬人的方式提問，我們應該如何界定死亡的狀態，同時進一步思考我們做為活著的人應當如何尊重和面對一個已經或即將逝去的生命。在亞洲討論死亡似乎是一個很忌諱的議題，但透過大家都熟悉的松樹以及他的象徵意涵，我希望更能廣泛觸及大眾的觀感。
When I started to create Disembodied Posture, I was just returning home to Taiwan trying to overcome another cultural shock, at the same time dealing with the loss of a family member. I was visiting a pine tree garden and by chance, I learnt that bonsai, traditionally a symbol of longevity, something so significant culturally, but with even the slightest wither, its value would diminish completely. I questioned whether life is the same, how do we define death and how do we define the state of death, as living individuals, what are the appropriate ways of respecting the dying lives and the already deceased. It’s taboo sometimes, to talk about death in Asian societies, but through this medium of the pine tree and its symbolic meaning behind, I hope this may in return open up the conversation and change the conventional perception to a certain degree.
AW: 我想稍稍聊聊您作品中偏技術層面的事。不難看出您的作品與自然媒介或是材料有一個很強的聯繫，您是如何選擇某種特定的材料去開始創作的呢?
I would like to touch upon the technical side of your works, it’s obvious that your creation has a strong bond with natural materials. What goes into consideration when you choose a particular material to work with?
YW: 回想起來，我近乎所有的創作都與時間有關。我一向以自然媒材作為時間的載體，呈現當下的狀態，並且連結過去和未來。我著迷於自然媒材當下的狀態，他並非永遠不變，相反的是，他會一直持續變化，而我依據他當下的狀態，適應他們的改變，從而進行創造。有時我覺得我在創作時是與這些自然媒材進行一種溝通甚至協商，我不會做大量破壞他們本身樣貌的工作，而是研究觀察他們的特質，從中找出我也有興趣的地方，並將這樣的協商過程呈現於觀者。
Now that I thought of it, a majority of my works are fundamentally connected with the basis of time. I convey through natural media, which act as a carrier of time, as a reflection of the present, connecting the past and the future. I’m fascinated by the presence of natural materials, they never remain in the exact same state, on the contrary they are constantly transforming, I adapt to them, I adapt to the transformation, in order to create. I observe and I study their characteristics and learn of their personalities, like establishing communication, negotiation even, with the materials sometimes I felt, and the work eventually nurtured is like a visual investigation and presentation of this negotiation process.
AW: 談談這次疫情的影響吧。
Has the pandemic affected you in any ways?
YW: 這次的疫情讓我有機會嘗試遠端製作裝置，原本以為辦不到的事情，但透過不斷的視訊溝通以及大量的紙上作業，完成了一件我無法親自製作的裝置。在心情上卻很矛盾，一方面是透過這次機會完成了在法國的展覽，但可惜的是我重頭到尾都無法親自看見自己完成的裝置以及感受空間，甚至也缺少了與國外機構和藝術家交流的機會。
疫情不僅讓人與人之間的關係有了疏離感，也讓人們少了與作品直接接觸的機會。少了實體空間的展示，也會少了實際空間的感受，平面作品或許可以以線上藝廊方式呈現，但藝術裝置卻很難被數位技術取代，至少以現在的科技進步程度。尤其對於常以現地製作完成作品的我來說，即使是現在流行的VR技術我都對其持著保留的態度，因為作品本身的材質質感以及現地製作的場域獨特性都無可取代。但我的確也會思考如何能夠讓作品在這樣的疫情下更貼近觀者，抑或是反其道而行，讓作品成為疫情後的一種期待和希望。
I got to experiment with remote installation of an exhibition in France, initially I just thought it wasn’t possible, that this was totally beyond me. Fortunately and thanks to technology, there were a lot of online video calls and communications, the project was successfully completed in the end though I can’t help but feel a bit conflicted about the whole thing, despite the completion, I never got to see the actual exhibited work with my own eyes nor to experience the space, let alone directly communicating with the overseas institutions and artists, it’s a shame really.
The pandemic not only makes people feel alienated, but also reduces the opportunity for everyone to come in direct contact with artworks. 2D works may be somewhat relatively easier to translate into an online presentation whereas the experience aroused by an installation work simply cannot be replicated by digital medium, at least not for now. Especially for someone like me, whose works lean towards site-specific, I’m rather reserved even when it comes to VR because, when viewers experience the installation in person, it’s about the texture of the materials interacting with the space, that unique physical plus sensual experience of a site-specific installation situated in a distinctive space is lost on a digital medium. But then again if this is the reality it’s definitely something for me to take into account as well, how to touch or get closer to the viewers under the pandemic, or perhaps artwork can also act as some kind of hope, like a beacon for life after the pandemic.
AW: 在最近的一份關於全球暖化的IPCC (2021) 報告中有提到，人類面臨的環境威脅正在以前所未有的速度加劇。鑑於您很大一部分的作品都是與植物相關，作為一名藝術家您覺得您有責任讓大眾更加關注到這個現象嗎?
In a recent IPCC (2021) report which mainly examined the impact of climate change, the situation for humanity certainly looks direr than ever. Given that you tend to work with organic matters often, do you think as an artist you have a responsibility to raise awareness when it comes to climate change?
YW: 對於我們人類在當下所面臨的環境危機，我自己無庸置疑地會有很大的警覺性，我的作品大部分都在描述探討一些抽象的概念，例如時間、生命、節奏、能量等，很老實地說，我並不會特別強調生態或是環保議題或者創作過分強調相關議題的作品。一大原因是因為這是一個顯而易見的事實，如果把顯而易見的事實放在作品裡面，就如同報紙的標題，一但讀到，很難不先入為主，當觀者意識到這是一個環保議題的作品，便不會繼續探究或思考擺放在其眼前的作品是否還具有更深刻的涵意，其他議題也同樣是如此，所以我比較不會針對當下所發生的事件創作，講述一個肉眼可見的事實，我相信在2021年的現在每個人都有責任為所處的環境多盡一份力。
When it comes to the environmental crisis that human beings are facing at the moment, without a doubt I’m aware, and extremely conscious about it, nonetheless, a lot of what I create centre on discussions of conceptual topics like time, life, rhythm, energy and so on, frankly, I don’t particularly address ecological or environmental issues in my works. One of the main reasons is merely that this is already a fact apparent to the naked eye. Like reading a newspaper headline, it would be extremely difficult to avoid preconceptions for the viewers, once the viewers perceived the work to be environment-related, or any issue for the matter, they would step away from exploring in their head, or think about the underlying meaning or any deeper implications of this work placed right in front of them. Therefore I would prefer not to create any bodies of work as a response to the current affairs, sending such a blatantly obvious message. I believe that this is a responsibility that no one should shy away from anymore, and must do whatever they can to contribute towards the cause.
AW: 藝術以外您還有時間探索一下別的興趣愛好嗎?
Outside of your profession, do you find time for other interests?
YW: 我常常將興趣和工作融為一起，像是過去有一段時間喜歡植物，所以以自然媒材創作的作品居多，也有 段時間喜愛拍照，便常常將影像融入繪畫裡頭。天生愛實驗的個性讓我很愛嘗試新的技法和研究新的材料， 這些大概都很像我的興趣但也同時是我的工作。
創作時間外，我也很愛下廚，我認為烹飪是個可以快速獲得短暫成就感的方法，有時我如果創作陷入膠著， 我會為自己精心準備一道料理，從思索食材開始，細細備料，或是研究比較同道料理不同的烹飪方式等，讓 我得以脫開創作瓶頸的焦慮，從料理中獲得暫時的滿足。除此之外，我也很愛看任何科幻類主題的書籍或電 影，尤其是反烏托邦的主題， George Orwell 的「1984」和「動物農莊」，Italo Calvino 的「看不見的城市」 ，Margaret Atwood 的「The Handmaid’s Tale」，電影「Arrival」、「Blade Runner」等等都會讓我反思當下 所處的環境也同時馳騁於想像的世界。
More often than not my interests tend to overlap with my works. For instance there was a period of time when I was particularly captivated by plants, as a result a lot of my works are based on natural media; I also remember getting into photography and I found ways of incorporating them into my drawings. I love to experiment, with new techniques and materials, trial and error is a huge part of my creative process.
I’m awfully passionate about cooking. For me cooking is a quick way of achieving any sense of accomplishment. Whenever I’m stuck I have a habit of switching off and preparing myself a meal, from picking up the right ingredients, to studying different ways of cooking the same dish say for example. It’s just my way of shaking off that bottleneck anxiety — hugely satisfying too! Other than those I’m a massive sci-fi fan, especially the dystopian ones, literature like 1984 (1949) and Animal Farm (1945) by George Orwell, Invisible Cities (1972) by Italo Calvino, The Handmaid’s Tale (1985) by Margaret Atwood just to name a few, along with movies like Arrival (2016), Blade Runner (1982) and so on, they are all sensational sources of inspirations not just for work but to reflect on the current situation of the world that we are living in.
AW: 未來有什麼項目可以與我們分享嗎? 這麼多年的藝術創作經驗累積下來，有想做什麼新的嘗試嗎?
Any future projects that you could share with us? Anything new that you are hoping to experiment with?
YW: 近期在發展一項長期的跟海岸線有關的創作計劃。以界線不明的海岸線為主要敘事結構，線性時間軸為輔，探索不同區段的台灣海岸線影像，探討地理、自然環境與人類行爲下曖昧不明的界線關係，將可見與不可見的海岸線面貌重新透過想像縫合，形構成一個想像的島嶼，創造一個介於現實與想像之間; 限與無限之間; 自然與人工之間的新風景。這次的計畫會是一個跨領域的創作，結合錄像、繪畫、影像以及物件，並以裝置的方式呈現，算是一個對自己在各領域整合以及空間上的大挑戰。
I’m currently developing a long-term project related to the coastline of Taiwan. By employing the Taiwanese coastline as the main narrative — different regions under different time periods, it will be my attempt to explore this obscure boundary, this ambiguous relationship between human conduct or intervention, and a list of subjects like geography and nature’s commands, realised through a series of visible and invisible coastline imageries, in turn creating a new landscape of an imaginary utopia, that exists somewhere between the reality and the fantasy, the finite and the infinite, the natural and the artificial. I’m looking to adopt a variety of cross-disciplinary media in this project, like videos, drawings, images and objects, presenting them in a form of installation, it’s going to be an enormous personal challenge for me, merging all these media and fusing them coherently within a space.
The original interview was conducted in Chinese by Axel Wang on 4 December 2021.
Editor: Axel Wang
Design: Axel Wang
Photography: Courtesy of Yi-ting Wang
Chinese to English Translation: Axel Wang