Local and international artists have been invited to take part in the 2012 Kaohsiung International Container Arts Festival, which lasts until January 31. The creative theme of the festival is "home," and artist Hou Yi-ren who hails from Kaohsiung's sister city of Tulsa, Oklahoma has used two trailers, a kumquat tree and a goat to create her impression of "home." Her work can be seen at Pier 2 Art Center.
Born in Taiwan, Hou has lived in the United States for almost 16 years. She participated at the festival event, thanks to a grant from the US State Department. Hou said she heard about the event and immediately started to think about concepts for an installation along with her husband, James Gallagher. They transformed a shipping container into two trailers, a fruit tree and a cow, representing elements necessary for human nutrition. The work was immediately selected to be part of the exhibition.
Explaining the source for her inspiration, Hou said that as a child she lived in the mountains and ox carts were omnipresent. The trailer in her installation symbolizes "going home." For three weeks, Hou worked with volunteers in Kaohsiung to set up her installation and realize her vision. This creation process was unforgettable. Since the real cow in the original installation could not be included, it was replaced by a small goat. Thanks to the help of local friends, a small plastic goat was found on opening day, thus completing the original vision of the work. For Hou, the most precious memories of this exhibition are the interactions with volunteers and her visit to Kaohsiung Guangrong Elementary School. There she shared with teachers and students about her creative process and received wonderful feedback. The overall experience convinced her of the friendliness of Kaohsiung's people.
After completing the installation, Hou and her husband explored the city. Hou loves art and culture. Taking the MRT, they visited Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts, Ciaotou Sugar Refinery. She said that her previous impression of Kaohsiung was that of an industrial city. Now, however, she describes Kaohsiung as a city where people have space to breathe. She admires Kaohsiung for its nice weather and Love River. She is looking forward to bringing her creations to share with friends in the city.
高雄貨櫃藝術節受邀藝術家侯宜仁
【文/張嘉玲;照片提供/Hou Yi-ren】
2012高雄貨櫃藝術節以「家」為創作主題,展期至1月31日。高雄姊妹市陶沙的受邀藝術家侯宜仁以兩台拖車、金桔樹、羊,在高雄駁二藝術特區,完成她對「家」的想像。
出生於台灣的侯宜仁,旅居美國約16 載,此次在美國國務院贊助下赴台。侯宜仁說,偶然獲知高雄市邀請藝術家參展,她立即和先生葛理漢構思作品,將一個貨櫃改造成兩台拖車,分別裝載果樹和母牛,象徵供養人類的營養,他們的作品旋即獲選參展。侯宜仁談起作品的靈感源於,兒時居住山區,牛車隨處可見,作品中的拖車即有言喻「回家」之意。在高雄創作的3星期間,在志工幫忙下,她經歷了難忘的創作歷程。原本作品中的母牛無法實際出現,於是以一頭小羊代表,經由當地朋友的幫忙,總算在開幕當天,尋覓到一條塑膠小牛,重現作品的原始設計。侯宜仁談起此次參展最珍貴的回憶,是與志工朋友的交流,讓她體驗到高雄溫暖的人情味,她並至高雄光榮國小,與該校師生分享創作概念,獲得熱烈迴響。
在高雄期間,侯宜仁忙完展覽會場,常和先生葛理漢徜徉高雄。侯宜仁鍾愛藝術文化,搭著捷運,他們造訪高雄美術館、橋頭糖廠等地。侯宜仁說,過去對高雄的印象是個工業大城,現今她形容高雄讓人擁有呼吸的空間,她盛讚高雄有著陽光普照的好天氣和愛河。侯宜仁期待下次再帶著作品與高雄的朋友交流。 |