Environmental Aesthetics Revived in Taiwan : Implications of Socially-engaged Art Practice and Local Art Festival

Abstract

<p>自1990年代後期以來，臺灣當代藝術發展出社會參與式藝術實踐的趨勢，亦即走出美術館展覽的藩籬並企求與公眾面對面、與社群連結的藝術創作。此一歷程發展適逢後解嚴時代，在地文化認同與本土意識抬頭，反映在文化政策上的則是1990年代的社區總體營造運動乃至於近年來倡議的地方創生。此後，各地的藝術祭更是持續不斷地帶來參與者對地方人文與環境的新感受，發展出在獨特的臺灣文化脈絡與社會變遷的背景下所帶動的「環境美學」復興——對自然與人文環境的重新發現，以及對地方文化歷史脈絡的重思與再建構。對環境與地方的自然和人文關懷是目前亞洲地區正歷時與共的境況，本文以臺灣的社會參與式藝術和地方藝術祭為主要探討對象，自其所帶來的環境美學復興，延伸思考社會參與式藝術暨地方藝術祭的亞洲觀點所帶來的啟示，並以更全觀的視角來思辨藝術的社會實踐，啟發藝術工作者，面對此一全球共同的環境議題。</p> <p> </p><p>Since the late 1990s, Taiwanese contemporary art has developed a trend of socially-engaged art practice that goes beyond the usual framework of museum exhibition and with the aim of reaching public audiences. Moreover, such progress involves a degree of community engagement. The post-Martial law era saw the emergence of issues of local cultural identity and the rise of ideologies of the vernacular. Equally, socially-engaged art practice in Taiwan addressed throughout the 1990s issues of cultural policies for community reconstruction and ideas of “creative placemaking”. The result of such trend has also brought the prevalence of local art festivals. Such a socially art practice and local art festival has since developed into a genuine environmental aesthetics that has led to the rediscovery of human landscape, the natural environment, and to the reconstruction of local culture and history. This latter specificity, though, differs from its Western counterpart model of social art practice.This paper will explore the socially-engaged art and local art festival in Taiwan, their process of development, content and approach through surveys and fieldwork. Their relations to each other, differences, similarities, and sustainability will be also discussed in this research. However, the impacts that they triggered for the revival of environmental aesthetics, has significances to what are related to ecological and environmental issues in the whole world. Attending for local environment, people, history and culture is currently experienced in the Asia is also a common issue. This research takes socially-engaged art practice and local art festivals as a subject, as well as addressing their implications on revival of environmental aesthetics in Taiwan. Moreover, this research not only intends to expound socially-engaged art practice and local art festival from the local perspectives of Taiwan; it also seeks to enrich how we understand such practice in a broader Asian and even global contexts. </p> <p> </p>