Twenty Exercises for the Body to Be the Soul’s Companion
Solo Exhibition of Leong Chou In
身體陪伴靈魂的二十個生活行動—梁祖賢個展
如果一個人有一個計劃——或者更準確地說,活在一個計劃當中——那麼他總是已經在未來了。
——《計劃的孤獨》,波里斯.葛羅伊斯
《身體陪伴靈魂的二十個生活行動》是由藝術家梁祖賢構思和實踐的一項計劃:始於2021年一系列簡單的身體活動,再發展為一部藝術家書,一項行走的藝術展覽。
從眼、耳、鼻、舌、身、意著手,藝術家設計和發起二十項生活行動,讓人們將片刻的時間交還身體,以身體陪伴靈魂。
在這次展覽中,藝術家抽取了書中的一些行動,以工具及提示邀請觀眾參與,比如放置跑步機與錄音播放裝置,好讓觀眾在展場內散步和默想《我是誰》;各種外語唸誦的聶魯達情詩《為了使你聽見》,以製造《美麗誤解》;不為引起任何思考的圓周率數字,僅供《發聲練習》;駐場菓子店免費供應的開水,印證《種善因得善果》;以及觀展過後,可帶到街上去與《生物連結》的貓糧。另外一些行動只在展期內特定時間,以延伸活動的方式予以共同體驗,使各各「不相依更不相知」的個體產生連結。
以書籍為媒,藝術家創作、演示和記錄著一項項不過三十分鐘、任何人都能參與其中的簡單生活行動,任何人都可以據為己有,任何人都擁有這樣的選擇和自由。以展覽為契機,我們好奇,如何讓這些想法在空間內滋長,在行動中傳播。
嚴格來說,這裏沒有展示任何一件藝術品,只是佈置了一些作業和工具,提供了一種未來生活的提案,並記錄一些已在路上的人。
本次展覽由林小雯策劃,埋欄文化主辦,為「埋欄客廳」藝術空間計劃之一。
If one has a project - or more precisely, is living in a project - one always is already in the future.
- Boris Groys, “The Loneliness of the Project”
Twenty Exercises for the Body to Be the Soul’s Companion is an ongoing project conceived and implemented by artist Joein, Leong Chou In. It began in 2021 as a series of simple body exercises and has since evolved into an artist book and a portable art exhibition.
Starting with the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind, the artist designs and initiates twenty life actions, inviting individuals to dedicate brief moments of time to their physical being and allowing the body to become a companion to the soul.
In this exhibition, the artist has chosen several exercises from the book for the audience to participate in, using various tools and prompts. For example, the exhibition includes a treadmill and a recording device that allows the audience to walk and meditate on “Who Am I?” within the exhibition space; reciting “So That You Will Hear Me,” Pablo Neruda’s love poem, in various foreign languages to create “Beautiful Misunderstanding”; providing the digits of Pi for the “Sound Making Exercise” without any intention to provoke thought; offering free water from an in-house bakery to practice “Good Deeds Bringing Good Outcomes”; and giving away cat food to encourage the audience to take a stroll down the street and experience “Connection with Other Creatures” after the exhibition. Some other exercises are only available as public programs during the exhibition period, designed to extend the experience and foster connections among individuals who “do not rely on or even know each other.”
With books as the medium, the artist creates, demonstrates and documents these simple life actions that take no more than thirty minutes and can be practiced by anyone. Anyone can claim them, and anyone will find such a choice and freedom. Through the exhibition, the audience is curious about how to free these ideas in space and spread them through action.
Strictly speaking, there are no art pieces displayed here. Only some assignments and tools are arranged to propose a future life and document some people who are already on their way.
This exhibition is curated by Lam Sio Man, organized by MyLand Culture and is part of the MyLand Living Room art space program.