(English Version is down below)
觀察員:薛祖杰 Hsueh Tsz- Chieh
性別 非男 非女 Drag 扮演 制服 戀物控 製造 商業價值 空白的形塑 商品 物件 民族 文化 教育 工具 講座 物件有性別嗎? 後殖民 政治 戒嚴 情婦 愛國操演 家庭 家族 凝視 汗珠 愛 撫摸 擁抱
上面是我在看兩天的呈現裡,所記錄下來的字詞,以全程都在線上參與的我,對於今年的性別雲端駐村非常驚奇。
2022的「性別」是什麼?
有人可能覺得性別在台灣,已經不是一個急需要再表述、討論的主題。但當我在呈現的前四天,6月24日美國最高法院推翻近半個世紀前有關女性墮胎合憲權的「羅訴韋德案」(Roe v Wade),裁定女性墮胎並非憲法賦予的權利時,我還是強烈感覺到性別這件事仍有許多必須得持續討論的必要。
在接受這個消息之後,觀賞了兩日的呈現,我發現大家討論的其實比我所想像得更為深遠。以性別做為出發點,無論是以自身的身理性別、性向、心理性別等,想討論的主題其實與國家、後殖民、流行文化、商業操作、傳統文化、家庭、自我的形塑都有關聯,而切入的角度因為在性別的主題下,變得非常不同。
我十分享受台灣兩組以用文字為某個串連概念的方式,將所敘述的主題,無論是使用私密的內心獨白,或是如報導一般的文字,將主題表現出來。而Taiwan A組《好感物計畫》的創作者楊智翔與簡詩翰,兩人在一個不斷在雙手揉捏動作的影像前,嘗試將想像交給觀眾,去想像何為「愉悅」,而不同的兩人交互用非常疏離的方式來討論操作者和物件的附身現象,他們相互觀察彼此,觀看者(楊智翔)與操作者(簡詩翰)的對照將愉悅的討論,討論至精神的層面,再回到所操作的物件,從日常至表演的附身,越發展而探討得也越深,希望他們將會持續發展這個主題,令人非常期待。
Taiwan B組《愛人》的主題圍繞在鄧麗君這位經典歌手,不斷被做為歌頌愛國精神的的ICON,但鄧麗君的表裡究竟為何,是十分有趣的,創作者李文皓與林意淨挑選鄧麗君的四首歌,討論在日本所唱的歌與在台灣的歌的相異性,並在最後使用「愛人」兩字漸漸變化為「愛國」,此作品對我來說是將台灣歷史中的國家主義與愛國政治再度用當代的方式討論了一遍,用這位實為「女人」但卻形塑成「愛國偶像」的狀況,其實套用在現代的社會,也會發現有類似的狀況發生,性別的操弄與操演這一大主題在今年的五組呈現中也是討論的一個大主題。
如菲律賓組的創作者Jodinand AGUILLON 和 Jared Jonathan LUNA所討論的,究竟自身國家的民族舞蹈有沒有當代酷兒詮釋的可能?民族舞蹈(Folk dance)在一般的釋義裡就是人民所跳的舞蹈(dances of the people),但隨著時間,變成是一種工具、一個無法被撼動的文化,而若回到民族舞蹈的原意,那我們有沒有可能挑戰它,讓詮釋的權力回到人們身上?
新加坡的編舞者Ayu Permata Sari ( Ayu)想挑戰的,為何已婚的女人無法參與傳統慶典疑問,做為創作的原點,Ayu將這個現象延伸,在呈現中使用一位蒙著眼睛的女舞者,隨著叫她的名字在一個家的客廳中不斷地被叫喚,女舞者也不斷在這過程中滿頭大汗,精疲力竭。而這樣的手法讓我自己也不斷聯想到自身的經驗,我想像到如家庭、教育體系等過往經驗,並在鏡頭的凝視當中,我看到了權力,而這權利不單單只存在於性別,更多的是所有的體系。
上面提到的作品,都是在向國家、體系等提出疑問、挑戰。而新加坡的藝術家Hasyimah Harith (Hasyimah),則是回到非常個人的、私密的狀態,我看到的是一個母親對於已逝生命的愛,以及伴侶的愛,在愛的觸摸中,撫平所經歷的那些痛苦、傷感。那是極大的感動當一位創作者以極為誠懇、真實的狀態將自己的生命分享給身在海外台灣的我。
當我作為一個觀察員,我還是以一位觀眾的身份在經歷這五個呈現,十分幸運我可以看到在這個呈現裡,我們之於性別主題還有這麼多的討論。尤其在過去潛伏的保守勢力即將回歸的世代,他們仍把極為真誠、哲學一般的作品,分享給線上的觀眾們。
Observer: Hsueh Tsz-Chieh
Gender, Non-male, Non-female, Drag, Play, Uniform, Fetishism, Manufacture, Business Value, Merchandise, Object, Ethnicity, Culture, Education, Tool, Lecture, Do objects have sexuality?, Post-colonialism, Politics, Martial Law, Mistress, Patriotic Manipulation, Family, Gaze, Sweat, Love, Caress, Embrace
The above were the words I wrote during the two-day presentation in this online residency.
What’s “gender” in 2022?
Now, some may not find the urgent need to discuss gender as a topic in Taiwan. But on June 24, the US Supreme Court ruled that the constitution does not confer the right to an abortion, overturning the decision of “Roe v. Wade” almost 50 years ago. I strongly felt that this topic was still worth discussing at the moment.
I’d found that the discussion was profoundly insightful in the presentation as a result of the residency. The discussions were diverse and extensive related to the topic of gender, including gender identity, nationality, post-colonialism, pop culture, business operation, family, and so on.
I enjoyed the concept of using private words as starter points and bringing out the topics in both of the Taiwan Groups. In Taiwan A group’s “Feel Good(s)”, creators YANG Zhi Xiang and CHIEN Shih Han invited the audience to imagine “pleasure” in front of a video of rubbing hands and they discussed embodiment between the operator and the object using an estranged approach. The beholder (YANG Zhi Xiang) and the operator (CHIEN Shih Han) were observing each other during the process and talking about pleasure and embodiment by switching between the objects and the discussions. I’m looking forward to seeing further development on this topic.
Taiwan B group’s "Lover" was mainly about the singer Teresa Teng who was constantly viewed as a patriotic icon. Creators LI Wen Hao and LIN Yi Ching chose four songs from the singer and talked about the difference between these songs in Japan and Taiwan. At the end, the word “lover” morphed into “patriotism”. Nationalism and patriotic politics in the history of Taiwan were reviewed again in this work where the “woman” was shaped as a “patriotic idol”. The manipulation of gender was brought to light among the five groups this year.
As discussed by Jodinand AGUILLON and Jared Jonathan LUNA in the Philippines group, could we use queerness to re-examine folk dance from their countries? Folk dance means the dances of people, but it’s become an unmovable culture and a tool over time. Is there a chance we challenge it and return the voices to the people?
Singaporean choreographer Ayu Permata Sari (Ayu) challenged the convention of not allowing women to join traditional ceremonies. Based on this, Ayu commanded a female dancer who covered her eyes and danced around a living room till exhaustion. I thought about my own experience and the relation to family, education system, and etc. Through the gaze of the camera, I saw the power that exists not only in gender, but also in every system.
As for Singaporean artist Hasyimah Harith (Hasyimah), she had a very personal take on her work. I saw the love of a mother towards a faded life and her partner. Through the touch of love, the pain and sorrow was gradually healed. It was extremely touching when artists embrace their true selves and express their life experiences truthfully.
As an observer, I was still an audience who experienced these five presentations. I was lucky enough to see varied discussions on gender, especially under the shadow of the conventions from the past. They brought sincerity and philosophy into their works and shared them with the audience online.
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