大河美術將舉辦陳硯平最新個展《山海今》，講述一著重於探索內心，追尋自我意識覺醒的當代寓言。《山海經》為一描繪人類在數千年前，因一場天災洪水而開啟對世界探索的傳說故事。該書傳誦至今，與許多改編一同形成一荒誕奇幻的世界。陳硯平比對故事中的奇人異獸與發生在現代之令人徬徨迷失的各種現象，將經典轉譯為當今寓言，回看不斷輪迴的歷史，而展開一場反思探索之旅。

RIVER ART GALLERY is going to present Yenping Chen’s latest solo exhibition, “New Classic of Mountains and Seas,” which tells a contemporary allegory emphasizing the exploration of inner selves and the pursuit of self-awareness awakening. The Classic of Mountains and Seas is a legendary tale depicting humanity’s exploration of the world thousands of years ago following a catastrophic flood. The book, which has been passed down through generations, has formed a fantastical world alongside numerous adaptations. The artist juxtaposes the extraordinary beings and creatures from the story with bewildering phenomena occurring in modern times, translating the classic into a contemporary allegory, reflecting on the cyclical nature of history and embarking on a journey of reflection and exploration.

《山海經》，講述人類在數千年前一場洪水事件，衰落再起的傳說故事，作為風土人文書籍，在歷朝歷代的民間傳誦、文人改編之下，不少三頭六臂、獸面人身，也被描寫進去，有人認為荒謬無稽，而我看到的，是一個充滿缺陷與創傷的世界。對我而言，《山海今》就是發生在今日的一則奇幻寓言。發生在令人徬徨迷失的疫情年代，探索內心深處，追尋自由的覺醒過程。

《山海經》「荒謬無稽」帶來本身的戲劇性，也是比喻人生突如其來的不可思議，就如疫情帶來的撕裂和斷片，人們被它帶來的混亂所蒙蔽，接受某種扭曲的存在價值，成為《山海經》的神鬼精怪。面對荒謬，我們都在尋找療傷過程，嘗試在混亂之中尋求真理的途徑，抵達新的生命層次。

The Classic of Mountains and Seas (Shan Hai Jing) recounts the legendary tale of humanity’s decline and resurgence following a great flood thousands of years ago. As a cultural and geographical text, it has been passed down through generations, adapted by scholars, and enriched with depictions of fantastical beings—creatures with three heads, six arms, or animal faces on human bodies. While some dismiss it as absurd and nonsensical, what I see is a world filled with flaws and trauma. To me, the “New Classic of Mountains and Seas” is a fantastical allegory for our present day, unfolding in the disorienting era of the pandemic—a process of exploring the depths of the soul and awakening to the pursuit of freedom.

The “absurdity” of the Shan Hai Jing carries its own dramatic essence, serving as a metaphor for life’s sudden, incomprehensible events—much like the fragmentation and rupture caused by the pandemic. People, blinded by the chaos, accept distorted values of existence and, in doing so, embody the mythical monsters and spirits of the Shan Hai Jing.

In the face of absurdity, we are all searching for a process of healing, striving to find a path to truth amid the chaos and to reach a new level of existence.

繪畫是在潛意識中創造自我的方式，一位英國藝術家曾言：作畫，是為了表現某種東西的美或浪漫而產生的夢，它不存在於現實中，只有在那個能夠辨識神性美的所在。因此，我試圖將創作行為提升到一種請示萬物神靈的莊嚴儀式。在三十而立這一年，對於難以預測的未來仍然感到心有徬徨，的確，我自認身在一個充滿危機的時代，就像「世界末日快到了‧聖經」這張隨處可見的標語，或許杞人憂天，又或許世界末日早已來到──青年世代普遍的精神憂鬱，遠遠超越了關注文明是否即將終結。在這個騷動年代，不安的心靈如何生存下去？這是我正在面對的課題。

在這條力求自我尋找和突破的創作路，路遠無窮盡，背景的那片陰暗迷茫，正是這條路的常態風景。期盼觀者可以透過作品釐清、應證自我的生命經驗，就如羅蘭巴特所稱「那游離在畫面意義外的想像畫面」，才可真正體悟那片黑暗的寬廣與無限，在畫面中尋找一處可依靠的避世之所。

Painting is a way of creating the self through the subconscious. As a British artist once said, painting is the dream of expressing beauty or romance—something that does not exist in reality but resides only in the place where divine beauty can be recognized. Thus, I strive to elevate the act of creation into a solemn ritual of invoking the spirits of all things.

At the age of thirty, I find myself still uncertain about an unpredictable future. Indeed, I feel I am living in an era fraught with crises. It’s akin to the ubiquitous slogan, “The end is near—Bible prophecy.” Perhaps it is an unfounded fear, or perhaps the apocalypse has already arrived. The widespread spiritual melancholy among the younger generation far exceeds mere concern about whether civilization is on the verge of collapse. In this turbulent age, how can an unsettled mind endure? This is the question I am grappling with.

On this endless path of self-discovery and creative breakthrough, the shadowy and uncertain background reflects the constant scenery of this journey. I hope viewers can, through my work, clarify and affirm their own life experiences. As Roland Barthes once described, it is “the image that lingers beyond the meaning of the picture,” allowing one to truly perceive the vastness and infinity of the darkness and find, within the imagery, a refuge—a place of solace from the world.

自然是一部機械，以物競天擇運作生物演化的機制，人的自我也是一部機械，遵循社會體制下的規律與重複，也對他人與自我的期待拉扯、衝突著…… 無法否認，因為人不完美，所以發明機械以達成絕對精準與規格化，人也懂得欣賞、思考機械運轉的和諧之美，繼而逆向模仿機械，創造專業分工與生產線，用來經營社會上的人力資源，因此我們可以這麼說：人與機械都是自然秩序的一環。機械如此，自然亦同，卻唯獨人有能夠描述情感與記憶的能力，並且拾起自我零碎的片段，然後重組，在不斷流變的秩序之中，找尋靈魂適居之所。

Nature is a machine in that it is a biological evolution mechanism of natural selection. The human self is also a machine. Humans comply with the rules and repetition of the social system and are pulled and conflicted by the expectations of themselves and others… There is no denying that because humans are not perfect, they invented machinery to achieve absolute precision and standardization. People also know how to appreciate and contemplate the harmony of mechanical operation. Then, by way of reversing, humans decided to imitate machinery, creating professional production lines and division of labor to manage human resources. Therefore, we can say, “Humans and machinery are part of the natural order.” Machines and nature are similar, but only humans have the ability to describe emotions and memories, pick up fragments of themselves, and then reconstruct them. Among the ever-changing order of this universe, humans seek a place for their souls to call home.

此次個展與美國聲音藝術家 Ryan Campos 合作，由 Ryan 為其作品製作配樂，試圖在虛擬社群和真實世界，視覺和聽覺之間，邀請觀者進入身歷其境的完整體驗，聆聽隱藏在聲音表象背後的聲響，在畫面之中找尋曲徑通幽之美。

This time, Chen cooperates with Ryan Campos, an American sound artist, who produces scores for his works. Between virtual community and real world, vision and hearing, he invites viewers to be wholly experienced as if virtually being there, to listen to the sound hidden beneath the surface and to find the beauty of winding path that leads to a secluded quiet place from the images.

廢墟，意即支離破碎的過時空間體，它同時也在我們生活中，與當下的新文明並存。引述德國哲學家華特‧ 班雅明所言：廢墟的殘敗破碎之美，是一種在時間終點上，帶給人的驚嘆與震撼。在一次偶然的探索裡，我在廢墟之中感受到場域與時間的快速消逝，然而這種「消逝」的感受，並不像生命的對立面。廢墟是眾多文明的起點之始，也是最終歸屬，就如同班雅明認為「時間不是重要的」，反而關注在回憶中特有的「瞬息」和「零碎」，回憶會在某些特定的時刻被主體經驗喚出，它們具有超越時間順序的能力，賦予強烈的徵兆訊息，傳遞給人全新的思想和經驗，促使自我重生的思考過程。廢墟空間的靈光迴映，就是預告此刻的永恆存在。這不是一次貿然地在荒屋的旅行體驗，對我來說，因為這場偶然契機，得以重新審視自己的人生階段：童年時期、青春期、成年期乃至而立之年，無可否認，變化是衰朽與消亡的過程，每次的變化，都帶來不同的樣貌、思想和記憶，就如姚瑞中先生所言：「我們並非出生，然後死去，而是我們一直都在死去」。是的，最終一切都將成為未來的廢墟，而我或許能在個體不斷的消逝中，為了不至於被時間洪流所淹沒，透過某種表達形式，找尋盡頭處的那片迴光。

繪畫是建築自我的手段，如同文明始於廢墟，陰影隨著明光，自我變化來自於新舊更迭。透過繪畫形式，為尋找平面中歸屬之地，而將心理追求平衡的狀態意象化，我將漂白水作為顏料，下筆塗抹、噴灑在黑色棉布上使之侵蝕、消融，使黑暗中褪色出相對的明亮。藉由觀察人物、建築、裝飾符號，透過縫線連結家庭常見的串珠與現成物，也連結了幻覺體驗和物質真實所反思。創作過程是一趟沒有目的地、完全就地取材的旅行，因此我並沒有打草稿的想法和準備，事實上，我不以邏輯預先安排畫面的意義和形象，而是直覺性地與畫布投入某種對話互動，當作品完成的那一刻，我發覺到很多意義精準的形成了。精確之中，必然的失準絕非是惡意的，不打草稿的習慣，期待著計劃中的隨機應變，也是享受創作過程中令人陷入幽玄沉靜，忘卻時間流逝的韻味之處。

Ruins refer to the outdated space of fragments. It is in our lives, coexisting with the present new civilization. Like what German philosopher Walter Benjamin once said, “The beauty of broken ruins brings people wonder and shock at the end of time.” Once I had a chance to explore inside, I felt the fast disappearance of field and time among the ruins. This feeling of “disappearance” is not like the opposite of life. The ruins serve as the starting point of many civilizations, as well as their ultimate home. Like what Benjamin believes, “Time is not important.”Instead, it focuses on the unique “moments” and “fragments” in memories. In certain moments, memories are conjured by body experiences. They have the ability to transcend time sequences, giving off strong signals and transmitting brand new ideas and experiences, prompting the thought process of self-rebirth. The aura reflection of the space of ruins serves as a prediction of the eternal existence of this moment.

This is not a rash travel experience in a desolate house. For me, it is because of this fortuitous opportunity that enabled me to re-examine my own stages of life: Childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and even thirty years of age. There is no denying that change is a process of decay and dissolution. Each change brings different appearances, thoughts, and memories. It is like what Yao Jui-Chung said, “We are not born and then dead. Instead, we keep dying.” Yes, eventually everything will become ruins. In order not to be inundated by time, perhaps I can see the light at the end of the tunnel through some form of expression among the continuous vanishing of the individual.

Painting is a means of self-construction; as civilization began in ruins, shadows follow light, and self-change comes from the changes of the old and new. Through the form of painting, I searched for a plane where I can belong, psychologically pursuing an equilibrium of imagism. I use bleach as a pigment to smear and spray on black cotton to create corrosion and ablation, so it fades out to a relative brightness in the darkness. By observing people, architecture, and decorative symbols, I connect beads and found objects, commonly seen in the family, through sutures to link together the reflections of hallucinations and substance. The creative process is a journey without a destination or making complete use of local materials. Thus, I did not make ideas or preparations for a draft. In fact, I did not use logic to pre-arrange the meanings and images of the picture. Instead, I intuitively invested in some kind of dialogue and interaction in the canvas. In the moment that the work was completed, I found that a lot of meanings were precisely formed. Precisely, inevitable misalignment is by no means malicious. My habit of not making drafts is due to my looking forward to adapting in a plan. It is also the charm that to enjoy sinking in the unseen quiet and forgetting the passage of time among the creative process.

2013年發生一件軍事醜聞，一名士官疑似遭虐待致死的案件引發社會關注，筆者回憶起多年前自大學畢業，進入陸軍服役的那一年，曾注意到軍方的媒體節目，內容不外乎是軍令宣導、部長出訪的瑣事，公務員保障般的國軍召募訊息，以及偶像明星的打歌宣傳，但在同時，民間發起的各種社會抗爭，軍事媒體卻刻意過濾掉了，不讓在營軍人接觸這類訊息。因此不免產生疑問，台灣雖然自詡為開放民主國家，但似乎並未擺脫過去威權時代掌控媒體的雙手，服膺少數財團的政治工具。 經過當兵的「磨鍊」後，更深刻的體認到，例如：台灣在國際上的政治弱勢、統獨議題與身份認同，長久以來難以解決的矛盾等等，其中癥結仍然存在，議題終究事過境遷，被新的議題所取代、被掩蓋，最後被遺忘，群眾也一哄而散，繼續回到工作崗位庸庸碌碌。然而在粉飾太平的底下，埋藏著多少難以掩蓋的醜陋？ 台灣青年存在於一個媒體無處不在的世界，也迷失在無數亦虛亦實的商業廣告、競選支票之中，找不到內心真誠的快樂，為了因應社會所需，不得不簡化成單純處理0和1的「當代數位人」，意即接受指令、處理信號的機器，面對社會疏離異化，徒留不滿與無奈。透過創作，心靈才得以緩解。 我以漂白水噴灑在黑色布（醜聞的關鍵影帶疑似被遮蔽，因此有國防布一稱）做為創作的靈感來源，在這裡，黑色布成為一種被黑暗覆蓋事實的證據載體，漂白水在黑色布上拔除顯色。身為創作者，理應破除黑暗表象，使被隱藏的事物顯現出來。並由衷期盼能以社會觀察者、參與者角色切入，審視思辯能力，表達個人對社會現象的憂心外，並藉由人文關懷，持續反省自己的創作。

In 2013, a serious scandal of officers bullying and abuse in the army astonished the whole society of Taiwan. This event provoked my memory of my military service experience several years ago. That time I just graduated from the university and had been served in the army of land force for a year. During that period, I noticed that the TV programs in the army only focused on trivial matters, such as military orders, news of minister visits, recruitment announcements, celebrity advertising etc., and avoided other news and social protests. I wonder, though Taiwan considers itself a democracy, is Taiwan still under the authoritarian regime? Since from those events, the country seems to be fully controlled by media, and to play as a political tool serving for plutocrats. After my military service, I realized that the problems that Taiwan is facing now still exist, such as the disadvantaged political situation of Taiwan in the world, the identification and unification-independence issues. Though these discussions can be changed and replaced by new topics or subjects, and may be gradually forgotten by the crowd, we cannot deny that, once you open the trash can, there still are bunches of stinking and ugly truths inside the bin. I recognized that, we are now lost in the world occupied by media exposure, unreal commercials and dishonest political ads. To adapt ourselves to the society, we are programmed to be “modern men” —— which can only receive commands, deal with signals, face mechanisms of “0” and “1”, and lost abilities of being happy. While facing this situation of social alienation, I feel myself resentful, and it seems I don’t have any choice. From creating this work, I anticipate to relieve myself. My inspiration was from spraying the household bleach on the black fabric (the black fabric symbolizes the key video of the scandal in the army which was hidden from view. The Ministry of National Defense is suspected of being involved.). In this work, the black fabric became a strong evidence to present that the truth is now being covered. Just like the bleach, I, as being the creator of this piece, have the responsibilities to break the dark part of the fabric, and therefore to expose the truth. I expect to express my deep worry to the society from the angles of a social observer and a participant. Besides that, I also anticipate to introspect my work from the viewpoint of humanistic solicitude.

黑色對於科學來說，就是指沒有可視光進入瞳孔內，在世界文明的範圍內，黑色代表凝重和深沉，未知的，恐懼的，等情緒或感官上的代表性色彩。

我以漂白水(次氯酸鈣)在黑布上創作的「人體靜物」作為系列形象，漂白水的媒材，對我而言，是一種毀滅與重生兩面並立的物質，如同百億年前的宇宙大霹靂，源於極緊密而複雜的能量，在爆破的短暫過程裡，解放時間與空間，並孕育物種與眾多文明。創作者似乎也扮演著造物主的角色，漂白水在黑布上，造成腐蝕解構的燒灼痛楚，並轉換為畫面的一抹光明，在時光與物質的層層堆疊，塑造成一個基本的形體肖像。設想在畫面佈局中，舞臺一角的微光探照，畫中的靜物逐漸有了自我思考，明白身處環境的未知黑暗，來自於權威、信仰、社會教條的不平等壓迫，開始從事抵抗與承受、排斥或適應，透過著思想，渴望將價值回歸到個體的發揮，拒絕理法的禁錮與約束。角色與現實間的沉默獨白，時而抵觸衝擊，兩者相互測探與破壞扭曲，無論如何，軀體與宇宙法則，最終將成為解構與再造的循環，而意識將不復存在。

To science, black means that there is no visible light enters pupils. In the domain of world civilization, black is, in emotions or sense organs, the representative color of solemnity, deepness, unknown, fear, etc.

I created “human body still” on black cloth with bleach (calcium hypochlorite) as the image of the series. To me, the medium of bleach is a kind of substance with two coexistent sides, destruction and regeneration. It is like the Big Bang in the universe tens of billion years ago, resulted from extreme compact and complex energy, which released time and space in the short exploding process and bred species and numerous civilizations. The creator seems also to play the role of the Creator – Bleach caused burning pain on the black cloth by corrosion and deconstruction, transformed it into brightness on the picture, and shaped it as a basic body portrait through the stacks of times and substances. Imagine that, in the picture arrangement, the still in the painting gradually has its own thought after highlighting by a gleam from a corner of the stage. It understands the unknown darkness around where it is which comes from the unequal oppressions of authority, belief, and social dogma, and starts to engage in resistance and acceptance, and repellence or adaption, via thinking, yearning to return the value to individual development and refusing the imprisonment and restriction from logos. The silent soliloquies between the role and the reality occasionally conflict and impact. Both of them are probed, destroyed, and distorted mutually. However,body and universe law will become the cycle of destruction and reconstruction in the end, and consciousness will no longer exist.