三民主義痛苦補習班
2010
一間教室
中文
三民主義，吾黨所宗，時代變了，主義也廢考了，在唱國歌的時候，已成為無意識唱過去，也不會思量與現代的生活有何關聯的突兀玩意，是的，就是突兀。
在還沒有廢考的時代，就已經是背誦著不被實現的條文感受到與現實的突兀，大中國的民族主義對照著邦交國越來越少的台灣現狀，或著在解嚴前可以在綠島研讀民權主義的政治自由，或著當股市萬點時代全民炒股炒房地產的時候對照民生主義，課本背的越勤快，越是覺得荒謬。為了得分還是得昧著良心闡述三民主義的優越性寫在申論題試卷上，真是現實中的「上下交相賊」。一旦被廢考，立刻被遺忘，遺忘在歷史的塵埃中，多年之後重提此事，只是當作懷舊茶館的佈景，主義有多重要已不重要，重要的是當年是十八歲，這個荒謬只是拿來回憶過往的青春年少。
不過，在更現實的商業機制下，潮流就是要先天下之樂而苦，後天下之苦而樂，台灣錢淹腳目的時代要搞沉重的反省。至於現在，我們要努力裝作快樂，民族主義是最好表現的，因為誰都能拿來打嘴砲，空泛無涯，人人都可是當憤青。民權主義就苦了些，只是受害者並非廣於全民，共鳴少了點。民生主義則是，現在經濟狀況這麼艱難，就別再提了吧，以此為題來出書，每集銷售的狀況十分忠實的反應這三民主義的特性，苦上加苦，雖然違反商業出書的原則，對於有反省癖的人來說，是一種復古的苦行。
不被實行的三民主義，已經退潮流的三民主義，不適合520之後需苦中作樂的現在，那便違反潮流，走進這痛苦教室苦中作苦別有一翻自虐的樂趣，複習主義就是有思想，有信仰，有力量，民族主義的特質，民生主義的意義，民權主義的施行辦法，台人不知台灣事，也是奇怪，在商業的大旗下，又要成為文化殖民地，遺忘，就是個遺忘。(文／VIVA)
VIVA
生於1975年，目前居住與工作於台灣台南市。
http://www.vivaorz.com
展覽
2009 「這是誰的展覽」，台北市立美術館，台北，台灣
2007 「第52屆威尼斯雙年展台灣館」，威尼斯，義大利
2006 「台北雙年展」，台北市立美術館，台北，台灣
The Painful Cram School for the Three Principles of the People
2010
Dimensions of a regular classroom
Chinese texts
“The Three Principles of the People, Our Aim to be…” (lyrics of the National Anthem of the Republic of China). The time has changed, the examination of the Three Principles by Dr. Sun Yat-sen has been abolished. Singing the national anthem has become a mindless behavior, a bizarre and outlandish thing totally unrelated to contemporary life.
Even before it was dropped from the various examinations in Taiwan after 1990s, reciting these doctrines had been felt to be surreal. The “Principle of Nation” of a Great China contrasted with the reality of Taiwan’s dwindling diplomatic relationships. The political dissidents, while imprisoned in Green Island prior to the lift of Martial Law in 1987, studied political liberties proclaimed by the Principle of People’s Rights. Or, at the same time when the stock market broke historical records and involved the entire population in financial speculation and property bubbles, nothing was more ludicrous than memorizing the Doctrine of People’s Welfare for tests. The widespread hypocrisy underlay the faithless exposition in examination about the superiority of the Three Principles. The abolition had thrown the Principles into history’s dustbin. So it may now seem nostalgic to mention this after all these years, even if just as a reminder of the absurdity I experienced as a 18-year-old young man.
However, under current commercial logic where money flows in all directions, reflections become heavy and problematic. Faking happiness becomes a trendy thing to do. The Doctrine of Nationality is the easiest track to take on, because anyone can readily attack the exterior threats; anyone can be an angry youth. The Doctrine of People’s Rights has a harder time to win sympathy, as the victims have become a minority. And don’t even mention the Doctrine of Welfare while the economy is in the harshest of conditions. So it is against the current to publish this series of comics about Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles. The flop of its commercial sale has proven that. For a person preoccupied with self-reflection, it is just an unfashionable, anachronistic form of self-torture.
The unrealized, outdated Three Principles is unfitted to the phony happy climate of the post-520* present time. Thus entering a cramp school’s classroom like students to study the Three Principles, the visitors shall not only feel agony, but also a pleasure in self-irony. Reviewing the Principles is thinking, faith and power! It is unfit for Taiwanese to not know about Taiwan. The commercial logic leads the path towards cultural colonialism! Amnesia is amnesia.
(Translator’s note: The 520 Farmers’ Revolt on May 20, 1988 was one of the largest demonstrations in Taiwan’s history, as farmers demanded the government’s protection against WTO.)
(Text by VIVA. Translated by Manray HSU)
VIVA
b. 1975. Now lives and works in Tainan, Taiwan.
http://www.vivaorz.com
Exhibitions
2009 Whose Exhibition Is This?, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
2007 the 52th la Biennale di Venezia, Taiwan pavilion, Venezia, Italy
2006 Taipei Biennale, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan
