【 從攝影提問，我們想像藝術的可能】 系列座談
前導場：一片荒原的台灣當代攝影？
(for English, please scroll down)
日期：2018.3.17（六） 1400 – 1600
與談：王咏琳、王聖閎、汪正翔
地點：TCAC 台北當代藝術中心
協力媒體：新活水，TAP – The Art Press 藝術擴散誌
(本座談將以中文進行）
「無論是便宜行事地以『影像』來稀釋『攝影』，還是以為直接邁入當代藝術與視覺文化的泛泛之論，就能不求甚解地略過對攝影史的批判性回顧，恐怕都過度看輕了攝影之於台灣的重要文化意義。基於上述理由，我們確實必須審慎看待攝影與當代藝術之間的關係。」
——王聖閎，〈從攝影實踐的擴充到學院困境：也談《新活水》上的攝影論爭（上篇）〉
日前藝評王咏琳在新活水網站上發表文章〈似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影〉，她詢問台灣當代攝影為何恰似一片荒原，提及年輕創作者只模仿了當代藝術的創作形式而缺乏深刻理解。攝影創作者汪正翔以〈躊躇在荒原之中：回應〈似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影〉〉，提出創作者某種躊躇在當代與本格攝影之間的心情。藝評王聖閎也撰文回應，進一步觸及攝影的當代可能以及攝影教育。這些討論牽涉一個根本的問題，即「攝影」與「當代藝術」的關係，特別是在台灣的語境中。
事實上回顧西方攝影史，每一次對攝影本質的探討，都是為了回應一個新的藝術問題。譬如現成物的出現改變了現代主義攝影對待物件的看法，觀念攝影利用攝影的機械性挑戰藝術的自治，或是後現代攝影利用操縱影像創造虛構的真實。在這個意義上，攝影本質並非僅僅是一個學門內的問題，也可能是做為藝術的參照甚至對立。如同人類在歷史上第一次看到照片時產生的複雜心情：如果這樣就可以製造一個藝術作品，那到底藝術是什麼？
此次座談將邀請王咏琳、王聖閎與汪正翔討論已發表的文章，期望能夠讓彼此觀點更為聚焦，並開展屬於這一時代與台灣脈絡的攝影/藝術敘事。
座談建議閱讀資料：
王咏琳，〈似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影〉
https://www.fountain.org.tw/r/post/taiwan-contemporary-photography
汪正翔，〈躊躇在荒原之中：回應〈似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影〉〉
https://www.fountain.org.tw/r/post/feedback-to-taiwan-contemporary-photography
王聖閎，〈從攝影實踐的擴充到學院困境：也談《新活水》上的攝影論爭（上篇）〉
http://talks.taishinart.org.tw/juries/wsh/2018022801
王聖閎，〈從攝影實踐的擴充到學院困境：也談《新活水》上的攝影論爭（下篇）〉
http://talks.taishinart.org.tw/juries/wsh/2018022802
參考資料：
《攝影訪談輯》https://www.facebook.com/photologuestw/
圖片：汪正翔，那些台灣不美的風景，2015。
Conversation Series: What Art We Talk About When We Talk About Photography
Like a Wilderness — Contemporary Photography in Taiwan
Date: 3/17(Sat.) 1400 – 1600
Speakers: Yunling Wang, Sheng-Hung Wang, Sean Wang
Venue: TCAC
Media Partners: 新活水, TAP – The Art Press 藝術擴散誌
The conversation is presented in Mandarin.
“Whether it is expediently replacing photography with image in the discussion, or borrowing theories in contemporary art and visual culture without comprehensive and critical thinking on the history of photography, both would discredit the scope of photography in Taiwanese context and cultural scene. Following this vein of thought, we have to thoroughly and carefully scrutinize the relation between contemporary art and photography.”
by Sheng-Hung Wang, “從攝影實踐的擴充到學院困境：也談《新活水》上的攝影論爭（上篇）”
Art critic Yunling Wang recent online publication Like a Wildness – Contemporary Photography in Taiwan (似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影) posed a question: Why is contemporary photography in Taiwan like a wildness? She pointed out that the younger generation of photographers imitated the form of contemporary art without comprehensive understanding. Photographer Sean Wang provided a possible explanation that the ambiguity between contemporary photography and documentary photography led to the current situation. Following the discussion, art critic Sheng-Hung Wang raised the issues about contemporaneity of photography and photography education in Taiwan. Of all these articles are responded to a critical and necessary inquiry on the relation between contemporary art and photography, especially in the Taiwanese context.
Looking back on “western” history of photography, we realize that the progress in conveying the essence of photography mainly responds to a new question raised in the realm of fine art. For example, the use of ready-made in fine art reshaped the way of modernism photography looking at objects; the mechanical reproduction of photography challenged the autonomy of fine art. The post-modern photography further manipulated the reality with fictional images. These historical moments reveal the essence of photography is not only a debate concerning photography itself, but is also a reference or even a contrast to art. Like the contemplation evoked when we saw a photo the first time in the history, the wonder continues — what is art if the photography is an artwork?
The conversation is led by Yunling Wang, Sheng-Hung Wang and Sean Wang. With the dialogue on their articles, we hope to provoke ideas and innovative practices in photography, shaping a narrative of contemporary photography and art in the Taiwanese context.
Suggested Readings (in Chinese).
王咏琳，〈似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影〉
https://www.fountain.org.tw/r/post/taiwan-contemporary-photography
汪正翔，〈躊躇在荒原之中：回應〈似如一片荒原的台灣當代攝影〉〉
https://www.fountain.org.tw/r/post/feedback-to-taiwan-contemporary-photography
王聖閎，〈從攝影實踐的擴充到學院困境：也談《新活水》上的攝影論爭（上篇）〉
http://talks.taishinart.org.tw/juries/wsh/2018022801
王聖閎，〈從攝影實踐的擴充到學院困境：也談《新活水》上的攝影論爭（下篇）〉
http://talks.taishinart.org.tw/juries/wsh/2018022802
Photo Credit: Sean Wang, My Scenery, 2015.
