ART BASEL 2023 焦點 ：藝術家 Ngoc Nau  | 以不一樣角度 探索當地民間傳統信仰「道母」

今屆 Art Basel 香港藝術展 2023，不少亞洲藝術家探索本土文化中人與精神關係，當中 來自越南 Vin Gallery 於展覽中展出藝術家 Ngoc Nau 創作的視頻裝置 Ritual object 1 (2022)。作品利用投影機播放當地民間傳統信仰「道母」的活動場景，當地十分崇拜三界母神「道母」稱為 Đạo Mẫu，是一種在當今越南盛行的習俗。 「道母」是作為天空、水域和森林的守護者，通常被認為是本土萬物有靈論中自然力量的融合者。

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuB9x5_d01g

雖然這種傳統儀式是十分難以捕捉，但藝術家 Ngoc Nau從當地人民的日常生活中慢慢深入研究，再以影像作紀錄，加入女性化的創作手法投放於 Ritual object 1 這作品之中。Ngoc Nau 更創作了一個 3D 動畫女神" Thai Nyguen"，從影片中可看到儀式上有一個3D 的女神影像同時隨著薩滿的吟唱跳舞。嘗試在傳統的文化中加入科技元素，令「道母」她產生了化身。

通過屏幕投射展示了儀式的過程，Nau 於影片中講述了民間精神實踐的堅持——儘管是以和平及現代化的形式呈現，反映了當地家庭及社會的景況。 而攝影系列作品“平安夜”（2021 年）也採用了光的元素，把照片透過燈箱的表示方式展示出在越南戰爭期間被迫搬遷到 Thai Nyguen 的故事。

作品一覽

Monday. Thailand and Vietnam have been linked for long. Water, wind, and fire. Either way, we can witness the movements, from creatures to humans, from forest to cities, and vice versa.

Tuesday. My grandfather went crazy when he caught a snake to feed his family. Somehow he was miraculously able to burrow himself into the bamboo bush to feel what it was like to be led by a spirit.

Wednesday. When did the Chinese begin to appear on our land? What were they looking for here?The treasures left by previous generations of the Chinese when they invaded Vietnam? Many question marks... There are always some mysteries hidden in the scenes that the Chinese always see first.

Thursday. In the past, the dream house of the northern villagers was compartment house with a red tiles roof, three rows of areca trees facing the habitation, and a tea garden. However, these peaceful sceneries were unavoidably interwoven with waves of bombs causing the death and terror in the neighborhood.

Friday. A coalfield landslide engulfed villagers overnight while they were trying to reach a compensation agreement with the government in relation to the surrounding coal mines endangering their lives. All intentions probably always exist in theirs dreams.

Saturday. The ‘Tu Luc Van Doan’ (Self-Strengthening Literary Union), a group of intellectuals active in the 30’s in Northern Vietnam, influenced by European discourses of environmental determinism and urban reform, had an ideal of drastically changing the old society. Their ‘House of light’ project aimed to improve the people’s way of life. While the concept is still alive, it seems that it never went concrete for the majority.

Sunday. Living long enough to earn the 80-year-old certification is the dream of many elderly people living in the rural villages of Northern Vietnam. It is a unique pride that can only be created by humans.It is a testimony of their ability to survive wars, hunger, hard work. A gift of luck given by the gods.

Vin Gallery 展覽
日期：2023年3月21日至3月25日
地點：香港巴塞爾藝術展（Art Basel）香港會議展覽中心 3樓
網頁：vingallery.com