慢品藝術之美 (一) / Savoring the Beauty of Art (Part 1)

身為藝術門外漢的我，一直對藝術鑑賞，充滿著嚮往，雖然我應該看不出個所以然，但是，能有欣賞藝術作品的機會，我就很滿足了，某天在網路上看到有免費入場的藝術展會，趕忙申請，打算到時候去朝聖一下，幾週過後，在我幾乎忘了這件事時，收到簡訊提醒我報到，還好有簡訊通知，要不然我就錯過這展會了。

走進展場的瞬間，看了一眼，人潮說多不多，說少也不少，不過，空氣中瀰漫著一種微妙的氛圍，既莊嚴又自由，我自然而然的興奮起來了，入口處有一些藝術協會的攤位，在推廣他們的業務，像是藝術資產管理，我明顯還沒到那水準，就按我的步調，先從入口處，一區一區的看下去吧。

首先看到是某間畫廊的展間，我一開始就被其中的黃河油畫所吸引，因為我覺得藝術家有把「黃河之水天上來，奔流到海不復回」的氣勢畫出來，他的黃河頌組圖，每一幅都畫的是黃河，但是同中有異，
有湍急洶湧的黃河，有悠悠流淌的黃河，有激蕩翻滾的黃河，我一邊看，一邊想，有生之年應該要去看一下黃河才是，此外，這間藝廊另一位藝術家的抽象系列作品，設計得很巧妙，遠看與近看有不同的風貌。

乖乖是許多人童年中不可或缺的美味零食，許多人第一次接觸乖乖，應該是在小時候，可能是父母在超商或雜貨店隨手買來的零嘴，也可能是校園慶生會或郊遊時，出現在同學共享的零食堆裡，五香口味的乖乖，更是許多人最深刻的味覺回憶，沒想到有藝術家，使用乖乖創作作品，我是不確定是否有跟廠商拿到使用授權，不過，一幅作品要價快四萬元台幣。

在藝術的世界裡，作品的價錢一直是一個充滿爭議與想像的話題，所以，在欣賞完每件作品時，雖然不是每件作品都會標價，不過我都會看看有無作品的標價，因為藝術品的價錢，正是衡量其價值的一種方式，不過我也知道標價不等於成交價，作品沒有人欣賞的話，只能以低價售出，甚至無人問津，這是很現實的。

As someone who’s not really from the art world, I’ve always been drawn to the idea of art appreciation. Even though I probably can’t really understand all the deeper meanings, just having the chance to enjoy art is enough for me. One day, I saw online that there was a free-entry art exhibition, so I quickly signed up, planning to go “pay my respects”. A few weeks later, when I had almost forgotten about it, I got a text reminder. Good thing they sent it—otherwise, I would’ve missed the whole event.

The moment I stepped into the venue, I noticed the crowd wasn’t exactly packed, but it wasn’t sparse either. The air had this subtle atmosphere—both solemn and free—and it instantly got me excited. Right at the entrance, there were booths from various art associations promoting things like art asset management. Clearly, that’s way out of my league, so I decided to just follow my own pace and explore the exhibition area by area.

The first gallery space I entered immediately caught my eye with a series of oil paintings of the Yellow River. I felt the artist really captured the grandeur described in the line “the Yellow River comes from heaven, rushing to the sea, never to return”. His series of Yellow River paintings all had the same subject, but each one showed a different side: one was wild and turbulent, another calm and flowing, and another roaring and crashing. As I looked, I couldn’t help but think—I should really visit the Yellow River in person someday. Aside from that, another artist’s abstract series was also fascinating, with designs that looked completely different from afar compared to up close.

Then, something unexpected: a piece of art made using “Kuai Kuai” snacks, a childhood favorite for so many people in Taiwan. For a lot of us, our first taste of Kuai Kuai was probably as kids, maybe a snack our parents casually bought from a convenience store, or something we shared during a birthday party or school outing. The five-spice flavor is especially nostalgic for many. I never thought I’d see an artist turn Kuai Kuai into art. I’m not sure if they actually got authorization from the company, but one of the pieces was priced at almost NT$40,000.

In the art world, the price of a piece has always been full of debate and imagination. So after admiring each work, I often checked to see if there was a price tag. Not every piece had one, but I found it interesting, since the price is often seen as a measure of its value. At the same time, I know a listed price doesn’t necessarily equal a sale. If nobody appreciates the work, it might end up being sold at a much lower price—or not at all. That’s just the reality of it.

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