我的阿嬤學堂—在桌椅與化妝鏡之間，重返凝凍的光陰
My Classroom of Grannies -- Return to Frozen Moments among   Tables, Chairs

作品導讀   協同策展人  羅秀芝

如今進學校受教育，是許多國家的國民應盡義務；然而，女性卻等了好多個世紀，才等到進入學堂的那一刻，即便是有教無類的孔子，也無法解救女性於歷史宿命的困境。
鍾文音在素有「三步一舉，五步一秀」美名的大龍峒，走訪在地年長的女性，分享這些「阿嬤」的人生經驗，並嘗試在那些說不出四書五經大道理的女性日常生活物件中，尋找生命激情的能量來源。那些針線分明的繡片，和飄著胭脂香的梳妝台，彷彿隱藏著一套神秘的傳承系統，隱約顯現著充滿奧義的人生密碼。

凝神觀看，在每一張照片的眼眸裡，你將看見那些凝凍的時光裡，閃著生命隱喻的靈光。

Today basic schooling is a universal service in many countries. Yet for centuries, women were not fortunate enough to go to school. Even Confucius’ preaching that education should be for all people could not rescue them from the fate of history.

Visiting Dalongdong, once famous for its successful scholars, Chung Wen-yin interviewed local elderly women, encouraged them to share their life experiences, and sought the power source of the passion for life among the many everyday objects of these almost uneducated grandmothers. Immersed in mysterious surroundings, the fabulous cross-stitched fabrics and antique makeup tables saturated with wondrous fragrances seem to hide a mysterious legacy and reveal the secret codes of profound lives.

Carefully examine each photo, and you will see the vital spark of life in these frozen moments of time.

【理念與過程 / Concept and Process】

我的阿嬤學堂—在桌椅與化妝鏡之間，重返凝凍的光陰
My Classroom of Grannies -- Return to Frozen Moments among   Tables, Chairs

大龍峒區是文風鼎盛的文教區，素有「三步一舉，五步一秀」的美名，孔廟更是代表有教無類的儒學教育中心；然而，女性在此顯然是缺席的。若從人生中教育和學習的角度來看，似乎有另一套神秘的傳承系統存在於女性之間。因此，我實際拜訪大龍峒在地的年長女性，透過訪談與觀察她們的生活物件，分享她們的人生經驗。

在這個過程中，我認識了不同類型的女性，有的從未在家以外的地方就業過，家庭主婦成了唯一的身份與工作，精美的刺繡與講究的杯盤，代言了年輕少婦時期的悠悠歲月。有的女性從十幾歲到七十幾歲，換了不知多少工作地點，那些有點泛黃的照片，娓娓訴說著不同時代的生活點滴。我聽這些老阿媽們講述她們的一生，以文字加入自我主觀感想寫成簡短的小說，並為每個阿媽拍照。除了這些實際的訪談之外，我將加入一些中外歷史上的女性影像與傳記事略，以及一些個人家族相關的女性歷史，在孔廟的西庫以學堂的方式呈現最終的作品。

牆上的照片與小傳代表了女性學習同時也是我個人學習的典範取樣，學堂中的課桌椅將因不同女性而有所差異，有梳妝台、繡台、旅行箱、縫紉機、餐桌、書桌等等不同的學習輔助品。藉此，我想呈現相異於男性儒學教育之外的，屬於女性的人生教育內容。

媒材：照片、現成物
設置方式：在孔廟西庫以靜態展示的方式呈現，展覽期間擇日邀請受訪對象實際進行學堂授課。

Datong is a thriving cultural and educational community, steeped in a rich tradition of academia. No matter where you travel in Datong, you’re bound to find vestiges of scholarly undertakings. The Confucian Temple represents a center that teaches the works of Confucius without regard to its students’ backgrounds. Nevertheless, women are noticeably absent here. From the perspective of the teachings and studies of life, it seems as if women’s roles are cloaked in mystery. As a result, Wen-yin Chung traveled to Datong to interview these now-elderly women, observing the accoutrements they used in daily life and gaining insight into their life experiences.

Through interviews, Chung came to know a great many women hailing from different backgrounds. Some never left home to go work, the appellation “housewife” their sole identity and principal occupation. Delicate cross-stitched fabrics and exquisite cups and plates represent the carefree years of their youth. Some women, from the ages of 10 to 17, changed jobs innumerable times. Indeed, their yellowing photographs speak volumes to the life of a different era. What emerged from this was a simple novel of Chung’s impressions of these women’s lives, with photos of each grandmother, or “A-Ma,” interviewed. In the future, Chung will add stories and images of other women both from Taiwan and abroad, as well as some personal household women’s history. Her work is displayed in the west chamber of the Taipei Confucian Temple to evoke the feeling of being back in school.

The photos and short biographies on the walls are a study of these women, while also a study of the artist. The tables and chairs inside the classroom will differ somewhat since they come from different women. They include makeup stands, embroidering tables, suitcases, sewing machines, dinner tables, desks and other study accoutrements. With this, Chung hopes not only to illustrate differences in Confucian education between males and females but also to showcase the educational content unique to the lives of these women.


佈展過程

發想與訪談

【藝術家介紹 / About Artist】

	鍾文音　 Wen -yin  Chung 學經歷 淡江大學大傳系畢。 曾獲文學獎、聯合報文學獎、台北文學獎、長榮華航旅行文學獎、中央日報文學獎、第一屆劉紹唐傳記文學獎、世界華文小說獎和國家文藝基金會小說創作補助等。 畢業初期曾游牧於電影場記和劇照師等工作，黑白照片是她的另類擅長。曾擔任記者 一職，現今專事寫作和繪畫創作。著有短篇小說一天兩個人（探索）、從今而後(大田)、散文集--寫給你的日記（大田）、台灣美術山川行旅圖（新新聞）、繪本書--裝著心的行李（星月書房）和多本筆記書等。最新作品昨日重現（大田）以物件和影像記錄家族之原的生命凝結。
被喻為90年代後期掘起的優秀小說家，兼以散文之筆寫家族寫旅行寫島嶼，是近幾年全國重要性文學獎的常勝軍，多次囊括時報文學獎、聯合報文學獎等。畢業初期曾游牧於電影場記和劇照師等工作，黑白照片是她的另類擅長。 曾擔任記者一職，現今專事寫作和繪畫創作。 著有短篇小說《一天兩個人》（探索出版）、長篇小說《女島紀行》（探索出版）、《從今而後》、《過去》（大田出版）、散文集《寫給你的日記》、《昨日重現》（大田出版）、《台灣美術山川行旅圖》、繪本書《裝著心的行李》（星月書房出版）和多本筆記書等。