two-channel video installation
19'51" loop
30'28" loop
2012
This work was done during my residency in Thailand. With the help of local residents, I
invited some of the women in the sex industry
to participate in the project. I bought a period of their services, and asked them to accept "my
interview" and "a karaoke party only for them". It was an attempt to create a "red light district art
happening", or in simpler terms, an artistic action achieved through the
exchange of money. The karaoke
is the location where they usually work, but now it is where they entertain
themselves and a physical space in which art takes place. Their original work
to meet men's physical desires is now altered to meet the needs of art. The entire action confounds the
contradictory relationship between aesthetics, money and power. This process is
recorded into two separate films, and synchronically played in the exhibition.
interview- Ch&En from fanhsiaolan on Vimeo.
karaoke from fanhsiaolan on Vimeo.
這件作品是在曼谷駐村時拍攝的。我去拜訪隔壁的色情卡啦OK，邀請裡面工作的女性辦一場趴踢，並且訪談他們對於隔壁藝術空間的看法，以及關於自己的夢想。我分別買下他們一個時段，讓他們接受我的訪談，並企圖在這個看似歡樂的場合裡製造一種矛盾感，因為簡單來說這是一個透過金錢交換而達成的藝術行動。
這個卡拉OK是他們平日工作接客的地點，現在卻變成他們娛樂自己的場所、也變成另一個可能讓藝術在其中發生的實際空間，他們的工作在此刻變成滿足某種藝術的需要。
〈未竟的觀看之路：談范曉嵐的影像作用〉 文／鄭文琦
原載於《典藏今藝術》no.253
<後記>
在泰國駐村的地點位於曼谷中國城附近的老紅燈區，附近充滿了各種色情旅館和卡拉OK，以及隨處可見日夜交替的阻街女郎。我們居住的這棟藝術空間就夾雜在這條老舊的大街上，一樓的玻璃門敞開，便經常會有不得其門的尋芳客誤闖。
每天我從住的地方走到對街買杯咖啡，或是站在門口抽菸，總是會吸引許多異樣及打量的眼光，我想這多半與我是個女性有關，泰國很熱所以我們這些藝術家多半穿著涼快，而一個穿著涼快站在門口抽菸的亞洲女性，在這條大街上看起來就跟其它的女孩沒兩樣（你得知道如果是西方面孔就不會那麼相像了）。對路過的人來說這似乎就代表著某種性服務的標誌，然而對我來說卻形成了一種極有趣、相似又對立的光景 ─藝術空間(藝術家)與色情行業(阻街女)的並存─。有時我和對面的女孩互相觀望甚至四目交接，看著他們跟停下來的車輛談著交易，有時他們跟著上車離開，有時帶著客人轉身上樓，偶爾客人會往我們這邊走來，然後朝屋裡東張西望後失望離開。
很快地我便想做一個與這些女孩有關的作品，當然這不只是因為他們就充斥在生活的週圍，並且與日常所見的一切緊緊相繫；另一方面不可諱言地性產業的確是泰國明確的形象之一，你根本無法否認這件事實或是假裝它們不存在。如果要理解當地文化與現今的泰國，更不可能忽視這項至少從二戰以來重要的外匯與觀光收入。
耐人尋味的是，拍攝完之後這些女性對這個事件感到疑惑卻充滿感激，事後他們紛紛表示「感到很榮幸很感謝，從沒想過自己竟然也可以參與"藝術"，雖然完全不知道藝術是什麼」，也很高興「我們比其他客人客氣並且尊重他們，要求不多而且付錢爽快。」
The residence was
located near the old red-light district in Chinatown, Bangkok, hence, the
vicinity was filled with erotic hotels and karaoke bars, while prostitutes could be seen everywhere
alternating between day and night. Since, the art space where I did my
residency was situated on this old street and the glass entrance on the first
floor was often open to the public, brothel frequenters would constantly wander
inside.
Each day, I would
walk across the street to buy a cup of coffee or stand in the doorway to smoke,
which would always attract the attention/stare of many strangers. I think such
reactions came mostly from my being a woman. Since the climate in Thailand
Soon I knew I
wanted to work on a project associated with these girls, of course, not because
they surrounded us and were linked to everything we were exposed to on a daily
basis; on the other hand, one cannot deny the fact that the sex industry is
indeed one of the illustrious images of Thailand Thailand
Therefore, with
the help of local residents, I invited some of the women in the sex trade to
participate in my project. I bought a period of each their services, requesting
them to accept "my interview" and "a karaoke party only for
them". It was an attempt to create a "red light district art
happening", or in simpler terms, an artistic action achieved through the
exchange of money. The karaoke is the location where they usually work, but now
it is where they entertain themselves and a physical space in which art takes
place. Their original work to meet men's physical desires is now altered to
meet the needs of art. Therefore, the entire action confounds the contradictory
relationship between aesthetics, money and power.
This process was recorded into two separate films, and synchronically played in the exhibition.
PS. Interestingly, these women were puzzled but full of gratitude towards the entire event, and afterwards stated that they "felt very honored and grateful, [they] never thought that [they] could also be involved in art, despite not knowing what art is." They were also very pleased that "[we] were kinder than the other clients and respected them. [We] did not ask for much and paid for the services rendered immediately."
This process was recorded into two separate films, and synchronically played in the exhibition.
PS. Interestingly, these women were puzzled but full of gratitude towards the entire event, and afterwards stated that they "felt very honored and grateful, [they] never thought that [they] could also be involved in art, despite not knowing what art is." They were also very pleased that "[we] were kinder than the other clients and respected them. [We] did not ask for much and paid for the services rendered immediately."
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