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impermanence / 無常

artist statement

cause-and-effect arises from
self-serving desires, wishful thinking.
over a decade ago, i discussed with
my friend about how funerals would
take place and how to say the last goodbyes.
once the discussion started,
i told my friend we would continue it
some other time. if we had continued,
the thing that would have bothered me
most would be the coffin.
i couldn’t accept that they’re
not environmentally-friendly.
even the recently-developed eco-friendly coffins, which were born of death,
could only be used once.
i couldn’t accept that coffins looked
too complicated, too curvy,
(that was before the minimalist paper coffin
design appeared) because i have always
been a perfectionist who swears
by right angles and straight lines.
but the worst thing about the coffin is
the sense of estrangement. i wondered,
why would i want to be enclosed in
an object that has nothing to do with me?
why would i let something that i have
no feelings for to be at my side during
my last moment in this world?

after lengthy deliberation,
i decided on a sofa bed which i would
use for 30, maybe 50 years, and then get
packed up along with it and go…
how nice, how warm
and environmentally-friendly!
What’s more, as i get involved
with the sofa bed day in day out,
i get a first-hand experience of death
as part of living, and at the same time,
take a close reexamination of my own life.

impermanence is in-between
the sofa bed and the coffin.
impermanence is in-between life,
death and next life.
and in-between, is to cherish,
to be positive, proactive, free…
impermanence is to experience life.

緣起，
只因主觀願望，只因一廂情願⋯
十多年前與朋友說起葬禮的形式，
如何與他人見最後一面。
表白了我關心的是：
怕悲情、怕香燭煙火、
怕傳統中式葬禮的多顏色⋯⋯
開了話題，拜託了朋友，
往後再看吧。
再想下去，
最不安的要算是棺木這環節吧。
接受不了它不夠環保，
就算是近年面世的環保棺材，
也是因死而「生」的市場產品；
只可使用一次的奢侈產品。
接受不了它不夠簡約和
多弧線外型的設計[當時還未
出現紙棺材這比較簡約的造型]，
正因為一向自知是個對直線、
四正追求「完美」主義者。
最最接受不了的是陌生感受。
心裡問：
為何在離世的最後一刻、
伴着的空間，
竟是被那個與一生無關、
沒時日感情、
沒感覺的東西包圍着。

想了想了，決定做張梳化床，
用它三、五十年，
然後裹身一同離去。
符合環保原則，
多麼親切，多好 ⋯⋯
再想，藉着每天親近
梳化床的互動，親身感受「死」
是人生的一部分這概念；
親近面對自己人生的一個功課。

無常。是梳化床和棺木之間。
無常。是今生和死亡和來生之間。
之間。應該是珍惜⋯
是正面⋯ 是積極⋯ 是自在⋯
無常。是體驗人生。

category

installation , object

year

2009