Nick Dong: 11 to 88

Jun 6 - Aug 25, 2024

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 舊金山芳草地藝術中心

A visionary craftsman, sculptor, and engineer, Nick Dong finds beauty in the unknowable. In the exhibition Nick Dong: 11 to 88, he invites visitors into a distinctive world of levitating symbols, illuminated rooms, and cyclical transformations.

Blending scientific precision with artisanal craftsmanship, Dong’s mesmerizing objects and installations find their roots in his upbringing as a Taiwanese-American, steeped in the traditions and history of Buddhism. Transcending visual aesthetics, he aims to provoke spiritual awakening and introspection. Dong’s work explores the intersection of spirituality and the tangible world, evident in his interplay of light and sound.

At 50, drawing from Confucius's wisdom of self-awareness, I see the creation of Auspicious 88 as a representation of my self-realization. Drawing from the auspicious symbols of Buddhism, I plan to craft 88 works and correlate them with 11 stages of human life. The complete body of work will include 88 pieces of experiential sculpture, objects, and installations, created to engage audiences beyond the optical—reflecting a deep and profound journey of creation, spirituality, and calmness.”

In 11 to 88, Dong shares the first 11 works of his forthcoming ambitious project Auspicious 88. This exhibition offers a glimpse into his larger vision, which will culminate in 2028 with 88 interconnected art pieces arranged to guide viewers through a cyclical and immersive journey.

受邀自策展人馬丁．斯特里克蘭（Martin Strickland），2024年的夏天，董承濂將於舊金山芳草地藝術中心（YBCA）舉辦他的沈浸式個展《Nick Dong: 11 to 88》，展覽將於6月6日隆重開幕，展期至8月25日。

本次展覽為《八十八吉祥》計畫在美洲的首次展出，這個長期的計畫預計於2028年完成88件相互關聯的作品，並在YBCA發表系列的前11件作品，每件創作都屬於董承濂藝術旅程的一部分，讓觀眾一窺這個藝術家的宏大願景。本次展覽中，光線與聲音相互作用，探索了靈性與物質世界的交集。

觀眾被邀請進入兩個沉浸式的明亮房間，走近展出的物體時，它們會逐步被點亮，觀者的注意力將會自然地被轉移至不同的創作。

董承濂認為，觀眾是構成作品的重要關鍵，只有當觀眾進入空間時，他的沉浸式裝置才算完成。本次展覽邀請觀眾進入董承濂的藝術實踐——強調過程中的轉化與力量，勝於最終的成果。參觀者可以加入藝術家的內省之旅，讓自己在這個藝術空間中體驗靈性的轉變。

我相信藝術其中一個重要的功能是療癒這個被分裂的社會。因此，我希望我可以打造出一個能消弭歧見、促進對人性共同的覺知、引導人們彼此欣賞和團結的精神體驗。

當我年屆50歲時，我深刻體會到孔子所云『五十知天命』，因此我將《八十八吉祥》的創作視為一種自我實現，從佛教的吉祥符號中汲取靈感，製作88件作品，並將它們與人生的11個階段聯繫起來。完整的作品將包括 88 件體驗式雕塑、物品和裝置，旨在打造一個超越視覺語言，映照靈性和平靜的深刻旅程。

Journey is the Reward 旅程即是回報

In the words of exhibition curator Martin Strickland:

There is a powerful lesson in Nick Dong: 11 to 88. In a world where we tend to only reward the completed idea, we often neglect the most fruitful part of all: the journey of self-reflection that it takes to attain a creative vision. While the objects in Nick Dong: 11 to 88 are indeed pristine, calm, fully-realized artworks, they represent only the first portion of his vision, towards 88 interconnected pieces to be completed by 2028. The 11 objects on view in this show tell a story of an artist meeting his moment—of fully reflecting on a life devoted to learning, growing and improvement. In the works, visitors can see themselves, lose themselves, shed their egos, and become open to experiences yet to come. And yet these works are still only the beginning.

展覽策展人馬丁・斯特里克蘭（Martin Strickland）說道：

《Nick Dong: 11 to 88》 蘊藏著一個深刻的啟示。在這個世界上，我們往往只獎勵已完成的創意，卻常常忽視其中最豐盛的部分乃是通往願景的自我反思之旅。

儘管展覽中的作品精緻、寧靜，且忠實呈現了藝術家的想法，但它們僅代表了董承濂創作願景的開端，這個願景將帶領他在2028年完成88個相互連結的作品。