Diamond Sutra: Beyond All Illusions

2024 Oct 25 - 2025 Mar 02

The relationship between religion and art is both complex and intimately intertwined. With the advancement of printing technology and the widespread availability of vernacular versions of the Bible, the authority of text gradually began to replace the authority of images. Although images were no longer regarded as direct conduits to God or the Holy Spirit, people continued to seek a kind of “divine unity” through visual representation. In Taiwan, when modern aesthetics were introduced, the tension between textual and visual authority did not become a central driving force within the local artistic reform. As a result, the rupture between religion and figurative visual art was neither as intense nor as clearly defined as in the West. A case in point is the large-scale joint exhibition centered on the Buddhist scripture The Diamond Sutra, featuring Hsun Chiang, Yung-Ling Tseng, and Nick Dong. The exhibition took place across multiple venues, including the Chishang Barn Art Museum and Chiang Hsun Gallery in Chishang, as well as the Chiang Hsun Gallery in Tainan. It stands as a compelling example of the interweaving of Buddhist teachings with contemporary artistic creation and curatorial practice.

宗教與藝術之間的關係既複雜又緊密，彼此交織糾葛。隨著印刷技術的發展和方言版本聖經的普及，文字的權威逐漸取代了圖像的權威。儘管圖像不再被視為與上帝或聖靈直接連結的媒介，人們仍然期待透過圖像來達到某種「神聖合一」的境界。臺灣，當現代美學傳入之時，文字與圖像的權威之爭並未成為藝術改革的內部核心驅力，因此宗教與具像的圖像藝術之間的斷裂，並不如西方那樣劇烈或明確。圍繞佛教經典《金剛經》為核心主題、由蔣勳、曾永玲與董承濂共同參與，分別在臺東池上穀倉藝術館、池上蔣勳書房，以及臺南水交社展出的大型聯展，便是佛教教義與當代藝術創作及展覽相互結合、彼此輝映的一個例子。