“Joke Project” is an endeavor to present the tangible and the intangible while exhibiting and documenting the process of contemporary art. “Joke Project” is divided into two parts, one part consists of a combination of images and text that make up jokes; the other part documents about how the project came into being.
I began to collect, select, revise, and edit some of the jokes circulating between my friends via e-mail. I customized and added corresponding images related to the jokes. Protagonists in the images looked indifferent and vacuous in terms of their facial expressions and movements. Their clothes and the setting were not distinct in any way. As a result, nondescript and anticlimactic images paired with consumerist, entertaining texts generated a kind of incongruent tension as well as bizarre contrast. In a way, viewers are challenged by this stark contrast while reading the content of the text, as they need to step out of their comfort zone and move away from what they are normally used to. At the same time, this project deviates from the usual images and texts employed by the media in a consumerist society.
The “Joke Project” is aimed at exhibiting the creative process of this piece of artwork through the related documents. Currently in Taiwan, contemporary art comes into being under the influence of cultural policies and the context and norm of how art is created and developed. The way art projects operate is usually as follows: 1. Artist comes up with an idea for a project; 2. Seeks financial support; 3. Produces the artwork; 4. Advertisement and promotion; 5. Exhibition; 6. Soliciting art reviews. Against this backdrop, I collected and produced all the documents of this project, which included coming up with a proposal for the project, applying for grants by filling out official forms, creating the artwork perse, conducting media procurement, sending out invitations and posters, unveiling the artwork, filing for reimbursement, and finally closing the project. All sketches, proposals, official documents, e-mails, MSN messages, samples, as well as letters to solicit reviews were all included as part of this project.
The so-called “text” in this project is the art per se. But what exactly is “art” in this instance? I hold reservations about the definition and the scope of art, as the so called “text” is far more complicated and abstract than we imagine it to be. Every project or exhibition includes a tangible part and an obscure, intangible part. I call it obscure because most people do not consider the “process” of something as art. However, seeking financial support, advertising, and soliciting reviews are all a part of the contemporary art landscape in Taiwan, and also something indispensable to artists. Therefore, the process and behaviors that are not considered art are actually the foundation and context for the generation of it. Whether we are aware of their existence or not, they do deeply influence the so-called tangible part of art. I feel we should acknowledge the intangible, as these norms and mechanisms determine the form, the operation, the meaning, and what art is in the minds of the general public.
In the “Joke Project”, how artists, the media, and the larger context interact with each other is revealed through documents and artworks. In this project, sketches, manuscripts, proposals, emails, and the artworks themselves become process documents. Handwritten notes are made on these documents and the thinking process of the author is preserved as a result. These “process documents,” on the one hand, are a reflection and interpretation of the images and texts within the project. On the other hand, the intangible process of art creation has been turned into de facto art. In the “Joke Project”, documents exist not for the sake of documentation, but become a means of expression. As part of the text, documents are justified and gain legitimate status, transforming from something which is not seen as “text” or the invisible into the legitimate. The “Joke Project” turned the process of applying for grants, advertising, soliciting art reviews, and interacting with the media into art, transforming the process of art into the behavior of art.
Contemporary artists interact frequently with art institutions and the media, seeking grants, promotion opportunities, and soliciting reviews. These behaviors all have to do with the resources available, the media, and the function and influence of discourse about art. To be more straightforward, without financial resources, without the media, and without discourse about art, contemporary art would not even exist today. In that sense, be it showcasing their ideas, values, and ideologies, or in terms of the language, form, aesthetics applied, and even the motivation of or the goal for an art project, artists are always at the mercy of cultural policies and art institutions. Even though the “Joke Project” tries to rebel against and reflect upon the norm in the contemporary art landscape, this endeavor is destined to fail. The attempt is just like the fate of Sisyphus, a kind tragic irony, since all efforts made will be in vain. To an extent, artists understand the reality of the art scene. They know how they are “consumed” and how they take on the role of an “art generating machine,” producing artworks and then participating in exhibitions. It seems as if the function of art is to be appreciated, displayed, and collected. Whether one likes it or not, agrees with it or not, this is the reality of contemporary art. In a way, “art” itself resembles a “joke” in the sense that one sees or hears it, laughs at it, and that is all there is to it.
〈笑話計劃〉試著將藝術中可見與不可見的都呈現出來，展覽、紀錄一個當代藝術發生過程的案例。〈笑話計劃〉分為兩個部分，一是由一系列影像與文字組合的笑話圖文。二是關於這個計劃的過程文件。
我自2001年開始收集、挑選、修改、編輯朋友間轉寄的電子郵件的笑話。我依照笑話中的情境量身訂做與之配合的影像，這些圖文的人物表情、動作冷漠呆滯，服裝、場景平常無奇，這種去特殊性、反戲劇化的影像，在與消費性、娛樂化的文字並置搭配下，反而形成一種不協調的張力與詭異的冷凝對比，使觀者經歷一點閱覽上的挫折，挑戰觀者習慣的安適與滿足感，及資本主義傳媒慣用的影像與文字的邏輯。這就是此計劃笑話圖文的部分。
〈笑話計劃〉的過程文件，是將實現此計劃展出的程序以文件的方式呈現。目前台灣從事當代藝術創作的程序與模式，深為文化政策、藝術機制的制定與發展所影響，這個程序與模式大約是：1. 構思作品、2. 尋求補助、3.製作作品、4. 廣告文宣、5. 展演活動、6. 策動評論。我收集、製造整個計劃的文件，從擬定計劃、申請創作補助、製作作品、購買媒體廣告、發出邀請卡與海報、作品發表，到結案核銷的過程，將其中的草圖、計劃書、公文、往來E-mail、MSN Messenger、輸出打樣，乃至邀約藝評文字通通收入。
所謂文本，是指作品本身。可是「作品本身」是什麼呢？對於這個定義與其範疇我個人是打問號的。文本，遠遠比我們想像中的要隱晦複雜。每一個作品或展覽都有它顯現、可見的部分，也有它隱藏、不可見的部分。說是隱密的，是因為多數人不認為過程是作品。然而，尋求補助、廣告文宣、策動評論其實是台灣當代專業藝術工作者一定會涉及的部分，這些不被視為藝術的過程與行為，其實就是產生藝術的深沉底蘊與脈絡，不論有沒有意識到它的存在，它的確深深地影響那可見的部分。我覺得我們實在應該正視這些不可見的部分，因為這就是慣例與機制，而它們又決定了作品的形式、操作模式、意義導向，以及一般人認為的藝術是什麼。
在〈笑話計劃〉中，藝術家與媒體、藝術機制的互動都顯露在過程文件與作品共同結構的脈絡裡。這些草圖、草稿、計劃書、往來的E-mail以及作品的論述都成為文件，並在上面直接用手寫繪做出工作筆記，留下思考的過程。「過程文件」一方面對圖文做了一些反省與詮釋；另一方面也將原本不可見的過程轉變成作品。在這裡，文件不為紀錄，而是一種表達的形式。文件做為文本的一部分，至此獲得正名正身，從非文本或隱藏的文本變成正大光明的文本了。〈笑話計劃〉將申請創作補助、文宣廣告、邀寫藝評、應對媒體化暗為明地轉化成作品，將整個藝術生產的過程轉化為藝術過程的行為。
在當代藝術中，藝術家與藝術機構、媒體有很頻繁的互動，尋求補助、廣告文宣、策動評論，這些行為涉及資源、媒體與論述的功能與影響力。說的直接一點，沒有資源、媒體與論述的共謀，就沒有當代藝術。但也因此，藝術家在當代藝術展演中，從觀念、價值、意識型態，到語言、形式、美學，乃至創作動機與目的，都受到文化政策與藝術機制的種種制約。雖然〈笑話計劃〉對當代藝術的體制化進行了某種程度的反叛與省思，但結局卻是注定落敗的，猶如薛西弗斯的宿命與寓言，是一種徒勞無功的反諷。藝術家在某方面而言，明瞭在展演機制中生產與被消費的現實，承當一個製造藝術的活體機器，生產藝術，參與展覽。似乎，藝術的功能與目的就是被觀賞、被展示、被收藏。不論喜歡不喜歡，同意不同意，這就是當代藝術的現實。至於「藝術」自身，猶如一般「笑話」的功能與目的：看過了，笑一笑，就可以了。
I began to collect, select, revise, and edit some of the jokes circulating between my friends via e-mail. I customized and added corresponding images related to the jokes. Protagonists in the images looked indifferent and vacuous in terms of their facial expressions and movements. Their clothes and the setting were not distinct in any way. As a result, nondescript and anticlimactic images paired with consumerist, entertaining texts generated a kind of incongruent tension as well as bizarre contrast. In a way, viewers are challenged by this stark contrast while reading the content of the text, as they need to step out of their comfort zone and move away from what they are normally used to. At the same time, this project deviates from the usual images and texts employed by the media in a consumerist society.
The “Joke Project” is aimed at exhibiting the creative process of this piece of artwork through the related documents. Currently in Taiwan, contemporary art comes into being under the influence of cultural policies and the context and norm of how art is created and developed. The way art projects operate is usually as follows: 1. Artist comes up with an idea for a project; 2. Seeks financial support; 3. Produces the artwork; 4. Advertisement and promotion; 5. Exhibition; 6. Soliciting art reviews. Against this backdrop, I collected and produced all the documents of this project, which included coming up with a proposal for the project, applying for grants by filling out official forms, creating the artwork perse, conducting media procurement, sending out invitations and posters, unveiling the artwork, filing for reimbursement, and finally closing the project. All sketches, proposals, official documents, e-mails, MSN messages, samples, as well as letters to solicit reviews were all included as part of this project.
The so-called “text” in this project is the art per se. But what exactly is “art” in this instance? I hold reservations about the definition and the scope of art, as the so called “text” is far more complicated and abstract than we imagine it to be. Every project or exhibition includes a tangible part and an obscure, intangible part. I call it obscure because most people do not consider the “process” of something as art. However, seeking financial support, advertising, and soliciting reviews are all a part of the contemporary art landscape in Taiwan, and also something indispensable to artists. Therefore, the process and behaviors that are not considered art are actually the foundation and context for the generation of it. Whether we are aware of their existence or not, they do deeply influence the so-called tangible part of art. I feel we should acknowledge the intangible, as these norms and mechanisms determine the form, the operation, the meaning, and what art is in the minds of the general public.
In the “Joke Project”, how artists, the media, and the larger context interact with each other is revealed through documents and artworks. In this project, sketches, manuscripts, proposals, emails, and the artworks themselves become process documents. Handwritten notes are made on these documents and the thinking process of the author is preserved as a result. These “process documents,” on the one hand, are a reflection and interpretation of the images and texts within the project. On the other hand, the intangible process of art creation has been turned into de facto art. In the “Joke Project”, documents exist not for the sake of documentation, but become a means of expression. As part of the text, documents are justified and gain legitimate status, transforming from something which is not seen as “text” or the invisible into the legitimate. The “Joke Project” turned the process of applying for grants, advertising, soliciting art reviews, and interacting with the media into art, transforming the process of art into the behavior of art.
Contemporary artists interact frequently with art institutions and the media, seeking grants, promotion opportunities, and soliciting reviews. These behaviors all have to do with the resources available, the media, and the function and influence of discourse about art. To be more straightforward, without financial resources, without the media, and without discourse about art, contemporary art would not even exist today. In that sense, be it showcasing their ideas, values, and ideologies, or in terms of the language, form, aesthetics applied, and even the motivation of or the goal for an art project, artists are always at the mercy of cultural policies and art institutions. Even though the “Joke Project” tries to rebel against and reflect upon the norm in the contemporary art landscape, this endeavor is destined to fail. The attempt is just like the fate of Sisyphus, a kind tragic irony, since all efforts made will be in vain. To an extent, artists understand the reality of the art scene. They know how they are “consumed” and how they take on the role of an “art generating machine,” producing artworks and then participating in exhibitions. It seems as if the function of art is to be appreciated, displayed, and collected. Whether one likes it or not, agrees with it or not, this is the reality of contemporary art. In a way, “art” itself resembles a “joke” in the sense that one sees or hears it, laughs at it, and that is all there is to it.
〈笑話計劃〉試著將藝術中可見與不可見的都呈現出來，展覽、紀錄一個當代藝術發生過程的案例。〈笑話計劃〉分為兩個部分，一是由一系列影像與文字組合的笑話圖文。二是關於這個計劃的過程文件。
我自2001年開始收集、挑選、修改、編輯朋友間轉寄的電子郵件的笑話。我依照笑話中的情境量身訂做與之配合的影像，這些圖文的人物表情、動作冷漠呆滯，服裝、場景平常無奇，這種去特殊性、反戲劇化的影像，在與消費性、娛樂化的文字並置搭配下，反而形成一種不協調的張力與詭異的冷凝對比，使觀者經歷一點閱覽上的挫折，挑戰觀者習慣的安適與滿足感，及資本主義傳媒慣用的影像與文字的邏輯。這就是此計劃笑話圖文的部分。
〈笑話計劃〉的過程文件，是將實現此計劃展出的程序以文件的方式呈現。目前台灣從事當代藝術創作的程序與模式，深為文化政策、藝術機制的制定與發展所影響，這個程序與模式大約是：1. 構思作品、2. 尋求補助、3.製作作品、4. 廣告文宣、5. 展演活動、6. 策動評論。我收集、製造整個計劃的文件，從擬定計劃、申請創作補助、製作作品、購買媒體廣告、發出邀請卡與海報、作品發表，到結案核銷的過程，將其中的草圖、計劃書、公文、往來E-mail、MSN Messenger、輸出打樣，乃至邀約藝評文字通通收入。
所謂文本，是指作品本身。可是「作品本身」是什麼呢？對於這個定義與其範疇我個人是打問號的。文本，遠遠比我們想像中的要隱晦複雜。每一個作品或展覽都有它顯現、可見的部分，也有它隱藏、不可見的部分。說是隱密的，是因為多數人不認為過程是作品。然而，尋求補助、廣告文宣、策動評論其實是台灣當代專業藝術工作者一定會涉及的部分，這些不被視為藝術的過程與行為，其實就是產生藝術的深沉底蘊與脈絡，不論有沒有意識到它的存在，它的確深深地影響那可見的部分。我覺得我們實在應該正視這些不可見的部分，因為這就是慣例與機制，而它們又決定了作品的形式、操作模式、意義導向，以及一般人認為的藝術是什麼。
在〈笑話計劃〉中，藝術家與媒體、藝術機制的互動都顯露在過程文件與作品共同結構的脈絡裡。這些草圖、草稿、計劃書、往來的E-mail以及作品的論述都成為文件，並在上面直接用手寫繪做出工作筆記，留下思考的過程。「過程文件」一方面對圖文做了一些反省與詮釋；另一方面也將原本不可見的過程轉變成作品。在這裡，文件不為紀錄，而是一種表達的形式。文件做為文本的一部分，至此獲得正名正身，從非文本或隱藏的文本變成正大光明的文本了。〈笑話計劃〉將申請創作補助、文宣廣告、邀寫藝評、應對媒體化暗為明地轉化成作品，將整個藝術生產的過程轉化為藝術過程的行為。
在當代藝術中，藝術家與藝術機構、媒體有很頻繁的互動，尋求補助、廣告文宣、策動評論，這些行為涉及資源、媒體與論述的功能與影響力。說的直接一點，沒有資源、媒體與論述的共謀，就沒有當代藝術。但也因此，藝術家在當代藝術展演中，從觀念、價值、意識型態，到語言、形式、美學，乃至創作動機與目的，都受到文化政策與藝術機制的種種制約。雖然〈笑話計劃〉對當代藝術的體制化進行了某種程度的反叛與省思，但結局卻是注定落敗的，猶如薛西弗斯的宿命與寓言，是一種徒勞無功的反諷。藝術家在某方面而言，明瞭在展演機制中生產與被消費的現實，承當一個製造藝術的活體機器，生產藝術，參與展覽。似乎，藝術的功能與目的就是被觀賞、被展示、被收藏。不論喜歡不喜歡，同意不同意，這就是當代藝術的現實。至於「藝術」自身，猶如一般「笑話」的功能與目的：看過了，笑一笑，就可以了。
