十年一覺
去年年底，我為牛房倉庫策劃一個外地駐留藝術家的展覽，那時展場樓上兩層的空間正好在舉辦文獻展「我們・藝術空間」，展示牛房倉庫2001年至2010年間的展覽檔案，我便好奇地從自己的佈展現場走進牛房的歷史現場。 牛房一直是澳門當代藝術最為人熟知的實驗場，於是這次文件展便多少有着澳門當代藝術文件展的意味。但策展人似乎想將歷史書寫的權利留給觀眾，展覽沒有太多宏觀的敘事，主要是其時宣傳物、出版物與影像文件的歸類陳列。遊走在這些文件之間，它們開始自己訴說着自己，歷史感撲面而來，澳門的當代藝術終於到了要講述自己歷史的時候了吧？
兩個文件展，兩種當代書寫
2019年彷彿是澳門文化界回頭看的一年，除了有牛房的文件展，也有由澳門劇場文化學會舉辦的「⌘O—90's澳門劇場文件展」，梳理了90年代澳門劇場相關的文獻和歷史。兩個文件展，一個再現了澳門當代藝術的現場，一個記載了澳門當代劇場的歷史。 劇場文化學會的文件展在立意上便呈現出一種批判性的立場，不僅梳理澳門劇場的歷史，也在思考資料的公共性與創造性。當澳門本地歷史相關的論述及著作多由外地學者書寫，由官方資助和主導，劇場文件展的策展人清晰地提出了本地劇場界自我書寫的需要。事實上，劇場文化學會在十多年前成立時便以推動本地劇場評論及研究為宗旨，主張「在歌舞昇平的時代，評論不能缺席，書寫就是力量」。這種對研究的重視與書寫的自覺，令本地的劇場創作有了歷史，亦令每一個建基在歷史之上的當代創作變得更有份量，我想這便是歷史資料的創造性所在，不僅為了記錄過去。
相比劇場界，澳門當代藝術領域則缺少民間書寫的推動力量，展覽過後鮮少產生深度的討論或留下系統的記錄。無論規模多大的展覽，都只見媒體上的新聞繕稿，缺少專業的藝術評論以至展覽相關的討論，更別提澳門當代藝術史的書寫了。以牛房這次文件展為例，展覽本身亦更傾向以文件自身展示歷史，缺少清晰的自我論述。這種論述的缺失，或許是為了給澳門當代藝術的歷史書寫留下更大的開放性，但會否亦在無意間令本地藝術工作者繼續習慣失語？
從歷史現場到藝術現場
近年澳門當代藝術領域其實有了不俗的發展，青年人開始可以以藝術為志業，本地藝術界與公、私部門的合作亦變得頻繁，一些藝術家亦開始取得商業上的成功。但整體而言，澳門當代藝術創作在地區與國際上仍很少獲得關注，一些相對成熟的藝術家亦較難有進一步的發展，這與澳門當代藝術評論及自我論述的缺失不無關係。一如劇場文件展的策展人莫兆忠在一次媒體訪問中說道：「你自己都不紀錄好自己，靠別人幫你在某個格式中塞資料入去的話，我覺得情況不是太樂觀。」 長遠而言，澳門的當代藝術工作者或許可以參考劇場界的經驗，形成自我書寫的民間力量，推動研究及評論的機制，培養專業的藝評人及藝術批評的氛圍；這樣澳門當代藝術的創作與展覽，才能慢慢建立起它的厚度，在一個個歷史現場之上構建更具深度的藝術現場。
Ten years’ sleep
Last year at the year-end, I was curating an exhibition for visiting artists in Macao at the Ox Warehouse. I was also lucky to find that the “We・Art Space” Documentary Exhibition was taking place at the two-storey venue. The exhibition displayed documents from the Ox Warehouse between 2001 and 2010, which gave me the gateway into the past of the Ox Warehouse.
The Ox Warehouse is the most well-known experimental venue for contemporary art in Macao. That is why “We・Art Space” Documentary Exhibition is more or less a documentary exhibition of Macao’s contemporary art. However, the curator appeared to let the audience to write the historical records on their own as the exhibition did not tell many grand stories but mostly showcased promotional leaflets, publications and video documents from the past. Walking among these historical documents, you could almost hear them telling the stories, immersing yourself in history. Is it the time for Macao’s contemporary art to start telling its history?
Two documentary exhibitions, two forms of contemporary documentation
2019 is probably a memorable year that is worth looking back in the future for the cultural community in Macao. Besides the documentary exhibition at the Ox Warehouse, there was also 0—90’s Macao Theatre Document Exhibition curated by the Macao Theatre Culture Institute, which summarised the development of Macao’s theatre scene in the 1990s through relevant historical documents and historical events. The former exhibition reconstructed the past scene of Macao’s contemporary art scene, while the latter documents the history of Macao’s contemporary theatre sector.
Macao Theatre Culture Institute’s documentary exhibition is, in some way, critical. It not only summarises the history of Macao’s theatres but also reflects on public participation in creating art through historical documents. In fact, most of the bibliographies and documentary publications on Macao were written by scholars from elsewhere. The curator of the documentary exhibition on Macao’s theatres points out clearly that there is an urgent need for the theatre industry to document itself and have a reflection. As a matter of fact, the Macao Theatre Culture Institute had already been promoting local theatre reviews and studies when it was established over ten years ago. The institute advocates that “critics and reviews are crucial during golden times and that the ability to document brings power.” The emphasis on documentary and scholarly studies had enabled the local theatre industry to have its history, attaching more significance to every contemporary work created in Macao. I believe this is where historical documentary’s creativity lies in. Documentary is not merely about the past.
In comparison, Macao’s contemporary art community lacks the development of documentary from the grassroots. There is rarely much of a deep discussion or record after an exhibition. Regardless of the scale of an exhibition, you only get to see its name on a brief mention of the newspaper. There is a lack of professional art reviews and other relevant information on the exhibition, let alone documentary of Macao’s contemporary art history. Let’s take the documentary exhibition at the Ox Warehouse as an example. The exhibition was more about displaying documents to visitors instead of showing the history behind. It was not a clear documentary. This perhaps leaves more room for the documentary of Macao’s contemporary art history. But we also need to consider whether this means local artists will continue to neglect the importance of documentary.
From moments of history to an art exhibition
In recent years, Macao has achieved excellent progress in contemporary art. Young talents are starting to see art as a viable career path. Local artists are having more active interaction with both the public and private sectors. Some artists have already achieved commercial success. But overall, Macao’s contemporary art lacks recognition on the regional and international stage. A number of artists who are relatively more experienced also find it hard to have further achievement. This can be attributed to the lack of contemporary art critic and biography in Macao. Just like the exhibition curator Mok Sio Chong once said in an interview: “If you don’t make good documentaries about yourself and only rely on others for a random collection of information, I would think that the situation is not very positive.”
In the long run, professional talents in the contemporary art sector in Macao can learn from the theatre industry and gradually form the ability to document and reflect themselves from the grassroots. This can help drive the development of a mechanism of critics and documentary and nurture professional art critics and commentators in Macao. Only through this way can Macao’s contemporary art creation and exhibition progress and construct an art scene with depth based on history.