Katja Farin: Blind Spot

藝術家 Artist：Katja Farin

展期 Date：2024.09.14 – 11.10 10:00 – 18:30（週一休館 Closed on Mondays）

地點 Venue：亞洲藝術中心 Asia Art Center（台北 Taipei）

亞洲藝術中心很榮幸宣布於9月14日至11月10日 舉辦美國藝術家Katja Farin在亞洲地區的首次個展Blind Spot。

亞洲藝術中心自1982年成立以來，長期致力於台灣藝術界的發展，並於2024年推出亞洲藝術中心國際藝術家駐村創作計劃，以培養年輕、中生代藝術家為使命，並探索除了舉辦展覽之外能夠為藝術領域做出貢獻的方式。透過這個駐村計畫，亞洲藝術中心邀請來自世界各地的藝術家來台體驗本地獨特的生活方式和多元的文化，想必這樣的刺激會為藝術家帶來全新的創作靈感。身為亞洲藝術中心國際藝術家台灣駐村創作計劃首位參與者，Katja Farin從8月到9月初這段期間在台灣東岸的南方澳漁港進行駐村。當地豐富的歷史和文化背景同時也鼓勵了藝術家探索全新創作的可能。

藝術家在駐村期間所創作的畫作也將於《Blind Spot》展覽展出。Katja Farin敏銳的觀察力，將在地元素如漁船、窗花、動物、昆蟲和植物等呈現在畫作中，並以其具有高辨識度的橘、紅、綠與藍色，共同構成當地的日常場景。這些在南方澳創作的畫作描繪了蘇澳的自然人文風貌，與他在倫敦所完成、大多以室內為空間為主的作品呈現截然不同的氛圍。

Farin的作品多以鮮豔的色彩與具戲劇效果的畫面呈現，透過畫面中看似面無表情的主角探索無意識、集體無意識和個人的具象繪畫探索自我、空間和周圍環境之間的關係。這些複雜的構圖描繪了看似是微不足道的日常場景，例如《Flowers for You》、《Splitting While Entering》和《Lost Keys》中無所事事地坐在未知室內場景的人物，或者《Exhausted Bed》中因精疲力盡而倒下的人。角色之間的關係不明確，但對身分認知、外貌、自我接納和差異的模糊和焦慮感始終存在。這些雌雄同體的人物看似被動且面無表情，更加凸顯了他們與周遭的環境隔絕的尷尬感。Farin畫中無法辨別時間與空間的敘事充滿了懸而未決的氣氛，提供了觀者無限的想像空間。《Entering from Exiting》和《Ghost Behind the Screen》中的人物打破了空間的界限，而《Starting to Detach》和《Limited Curtain Call》中人物的潛意識看似脫離了肉體，藉此逃離現實的枷鎖。

Farin複雜的構圖和大膽色彩的運用充滿了強烈的劇場效果與敘事感。他曾說「性別即為一種展演」。所謂的性別並不是由生物學來判定，而是社會規範下所產生的演出。無法或是不願被歸類為二次元性別的人則可能面對社會不公的質疑。隨著社會的進步，此一傳統的分類逐漸受到挑戰，但關於這個主題的爭論仍持續不休。Farin的作品涉及性別焦慮和對外貌的各種不安全感，而他所創造的場景反映了人們為了滿足社會期望而進行的對外展演，但內心真實的自我卻被迫隱藏。身為藝術創作者，藝術家如同性別角色的發明者一般，透過筆刷與顏料在畫布上呈現精采的戲劇場景。刻板的性別角色不是與生俱來的，而是隨著社會的塑造、後天逐漸形成的。此現象所造成的焦慮感，想必是許多大眾都能夠同感身受的。

在此次展覽中，Farin也首次帶來多件陶器作品。以灰、棕、綠和白釉為主的陶作帶有尖刺與陶和金屬所製成的鏈子和鏡面，是他將畫作中一再出現的符號立體化。透過二維和三維作品的演繹，藝術家審視了隱藏在潛意識中不願被提起的情感盲點、揮之不去的創傷，以及尚待釐清的爭議。兩種不同媒材的作品透過鏡子中反射的畫面緊密結合，而觀者的倒影則被困在這個如同夢境般的漩渦中，彷彿也成為令人不安的空間的一部份。

他原是初來乍到、穿梭於南方澳小鎮的旅客，邊探索邊努力適應陌生的語言、街景和文化，在這段一個半月的時間內他已融入當地生活步調，已然是社區的一個居民，即使駐村計畫結束後也不會被遺忘。

Katja Farin 2018年於洛杉磯加州大學獲取藝術學士學位，目前正就讀於倫敦大學斯萊德美術學院研究所。曾個展於Friends Indeed ( 舊金山 )、Era Gallery ( 米蘭 )、Lubow ( 紐約 ) 以及in lieu ( 洛杉磯 ) 等國內外畫廊，並曾在Pace Gallery ( 香港 )、Alexander Berggruen ( 紐約 )、Beers ( 倫敦 )、Wilding Cran與Nicodim ( 洛杉磯 ) 等畫廊參與聯展。他目前居住、生活於加州洛杉磯和英國倫敦。

Asia Art Center is pleased to present a body of new work by American artist Katja Farin. On view from 14^th September to 10^th November, this presentation marks Farin’s first solo show in Asia.

Asia Art Center has been committed to the Taiwanese art scene since its establishment in 1982, and from 2024, the AAC International Artist Residency Program in Taiwan is launched with the mission of nurturing emerging talent and mid-career artists as well as exploring new ways to contribute to the field of art beyond exhibitions. Asia Art Center invites artists from around the world to experience the unique way of life and vibrant culture scene in Taiwan which may provide new sources of inspirations for the artists. As the first participant of the AAC International Artist Residency Program in Taiwan, Katja Farin has been living and working in the fishing village of Nanfang’ao by the eastern coast of the island throughout the month of August to early September. The village’s rich historical and cultural backdrop offers a meaningful context for the artist’s six-week residency, encouraging exploration and creative engagement.

Paintings executed during the residency period are to be included in the exhibition Blind Spot. Layered with Farin’s signature vivid oranges, reds, greens and blues with local elements such as fishing boats, window gratings, animals, insects and plants that make up everyday scenes for the locals are visible indications of the artist’s observant eye. In contrast to the works the artist completed in London which are mostly set within an interior, the Nanfang’ao paintings depict outdoor environments which reflect on the natural scenery of the village.

Best known for their figurative paintings which investigate the unconscious mind, the collective unconscious and the personal, the seemingly expressionless protagonists in Farin’s works are often painted in vibrant colours and stage-like settings that explore the relationships between the self, the space and the surroundings. Farin’s complex compositions frequently portray seemingly insignificant everyday scenes, such as figures sitting idlily within an unidentified interior as seen in Flowers for You, Splitting While Entering and Lost Keys, or a person collapsing from exhaustion in Exhausted Bed. The relationship between the figures is unclear, but the sense of ambiguity and anxiety over one’s identity, physical appearance and self-acceptance as well as difference, is constantly present. The impassive and blank faces of the androgynous figures appear to be awkward and secluded from their surroundings. There’s an air of suspension in the narratives which are not bound to any particular storyline or timeline hence are open for interpretation. The figures in Entering from Exiting and Ghost Behind the Screen break the boundaries between spaces, whilst the subconscious of the figures in Starting to Detach and Limited Curtain Call appear to be detaching itself from the physical bodies, as if escaping from the reality.

Farin’s complex compositions and the use of bold colours are highly theatrical with a strong sense of narrative. “Gender is a performance”, says Farin. Gender is not an essential quality or identity determined by biology, but a performative act reinforced by societal norms. Individuals who cannot or would not be pigeonholed as women or men often face negative consequences. This conventional configuration has been challenged as the society progresses, yet the debate on the topic continues. Farin’s works deal with gender dysphoria and insecurities about appearances, the staging of the scenes refers to one’s external performances executed to fulfill societal expectations, whereas the internal life may remain hidden away behind the screens. The role of an artist as a maker and producer of their art is in fact reflective of the invention of gender roles, which one is not born with, but grows into, as shaped by the society. Via their brushworks, Farin addresses the source of such anxieties which is shared by most members of the public.

This exhibition also sees the largest display of Farin’s ceramic works. Glazed in greys, browns, greens and white, the ceramic pieces with spiky ends, ceramic and metal chains as well as mirrors, which are reiterations of symbols found in Farin’s canvases. Through the presentation of both two dimensional and three-dimensional works, Farin examines emotional blind spots, the lingering trauma, unresolved conflicts which are tucked away in one’s subconscious not wanting to be disturbed or reminded. The two media are closely bonded by the reflected images of the paintings in the mirrors, whilst the reflections of the viewers are then trapped within this vortex, establishing a relationship with a dreamlike dysphoric space.

Katja Farin begun their stay in Nanfang’ao as a newcomer, navigating their way around town soaking in the languages, street scenes and cultures which were all foreign to them. By the end of the residency, they have become part of the community whose presence will be missed by the friendly residents.

Katja Farin

Farin received a BA in Fine Art from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2018 and is a candidate for an MFA degree from the Slade School of Fine Art in London. Selected solo exhibitions include Friends Indeed (San Francisco), Era Gallery (Milan), Lubov (New York) and in lieu (Los Angeles). Their art has been included in group exhibitions at Pace Gallery (Hong Kong), Alexander Berggruen (New York), Beers (London), Wilding Cran (Los Angeles) and Nicodim (Los Angeles). They live and work in Los Angeles, CA and London, UK.

Katja Farin在南方澳：亞洲藝術中心國際藝術家台灣駐村創作計劃 Katja Farin in Nanfang’ao: AAC International Artist Residency Program in Taiwan

http://www.asiaartcenter.org/asia/?p=99233&lang=en