如果島嶼會作夢

 

　　馬祖的北竿島上有個「祈夢」習俗：每年有一天，人們到廟裡，帶著他們對未來的疑問，入睡、作夢。夢裡閃現的畫面，就是神祇的回覆。有時，當提問人難以入夢，可委由較為靈敏的「代夢人」代為作夢提問，協助接收神明諭旨。「作夢」在此成為一種提問的方式，而且不局限於一對一的問答，提問者讓渡主體，邀請代夢人的參與，透過更敏感、直覺的方式感應。

 

　　《如果島嶼會作夢》因此借用「祈夢」儀式中「代夢人」的概念，思考藝術家是否有可能扮演「代夢人」的角色，代替馬祖作夢？詩人白靈曾形容外島總是為本島服務，「看似地處邊境，卻始終作著別人的夢，無法選擇自己的未來」。我們試圖翻轉這樣的視野，藉由邀請「非馬祖人」甚至「非台灣人」的創作者，以馬祖為思考的錨點重新探究。馬祖列島作為戰地前線，經歷過比台灣本島更漫長嚴苛的戒嚴，無論是交通、貨幣、捕魚出航時間、夜裡不得有燈火等生活的各方面都受到限制。長期作為前線的各種犧牲，也讓本土意識興起後的「金馬割棄論」難以被島民接受。然而這些幽微的情緒與文獻之外的常民經驗，是博物館、遺跡「保家衛國」的戰地歷史展示中較少觸及的。夢有沒有可能是一種通道，讓我們能稍微接近、探問如地下坑道般錯縱潛藏的情緒與精神狀態？

 

　　展覽邀請五位藝術家來到馬祖，以多元的媒材與手法回應展覽命題，連接成不同的夢境。無論是以個人的、身體的方式感知島嶼，或是採集當地居民的記憶與觀點，藝術家嘗試以島嶼作為主體出發，而他們個人的視角仍會與居民的、地方的角度交錯。這正是代夢的獨特價值：我們得以抽離自身、全心全意地浸淫在他者的狀態，並且再回返自身，去傳遞與解讀屬於他者的夢境。

 

　　歡迎你，帶著你的提問出發，進入這個由本島、外島、本國、外國視野共築的馬祖夢境。無論你是馬祖人、熟悉馬祖與否，都希望你可以透過代夢人的視野獲得某些啟發，進而觸動更多現實中的探問與交流。

 

　　On Beigan Island of Matsu, there is a custom of Dreaming Ceremony. On the 29th of the first lunar month, people go to temple to fall asleep and dream with their questions about the future. The images that appear in their dreams are the replies of the gods. Sometimes, when the questioner has difficulty falling asleep, a more sensitive "dreamer" may be appointed to ask a dream on their behalf to help receive the gods' instructions. Here, "dreaming" becomes a form of questioning, and it is not limited to one-to-one Q&A. The questioner gives away their subjectivity and invites the participation of the dreamer, to approach through a more sensitive and intuitive way.

 

　　The exhibition When Islands Dream thus borrows the concept of "dreamer" from the Dreaming Ceremony, and considers whether it is possible for artists to play the role of the dreamer and to dream in place of Matsu. The poet Bai Ling once described the offshore islands as always serving the main island, "seemingly on the border, but always dreaming someone else's dream, unable to choose their own future.” By inviting artists who are "non-Matsu" or even "non-Taiwanese" to use Matsu as an anchor point for reflection, we attempt to revisit the islands as the military front line, which had experienced even longer-lasting and harsher martial law than the main island of Taiwan, with restrictions on transportation, currency, fishing sailing hours, and no lights at night. The various sacrifices made at the front line for a long time also made it difficult for the stance of "Kinmen-Matsu Abandonment" to be accepted by the islanders after the rise of Taiwanization. Yet the museums and relics that showcase the history of the "proudly defending the country" rarely touch upon such subtle emotions and ordinary experiences. Is it possible that dreams can be a gateway that allows us to get a little closer and explore the emotions and spiritual states that are hidden like underground tunnels?

 

　　The exhibition invites five artists to Matsu to create artworks where they each respond to the exhibition theme with their unique approaches, forming different dreamscapes that echo one another. Whether they perceive the island in a personal and physical way, or collect the memories and perspectives of local residents, the artists try to treat the island as the main subject, while their personal perspectives still intersect with the residents and the place. And this very nature is where the unique value of “dreaming for others” lies—we are allowed to withdraw from ourselves to immerse in the state of the other, and then to return to ourselves to convey and interpret the dreams of others.

 

　　So, welcome to the Matsu dreamland built by local, foreign, national, and international visions with your questions. Whether you are a Matsu native or familiar with Matsu or not, we hope that you will gain some insight through the visions of the artists, namely, the dreamers, which hopefully will lead to more realistic inquiries and exchanges.