很久很久以前，在桃園 Once Upon a Time in Taoyuan

12/01/2021

很久很久以前，在桃園 Once Upon a Time in Taoyuan

很久很久以前，在桃園…發生過什麼事呢？

這是一個以桃園舊城區發展史為展覽主軸的藝術創作兼展覽計畫。三位藝術家、一位文史工作者，一起關心桃園的歷史及都市紋理變遷，為桃園創作全新作品，希望以此擾動歷史展覽以史料文本展示為主的敘事方式，用他們的視角，說桃園舊城區的故事。

這個展覽是一段桃園市區的漫步之旅，也是一趟穿越時間的旅程：觀眾從現在的桃園市中心出發，看周武翰如何透過創作詮釋兩個現今仍共存於桃園市、但卻代表著不同時代的信仰中心，即「景福宮」與「桃園神社」；雪克與舊城區在地居民，一同透過閱讀過往報紙記載之桃園奇聞軼事，連結居民目前在此地的生活與未來想像。旅程一路向城市東邊走去，也走進時光隧道，聽高登輝敘述日本時代學生們透過搬運卵石修築神社參道等公眾服務，以及跳房子等體育活動，接受殖民政府施予之身體規訓；藍博瀚以一位日本時代登山嚮導的視角，繼續帶著大家前進，路過已不復存在的參道、登上山頂，立下一個未曾存在過的標高柱，為當年的無名山完成命名的儀式，為這趟穿越城區、橫越時空的旅行畫下句點。

Once upon a time, something happened in Taoyuan… What was it?

This is a creative artwork and exhibition plan based on the developmental history of Taoyuan's old town area as the exhibition theme.

With their focus on the history and alterations of urban texture in Taoyuan, the three artists and the local cultural worker hope to create a brand new work that tells the story of the old town area from their perspective. In so doing, they hope to disrupt the narrative style of historical exhibitions, which primarily focus on the display of historical archives and texts.

This exhibition introduces a walking tour of Taoyuan city, which is also a journey through time: Starting from the current Taoyuan City center, the visitor sees two existing religious centers representing different eras, namely the Jing Fu Gong Temple and Taoyuan Martyrs' Shrine, as interpreted by Chou Wu-han’s creativity. Reading anecdotal stories of Taoyuan’s Juicheng District in old newspapers, Xueke and the residents of the Juicheng District are able to connect the lifestyles of current residents in the area and their imaginations of the future.

The tour goes all the way to the east of the city, and travels through time. The travelers would listen to Gao Deng-hui describe public services performed by students in the Japanese colonial era, when they moved pebble stones to build the road to the shrine. The youths also participated in physical exercises such as hopscotch, which were part of the physical training designed by the colonial government. From the perspective of a mountain guide from the Japanese colonial era, Lan Bo-han continued to lead everyone forward. Passing by a shrine path that existed once upon a time, they arrived at the summit and established a triangulation station, completing a naming ceremony for the nameless mountain and marking the end for this journey across time and through the city.