Practice in Process (3 experiments)
練習中 (三次實驗)
2. NEITHER WISDOM NOR GAIN
無智亦無得
In Felix’s words...
簡宏業自白
Knowledge, could it really transfer effectively in this space?
Is there any lost in translation between teacher's explanation and student's understanding?
Perhaps it’s never about give and takes.
Neither nor gain? or everyone just speaking their own minds.
Neither Wisdom Nor Gain is a series of images captured through pinhole photography to documenting the interactions between the classroom, teachers, and students. It captures the flow of knowledge transmission and understanding, exploring the subtlety and uncertainty in the conveyance of education and the truth of learning.
教室是知識傳遞的主要場所，這種狹小空間内真的能有效地傳遞與消化知識嗎？
教師的講解與學生的理解真的能成正比？
或許知識的互動從來不在於接收與理解，只是一個流動的過程。
到頭來是無智亦無得還是各說各話？
《無智亦無得》是一系列透過針孔攝影而攝取的影像。作品記錄教室、老師與學生之間的互動。於流動中捕捉知識的傳遞與理解，探索教育的傳遞與學習知識間的微妙與不確定性。
The observer’s reflection...
旁觀者的反思
After that, I taught Felix another course — Aesthetics and Semiotics, which was also a core subject. I can’t really recall the specifics of that class; it was during the pandemic, and there weren’t many opportunities to see the students.
Then they graduated, I heard that due to the pandemic, they didn't have the chance to produce a graduation project. Such a shame to study a film course without producing a graduation film.
Recently, I spoke with an Asian filmmaker based in the United States, and he mentioned that a university in California recently screened his work in class. He said the screening didn't take place in full screen; instead, alongside the video, there was a live chat that allowed students to ask questions in real-time. It turns out that multi-tasking in class has evolved from quietly happening to being done openly. As a teacher, I'm not surprised by the norm of students using computers during class, but should schools really embrace this semi-focused, low-concentration learning environment?
Felix's exploration focuses on the teaching environment - classrooms. What do students expect to gain in this environment? What do they actually receive? His work is shot with a pinhole camera, seemingly aiming for a particular effect or aligning with his expectations. Throughout the process, I had some interesting discussions with Felix. I particularly remember telling him that art practice is "thinking through making." This phrase was something my teacher told me during my own art studies — you can't simply create without thought, nor can you only think without creating. Creation requires a simultaneous process of making and reflecting, providing space for transformation and adjustment.
I believe in the power of education. The changes I've made in my life, leading me to pursue an artistic path, are all due to art education. Of course, the institution has its regulations; it is a system, and there are indeed limitations to what can be achieved. I also recall discussing with Felix about the school framework: does the curriculum really provide students with the necessary knowledge? I believe learning has always been a self-driven process, and how much one is able to gain from within regulations and systems ultimately depends on the student's own effort. I always compare a teacher's role to that of a guide, leading students to an exhibition; whether they take the time to observe the works is the students’ responsibility, and the level of inspiration they derive will vary from person to person.
認識 Felix 和第三位創作者 Aile 是在疫情前的事。他們是電影系的學生，我教他們的是一門核心科目——創意思考。記得當年上課的氛圍普普通通，同學們對這門課沒有太大興趣，始終這不是他們最感興趣的拍攝或戲劇，他們純粹是因為必修而上課。
之後我再教 Felix 一門課——美學與符號學，這也是一門核心科目。關於那堂課的具體情況，我真的想不起來了；那時應該在疫情期間，沒有太多機會見到學生。
然後他們畢業了，聽說因為疫情並沒有機會製作畢業作品，這真的很可惜。就創作這個學科而言，如果無法實踐創作，僅僅是紙上談兵。
最近我跟一位在美國生活的華裔電影人傾談，恰好他提到最近加州的一所大學在課堂上放映了他的作品。他說那個放映並不是全螢幕的形式，而是在螢幕播放影片的同時，還有即時聊天畫面，讓學生可以實時提問。原來課室內的multi-tasking由靜悄悄地發生演變到公開地進行。作為老師，對於同學們一邊上課一邊用電腦這種常態並不感到驚訝，但作為學校，是否真的要擁抱這種半集中、低專注的學習生態呢？
Felix 這次的探索主要關於教學空間，在這個環境下，學生預期能獲得什麼？他們實際上又得到了什麼？他的作品是用針孔相機拍攝，似乎是希望畫面達到某種效果、符合某種期望。在這次的創作過程中，我跟 Felix 有一些有趣的討論，我特別記得跟他說過的話：創作是 "thinking through making"。其實這句話是我當年修讀藝術時老師告訴我的——不能只是不斷 「做」，也不能只是一味 「想」，創作需要一邊做一邊思考，這樣才能有演化和調整的空間。
我相信教育的力量。今天的我能夠改變以往的生活模式，走上藝術創作之路，都是因為藝術教育。當然，學院有它的規範，它是一個系統，能夠做到的確實有限。我還記得跟 Felix 討論到學校這個框架，課程內容真的能夠為學生帶來本科的知識嗎？我認為學習從來都是依賴自己，在規範之內、系統中獲取的多少，都必須依賴學生自己的努力。我會把老師的工作比喻為領隊帶著同學去看展覽，走進場地是否認真看作品，是同學的責任，而同學能夠得到多少啟發，則因人而異。