text by Wang Te-Yu
Every new experience is layered upon infinite memories.
The surrounding woods, the thick soft grass, the endless rolling hills and the fleeting shadows cast by passing clouds. A step into the heather is replied with a light crisp sound underfoot; a strong wind beats against the body underneath the bright sun, as the trailing path is filled with the faint scent of sweet cicely all summer. Along the mountain ridge a row of wind turbines turn silently; I sit alone on the hillside opening my senses to the living force of nature.
In preparation for the exhibition and publication, I reorganized almost 3000 photographs taken during my time as artist in residence at Glenfiddich, while also browsing through the publications of previous residency artists. It suddenly dawned on me that many of the scenery and perspectives that I photographed are similar if not the same as the ones taken by other artists. It was intriguing to discover that this place, which had continued to surprise me every day during the summer of 2018, I had already seen many times beforehand captured in photos, but only now did they have a deeper meaning. I can recognize what the places are, I can describe the temperature, quality of light and smells. I know that apart from me others once walked here, to each corner of this place, gazed at the same trees and hills or through a certain window, enthusiastically recording the cattle and sheep beside the barley fields and the characteristic plant life.
I am not quite sure if it was this new physical experience that moved me to take these photographs, or whether it was the inexplicable familiarity of the scenery in front of me that attracted my attention. Perhaps it was both.
The exhibition titled ‘No. 98’ encapsulates the artwork ‘No. 96’, which was completed and exhibited as part of the Artists at Glenfiddich 2018 International Residency group exhibition during September – October 2018. Transferring the work into a different time and space, the appearance also seems slightly different, much like how our memories operate. The work is reinterpreted as part of the site-specific installation ‘No. 98’, inspired from my experiences living and working at the artist residency for three months, ‘No. 98’ attempts to use the physical body to capture a glimpse of the breathtaking power of Scotland’s natural environment, which left a deep impression on me.
The exhibition space is constructed with a gradation of viewing heights to create a different tactile experience, inviting audiences to climb up a gentle slope and look all around, allowing the body to lead the exploration of the space. Some experiences can only be detected and received with our physical bodies, although at the time we are often unable to give the sensation a name, or sometimes it is ignored or forgotten. But in fact, the experiences have not disappeared, and the accumulated perceptual memories will render each new experience more profound and unique.
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