安迪‧費爾葛瑞福
Andy Fairgrieve
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Springs Eternal Opening Remarks
中文
 
text by Andy Fairgrieve


Good evening, it is a great pleasure to be here and to welcome you all to this grand celebration of the twelfth year of the Glenfiddich artists in residence programme in Taiwan.

Glenfiddich is still a family owned and run company and as such it is not surprising that the great great-grandson of William Grant, Peter Gordon was very clear in his instruction that we should treat the artists as friends and welcome them fully as extended family members with all the hospitality that the highlands of Scotland are known for.

Chiao was the first artist from Taiwan to arrive at Glenfiddich back in 2005. Although apprehensive at first she quickly fell in love with Scotland and Glenfiddich. Indeed much of the reason we are all here tonight must be credited to her passion and support to the programme over the years. Chaio has become like the Taiwanese mother of the programme helping select future artists and build its success.

The Glenfiddich programme is much more than just another art residency; it is an experience that allows the artists’ freedom to experiment in their creativity and it is an experience that builds relationships. In the most tangible sense this can be displayed by the fact that Yining Shen who accompanied Chiao in 2005 met her future husband David MacRaild who was also in residence that summer.

Chiao was followed the next year by Wu Chi-Tsung who in turn was followed by Yao Yao who like Chiao before him was also personally deeply affected by his time at Glenfiddich, which I believe has had a profound impact on the direction of his art ever since. That year of 2007 was also the first time that I had the privilege of visiting Taiwan myself and I have had the good fortune to repeat these visits almost every year since.

Each year we have seen our artist family increase, even in the most literal sense such as the birth of a daughter to Goan-Ming and his wife Mio, conceived while Goan-Ming and Mio were at Glenfiddich in the summer of 2008.

Over the past twelve years the Glenfiddich residence and the freedom, time and space it provides have allowed for experiment and the exploration of new ways of working and over this time has seen a shift from the older generation of artistic pioneers such as Goan-Ming and Wang Jun-Jieh to the new upcoming younger artists and given them the opportunity to perfect techniques or experiment in new ways of working or indeed new directions.

The residency project of our most recent resident Lin Kun-ying in fact provided the inspiration for the theme of this celebration: Springs Eternal. It takes as its departure point one of the most important elements of Glenfiddich, the pure waters of the Robbie Dhu spring which was know to William Grant as a young man and still to this day is still the single source of water used in the making of our single malt whisky. Yet it also references the creative flow that the artists have provided over the past years and the friendships the programme has given birth to.

I have already mentioned the great support given to this programme by our old dear friend Chiao, but I also need to make a special mention to the people of William Grants in Taiwan, most especially David Li, James Chan and Eric Huang, who over the years have also given great support to the artists.

So to toast this special milestone event we have for you at the bequest of Mr Peter Gordon, one of the family owners of Glenfiddich a very special dram for you all to enjoy.

Specially selected by our malt master Mr Brian Kinsman, this very exclusive whisky is presented as our gift to you. Drawn from first fill sherry casks this whisky is rich in colour and flavor. It is however very strong so I would advise you to perhaps add a small drop of water to reduce the alcohol slightly to fully appreciate it.

But just before we raise our glasses I would like to recite some words by Scotland’s national bard, Rabbie Burns. Some of you may be familiar with the words as it is a song often to be heard at the turn of a new year, Auld Lang Syne.

It speaks of times gone by, old friendships and of drinking toasts to these relationships, and reminds us that even when friends are separated by great distances they should never be forgotten.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne*?
CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my jo,
for auld lang syne,
we'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
for the sake of auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stoup!
and surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak' a cup o’ kindness yet,
for the sake of auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae run about the braes,
and pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
sin' auld lang syne.
CHORUS
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
sin' auld lang syne.
CHORUS
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
and gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak' a right gude-willie waught,
for the sake auld lang syne.
CHORUS

Slante!
 
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Art Director / Chen Hui-Chiao Programer / Kej Jang, Boggy Jang