“A Beautiful Future” – An Exhibition of Two Generations

 
With a combined age of over 1000 years, a number of amateur artists from Fenglin Township in Hualien County have used pen, paper and clay to bring their life experiences alive in a one-off exhibition. Though their advanced years have robbed them of the ability to work, art has given them new direction and energized them with a new burst of vitality in their twilight years. 

When a syllabus designed by professor Lin Mei-Zhu (林美珠) from National Dong Hwa University’s Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology allowed two generations to meet, four students from the department fell in love with the beautiful countryside stories. Taking advantage of vacations, the students visited Fenglin to interact with the elderly residents, collected artwork, and finally, raised an exhibition for them to present their lives. Professor Lin Mei-Zhu said: “Why would psychology students raise an art exhibition? I continually reminded them that they weren’t raising an art exhibition, but rather, a life-story exhibition. In the end, they really managed to bring this point into focus.” Made possible through the meeting of these elderly residents and students, the exhibition bears witness to the warmth generated by this meeting of two generations. 

“A Beautiful Future” – An Exhibition of Two Generations
URL:https://www.peopo.org/news/276605
 
(以下是中文對照)

【美好未來】一場畫展兩代情

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來自花蓮鳳林鎮、年齡加總超過一千歲的素人藝術家們，透過紙筆、陶土，紀錄下過往的生活經歷，透過展覽一次亮相。儘管年老讓他們的雙手失去勞動能力，但透過藝術，讓他們重拾人生方向，為晚年賦予全新生命力。

這些美好的鄉村故事，讓四位東華大學心理系的學生為之傾心。因為系上林美珠老師的課程，讓兩個相隔遙遠的世代相遇。他們趁假期往返鳳林，與阿公阿嬤互動、募集作品，最後透過展覽讓他們的生命能被看見。東華大學心理系教授林美珠說，「心理系學生，怎麼會舉辦畫展？但我一直告訴他們，我們不是在做藝術展，而是在策生命故事展，所以他們的確有把焦點拉到這個主軸。」這場畫展，是因為大學生與老人們相遇而生，也見證著兩個世代相遇的溫情。