高雄獎30年：藝術的未竟與再啟

文｜吳慧芳(高雄市立美術館展覽部資深策展人)

自1997年由高雄市立美術館正式承接以來，「高雄獎」已走過30年歷程。作為臺灣南方最具代表性的藝術獎項之一，高雄獎不僅是一項競賽制度，更是一個持續生成的文化場域，映照出臺灣當代藝術在制度、創作語彙與社會關係上的深刻變化。30年間，藝術家、評審、觀察員與美術館在此交會，高雄獎因而成為一條可被回望、亦不斷向前延伸的藝術軌跡。

本展以「藝術的未竟與再啟」為題，並非僅止於回顧歷屆得獎作品或制度里程碑，而是試圖從時間的縱深中，重新理解高雄獎如何作為一個公共平台，持續回應時代的變動與藝術實踐的轉向。「未竟」指涉藝術創作與制度本身所固有的開放性與未完成狀態；「再啟」則象徵在回顧之中重新出發，為未來的藝術想像開啟新的可能。

30年來高雄獎共產生了128位得主；本展以10年為維度，劃分為三個篇章，精選出47位得主的得獎作品展出。透過階段性的觀察，呈現藝術如何在不同社會條件與制度脈絡中轉化其關懷對象與表現方式。1997至2006年的第一篇章「創形的年代」，呈現的是地方意識與個人主體逐步抬頭的過程。藝術家多從自身生活經驗、地方環境與社會現實出發，以具體而可感的形式回應身分與記憶。此一時期的作品強調物質性、手作性與造形的生成，亦反映出高雄獎在制度初期仍保有的開放彈性，使多元創作語彙得以並存。

2007至2016年的第二篇章「流變的疆界」，則對應數位科技的發展、全球化交流的加速，以及當代藝術觀念化的轉向。影像、新媒體與裝置成為重要的創作形式，藝術家開始關注觀看機制、身體政治、性別議題與城市結構等議題。創作不再僅以作品完成為終點，而是強調研究過程、系統思考與跨域合作。此一階段，高雄獎逐步建立觀察員制度，使競賽平台轉化為一個能夠承載對話與實驗的場域。

2017至2026年的第三篇章「未來的形貌」，則呈現出藝術家對社會共感與文化永續的高度關注。面對生態危機、社會不平等與文化斷裂等全球性議題，藝術逐漸轉向參與式、行動型與研究導向的實踐。藝術家不僅回應問題，更試圖透過創作建立連結，與社群、環境及歷史產生新的關係。在此脈絡下，高雄獎增設跨領域與永續相關獎項，顯示藝術制度亦同步回應創作角色的轉變。

透過三個篇章的鋪陳，本展試圖呈現高雄獎作為一個「未竟的系統」，如何在不同時代條件下不斷調整自身位置。展覽結合歷屆得獎作品、文獻檔案與影像，讓作品與制度、藝術家與美術館之間形成對話，重新思考藝術獎項在當代社會中的角色與可能性。

「高雄獎30年」既是一場回顧展，也是一個提問的起點。當藝術面對快速變動的世界，高雄獎如何持續成為支持創作、生成公共論述的文化平台？本展試圖在回望過去的同時，為未來留下開放的空間，使藝術得以在未竟之中，再次啟動。

30 Years of the Kaohsiung Award: The Unfinished and Renewed Journey of Art

Text | Wu Hui-fang (Senior Curator, Exhibition Department, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts

Since the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA) officially took over in 1997, the Kaohsiung Award has celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. As the leading art award in southern Taiwan, the Kaohsiung Award is more than just a competition; it represents a continuously evolving cultural space that reflects significant changes in Taiwan’s contemporary art, including its institutions, creative vocabularies, and social dynamics. Over these thirty years, artists, jurors, observers, and the museum have come together, making the Kaohsiung Award a visible and traceable artistic path that continues to progress.

Titled “The Unfinished and Renewed Journey of Art,” this exhibition goes beyond simply reviewing and displaying past winners or marking an institutional milestone. It aims to explore, from a historical perspective, how the Kaohsiung Award functions as a public platform that continuously evolves with changing times and shifts in artistic practices. The word “unfinished” refers to the open-ended, ongoing nature of artistic creation and the institution itself, while “renewed” signifies a restart rooted in retrospection, revealing new possibilities for artistic imagination in the future.

Over the past three decades, the Kaohsiung Award has recognized 128 winners. This exhibition’s curatorial framework is organized into three chapters, each representing “a decade,” and features works from 47 of these awardees. By observing different phases, the exhibition showcases how art evolves in its focus and forms of expression across various social and institutional contexts. Titled “The Era of Form Creation,” the first chapter, from 1997 to 2006, examines the increasing emphasis on local awareness and individual subjectivity. Artists during this period often draw from their personal lives, local environments, and social realities, using tangible, perceptual forms to address themes of identity and memory. Works from this era emphasize materiality, handcrafted qualities, and the development of form. They also reflect the institutional adaptability of the Kaohsiung Award in its earlier period, which allowed diverse creative vocabularies to coexist.

The second chapter, covering 2007 to 2016 and titled “Fluid Boundaries,” discusses the development of digital technology, the acceleration of global exchange, and the conceptual turn in contemporary art. Image-based art, new media, and installation became prominent forms, with artists exploring themes such as viewing mechanisms, body politics, gender issues, and urban structures. The focus of creation shifted from simply producing finished artworks to prioritizing research processes, systematic thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. During this period, the Kaohsiung Award gradually established its observer system, transforming the competition platform into a space dedicated to dialogue and experimentation.

The third chapter, titled “Visions for the Future,” covers the years from 2017 to 2026. It highlights artists’ strong focus on social empathy and cultural sustainability. Confronted with global issues like ecological crises, social inequalities, and cultural disruptions, art has become increasingly participatory, action-oriented, and research-based. Artists respond to these challenges not only by addressing them but also by building connections with communities, environments, and histories through their work. In this context, the Kaohsiung Award introduces interdisciplinary and sustainability-focused honors, showing the institution’s commitment to the changing roles of artists.

Through these three chapters, the exhibition shows how the Kaohsiung Award, as an “unfinished system,” has continually developed alongside changing historical conditions. Featuring past award-winning works, documentary archives, and images, the exhibition seeks to foster dialogue among artworks, the institution, artists, and the museum. This approach promotes a reconsideration of the role and possibilities of art awards in contemporary society.

30 Years of the Kaohsiung Award is, therefore, both a retrospective exhibition and a starting point for inquiry. As the art scene faces a world of rapid change, the exhibition prompts reflection on how the Kaohsiung Award remains a vital cultural platform that supports creative expression and fosters public discourse. While honoring its history, the exhibition also opens up space for the future, allowing art to renew itself in this unfinished journey.