麥可．克雷格－馬丁：日常・解碼
從一杯清水到一整座城市　透過日常物件轉化我們認識世界的方式

今年7月，英國《泰晤士報》公布年度最值得造訪的20個城市，高雄名列第10，是全台唯一入選的城市；近3年高雄的觀光滿意度更連續蟬聯全國之冠。當世界的目光投向這座港口城市時，我們也希望邀請市民與旅人一起，用不同的方式重新看見高雄—而這一次，我們選擇透過藝術作為重要的媒介。

今年，高雄市立美術館推出年度國際特展「麥可．克雷格－馬丁：日常・解碼」，這是英國「觀念藝術教父」克雷格－馬丁首次在台灣展出，也是繼2024年英國皇家藝術學院回顧展後，首度在亞洲舉辦的大型個展。展覽橫跨這位藝術家逾50年的創作生涯，集結超過70件作品，從1973年震動藝術界的觀念藝術作品《一棵橡樹》，到今日以高飽和色彩與俐落線條所描繪的智慧型手機、耳機、燈泡等日常物件，完整呈現他如何用最平凡的事物，持續叩問我們究竟如何觀看自己眼前所見的世界。

除了繪畫、版畫與空間線描作品，走出展廳映入眼簾的，則是佇立於高美館藝術生態園區之中的4件大型雕塑，讓鮮明的色彩與造型物件，在城市的天空與綠地裡和人群相互映照。伴隨著本次特展，高美館特別啟動旅讀異國文化系列活動為核心的「英國文化年」計畫，透過系列英倫探索讓整座園區化身為一座可以行走、觀看、感受的「英倫小鎮」。

克雷格—馬丁一輩子都關注於一個觀念如何轉化一件事物，不斷地思考如何改變我們認識世界的方式。而「日常・解碼」特展邀請每一位觀眾重新練習「觀看」這件事—讓手中握著的手機、耳邊播放音樂的耳機、桌上的酒杯與佳肴，都成為認識自己與世界的起點。展覽於10月3日開展，歡迎所有市民朋友與旅人，一起走進高美館，也走進這場跨越50年、跨越國界的觀看革命。

Michael Craig-Martin: The Language of the Everyday
From a Glass of Water to an Entire City: Transforming How We Understand the World through Everyday Objects

This July, the British newspaper The Times released its list of the 20 best cities to visit this year, with Kaohsiung ranking tenth—the only city in Taiwan to be included. Kaohsiung has also ranked first nationwide in tourism satisfaction for the past three consecutive years. As the world turns its attention to this port city, we invite residents and travelers alike to rediscover Kaohsiung from a fresh perspective—and this time, we have chosen art as a key medium.

This year, the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (KMFA) presents its major international exhibition, Michael Craig-Martin: The Language of the Everyday. Marking the first exhibition in Taiwan by Michael Craig-Martin, widely regarded as a leading figure in British conceptual art, it is also his first major solo exhibition in Asia following his 2024 retrospective at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Spanning more than five decades of the artist’s career, the exhibition brings together over 70 works. From An Oak Tree, the groundbreaking 1973 conceptual work that challenged the art world, to his more recent depictions of smartphones, headphones, light bulbs, and other everyday objects in vivid, highly saturated colors and crisp outlines, the exhibition traces how Craig-Martin has continually used the most ordinary things to question how we perceive the world before us.

Beyond paintings, prints, and spatial line drawings, visitors stepping outside the galleries will encounter four monumental sculptures installed throughout the KMFA Art Park. With their vivid colors and instantly recognizable forms, these works enter a lively dialogue with visitors against the city’s sky and surrounding greenery. In conjunction with the exhibition, KMFA is also launching its “UK Culture Year,” centered on a series of programs exploring British culture through travel and reading. Through a diverse range of British-themed experiences, the museum grounds will be transformed into a “Little Britain”—a place to wander through, observe, and experience.

Throughout his career, Craig-Martin has been fascinated by how an idea can transform an object, continually exploring ways of changing how we understand the world. The Language of the Everyday invites every visitor to relearn the act of “seeing”—allowing the smartphone in our hand, the headphones playing music in our ears, and the wine glass and food on our table to become starting points for understanding both ourselves and the world around us. The exhibition opens on October 3. We warmly invite residents and travelers alike to visit KMFA and take part in a revolution in seeing that spans more than 50 years and transcends national borders.