Lin, Hong John
Interview 5: Lin, Hong John
13th of April
Hong-john Lin, teacher in Taipei National University of the Arts, had a short talk with us after class. It’s not only a share of what happened in or outside the classrooms, but also a share of travelers. The interviewers are from another country who wants to know Taipei in their own way. Meanwhile, the interviewee is also constantly moving among different cities ever since his teen. In the interview we may see how these city hoppers define themselves and their endless journeys.
林宏璋，台北國立藝術大學教授，在下課後和我們進行了簡短的訪談。但這並不只是一個教室內或教室外的閒話家常，也是關於旅行者的分享。訪談者來自捷克布拉格，試著要以自己的方式來認識這個城市，同時受訪者也是從十幾歲就開始在不同城市間移動著，在訪談中我們可以窺見這些旅行者們如何界定自己的移動以及彷彿沒有完結的旅程。
A: I like stories, I am interested in telling stories, work on the stories. I am not only interested in the content of the stories. I am also interested in how the stories have been told, who told the stories. I like to understand the stories from different positions. Generally speaking, I love stories.
問：你是個藝術家，你在學校裡教書，你是個策展人同時你也書寫，究竟哪個是你最感興趣的呢？
答：我想是故事，我喜歡說故事，也喜歡理解故事。但這並不只是在講故事內容而以，我也喜歡研究故事是怎麼被講的，是誰講的，我喜歡從不同的角度來看一個故事，整體來說，我喜歡故事。
Q: What do you think about our project?
A: I don’t know, I think I like it. What interested me the most is that, you guys come all the way to Taiwan, and you really treat yourself as foreigners. You are making the project from a totally outsider position. You assumed yourselves as the Other. Most of people when they go to another country they want to be like locals. For example, people always say “When in Rome, do as Romans.” One tries to assimilate himself into the new place. But in your project you want to be like foreigners. That’s the most interesting part.
問：你覺得我們在進行的計劃如何呢？
答：怎麼說呢…我想還不錯吧！讓我覺得最有趣的部分在於，你們大老遠跑來台灣，但是卻把自己完全當成外國人，你在這個計劃的立足點完全是個局外人，你把自己想像成一個之於台灣的大他者。大部分的人去到一個國家都會想把自己變成當地人，好比人家說入境隨俗就是這個意思，人都會想讓自己同化到新的地方，但是在你的計劃當中你卻想當一個外國人，我覺得這個很有趣。
13th of April
Hong-john Lin, teacher in Taipei National University of the Arts, had a short talk with us after class. It’s not only a share of what happened in or outside the classrooms, but also a share of travelers. The interviewers are from another country who wants to know Taipei in their own way. Meanwhile, the interviewee is also constantly moving among different cities ever since his teen. In the interview we may see how these city hoppers define themselves and their endless journeys.
林宏璋，台北國立藝術大學教授，在下課後和我們進行了簡短的訪談。但這並不只是一個教室內或教室外的閒話家常，也是關於旅行者的分享。訪談者來自捷克布拉格，試著要以自己的方式來認識這個城市，同時受訪者也是從十幾歲就開始在不同城市間移動著，在訪談中我們可以窺見這些旅行者們如何界定自己的移動以及彷彿沒有完結的旅程。
Short excerpt:
Q: You’re an artist, you teach in the university, you’re a curator, and you also do writings. What is the most interesting part for you?
A: I like stories, I am interested in telling stories, work on the stories. I am not only interested in the content of the stories. I am also interested in how the stories have been told, who told the stories. I like to understand the stories from different positions. Generally speaking, I love stories.
問：你是個藝術家，你在學校裡教書，你是個策展人同時你也書寫，究竟哪個是你最感興趣的呢？
答：我想是故事，我喜歡說故事，也喜歡理解故事。但這並不只是在講故事內容而以，我也喜歡研究故事是怎麼被講的，是誰講的，我喜歡從不同的角度來看一個故事，整體來說，我喜歡故事。
Q: What do you think about our project?
A: I don’t know, I think I like it. What interested me the most is that, you guys come all the way to Taiwan, and you really treat yourself as foreigners. You are making the project from a totally outsider position. You assumed yourselves as the Other. Most of people when they go to another country they want to be like locals. For example, people always say “When in Rome, do as Romans.” One tries to assimilate himself into the new place. But in your project you want to be like foreigners. That’s the most interesting part.
問：你覺得我們在進行的計劃如何呢？
答：怎麼說呢…我想還不錯吧！讓我覺得最有趣的部分在於，你們大老遠跑來台灣，但是卻把自己完全當成外國人，你在這個計劃的立足點完全是個局外人，你把自己想像成一個之於台灣的大他者。大部分的人去到一個國家都會想把自己變成當地人，好比人家說入境隨俗就是這個意思，人都會想讓自己同化到新的地方，但是在你的計劃當中你卻想當一個外國人，我覺得這個很有趣。