在日治時期,基隆曾經是世界最美的港口城巿之一。畫家王傑,留學西班牙,經過異國視野的洗滌,返台後,驚覺從小熟悉的基隆,竟然隱藏那麼多華麗、優美的建築。於是多年來持續以畫筆記錄下他看到城巿裡的美好角落。
然而基隆港西二、三碼頭因都巿重劃,面臨拆除之際,他面對曾經傲人的城巿風貌逐一瓦解,連所剩不多的文化建築,也岌岌可危時,拒絕再當旁觀者的他,走上抗爭前線,為城巿容顏與蘊藏的歷史內涵進行保衛戰。
Artist and the City : Keelung in the Eyes of Painter WANG Chieh
During the Japanese Colonial Era, Keelung was one of the most beautiful port cities in the world. WANG Chieh is a painter who was captivated by many exotic destinations throughout his studies in Spain; however, upon his return to Taiwan, he was surprised to discover plenty of majestic and elegant architecture hidden in the Keelung he’d known since childhood. His paintings from recent years record how he sees the most beautiful corners of the city.
The scheduled demolition of West 2 and West 3 Wharf meant that WANG now faced the prospect of the cityscape he once admired beginning to crumble, and that what little remained of the cultural architecture might be next. The painter refused to be a bystander, and took to the streets to preserve the aesthetic and intrinsic historical significance contained within the cityscape.