「為什麼有這麼多年輕的學生，或是二、三十歲的人這樣投入創作，然後認為美術創作可以改變台灣社會，而且犧牲他的生命都沒有關係？」在一次訪問中，顏娟英老師道出1920、30年代，藝術家們的心魂。

百年前，黃土水、陳植棋、陳澄波⋯⋯等藝術家燃燒生命創作，揭開臺灣現代美術的序幕；百年後，以中央研究院顏娟英老師為首的研究群，費心考掘這些年代久遠且散落在藝術家後代、民間、非美術館的公立機關、甚至海外的作品，並與北師美術館的策展團隊共同尋找作品。「藝術很有事」節目從2019年8月開始側拍，將這一年多來匯聚各方心力的找尋過程，製作成兩支影片：《追尋不朽的青春》及《探尋未竟的山水》。

《追尋不朽的青春》著重理解時代精神，聚焦陳植棋和黃土水兩位天才、勤奮卻早逝的藝術家。拍攝團隊訪問陳植棋的獨子、已高齡93歲的陳昭陽先生，以及孫子陳子智，談論他們心目中的父親與祖父，當年因為發動學潮被退學、轉而赴日學習美術的孤絕心境。再者，黃土水作為開創台灣現代美術的第一人，存世的作品不多。1920年，他在東京美術學校創作畢業作品《少女》胸像，然後贈予母校太平國小，百年來從未正式面對世人。這次《少女》胸像經過修復後終將公開展出，是本次展覽最重要的作品之一。

【A History of Taiwanese Modern Art (Part 1): A Quest for the Everlasting Bloom】

“Why were so many students or young people in their twenties and thirties willing to devote themselves to creating art? Why did these youths believe that artistic creation could change Taiwanese society to the extent that they would be willing to sacrifice their lives for this aspiration?” In an interview, Professor Yen Chuan-Ying reveals the ideal of the artists in the 1920s and the 1930s.

Over a century ago, Huang Tu-Shui, Chen Chih-Chi, Chen Cheng-Po and many other artists dedicated their life to artistic creation; laying the foundations of Taiwanese modern art. 100 years later, a research team led by Yen Chuan-Ying of Academia Sinica has strived to unearth and study this artwork, created long ago, and scattered amongst the artists’ decedents, private collectors, public institutions other than art museums, and even foreign countries. The team has since embarked on a search for these works together with the curatorial team of the Museum at the National Taipei University of Education (MoNTUE). In August 2019, “Inside the Arts” started filming the many people who endeavored on this journey for over a year in order to produce two special episodes, respectively entitled A Quest for the Everlasting Bloom and Exploring the Unfinished Landscape.

A Quest for the Everlasting Bloom seeks to understand the sprit of the era through the work of Chen Chih-Chi and Huang Tu-Shui, two dedicated artistic geniuses, who departed this world much too soon. The production team visited CHEN Chih-Chi’s only son CHEN Zhao-Yang, now 93, along with his grandson, Tzu-chih Chen, to discuss how they saw their father and grandfather. Both men later provided insight into the lonely aspirations of Chen Chih-Chi who chose to study modern art in Japan after being forced to withdraw from Taipei Normal School in the wake of student protests.

Huang Tu-Shui can be considered the father of Taiwanese modern art but very little of his work survives. In 1920, he created the piece, “Bust of a Girl” at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts. Huang eventually gifted the bust to his alma mater, Daidotei Public School (now: Taiping Elementary School); however, the piece has never been formally exhibited to the public for almost 100 years. The restoration of “Bust of a Girl” in preparation for public display is an important focal point of this exhibition.