是不是只有足夠浪漫的人才會做與藝術有關的事？魯志楷個展《浪漫製造How To Be Romantic》是藝術家透過自身內在的感知經驗出發，對「浪漫」一詞進行的描述練習。他以平靜單純的眼光，對浪漫的種種形象進行取樣，並找出存在於畫面表裡之間的張力，用不同媒材組合環境、空間與身體之間的交疊，尋找著感性在物質世界中可能的表達。
亮光與黑影、清楚與朦朧、脆弱與堅固，魯志楷將這些二元邊界逐漸抹去，兩者在創作過程中所產生的流動與辯證，終在這個展覽裡被自由地展開。「浪漫」也許不再只是一個情感承諾的虛像，而是在現實中的徒勞重複，《浪漫製造How To Be Romantic》透過展名提問，與觀者一同思考關於感性經驗的詮釋，並留給所有人再造定義的空間。
Does the realm of art exclusively beckon those brimming with an abundance of romantic inclination? Lu Chih-Kai's solo exhibition, "How To Be Romantic", embarks from the artist's intrinsic realm of perception to deeply explore the term "romance". Through a serene and unadorned perspective, he samples various representations of romance, identifying the tension that resides within the imagery. Employing an amalgamation of diverse media, he interweaves environment, space, and corporeality, meticulously seeking avenues to express sensibility within the material realm.
Gazing upon the external environment in the third person, an attempt is made to gather both the seen and the unseen aspects within the scene—mist, diffused radiance, haze, and commotion. These elements reflect humanity's yearning for the enigmatic and evoke a journey shared by both the observer and the artist, transitioning from the subtle to the clear across time. Diverging from the fervor and sentimentality prevalent in past romanticism, the thematic landscape is grandiose and awe-inspiring, often depicting the natural world as a state of ideal perfection. Lu Chih-Kai, on the other hand, trains his lens upon urban landscapes, zeroing in on man-made structures bathed in the play of light and the hidden alleys and fields. Within these images that transcend pure documentation and abstract stylization, he masterfully intertwines the vocabularies of realism and the picturesque.
Exploring the realm of the "unseen" to delve into matters of the "seen", unveiling the profound significance of visibility within visual perception. The series centered around chalk extends as a response to this very consciousness. Lu Chih-Kai's enduring curiosity resides in the intricate interplay of behavioral continuity, bodily measurements, and internal experiences. He engages his own body, conducting both external deconstruction and internal exploration of materials. He reveals the residual traces within the "void" itself and the essence of the materials contained within, conjuring forth the absent physical presence of the artist and evoking the imaginative experiences projected onto the viewer. The overheard perspective of chalk particles lingering on surfaces without dispersing and the vertical accumulation of chalk dust as sediment suggest the outcomes of repetitive bodily actions during creation. The shifting origin point relative to the path impressed after continuous movement alludes to the results generated by the iterative gestures of the body throughout the creative process. Amidst the accumulation of footprints and chalk dust, the seamless continuity of time materializes like overlapping shadows within the two-dimensional realm of paper.
Radiance and shadow, clarity and haze, fragility and resilience—Lu Chih-Kai erases these binary boundaries gradually, allowing the fluidity and dialectics born from their interaction during the creative process to flow freely within this exhibition. In this realm, "romance" perhaps no longer remains a mere illusory pact of emotions, but rather, a cycle of futile repetition within reality. "How To Be Romantic" raises inquiries through its title, inviting viewers to contemplate interpretations of sensory experience and offering a canvas for all to redefine.
