就在這檔展覽開幕的前一週（2024年4月3日），台灣發生了一起規模7.4的大地震。當時在曼谷的我一早看到手機上大量的訊息馬上從床上坐起來。還來不及一一檢查訊息，我就先聯絡目前因為即將開展而正暫時住在鯉魚藝廊的Ryan。其一是想確認他平安無事，其二因為在幾天前離開台灣時托他照顧藝廊，也請他確認藝廊無事。再來就是關乎他再過一週就即將在藝廊開幕的個展「這裡永遠沒有地震」。這檔展覽與時事發生的巧合，讓我們兩人以下巴近乎掉下來的程度感到不可置信。

第一次注意到Ryan的作品是2023年我剛好也在新加坡旅行的時候，我在Instagram上讀到他寫的一段文字，那段文字的標題是：All good things must come to an end. （所有美好的事情都會結束）。後來這句話不知道為什麼一直讓我想起來，像是流行歌曲裡面的某段歌詞不停回放，似乎帶著意義又不太有意義。

All good things must come to an end.

All good things must come to an end.

All good things must come to an end.

於是我聯繫了Ryan，希望可以去他的工作室拜訪他。我們敲定了時間，那是我離開新加坡的前兩天。準備和Ryan碰面的那天早上我全身疼痛，量了一下體溫39度。快篩後發現是新冠確診。我於是跟Ryan取消了碰面，在朋友家的房間裡隔離了起來。這突然的插曲取消了所有興奮的行程。我原本可以吃到的美食、準備流的汗、沙灘、和Ryan的見面，全都被這一身的不適取代。然而我連懊惱的精力都沒有，因為這天殺的新冠肺炎搞得我無法分神去想像任何可能發生的那些美好的事物。

「就像IKEA吊燈的光均勻地照著，直到它開始晃動，或是一杯咖啡寧靜地在杯子裡，直到它被灑了出來」

這是在第五章裡出現的一段話。

平凡的日子，寫在行事曆上的計劃，所有的期待與想像。一切看起來都是美好的，直到某個時刻。

/

「這裡永遠沒有地震」是一檔串起了七個「章節」的展覽，這些章節分別以「頭痛」、「地震和長微震」、「灑出來的咖啡」、「一個有微風的日子」、「踢腳板」和「一個在威尼斯的房間」為主產生敘事。Ryan以非常平白的口吻，像是在日記本上隨意書寫般的記錄這些小插曲，並接著將這些小插曲延伸至了對不適、崩壞與瓦解的討論。這些章節以非線性的方式從2022年開始創作，也陸續以片段的方式在不同的展覽中展出過幾個個別的篇章。在2024年，Ryan正式將這七個章節完成，而這檔在鯉魚展出的個展「這裡永遠沒有地震」正是他對這七個篇章所進行的總結。

– 李芳吟


Just before this exhibition started (April 3rd, 2024), an earthquake of magnitude 7.4 hit Taiwan. I sat up right away when I saw all the messages on my phone. I contacted Ryan before I started checking all the messages. First, it was to make sure he was okay. Secondly, to ask if there has been any damage at Carp since I asked him to take care of the gallery just before I left a few days ago. And lastly, how our jaws dropped with this unbelievable coincidence between Ryan’s coming up exhibition ‘We will never have earthquakes’ and the earthquake that just happened.

The very first time noticing Ryan’s work was in 2023, when I was travelling in Singapore. I read this line he wrote on Instagram: All good things must come to an end. I’m not sure the reason why this line kept lingering in my mind. Like lyrics to a pop song, just on repeat and repeat. Seemingly being meaningful but not too much.

All good things must come to an end

All good things must come to an end

All good things must come to an end

I got in touch with Ryan and told him I would like to pay him a visit in his studio. We confirmed to meet on the second last day of my trip. On the day we were supposed to meet, I woke up with a horrible pain all over my body with a fever of 39 degree Celsius. It was COVID. I informed Ryan and cancelled our meeting. Instead of going to all the exciting places that I have previously planned, I immediately started my quarantine at a friend’s place. All the good food, the sweats, the beach, and my meeting with Ryan have all been replaced by the discomfort of my body. Yet at the moment, the damning COVID gave me no spare energy to even think about the amazing things I could have had.

‘Like how the light from an IKEA lamp is a convenience until it sways. Or maybe a cup of coffee is only an ease until it spills.’

This is a line from chapter five.

The ordinary days, the planned schedules written in my calendar, all the expectations and hope. Everything seemed good. Until a certain moment.

– Lydia Li