一個邊陲的小農村，能承受多大健康風險？一座自然科學博物館，能盡到多少環境保護的責任？

 國立自然科學博物館自103年12月26日起，展出「南風攝影展：台西村的故事」，內容為二位攝影者：鐘聖雄與許震唐的「紀實攝影」(documentary photography)，攝影主題為彰化縣大城鄉的台西村，本展透過攝影者的影像與文字，邀請觀眾一起思考，一個具體而微的台灣沿海小農村，它的環境與命運。

台西村位於台灣彰化縣西南隅，一個佇立在濁水溪出海口北岸的小農村。如同台灣西海岸很多農村，台西村歷經60年代之後城鄉移民、人口流失老化、隔代教養、農業產值下降的傳統農村困境；但更艱難的是，自從1998年，它開始與麥寮六輕石化工廠的398支煙囪，隔著濁水溪相望。每年夏天當「南風」來臨之際，六輕廠的煙囪排放吹向北方的台西村，村民不僅被迫生活在排放氣體的味道中，更有可能面臨空氣中各種有害物質帶來的健康風險。


鐘聖雄及許震唐的攝影及文字，報導了台西村民的生活困境，呈現了攝影者對台西村的調查、思考與理解，也同時讓觀眾看到一個小農村的日常生活面貌：不論是老人與小孩的隔代教養、河堤或田埂的水泥化、濁水溪口勞動身影的環境省思、甚至六輕空汙問題引起的環境及健康風險等等，這些作品成為藝術家介入現實社會的一種知性行動。也就是在這個意義上，當「人」的角色在環境中突顯出來，「自然環境與人的互動」這個自然史博物館窮究的問題，才不會停留在一種抽象的科學思考，而轉化成有血有肉的具體生命情境。


如同知名藝術評論者Susan Sontag所說的：「一個影像是一項邀請：去觀察、學習、專注。照片不能代替我們的知性及德性工作，但它們能協助我們踏上此途。」觀看攝影不是一張贖罪券，不能代替我們的工作，攝影的展出因此並不是工作的結束，這些影像期待你我的知性及道德行動。南風攝影展展場裡，設置了社會媒體，也就是電腦的「觀眾留言版」，你的留言和觀察，將可能可以是一種學習或行動的觸媒。本展展期至104年6月21日，我們歡迎你前來參觀，留下你的感想，取得授權碼，回家再度上網留言。攝影不一定能匯集行動，但也許能幫助我們一起踏上此途！

The "When the South Wind Blows--the Documentary Photography of Taixi Village" special exhibition opened on December 26, 2014. The focus of this exhibition is the documentary photography of Taixi Village in Dacheng Township, Changhua County by Chung Sheng-hsiung and Hsu Cheng-tang. Images and text encourage reflection on the environment and fate of this coastal village.

Taixi Village is a small farming community in southwestern Changhua County, along the northern bank of the Zhuoshui River estuary. Since the 1960s, young people have been leaving the rural areas, such as Taixi Village, leading to dramatic decreases in and aging of the population, children being raised by grandparents and reduction in agricultural output value. Added to these issues are the 398 smokestacks of the Sixth Naphtha Cracking Plant in Mailiao Township, just across the Zhuoshui River that began operating in 1998. Every summer, when the "south wind" blows fumes from these smokestacks are sent northward to Taixi Village. The residents of this village not only have to put up with the foul odor, but also face health risks from harmful air pollutants.

Through text and images, Chung Sheng-hsiung and Hsu Cheng-tang give accounts of the difficulties faced by the residents of Taixi Village. They offer their reflections and understanding, while opening a channel for visitors to observe the daily lives of and issues of people living in this rural village, such as aging of the population, children being raised by grandparents, building of cement river embankments and paddy ridges, environmental conditions that overshadow the pursuit of livelihoods along the Zhuoshui River, and environmental damage and health risks caused by air pollution from the Sixth Naphtha Cracking Plant.  The National Museum of Natural Science with its focus on "the interactions between humans and nature" has organized this special exhibition to raise awareness of the issues highlighted by these two artists, not just from a purely abstract and scientific point of view, but also from a presentation of specific examples.

Well-known art critic Susan Sontag once said that images can be likened to an invitation to observe, learn and pay attention. They cannot serve as substitutes for the actions of knowledge or morality, but can help us toward this journey. This documentary photography special exhibition does not signal the end of a project, but rather the anticipation of action based on knowledge and morality. The multimedia device contained within this exhibition is the "message board" of this Website, which may well become the catalyst for such action. We invite you to share your observations and thoughts regarding this village--its life and death issues and its beauty and sorrow.