In Chinese mythology, Pangu was the first living being and the creator of the universe. In Taoism, they are even the homes of the gods.
「五嶽」是中國歷史上最重要的五大名山。傳說盤古開天闢地，死後頭與四肢便化為五嶽; 道教更認為五嶽是神仙居住的地方。
The reputation of Five Peaks originated from mountain worship in ancient China. Starting with the Emperor Qin in 219 BC, the five summits became destinations for Chinese Emperors’ pilgrimages. With every
dynasty, the new emperor would climb these mountains to pay respects to nature and reflect on their responsibilities. Other literati and Taoist priests would also climb for meditation and self-improvement.
五嶽之名源於古人崇拜山川。自秦始皇起，五嶽一直是中國帝皇封禪之地。每當朝代更迭，新皇帝都會到此表達對自然的敬畏及反省自身。不少文人雅士與道士亦曾前往修行。
Inspired by Five Peaks, Chinese Arts Space (CAS) and the Hippodrome are commissioning a new contemporary sculpture for Chinatown in the heart of London’s West End. The names & positions in China of the five traditional mountains are: Peaceful (east), Splendid (west), Balancing (south), Permanent (north) & Lofty (centre). Over time, some of these mountains have also become associated with Beauty & Danger. If these 5 Peaks contain elements of Chinese culture, then for CAS FIVE PEAKS (五岳) International Sculpture Commission perhaps could be added a new ‘metaphorical mountain’ to be chosen by the artists, eg. Assiduous, to embrace the contemporary legacy of Chinese/East Asian diasporas.
以「五嶽」為靈感，英國中華藝術空間(CAS)與Hippodrome賭場正招募一個嶄新的大型現代雕塑，於西倫敦市中心唐人街展出。五嶽的名稱和位置分別為: 泰山(東嶽)、華山(西嶽)、衡山(南嶽)、恆山(北嶽)及嵩山(中嶽)。隨時間推移，部分山嶽亦意味著美麗與危險。如果說五嶽是中華文化的象徵，那麼在「中華藝術空間國際雕塑遴選--五嶽」或者能加添一座新的山嶽作隱喻，由藝術家選出新的特質，例如「勤勉」，代表散居各地的中華/東亞人民的當代傳承。
We believe that every person - whether British-born Chinese or migrants - has obstacles to overcome or metaphoric peaks to climb, to adapt to new challenges or establish a new life in a different environment. The journey may be arduous, but after setbacks, you’ll eventually see a panoramic view, gain a new perspective or undergo personal transformation, similar to the sentiments in Du Fu’s poem "Gazing at the Sacred Peak":
我們相信每個人，尤其英國出生的華人以及僑民，須在陌生的環境開拓新生活，皆有障礙去克服，有無形的山峰要征服。旅途也許艱辛，但越過重重障礙後你會看見壯麗的山景，嶄新的視野以及蛻變了的自己，誠如杜甫的《望岳》中的感嘆:
At the summit, the other mountains will be
Small enough to hold, all in a single glance.
「會當凌絕頂，一覽眾山小。」
Five excellent artists are now shortlisted by our Selection Panel and are invited to tender for the £30,000 CAS International Sculpture Commission. They are:
1) HSU Yung-Hsu
2) Otto LI
3) WANG Hui
4) Jian-Jun XI (JJ Xi)
5) HSI Shih-Pin
Follow our page to keep updated about the progress of our exciting new international sculpture commission, or check out www.casuk.org for more information!
追蹤我們，接收我們國際雕塑比賽的最新資訊，或至www.casuk.org了解更多!
