Ink, Spirit, and Freedom: “Inner Vision – Gao Xingjian” Traces a Life Between East and West
Inner Vision – Gao Xingjian opened on September 26 at the NTNU Art Museum, marking a new chapter in the Nobel Laureate’s enduring relationship with National Taiwan Normal University. The opening ceremony featured a dance-theatre performance and was attended by President Dr. Cheng-Chih Wu, Control Yuan Member Fan Sun-Lu, and Mr. Morgan Fraisse-Laszlo, Cultural and Academic Cooperation Officer at the French Office in Taiwan.
Gao, widely recognized for his achievements in literature and theatre, has over the decades developed his Inner Vision painting practice—an inquiry rooted in ink tonality and lyrical abstraction that explores poetic and spiritual expression. Organized in recognition of Gao’s donations of artworks and archival materials to NTNU, the exhibition is jointly presented by the NTNU Art Museum and the Gao Xingjian Research and Documentation Center. It features 46 ink and print works tracing Gao’s artistic development from his early explorations in France in 1988 to recent years.
From Donation to Legacy
In his remarks, President Wu noted that Gao, who has served as an Honorary Chair Professor at NTNU since 2012, has shown deep affection for Taiwan through his long association with the university. Gao’s donations of manuscripts and artworks embody his belief in art and education as shared human legacies. Wu expressed the hope that the exhibition allows students and visitors to experience Gao’s spirit of freedom and moments of inner reflection.
Control Yuan Member Fan Sun-Lu praised Gao’s distinctive visual language as a profound dialogue between mind and thought, encouraging visitors “to see themselves in his paintings.” She added that hosting the exhibition on campus offers lasting inspiration, marking the first major show since the NTNU Art Museum’s formal establishment.
NTNU Library Director Liao Hsüeh-Cheng highlighted Gao’s international stature and invaluable contributions to the university’s humanistic development, pledging continued institutional support for art promotion. Professor Lin Shu-Chen, Director of the Gao Xingjian Research and Documentation Center, reflected on Gao’s enduring trust in NTNU and the resonance of his creative freedom, hoping the exhibition helps audiences appreciate art as a universal language.
NTNU Art Museum Director Liu Chien-Cheng noted that the museum’s mission centers on preserving and promoting the university’s art collections. He thanked Gao for entrusting the museum with important works and explained that the exhibition’s focus on works on paper—including ten prints—reveals the interplay between inked landscapes, poetry, and literary text, capturing the depth of Gao’s Inner Vision.
Representing the French Office, Mr. Fraisse-Laszlo emphasized that Gao, the first writer to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature for works written in Chinese, exemplifies cross-cultural creativity and artistic freedom. He noted that the exhibition invites viewers to explore the landscapes of their own inner worlds.
East-West Dialogue
Winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Literature, Gao is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans fiction, drama, visual art, and aesthetics. His acclaimed novels Soul Mountain and One Man’s Bible, and plays such as The Other Shore, The Escape, and The Bus Stop continue to be staged internationally. Since 1985, Gao’s ink paintings have been exhibited at major venues including the Grand Palais in Paris (1989–1991), the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (2015), and Château de Saumur in France (2019).
In his 1993 paper No Isms, presented in Taipei, Gao articulated his artistic philosophy: “Western modern painting pursues sensation, while traditional Chinese painting seeks spirit. My effort is to bridge the two.” His reflections reveal a lifelong dialogue between feeling and spirit that anchors his Inner Vision series beyond cultural boundaries.
Music as Companion, Emotion as Guide
In a written message for the exhibition, Gao expressed regret that he could not attend in person but hoped his words would convey his artistic intent. He wrote: “When I paint, I banish words—I don’t even read during that time—and listen only to instrumental music. Music awakens emotion and envelops the self in feeling; as the melody unfolds, it becomes a form of emotion-born thought.”
The exhibition also includes six oil paintings by Gao’s wife Xi Ling, whose fresh and distinctive style he has praised. Gao concluded by thanking the NTNU Art Museum for its organization and announcing his decision to donate all works on view to the university so they may “be preserved for posterity as a lasting memory.”
Continuing a Cultural Mission
Gao’s relationship with NTNU dates back to his appointment as Chair Professor in 2012 and the conferral of an Honorary Doctor of Literature degree in 2017. In 2021, the university established the Gao Xingjian Research and Documentation Center to preserve his works and manuscripts and to promote academic and international collaboration. This exhibition stands as a testament to years of partnership and shared cultural endeavor, presenting to the public the artistic vision and philosophy that have shaped Gao Xingjian’s life and work.
Inner Vision – Gao Xingjian is on view at the NTNU Art Museum through November 23. Admission is free, with guided tours and live lectures by Gao Xingjian available by appointment. For details, visit the NTNU Art Museum’s official website or Facebook page.