各位小時候，是否有看過童話故事《木偶奇遇記》? 是否對那個只要一說謊，鼻子就變長的木偶印象深刻? 這次我逛的特展，是來自香港的華人插畫家 Steven Choi，為了《木偶奇遇記》動畫85週年，所創作的小木偶及其限量商品。
展覽的展間是一間擁有82年歷史的日式男澡堂，有澡堂的洗手台、浴池、磁磚等，不過，策展單位將澡堂與文創商品巧妙結合，在不協調中營造出錯亂的對比效果，上次，我來男澡堂看展時，當時的那位藝術家把這裡打造成熱帶森林，也是非常有衝擊力的作品呈現方式。
我仔細觀察，藝術家將經典的小木偶角色用現代手法重新創作，現場還有錄影撥放作品的創作過程，最讓我心動的是各式雕塑立體作品，因為他除了《木偶奇遇記》之外，也創作過《流浪者之歌》、《小王子》、《謝謝你找到了我》等繪本角色，所以，看到《小王子》的立體模型作品，有些訝異，但也不意外。
在現場的展示的商品，都有現貨在販賣，且都是明碼標價，只要中意的話，可以買的，我看了一下，價錢不算便宜，幾乎都是上千元起跳的，雖然我覺得作品都很精美，可能具有收藏價值，聽說店員說，珍藏版小木偶半胸像，全球限量 500套，但是插畫家 Steven Choi 在藝術界或收藏圈有多大的影響力，不好評估，我也不是這方面的專家，還是單純欣賞就好。
Did you guys watch the fairy tale Pinocchio when you were little? Do you still remember that wooden puppet whose nose grew longer every time he lied? This time, I visited a special exhibition featuring works by Hong Kong illustrator Steven Choi, created for the 85th anniversary of the Pinocchio animated film. The exhibit showcased his take on Pinocchio, along with a collection of limited-edition merchandise.
The exhibition was set up inside a Japanese-style men’s bathhouse that has been around for 82 years. The space still had its original sinks, bathtubs, and tiled walls, but the organizers cleverly combined the bathhouse setting with cultural and creative products, creating a surreal and somewhat chaotic contrast. The last time I visited this bathhouse for an exhibition, the artist had transformed it into a tropical rainforest—it was a pretty shocking and unique way to present art.
I took my time exploring, and I noticed how the artist reimagined the classic Pinocchio character with a modern touch. There was even a video playing that showed the entire creative process. What really caught my eye, though, were the sculptures and 3D art pieces. Besides Pinocchio, Steven Choi has also worked on illustrated books like A Wanderer’s Song, The Little Prince, and Thank You for Finding Me. So, seeing a 3D model of The Little Prince on display surprised me at first—but then again, it also kind of made sense.
All the merchandise at the exhibition was available for purchase, and the prices were clearly marked. If you liked something, you could buy it right on the spot. I checked out the prices, and honestly, they weren’t cheap—most items started in the thousands (NTD). The pieces were beautifully made and probably had some collectible value. I even overheard the staff mentioning that the limited-edition Pinocchio bust was restricted to only 500 sets worldwide. But since I’m not an expert in the art or collector scene, I couldn’t really judge how much influence Steven Choi has in those circles. In the end, I just enjoyed the exhibition for what it was—appreciating the art without overthinking the investment side of it.