This was the inspiration that struck HSU, Che-jui,
during Taiwan's university entrance examination in 2022.
Photographed wish 4x5 large format film in 2024/03.
許哲睿2022年5月考大學入學考試時產生靈感，
2024年3月以4x5大型黑白底片進行自拍。
during Taiwan's university entrance examination in 2022.
Photographed wish 4x5 large format film in 2024/03.
許哲睿2022年5月考大學入學考試時產生靈感，
2024年3月以4x5大型黑白底片進行自拍。
''The King of Examination''
The following are the examination machines he designed.
↓
"The Examination Question of National Defense in
2029"
"The Examination Answer of National Defense in
2029"
"The Examination Question of Mandarin
in 2022, 2023 and 2024"
"The Examination Answer of Mandarin
in 2022, 2023 and 2024"
"The Examination Question of Mathematics in 2022"
"The Examination Answer of Mathematics in 2022"
"The Examination Question of English
in 2022, 2023 and 2024"
"The Examination Answer of English
in 2022, 2023 and 2024"
"The Examination Question of Chemistry in 2023"
"The Examination Answer of Chemistry in 2023"
"The Examination Question of Earth Sciences in 2024"
"The Examination Answer of Earth Sciences in 2024"
"The Examination Question of Biology in 2022"
"The Examination Answer of Biology in 2022"
"The Examination Question of History in 2024"
"The Examination Answer of History in 2024"
"The Examination Question of Physics in 2024"
"The Examination Answer of Physics in 2024"
"The Examination Question of Geography in 2023"
"The Examination Answer of Geography in 2023"
"The Examination Question of Civics and Society in
2029"
"The Examination Answer of Civics and Society in
2029"
"The Examination Question of Composition in 2019"
"The Examination Answer of Composition in 2019"
《Answer》: “The answers appear on your back, yet you can't see it yourself. How can you move forward then?”
In this kingdom, examinations determine who can ascend to royalty. The King of Examination designs countless examination machines.
The King feeds the machines examination-pills; upon ingesting these pills, the machines' backs will appear the answers that the King desires. Yet the machines themselves never understood why those are the solutions, for the right or wrong — or rather, the "Good or Bad"— of answers rest solely in the King's hands. The examination machines merely inscribe obediently. Those who answer well and score highly are granted the "right to speak" and differing ranks, while those who falter are discarded as defective.
Finally, on the day the annual examination scores were released, the top-scoring machine suddenly starts singing on the assembly platform when it’s awarded — but the song is allowed by the King……
／
（An Examination Machine’s Diary）
Examination Machines No.: 10830177
Date: 2022/01/21 (Fri.)
Upon waking up at the factory, I chanced upon a biology textbook titled “A Manual of Young Examination Machines about Daily Sleep”. I could make no sense of it: "I only have 4 hours left to sleep every day just for reviewing for examinations. How is it possible to get a full eight hours to sleep?” — I rushed to the examination arena.
／
“Education reflects the mindset of those in power, schools become large-scale brainwashing institutions, and examinations are a competition to see who has been more thoroughly brainwashed.”
The 108 National Basic Education Curriculum Reform in Taiwan is a shared experience for students of HSU, Che-jui’s generation, and this curriculum reform is still ongoing. This curriculum reform emphasizes open-minded thinking, logical criticism, competency-based practical skills, interdisciplinary integration, and extended reading, among others. Moreover, the changes in how contemporary society refers to Taiwan, the Republic of China, or other names, implying shifts in national identity.
The 108 Curriculum seems to have broken away from cramming education, but what comes next?
Taiwanese artist HSU, Che-jui has created an ideological performance that combines Traditional Chinese Martial Arts, and shooting on 4x5 large format films to critique Taiwan's examination-driven education system. By carving past and hypothetical future examination questions onto his body, HSU explores the scars inflicted on individuals’ lives by examinations—learning without thinking about why I have to learn.
Both martial arts and examinations require daily, repetitive practice to make knowledge or forms engraved in bones.
Martial arts are fundamentally about self-defence and personal growth, however, many practitioners focus solely on aesthetic forms or competition success, missing the philosophical core. Similarly, examinations are meant to assess learning and guide collaboration, but often foster individualism and competition instead. "Knowledge can be returned to the teacher after the examinations.” —A famous idiom among Taiwanese students.
Both martial arts and examinations have been reduced to mere survival tools in modern society. HSU sees the primary rule of natural competition is violence, examination is pitting students against each other, and allowing those in power to shape thinking, enforce assimilation, and promote a cult of personality through violence, too. This exam centric culture, HSU argues, extends beyond schools to influence the entire nation.
Through HSU’s performance, HSU invites people of different generations to recall their educational experiences and student life. By reading and contemplating examination questions that reflect societal norms and historical contexts, HSU encourages viewers to consider how such questions might shape the minds of current students and then lead society to what kind of future.
－
《答案》： 「答案顯現在背後，自己都看不到，那該怎麼向前走？」
這是一個用考試決定誰能當國王的王國，考試國王設計了無數台考試機器。
考試國王製作「考試卷藥丸」餵給考試機器吃，吃下藥丸的機器會在背上產生國王想要的答案，但它們自己永遠不知道：為什麼是這個解答？答案的對錯——應該說：「好壞」決定在國王手上。考試機器只知道乖乖書寫，答得好、得到高分者將被授得 「說話的權利」以及不同的階級，而考不好的則被報廢。
終於，年度考試放榜，考了最高分的考試機器在司令台上受獎時卻突然唱起了歌，但它唱的不是國王允許的那首⋯⋯
／
（考試機器日記）
考試機器編號：10830177
日期：1110121（五）
今早在工廠起床時撿到一本生物筆記，上面寫著《年輕考試機器的一日睡眠指南》，我橫豎也看不懂：「每天光複習就只剩4小時可以睡了，哪可能睡滿8小時？」——快來不及了！我趕往考場。
／
「教育反映當權者思維，學校化身大型洗腦機構，考試則是比誰被洗腦得更徹底。」
108課綱教育改革，作為許哲睿這代學生的共同經歷，且該課綱仍是「現在進行式」。本次課綱改革主打：開放性思考、邏輯批判、素養實作、跨學科整合、長篇閱讀等；而課堂上對於臺灣、 中華民國（Republic of China）與其他的國家稱呼也產生變遷， 隱含著國族認同。
108課綱似乎破除了填鴨式教育，然後呢？
許哲睿自創「思想國術」表演，並在身上刻下具我國特色的歷屆考題與「未來題」，結合4x5底片攝影，思索：「不求甚解」的考試（知識學習）對人的生命造成的傷痕。
國術與考試都需要日復一日重複「鍛鍊」，讓知識（姿勢）刻骨銘心。
國術的本質是攻防，且防身亦修身， 以武平和、以武入道，但許多人僅知外型華美、競賽得獎，蹲馬步不解拳理， 把身法蹲死；考試使人檢核自己的學習成果與能力，作為群體協作的依據，但考試亦要求個人主義，需憑自身爭搶一席之地，其他都是敵人。學生只追求成績：「知識考完就都還給老師了。」
國術、考試變得只是為了「存活」。 生物競爭的第一原則是「暴力」，在考試形成的功利文化中，考生相互攻伐； 上位者亦透過暴力「同化思想」，塑造對「人」的信仰，這個現象從學校擴散到整個國家。
為此許哲睿想邀請不同世代的群眾， 回憶自己求學的經歷，一同藉由閱讀、 思考這些隱含社會共性、歷史定位的考題，究竟會在許哲睿、 當代學生的大腦中植入何種思維，進而使社會走向什麼未來？