Minister of Culture Lung Ying-tai traveled to southern Taiwan on Jan. 27 to preside over the handover ceremony for inaugurating the National Museum of Taiwan Literature’s new director. Some people in the culture sector are anxious about newly inducted director Weng Chih-tsung’s apparent lack of a background in Taiwan literature. Lung says that it is normal to have misgivings about newly appointed officials, adding that the museum director position is that of a government bureaucrat who is supposed to build a stage, not take to the stage to act in the lead role. Weng has abundant administrative experience and is qualified in the fields of literature, history and art, Lung says, adding that perhaps he will bring more diverse and fresh interaction to the museum.
After completing his four-year post as museum head, former director Lee Jui-teng has decided to return to National Central University to teach, while Weng, a specialist from the ministry’s Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development, has taken over the position. Lung affirmed Lee’s contributions over the past four years, personally giving Lee flowers during the ceremony as a token of gratitude. Lung also said that people working in the culture sector have imaginations as strong as wild horses, while administrative work necessitates having the disposition of farming cattle. As a scholar and someone who works in the culture sector, Lee has made steady progress at the museum over the past four years in building a firm foundation for literature in Taiwan.
Lung hopes that Weng will be able to build up the museum as a platform allowing Taiwan’s writers to shine, using his ample administrative experience to stay on track with the ministry’s policies, give impetus to diverse international interests, thoroughly strengthen the roots of Taiwanese literature, as well as broaden its ambitions, the overall field and its international perspective.
Photo: Meng Ching-tzu, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者孟慶慈
Weng says that he will lead the museum in building upon its current foundation so that it can continue to shine and generate energy. In the future, Weng would like to have a firm grasp on literature as a whole in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of literature, advancing internationalization and working closely with the ministry. Full of emotion, Lee said that he will always be a volunteer working for the museum and continue to care about it.
(Liberty Times, Translated by Kyle Jeffcoat)
國立台灣文學館新、舊任館長一月二十七日交接,文化部長龍應台南下主持;部分台文界人士對於缺乏台文背景的翁誌聰接任館長一職有所疑慮,龍應台表示,對新上任者不安很正常,館長是政府的行政者,是搭舞台的人,不是跳上台當主角,翁誌聰擁有豐富行政經驗,資歷也與文史、藝術密切相關,也許能為台文館帶來更多元、新鮮的互動。
Photo: Meng Ching-tzu, Liberty Times
照片:自由時報記者孟慶慈
卸任台文館館長李瑞騰四年借調期滿將歸建中央大學,新任館長由文化部影視及流行音樂發展司專門委員翁誌聰接任。龍應台肯定李瑞騰過去四年來的貢獻,典禮上親自送花給李瑞騰表示感謝;她表示,文化人有著野馬般的豐富想像力,做行政需要擁有耕牛般的性格;身為學者又是文化人的李瑞騰,四年來一步一腳印,在文學館默默推動文學紮根工程。
龍應台期許翁誌聰將台文館這個舞台搭好,燈光架好,讓文學家上台表現,並將豐富的行政經驗與文化部政策密切接軌,推動多元的國際化,將台文學的根紮得更深、更細緻,心胸、領域、國際視野更加開闊。
翁誌聰則表示,會在台文館現有的基礎下,帶領台文館全體向前走,讓台文館持續發光、發熱,未來將在把握文學主體的前提下推動文學跨界合作,推動國際化,與文化部密切合作等。李瑞騰感性地說,自己將是台文館永遠的志工,會繼續關心台文館。
(自由時報記者孟慶慈)
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