媽祖造像、挪用現象與「標準化」問題討論

The Statue of Mazu, Appropriation, and the Discussion on Watson's Concept of “Standardization＂

中國大陸在1980年代進行改革開放之後，全國各地神廟逐漸重建，神像也重新雕塑供奉，其中，湄洲島的巨型媽祖立像開創了一個嶄新的造像傳統，其規格與美學比較是宣揚城市規劃與現代普世博愛精神，企圖展現媽祖信仰從「封建」、「迷信」，到「民俗」，「旅遊」、「文化遺產」等的蛻變過程。此一立像造型引起華南華北沿海各省與海內外各地爭相挪用與模仿，不只牽涉到藝術造型的挪用，還與各級政府單位、信徒、廟方與工匠各方的共謀有關。本文引用學界近年宗教與身體經驗的理論，說明神像造型在引導信徒認同方面的視覺效果，筆者以為可以用來補充James Watson的標準化理論，在國家進行宗教標準化過程中，除了神明傳記等文本資料之外，神像造型也是一個重要面向。同時顯示國家並非是單一的操縱方，還有民間社會的主動附會，或是挪用模仿，經過時間遷移，最後達到整體宗教文化的協調統一。

After 1980 temples of folk religion in China were renovated, statues were re-sculptured and worshipped. A giant granite statue of Mazu erected on the island of Mei was a turning point for these newly sculptured statues. It symbolized a new style of modern city planning and spirit of universal fraternity. This statue was designed to indicate the transformation of Chinese folk religion from the superstitious, feudalistic, to the folkloric, tourist, and finally, to intangible cultural heritage. This Mei Mazu statue were largely imitated and appropriated along the northern and southern China coastal cities, and even in overseas Chinese communities and Taiwan. This phenomenon implied not only artistic appropriation, but also the complicity of the central and local government officers, local elites, designers, carvers, and folk believers. The author will discuss James Watson's concept of “standardization＂ and argue that when the state tries to standardize a religious cultural model it involves visual and artistic appropriation and complicity from the local society among other cultural strategies.