Located in the vicinity of a Formosan rock macaque habitat, the National Sun Yat-sen University is filled with Formosan rock macaques, prompting some students to refer to them as their schoolmates. “The Sun Rises in the West” features a Formosan rock macaque theme, and is comprised of a giant hollow sphere made of flower-shaped parts that emits red and yellow lights at night to portray the sunset at Sizihwan, one of Kaohsiung’s eight magnificent scenes. Next to the sun is a naughty Formosan rock macaque, forming the image of sun rising in the west to convey the message that nothing is impossible.
柴山以前屬於軍事管制區,意外成為台灣彌猴避敵繁衍之絕佳場所,加上被列為保育類動物、成立台灣獼猴保護區後,猴群數量逐漸穩定成長,柴山因此成為高雄極具特色的自然生態景點。
緊鄰棲地的中山大學同樣每日上演「與猴同行」景象,學生更是戲稱獼猴為學長。公共藝術《太陽從西邊出來》即以彌猴為主角,以花朵造型零件組構成巨大鏤空球體,夜間亮起紅黃光芒,呼應高雄八景之一「西子夕照」;頑皮的獼猴將太陽推出,形成「太陽從西邊升起」的畫面,象徵不可能成功的事情,蘊含努力皆有改變契機的希望意涵。
作品名稱:太陽從西邊出來The Sun Rises in the West
作者:梁任宏Ren-Hong Liang
創作年份:2015
材質規格:不鏽鋼、發光二極體、抿石子、銅 / 700×700×300cm
設置地點:國立中山大學逸仙館旁廣場