The Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, with its wave-like roof and unique external design, has become one of Kaohsiung’s new landmarks. In front of the center is a white whale (identical to the size of actual whales) jumping and turning its body, creating a curvature that matches that of the roof. The spectacular view created by the whale jumping out of the water is a metaphor for Kaohsiung’s industrial and urban transformation, as we strive to create a brighter future.
This artwork, which measures 12 meters tall, was created by sparsely joining aluminum sheets in a manner that allows the massive body of the whale to be translucent and less imposing while evoking a sense of grace. The creator indicated that the artwork is of equal scale to actual whales to create a strong visual effect, showing children who have never seen whales in real life their imposing size and how mesmerizing these sea creatures can be.
高雄展覽館以其海浪般的屋頂線條及外觀設計為建築特色，也是高雄的港灣新地標。藝術家許宗傑在展覽館前以等比尺寸創作出一隻白色的鯨魚，鯨魚跳躍翻轉的姿態與後方展覽館屋頂的波浪曲線形成完美呼應，彷彿鯨魚從水面躍身而出帶起壯觀浪潮，同時也隱喻高雄產業轉型與城市蛻變，以魚躍龍門之姿奮勇向上，躍身未來。
本作品尺寸高達12米，因採用將鋁片以垂直斷面虛實交錯的方式串接，故雖然量體巨大，視覺上仍保有穿透感，避免壓迫感的同時又能呈現鯨魚跳躍的輕盈動態。藝術家曾表示，作品尺寸即是成鯨的實際體型，除了視覺效果考量外，也可作為學童海洋教育的教材，讓未曾實際看過鯨魚的孩子也能知道鯨魚有多大，海洋裡有如此充滿魅力的生命！
作品名稱：躍身未來 Bright Future
作者：許宗傑 Tsung-chieh Hsu
創作年份：2017
材質：金屬、鋼 / 1050×730×1200 cm
設置地點：高雄展覽館門口