因為工作的關係，書架上常有新書，然而讀完的書往往少於未讀完、或還沒打開的書。這時我常以義大利小說家、哲學家、符號學家翁貝爾托·艾可（Umberto Eco, 1932-2016）的話來安慰自己。記得艾可曾說過：「沒讀過的書永遠要比已經讀過的書重要。因為這些書的存在，恰好能夠提醒我，我所知道的範圍是如何的稀少。」艾可最著名的小說首推1980年出版的《玫瑰的名字》（The Name of the Rose），雖是以通俗小說的方式寫成，但其中引用的隱喻與符號學的運用，涉及了大量的歷史與知識，更開啟其後如《達文西密碼》等推理小說書寫的濫觴。

這，與2021 NTT-TIFA有何關係？這本小說讀起來雖有點難懂，因爲常常要深究暗藏其中的引據來源，以便於深入了解其精妙而讀得斷斷續續，在網路資料搜尋的今天，卻也樂在其中。從十多國語言翻譯、近2000萬本的銷售量、大受歡迎的改編電影來看，跟我一樣樂在其中的同好可不少！2021年的NTT-TIFA 就是這樣的魅力！不論是從傳說、童話、神鬼故事、或大歷史的文本出發的創作，或是遊走真實邊緣的虛幻、未來科技想像的可能，讓這一次NTT科藝TIFA的各檔節目更難以歸類說明。

從舞蹈切入的創作卻有強大的文本在其後支撐著，如：《偽善者／重生進化》、《愛麗絲》、《大潮》、《小螞蟻與機器人：遊牧咖啡館》、《存在粒子》＆《並存序列》等舞蹈作品；再如戲劇作品：《指尖上的幸福人生》、《穿越真實的邊界》、《複眼人》、《爆發年代》、《童話與傳說》等卻是充滿詩性、音樂，其援引素材多元，難為其演出型式定位；還有《十殿》、《狐仙》、《靈蹤》等年輕人大感興趣，橫跨陰陽兩界的題材，可談的仍是以人為中心的故事。這些製作從不同面向切入，細細撥開各層肌理、追蹤其源頭，我們定能發現「他們」不再似標題所示之表象，每個題材想要表達、呈現的早已「越過名字」，而科藝也早已在無形中全面滲入當代劇場的展演。

所以，艾可、《玫瑰的名字》到底與2021 NTT-TIFA有什麼關係？前些日子，史恩・康納萊過世，對「永恆偶像」拍過的電影一一溫習，連帶想起艾可經典的話語，更想用這句話來對「不了解科藝劇場」的朋友們說句真心話：

Because of my work, new books constantly appear on my bookshelves, with those I haven’t opened – let alone finished – far outnumbering the ones I’ve read from cover to cover. These days, I take comfort in the example set by the Italian novelist, philosopher and semiotician Umberto Eco (1932–2016), whose relationship to the printed word was once rendered as this: “Unread books are far more valuable than read ones. Unopened volumes fittingly remind me of my limited scope of knowledge.” Of Eco’s most celebrated tomes, The Name of the Rose (first published in 1980) reads like a popular novel, though it references a plethora of classical metaphors, scholarly tenets of semiotics, and a breadth of historical detail. In fact, this bestselling novel later inspired a flood of suspense novels such as The Da Vinci Code.

What does any of the above have to do with 2021 NTT-TIFA? Although The Name of the Rose may seem relatively abstruse – appreciating the intricacies of Eco’s literary craft requires an immersion into his historical sources – yet with internet searches now only a few keystrokes away, the extra effort can offer a reader untold thrills of discovery. With nearly 20 million copies sold in more than a dozen languages, along with a film adaptation that has wowed moviegoers worldwide, The Name of the Rose has certainly stood the test of time – and indeed, I also belong to the legion of Eco fans! Trust me, the NTT-TIFA 2021 possesses similar wide appeal! No matter whether they stem from legends and fairy tales recounting the adventures of gods and goblins, reference historical tomes or ponder the future of scientific expertise, all of the programs in the upcoming edition of NTT-TIFA walk the fine line between technology and art.

Dance performances with strong literary roots include Double Murder – Clowns / The Fix, ALICE, Acqua Alta, Little Ant & Robot: A Nomad Café and Intensional Particle & Concurrent Sequence. Theater works such as Cold Blood, On the Edge of Reality, The Man with the Compound Eyes, BOOM and Contes et Légendes are infused with poetry and music, drawing on multiple sources that defy easy categorization. With Palaces, Fox Tales and Lîng-tsong, we present pieces that cross from our terrestrial world to the realm beyond – a topic popular among younger audiences – yet they still remain rooted in the essential human experience. All of these productions provide multilayered perspectives in search of the essence of art. No longer constrained by preconceived notions, these provocative topics and presentations will far exceed any generic label, taking us on a journey of discovery marveling at technological craftsmanship that has long been a part of contemporary stage art.

What do Umberto Eco and The Name of the Rose have to do with 2021 NTT-TIFA? Not long ago, after the death of Sean Connery, I took some time to review many of the films starring my “eternal idol,” which reminded me once again of Eco’s motto. Let me say from the depth of my heart to friends who may be hesitant to embrace the art of technology on the contemporary stage: