enya FASHION QUEEN

Text by Annie Lu | Translation by Eugenia Yang｜Clothing by Sophie Hong

秋日午後，我們與獲授法國藝術與文學騎士的陸仲雁老師相約於日式老屋「樂埔薈所」，並在這個充滿歷史性和文化氛圍的場所，深度暸解陸仲雁老師身為美學信使30多年來的成就以及她在教育、文化交流方面的豐富經歷；這次的相聚，不僅只是一場對話，更藉由其「鴻雁之心」深刻感受到藝術文化的深邃與力量…….

In an autumn afternoon, we met with Lisette Lou, who was awarded the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France, at the Japanese-styled Lepu Lounge. In this historically and culturally rich venue, we delved into Lou’s achievements as a messenger of aesthetics for over 30 years and her extensive experiences in education and cultural exchange. Our interview was not just a conversation, but also an opportunity to understand the profound power of art and culture through her aspiring potential…

成長軌跡

陸仲雁從小就隨外交官父親的腳步踏足各國，在這樣的成長背景下，雖然長年在國外與台灣間奔波，但成長回憶對她而言卻清晰可見，特別是童年在喀麥隆、海地的那段日子裡，綠油油的窗外景色是她對非洲的第一印象，雖然人生地不熟，甚至還曾被當地黑人嚇哭，但也因為有這樣的機會，使其與法語產生了最初的連結，當初的她或許都沒想過會與法語有著如此深的緣份，對此陸仲雁也感性提到：「童年記憶是非常溫馨的，尤其是有觸感的東西，我直到現在都還把在當地學校上課的本子留下來。」

Trajectory of Growth 

Ever since she was a little girl, Lou followed the footsteps of her diplomat father and traveled around the world. Despite constantly moving between Taiwan and other countries, she still remembers her upbringing clearly, especially her childhood days in Cameroon and Haiti. The lush green scenery out the window was her first impression of Africa. Although unfamiliar with her surroundings and was even once frightened by locals, Lou had the opportunity to establish an intrinsic connection with the French language. Perhaps at that time, she would’ve never imagined having such a deep affinity with a foreign language. With that particular memory in mind, Lou emotionally shares, “These childhood memories are very touching, especially items that are tangible. Even till now, I still keep the notebooks from the local school I attended.” 

美學啟蒙

十五歲時，陸仲雁一家隨父親前往巴拉圭，無論到何處他們全家人都待在一起，家庭教育影響陸仲雁很深，他們非常珍惜家庭相聚的時光，即使身在國外，父母仍不忘加強孩子們的中文，規定他們在家裡只能使用中文溝通，這也為陸仲雁的語言能力奠定了良好的基礎；至於在美學啟蒙上，巴拉圭國際學校同學們對於生活儀式感的注重，讓她深刻認知到：「藝術生活化，生活藝術化。」的重要性。回到台灣後，陸仲雁選擇輔大法文系就讀，會繼續朝語言前進，是因為其不將語言視為一種工具而已，她提到：「語言可以開闊視野，學習法文就像談戀愛一樣，要從各方面去了解它，包括文學、美食、藝術等。」這樣的觀念也形塑了她未來的事業和生活。

Aesthetic Enlightenment

At the age of fifteen, Lou and her family moved to Paraguay. Regardless of the destination, her family strived to stay together. Family education was a great influence to her, as they always cherished the time spent together. Even when they were abroad, her parents took the time to practice their kids’ mandarin and specified that they could only communicate in the respective language at home, which laid a solid foundation for Lou’s language skills. Regarding aesthetic enlightenment, she noticed her classmates at the international school in Paraguay valued establishing a sense of ritual in life. This experience made her realize the importance of how art enlivens life and how life becomes art. Upon returning to Taiwan, Lou chose to study French at Fu Jen Catholic University. The reason she chose to continue her linguistic journey was that she didn’t view language as merely a tool. “Language can broaden one’s perspective. Learning French is like falling in love; you have to understand it from various aspects, including literature, cuisine, art and more” – this particular mindset further shaped her future career and life trajectory. 

生命導師

陸仲雁一直以進入文化單位為目標，全因在多國的經歷下，她發覺在國外來自亞洲，例如台灣、日本和韓國等的移民，皆各有民族文化的特質，這也讓她認知到文化的重要性。大學畢業後，陸仲雁因緣際會下進入故宮成為法語與西班牙語導覽，每天都要接觸來自世界各地的遊客，即使需要將6000年歷史濃縮成一小時的導覽內容，她也覺得很有趣。常有人問她每天都這樣機械式的導覽不會職業疲乏嗎？陸仲雁則認為：「獨樂樂不如眾樂樂，分享出去很重要，況且我會根據不同文化族群，決定用什麼方式去導覽。」在成為導覽一段時間後，陸仲雁有幸前往國立故宮博物館院院長室負責國際交流事務，這一做就做了33年，追隨過七任院長，這幾位院長也成為她人生旅途中的重要導師。像是她在秦孝儀身上就學到了不卑不亢、溝通協調等技巧，這些也讓她受用多年。

Life Coach 

Lou has always aimed to enter cultural institutions – a goal that stemmed from her experiences abroad, where she observed that the communities of Asia, such as Taiwan, Japan and Korea, have their own identities and characters, which further emphasized the importance of culture. After graduating from college, Lou fortuitously joined the National Palace Museum as a French and Spanish-speaking tour guide. As she got the chance to meet tourists from around the world, she also needed to condense 6,000 years of history into an hour-long tour, which she found fascinating. People often ask, does giving these standardized tours every day get tiring? She smiles and replies, “The more the merrier and sharing is important. I decide how to present my tour according to different cultural groups.” After working as a museum tour guide, Lou had the opportunity to work as the confidential secretary and Senior Executive Officer for the directors of National Palace Museum. She stayed in this role for 33 years and served under seven different directors, each an important mentor in her life. For instance, working with Director Chin Hsiao-yi taught her the significance of humility and effective communication, which she found to be valuable throughout the years. of humility and effective communication, which she found to be valuable throughout the years.

騎士精神

在2019年榮獲法國文化部藝術與文學騎士勳章後，陸仲雁認為推廣文化交流這件事不應該在這劃下句點，所以在卸下故宮職位後，受邀轉任時藝多媒體擔任顧問，繼續為這個領域盡心盡力。不過她也深知舉辦大型展覽要耗費多年的時間與精力，無論是過去故宮與奧賽美術館、羅浮宮或是大英博物館的合作都是一樣的，但為了台灣下一代的美學教育，還是要繼續做下去。甚至到現在她和時藝多媒體的團隊，期望爭取未來大都會博物館來台展出的機會，同時也期望未來能夠有更多民間經費的支持，因為她認為：「美好的事物是一種享受，是會帶來幸福感的。」對陸仲雁來說，這也是她延續法國藝術與文學騎士精神、回饋法國、台灣的方式！

Chevalier Spirit 

After receiving a Chevalier medallion for the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France in 2019, Lou believed that the promotion of cultural exchange should not stop here. Therefore, after stepping down from her position at the National Palace Museum, she has been invited to join Media Sphere Communications Ltd. as a consultant to continue to contribute wholeheartedly to this field. However, she also understands that organizing large-scale exhibitions requires years of preparation and effort, something she learned from National Palace Museum’s past collaborations with the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre Museum, and the British Museum. Despite that, for Taiwan’s next generation and educational purposes, she is determined, even if it means financial losses. Currently, she is working with the MSC towards inviting the Metropolitan Museum of Art to host exhibitions in Taiwan. At the same time, she is also hoping to acquire financial support from private fundings in the future. “Beautiful things are a kind of enjoyment that brings happiness.” To Lou, this is her method of continuing the spirit of the Chevalier and a way of giving back to both France and Taiwan.