A special exhibition showcasing installation pieces fashioned from recycled waste materials got underway Jan. 23 in Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts.
Transformations: Contemporary Media and Manifestations features 39 works by 29 artists. Backed by Kaohsiung City Government’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs, it serves as a platform for local talents cultivating creative applications for discarded cloth, paper, plastics and metal.
BCA Director-General Shih Che said the event is forging fresh frontiers for Taiwan’s contemporary art scene. “The talents shied away from using traditional materials and staid styles so as to foster a deeper contemplation among show-goers of life and the pressing social issues of today.”
Echoing Shih’s remarks, acting KMFA Director Chien Mei-ling said the exhibition underscores the facility’s efforts in taking art to the people. “This is a bold move offering the public unparalleled access to leading contemporary artists in Taiwan.”
One highlight is “Another Place Series—Sailing” by Chen Sung-chih. The piece features discarded socks stuffed with waste paper affixed at random on a colorful blue blanket. Symbolizing ships sailing through an ocean to reach distant shores, the imagery brings to mind the struggles of common folk navigating the stormy seas of an increasingly globalized world.
Equally impressive is “Bloody Urine Man Series III” by Huang Tian-shiang. The work comprises four toilet bowls with glycerin as a substitute for distilled urine, giving voice to the artist’s concerns arising from overtime work and poor labor conditions in factories.
Running through May 15, the exhibition is expected to generate healthy visitor numbers for KMFA and heighten appreciation for the facility’s experimental mixed media installations.
