Diffusion Wave – Taiwan and Spain International Dynamic Media Art Exhibition

Text/Yung-Hsien CHEN (Curator)

The inherent movement and expansion of waves—a fundamental physical phenomenon observable in water, sound, and light—illustrate the dynamic forces at work in our world. When a medium is continuously disturbed, it generates vibrations that transmit energy through the motion of its particles. As these waves propagate, their energy dissipates, creating a palpable “Diffusion Wave” within our perceptual field.

This phenomenon serves as a powerful metaphor for contemporary social fluidity, highlighting the intricate interconnections between individuals and the broader societal sphere. Globalization has catalyzed profound transformations—expansion, contraction, and disruption—that foster deeper interconnectedness while simultaneously inducing uncertainty, anxiety, and detachment. The tension between openness and disorientation compels us to break free from closed cycles, prompting us to reconfigure identities, cultural values, and communal relationships in our search for stability in an ever-shifting, nomadic existence.

In this evolving landscape, how do we navigate the perpetual expansion of relational networks? How do we position ourselves in an era defined by liquid modernity? As Michel Maffesoli’s concept of “va-et-vient cyclique” (cyclical ebb and flow) suggests, human thoughts, emotions, and memories do not progress in a linear fashion. Instead, they ripple outward in continuous cycles of return, transformation, and interwoven social dynamics.

This exhibition explores “Diffusion Wave” as a concept of difference and deferral, symbolizing not only the transmission of energy in the physical world but also the evolving nature of self-identity in the information age—a continuous process of expansion, intersection, and reconstruction. Bringing together 14 artists and collectives from Taiwan and Spain, the exhibition employs diverse artistic media to examine shifting social relationships, capturing the transformative, disruptive, and transmissive aspects of contemporary existence.

Artists from diverse cultural backgrounds create works that function as ripples of consciousness, generating disturbances and variations in both individual and collective experiences. Through the use of AI, AR, VR, video, animation, and sound installation, they interweave Eastern and Western emotional resonances and social memories, reflecting how contemporary media art expands, penetrates, and transforms within global currents.