Dwelling Place – 2008 Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition

Due to the current catastrophe with the second mortgage loans in the United States, the world is going through a great deal of economic instability. The economic crisis is merely just a tip of the iceberg, and many issues with the climate, religion, race, food, social clash, diaspora, and war are tribulations that are still on the raise. The crisis at hand is only bring out to the open what has been hidden for a prolonged state, and is making apparent the complex issues that are forming or have already occurred. The public feels with intensity that the hard times have kicked in, and regardless of it being spiritual or physical, this all encompassing multi-crisis is causing a sense of unstableness in the public. With the feelings of anxiety, when will be the next breaking point? Will people be loosing all of their possessions overnight? The helplessness and the state of emptiness are engulfing everyone like a wave of thick fog; therefore, how to deal with these difficult situations will determine our lives and living standards in the immediate future to come.

The purpose to present “Dwelling Place 2008 Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition” as Hong-Gah Museum’s first international video art exhibition is an attempt to react to the complex situations occurring in the world right now. To use the concept of the “Home” as a starting point and through international call of entries and invited artists to exhibit works that use the most fundamental unit in life, the “Home”, and be it physical presentations or originating from spiritual aspects, the works make an effort to reconsider the modern day people’s reality and existence. Furthermore, through the works of these internationally acclaimed artists, a dialogue between the body, mind and soul can be kindled, and find a direction in the midst of a chaotic time and keep striving forth.

Twelve invited artists are presenting their observations about modern people’s dwelling places, and they have responded to various issues with sensitivity and profoundness. Some of the issues the artworks have dealt with are nostalgic memories, spiritual belonging, relationship with the land, identity acceptance, post-colonial issues, societal caste system, natural and man-caused disasters. In addition, in the three-month call for entries process, 121 works from 21 countries have been received, and through the selection process with international and domestic professional jurors, 20 works have been selected to be included in the exhibition. Amidst the selections, the topics presented about dwelling places are extensive, ranging from concerns for the lower-caste and minorities in the society, humorous fantasies about the city, the urban dwellings under consumerism, cultural differences, terrorism, labor diasporas, etc… Through these artworks, the intended purpose is to raise more diverse thoughts and deeper understandings toward the current state of the world.

Artists invited by curators：
Artist	Nationality	Artwork
Wimo Ambala Bayang	Indonesia	SABAR / 2006
Chen,Kai-Huang	Taiwan	cloning taiwan / 2000-2001
Chen Qiu-Lin	China	Farewell Poem / 2003
Åsa Elzén	Sweden	The Guide and the seeing man / 2008
Beatrice Gibson	UK	A necessary music / 2008
IngridMwangiRobertHutter	Kenya / Germany	In My House / 2006
Kao Jun-Honn	Taiwan	Three Ways of Living in Time / 2008
Markus Kison	German	Roermond-Ecke Schönhauser / 2005
Liu Wei	China	Hopeless Land / 2008
Qin Ga	China	The Miniature Long March / 2002-2005
Johanna Reich	Germany	The Floating City / 2008
Yuan Goang-Ming	Taiwan	Disappearing Landscape—Scotland / 2008
List of Artists selected by the jurors：
Artist	Nationality	Artwork
Herman Asselberghs	Belgium	Altogether / 2008
Louis Cameron	USA	Shortly After 9 a.m. / 2008
Cheng Chuh-Han	Taiwan	shower / 2007
Nina11 Dimitriadi	Russian/ Greece	Heavy Weight / 2006
Ho Wing-Yin	Hong Kong	HERstory-”Jeritan” / 2008
Jao Chia-En	Taiwan	Father’s Tongue / 2007
Mischa Leinkauf ＆ Matthias Wermke	Germany	Zwischenzeit(In Between) / 2008
Kim Yun-Kyung	South Korea	Penetrate /2008
Tessa Knapp	Germany	CORRIDORS No.2(Flure No.2) / 2005
Ane Lan	Norway	Afrika / 2006
Lin Tai-Chou	Taiwan	Virtual Family / 2008
Niou Chun-Chiang	Taiwan	POSTCARD / 2008
Minou Norouzi	Austria	IMAGO / 2006
Teddy Peix	France	City Mart /2005
Nada Prlja	UK	The Rights(episode I am Bosnian) / 2007
Rafaël	Spain	1+1=3 / 2006-2008
Katia Sepúlveda	Chile	Beauty v/s Beauty / 2007
Valentina Serrati	Paraguay	CELESTE / 2007
Guli Silberstein	Israel	Excerpt / 2008
Aaron Yassin	USA	IMPEIBOCHK / 2006