Tobacco, Carpet, Lunch Box, Textile Machinery and Cave Men: the narratives of craftsmanship and technologies in contemporary art

Artistry, aesthetics, avant-garde, narrative, craftsmanship, those are the key concepts that seem to be difficult to mingle in the context of contemporary art, which is the very direction this exhibition attempt to experiment with. Technologies as aesthetic narrative include the command of unique and yet uncontrollable material, devoting tremendous time and technology with astonishing perseverance and concentration, and the exceptional interpretation as well as aesthetics owing to the sensitivity of the creator toward the medium. This exhibition endeavors to showcase how contemporary artists interpret while employing the creative methodology of craftsmanship to offer something distinctive to the contemporary creation and how contemporary artists respond via work creation to the development processes of contemporary and modern history of technology.

The most distinctive trait that separates craftsmanship from contemporary art creation of concepts and narrative-orientation lies in the fact that the craftsmanship system retains technologies as an aesthetic narrative and the room for object appreciation. Technologies as aesthetic narrative include the command of unique and yet uncontrollable material, devoting tremendous time and technology with astonishing perseverance and concentration, and the exceptional interpretation as well as aesthetics by virtue of the sensitivity of the creator toward the medium. Hence, how the contemporary artists interpret while employing the creative methodology of craftsmanship to offer something distinctive to the contemporary creations shall be the direction this exhibition can develop and experiment with. Oftentimes we picture craftsmen create with sophisticated means. Yet, it is not the wonder brought by the technology but how the artist finds the most balanced expression in between medium and technology that matters.

This exhibition endeavors to break the boundary between craftsmanship and contemporary art. Nevertheless, it is not to mix the two different types of works and present them altogether in the exhibition, but a search for the craftsmanship within the contemporary art workers. Through this search for craftsmanship, we shall rediscover the pursuit and the respect toward materials from art workers. Such devotion to materiality allows contemporary art return to the experiment on materiality and forms, as quite some artists create direct impacts via radical materials or cleverly arrange their narrative with such. Artistry, aesthetics, avant-garde, narrative, and craftsmanship, the key concepts that seem to be difficult to mingle in the context of contemporary art, are the very goals this exhibition strives to achieve.

CHIANG Kai-Chun, CHIOU Zih-Yan , HOU I-Ting ,KUO Yu-Ping , LO Yi-Chun , TRUONG Minh-Quy , WU Pei-Shan , Walter WOMACKA