Art exhibition in Taipei explores war preparation

Art exhibition in Taipei explores war preparation

2023-03-29

Taiwanese artist Chang Ling is currently holding a solo exhibition in Taipei that explores war-related topics like emergency response measures, daily necessities and survival through a series of paintings and installations. Our very own Stephany Yang spoke to Chang to find out more about his works.

Walk into the exhibition and you will see a series of paintings and installations. This oil painting is titled "War Preparation - Unreached Ruins 2." It is Chang
’s interpretation of what war may look like. He drew fighter jets, buildings that have been bombed, and ruins.

Chang Ling
Artist
What this work is expressing is an unreached ruin. That is to say, ruins usually exist because of something that has already happened. Something became ruined because of an event that occurred. But within an unreached imagination, it is not about recording the history of the past, rather it is an imagining of a foreseeable future. I drew fighter planes flying by, some buildings that have been bombed, and groups of people dancing among the ruins.

There is also a series of works by Chang called “Pseudo Arrogance.” The project comprises old black-and-white photos that Chang collected over 20 years ago, showcasing what everyday life was like in Taiwan in the 1940s. Some of the photos were found in old military dependents’ homes, and some were passed down by his own family. The works explore colonization.

Chang Ling
Artist
I have been collecting these old photos for several years. Many of them were collected after people threw them away. I took old photos, which were probably from the 1930s and 1940s, and then drew on top of them. After drawing, I would shoot the photo again, then zoom in on it. On top of a historical overlap, my subjective copy is on top of the historical photos of the past, thus forming a multi-layered and more complex expression of ideas.

Chang studied in France in 1996 and developed a high interest in economics, politics, culture, and public affairs. After returning to Taiwan in 2005, he began creating various works that explore his home, Taiwan. In his latest solo exhibition in Taipei, Chang created paintings and installations to examine the challenges of war, and to delve into topics such as war preparation, emergency responses, daily necessities and supplies, and survival.

Chang Ling
Artist
What I want to express through this exhibition is that there is a sense of urgency in the world today, due to geopolitical tensions that may cause various countries to face imminent crises. What kind of crisis will Taiwan face? This is a very important question to address. I think that as an artist, it is my social responsibility to express these things through an exhibition.

The exhibition will be on at the MoCa Studio in Taipei until May 7.