Artists in residence look for a way in and out

By Gavin Phipps
STAFF REPORTER
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004, Page 19

US artist Anthony Luensman's huge homemade woofers fill the entrance at the Taipei Artist Village with deep bass sounds derived from the city. COURTESY OF TAIPEI ARTIST VILLAGE

Over the coming weeks, the Taipei International Arts Village (TAV, 台北國際藝術村) will be hosting an exhibition featuring three contrasting styles of installation works by several of the center's current international posse of artists in residence, that use both audio and visual effects to amuse as well as fascinate visitors.

Entitled Enter -- Exit, the exhibition sees works by the US' Anthony Luensman, South Korea's Kim Bum-su and local artist Tang Huang-chen (湯皇珍) vying for the viewer's attention at the popular Taipei gallery/workspace.

Dubbed Tracings, Luensman's work offers viewers both an audio and visual retrospective of how the US national has come to perceive and interpret the sights and sounds of Taipei during his tenure as an artist in residence at TAV.

All electronics-based, Luensman's works are, according to the artist, derived from inspiration he has drawn from artists and works he has had the opportunity to discover while in Taipei. His exhibits are interactive and make a fun presentation.

One of South Korean artist Kim Bum-su's striking and kaleidoscopic works made up entirely of small pieces of film. COURTESY OF TAIPEI ARTIST VILLAGE

The exhibition begins with his humorous take on the common doorbell. Luensman's device sees the common chime replaced by a device that, when pressed, sets off a dozen vibrating mobile phones which rap gently on a sheet of glass.

Along with his doorbell, other works include huge home-made woofers from which the random sounds of Taipei -- devoid of everything but the bass lines -- emanate, a thumb tack-filled tray, which when activated sets off a random chain of vibrations and sees thumb tacks jumping in all directions.

For your information : Taipei International Arts Village (台北國際藝術村) is at 7, Beiping E Rd, (台北市北平東路七號). Telephone (02) 3393 7377. The gallery is open from 10am until 6pm, Tuesdays through Fridays. The three exhibitions will run until Feb. 17.

In stark contrast to the US-based artist's audio look at Taipei, Kim takes the viewer into a colorful world where celluloid film makes the rules. The South Korean artist's Hidden Emotions uses old 8mm, 16mm and 35mm film to create 2D artworks that, although stationary, are kaleidoscopic in nature.

Each one of Kim's works comprises hundreds of spliced pieces of film and make for colorful and interesting viewing from both close-up and a distance. From afar the works are striking collages of blacks, deep reds and sepias. On closer inspection, however, the viewer begins to see the images on the film. This is something that, according to the artist, gives the individual an opportunity to read whatever they see into each individual piece.

For local artist, Tang, the current exhibition allows her to beg the question, "Why do people travel?" Entitled I Go Travelling (我去旅行), the first of Tang's works sees the artist creating blurred images that are meant to represent postcards. These images in turn are designed to provoke the viewer into recalling distant memories of holidays by the seashore.

The second, and more lighthearted of Tang's works, A Story (一個故事), gives the viewer a chance to view a series of six black and white cartoon-styled drawings of blobs transforming into one huge black blob. Here, instead of asking a question, Tang allows viewers to make up their own minds and come up with the own story line in regards the shapeless characters in her work.