Exhibitions call for imagination and interaction

The Shin-Leh-Yuan Art Space, also called New Paradise, is an little-known jewel among Taipei's alternative art spaces. For years, this artists collective space has been conducting seminars, events, performances and exhibitions for its artist members and numerous art students. The space is rarely known outside of the local arts community, so now is a good chance to experience what it has to offer, as there are two solo shows on view.

Presence and Absence by Hui Yu Lo (羅惠瑜) takes place in the front room and consists of unframed photographs on the wall. Hui's slice-of-life photos are presented in long panels of three to four images. One work shows several images of the artist's cousin playing basketball and his awkwardness with his movements.

Hui began to notice that shooting images with no people seemed to invoke much more presence. In Vegetable Garden a big tree creates a shaded sanctuary for a grouping of dilapidated armchairs. Even though the image is devoid of people, it is easy to imagine the hours of animated discussion and camaraderie that take place among locals in this vegetable garden.

The other installation on view is interactive: Immersing ME by Tseng Yu-chuan (曾鈺涓). Taking its idea from the golden ratio, Yu uses technology to measure the human body.

The participating viewer stands against a frame where six Web cams shoot the head, chest, both arms, waist and feet. These six images are then broken into a color RGB chart that can be printed out. The images are also projected on a set of monitors in the shape of a cross, and on a large screen, where the image pixillates and turns fuzzy, thus obscuring the figure. This work allows the viewer to participate in the process of art making, rather than just see the end result.

At another space, TIVAC, Chang Kuo-chih's (張國治) installation titled In the Name of Red is on view to June 8. Having started the red project in 2001, the published poet, painter, photographer and associate professor at National Taiwan University of Arts conjures up his childhood experience growing up in Kinmen in the midst of shellings, deprivation and intense propaganda campaigns.

The background story for his concept is at times more fascinating than the work on view. The exhibition is separated into three sections: Liberation of Red, Epistles in Red and The Absolute

Safeness.

The first part is based on the idea of a red blanket. Many impoverished Kinmen locals had to emigrate to other places to work. His aunt went to Indonesia and returned, bringing him a red blanket for his future wedding, an exceptional gift during a difficult time. In the photos, he portrays the female body atypically with images such as a Ming-style chair, a parquet floor and a bonsai tree.

For the second part, red-cloth hangings with calligraphic slogans are a ubiquitous part of Chinese culture, and the artist links that tradition with the visual effects found in abstract modern art.

And lastly, The Absolute Safeness installed in the basement alludes to taking refuge in the air-raid shelters on odd-numbered days. On Kinmen it was restricted for civilians to possess photographic equipment; however Chang was able to earn money from his writings published in the local paper, and rented the equipment, becoming the first island resident to become a professional photographer. This childhood of dim lighting and musty air-raid cellars let him feel the darkroom was a sanctuary where he could feel safe to create his own world.