The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Taipei assured the public on Tuesday that all its exhibitions followed legal and safety regulations in the wake of a controversial show on Sunday in which sleeping pills were reportedly handed out.
Local artist Su Hui-yu (蘇匯宇) staged a sleepwalking exhibition entitled Stilnox Strolling, in which he appeared to be handing out Stilnox, a prescription medicine used to treat sleep disorders, and then encouraged participants to discuss the drug’s side effects.
Su’s exhibit created a stir because Stilnox, which can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, drowsiness, memory loss and hallucinations, is considered a controlled drug by the Department of Health.
In reality, Su gave out candy pills that had been made to resemble Stilnox. A museum official said fake pills were given to the audience, along with a release form they had to sign detailing Stilnox’s alleged side effects and releasing MOCA from any liability.
“Only a few knew of the truth behind the experiment, because we wanted to create a real-life experience,” the official said, adding that the museum was aware from the beginning what Su’s exhibit would entail and it was supportive of the project.
Although health officials had told local media earlier that they would open an investigation into the incident, they had yet to contact the museum, the MOCA official said.
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