Art is a nebulous subject and few people share the same definition. But can a documentary be art? It may not be intended as such, but given its ability to comment on contemporary society as well as provide an aesthetic quality, then why not?
Under the theme "Do you believe in reality?" the 2004 Taipei Biennial places heavy emphasis on the value of documentary filmmaking as a medium for artists to link reality with art. Showcasing 16 documentaries from Taiwan in addition to several international works, this year's biennial highlights several artists for whom film is a monumental part of their work.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TFAM
"The borders of what define art have disappeared," said Chen Chieh-jen (陳界仁), one of the Taiwanese artists participating this year. "They [documentary filmmakers] are concerned with reality. They take their material from things that happen in everyday life and use filmmaking as a method to produce art," he said.
Chen's 30-minute documentary, Factory, which deals with textile factory workers who lost their jobs during the downturn in the Taiwan economy in the 1980s, is being screened at this year's biennial. With the aid of Chen, Barbara Vanderlinden, one of the event's curators, selected 16 Taiwanese documentaries to run in a film festival.
Chen also collaborated with Taiwanese architect Chang Yun-he (張永和) on the construction of a large installation piece, which will screen the films in the foyer of the museum throughout the duration of the biennial. Rather than use one large screen, Chang created several areas to show all the films simultaneously.
The way in which they are played takes into consideration the theme of each film. For instance, three documentaries Shattered Dreams, A Glimpse of My Ambition and Marriage on the Borders, which focus on the exploitation of foreign laborers and brides in Taiwan, will be played on television sets at ground level. Viewers must kneel to watch the films reflecting the inferior position that minorities are often subjected to.
Likewise, Taipei, Looking Up? which documents a female elevator operator in the world's tallest building, Taipei 101, is played on a screen at a high angle so that viewers must look up to watch the film.
Provocative political themes such as the persecution of leftwingers after the Chinese Nationalist Party retreated to Taiwan is dealt with in several of the films, as are topics of national identity, Aboriginal rights and sex and gender issues.
Pratchaya Phinthong takes the documentaries on the road in his Mobile Cinema. The young Thai artist uses his battery-operated vehicle to take the 16 Taiwanese documentaries to five open-air cinema locations in the vicinity of the museum. Phinthong's car is not only a vehicle by which to remove art from the institution, he said, but also a means to invade urban spaces and engage with the public.
Not included in the documentary festival but exhibiting in the biennial are works from renowned international artists working with the medium of film, such as Apichatpong Weersethakul, the Thai director and winner of the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, in addition to British artist Jeremy Deller, winner of the 2004 Turner prize.
The art of communication through documentary has mainstreamed with recent successful ventures such as Michael Moore's Farenheit 9/11 and Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me. The Taipei biennial's selection of short documentary films and video installations may not share the box offices sales of those above, but they are equally informative and much more artistic.
Given the disturbing content of an average news program, its natural for the public to construct barriers in order to protect themselves from the reality they watch on their television sets. Presenting these documentaries in the context of an art exhibition has significantly more impact on the audience, who may otherwise be desensitized to such subject matter.
The documentary film festival will run over three days and take place each weekend during the duration the biennial. The first screening runs Oct. 29 to Oct. 31 and will be held in the museum's auditorium. For a complete listing of the films and their scheduled times check the official biennial Web site at http://www.taipeibiennial.org.
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