Jhong Jiang-ze’s (鍾江澤) wonderfully distorted abstract portraitures are currently on display at Mind Set Art Center in the exhibition, Recent Works by Jhong Jiang-ze (鍾江澤新作). His paintings — many of which depict mangled human limbs set against colorful backdrops — are intriguing and frightening at the same time. While Jhong maintains that he is influenced by Buddhist and Taoist beliefs — including the longing of human beings to achieve oneness with nature — his artwork also exhibits a Western expressionist sentiment that’s kind of akin to that of Edvard Munch’s paintings which explore the darker facets of human psychology.
■ Mind Set Art Center (安卓藝術), 16-1, Xinsheng S Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段16-1號), tel: (02) 2365-6008. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 2pm to 6pm
■ Until Dec. 30
Photo courtesy of In River Gallery
Come After Magic is an enticing psychedelic exhibition by Japanese artists Satoshi Ohno and Takuro Kuwata at Taipei’s Aura Gallery. Ohno, who lives by the foot of Mount Fuji, has no trouble finding inspiration for his colorful, abstract paintings which evoke a childlike curiosity with nature that’s refreshing as it is mesmerizing. He sees beauty in the geometric properties in flowers and plants, reinterpreting it as kaleidoscopes of colors. Meanwhile, Kuwata’s work achieves much of the same effect, albeit through porcelain. He uses the traditional glaze technique of kairagi (cracked glaze from firing) and ishihaze (literally stone explosion) to produce cracked and contorted pop art-style tea cups and kettles. The ceramics allude to traditional Japanese tea ceremonies but with a modern, somewhat hipster-come-flippant flair.
Also on display at Aura Gallery are the works of Chinese photographer You Li (游莉). Entitled All That Is, the exhibition features patchwork images that symbolize events and memories from You’s life. The objects she photographs are not just laden with intensely personal meaning, but through them, the viewer can also piece together a larger history, namely the history of a neighborhood, city or even a nation. This exhibition marks a departure from You’s previous works which documented the scenery of northeast China. Nevertheless, the same sense of resounding simplicity still permeates her work.
■ Aura Gallery Taipei (亦安畫廊台北), 313, Dunhua N Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段313號); tel: (02) 2752-7002. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 12pm to 7pm
Photo courtesy of Mind Set Art Center
■ Both exhibitions until Jan. 9
South Korean artists share the limelight at Metaphysical Art Gallery this week in an exhibition entitled New Light Catch Your Eye (另眼相看). From paintings and sculptures to video and installation, the exhibition features the artwork of several artists who were pivotal in the establishment of modern Korean art from the 60s to the present day. Included in the lineup is kinetic installation artist Choe U-ram whose giant, insect-like creatures have illuminated entire rooms in art galleries from New York to Shanghai. Also on display are Kim Tschang-yeul’s paintings of water droplets set against zen-like backdrops with Chinese characters. Spanning several decades, Kim’s paintings are calm and therapeutic. The Japanese-educated Lee U-fan is most well-known for his minimalist style of art that combines natural and industrial materials, but the gallery also has some of his paintings up on display.
■ Metaphysical Art Gallery (形而上畫廊), 7F, 219, Dunhua S Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市敦化南路一段219號7樓), tel: (02) 2771-3236. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11am to 6:30pm
Photo courtesy of Aura Gallery
■ Until Jan. 24
Tao Kang’s (陶綱) black-and-white paintings of various bestial creatures caught in maze-like structures are currently on display at Taipei’s In River Gallery. Entitled Beasts/Cornered (困獸之鬥), the exhibition transports viewers to a fantastical, otherworldly realm while also keeping us firmly grounded by reminding us that it’s okay to feel emotions such as frustration and desire. Far from being frightening or chaotic, Tao’s paintings are calming and reassuring — sure, there may be labyrinths to maneuver through and mountains to scale, but it’s not that daunting if you have a little faith in yourself.
■ In River Gallery (穎川畫廊), 2F, 45, Renai Rd Sec 1, Taipei City (台北市仁愛路一段45號2樓), tel: (02) 2357-9900. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 1pm to 8pm
Photo courtesy of Metaphysical Art Gallery
■ Until Jan. 30
With the rise of digital art, video installation, sound art and the like, traditional mediums such as silkscreen printing and engraving are arguably on the decline. VT Art Salon aims to revive public interest in these traditional mediums in its latest exhibition, In Print We Trust Artist and Silk Screen Print Exhibition (有印良品 ─ 藝術家與絹印作品展), which features the works of 13 Taiwanese artists. The exhibition highlights the fact that print is not dead. These techniques are applied not just to the pages of newspapers and magazines, but printed on clothes, signboards and greeting cards as well.
■ VT Art Salon (非常廟藝文空間), B1, 47 Yitong St, Taipei City (台北市伊通街47號B1), tel: (02) 2516-1060. Open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 1:30pm to 9pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 1:30pm to 10pm
■ Until Feb. 20
The Nuremberg trials have inspired filmmakers before, from Stanley Kramer’s 1961 drama to the 2000 television miniseries with Alec Baldwin and Brian Cox. But for the latest take, Nuremberg, writer-director James Vanderbilt focuses on a lesser-known figure: The US Army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley, who after the war was assigned to supervise and evaluate captured Nazi leaders to ensure they were fit for trial (and also keep them alive). But his is a name that had been largely forgotten: He wasn’t even a character in the miniseries. Kelley, portrayed in the film by Rami Malek, was an ambitious sort who saw in
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Even after years in business, weekend tables here can be booked out a month in advance. The price point far exceeds its competitors. Granted, expectations are soaringly high, but something here failed to hit the high notes. There are a few telltale signs that a restaurant relies solely on outstanding food to create the experience, no gimmicks or distractions needed. La Mole is such a restaurant. The atmosphere is food-forward, with an open kitchen center stage. Our tables are simple; no candles, no dim lighting, no ambient music. The menu is brief, and our waiter directs most
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