Future Memories I: Talking Drums Radio/Future Excavation 2.0 (未來回憶錄三部曲之一: 話鼓電台/未來出土2.0) is a joint presentation of two projects exploring the art of sound, currently on view at TheCube Project Space (立方計畫空間). Initiated by the gallery, Talking Drums Radio is a multi-faceted program that utilizes radio broadcasting and sound as creative media. According to the gallery, the title refers to Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan’s metaphor of the radio as a talking drum, with the capacity to re-tribalize humankind by building consensus among different individuals and groups. The social power of radio was suppressed during Taiwan’s martial law period, during which strict broadcasting regulations were put in place. Acknowledging this history, the project considers broadcasting as a technique that speaks to the relationship between humans and technology today. A recording studio was constructed for 20 invited artists to create experimental sound works for the project’s online radio station. Future Memories 2.0 is a sound installation by Berlin-based artist Shen Sen-sen (沈森森). In this piece, an artificial voice recites the Biblical story of Genesis while playing out futuristic scenarios involving humans and artificial consciousness.
■ To listen to the Talking Drums Radio online radio station, visit: www.talkingdrums.tw
■ TheCube Project Space (立方計畫空間), 2F, 13, Alley 1, Ln 136, Roosevelt Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市羅斯福路四段136巷1弄13號2樓), tel: (02) 2368-9418. Open Wednesdays to Sundays from 2pm to 8pm
Photo courtesy of Project Fulfill Art Space
■ Until June 23
In collaboration with Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (高雄市立美術館) presents SUNSHOWER: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia 1980s to Now (太陽雨: 1980年代至今的東南亞當代藝術), a seminal exhibition that offers a historical perspective of Southeast Asian art over the past 40 years. The show is three years in the making and showcases 47 artists from 10 countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Developments in art reflect the ethnic, political, economic, cultural and historical issues of the region, writes the museum in its exhibition preface. The title of the show refers to the phenomenon of rain falling while the sun is shining. This is often seen in Southeast Asia and poignantly describes the tumultuous history that the region has endured, says the museum. Periods of colonization, decolonization, military dictatorship, economic growth and recession have all contributed to the modern dynamics of Southeast Asia. The show explores a range of ideas such as passion, revolution, memory, identity and inheritance. A program of talks will be held concurrently with the exhibition.
■ Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts (高雄市立美術館), 80, Meishuguan Rd, Kaohsiung City (高雄市美術館路80號), tel: (07) 555-0331. Open Tuesdays to Sundays from 9:30am to 5:30pm
Photo courtesy of Each Modern
■ Until Sep 1
Chang Yun-han (張允菡) is a Taipei-based multimedia artist who reflects upon the subtle details in her everyday environment and common experiences. Her recent work explores relationships between the individual and society and how these connections are created and navigated. Chang’s solo exhibition Rats Will be Rats (老鼠終究仍是老鼠) at Project Fulfill Art Space (就在藝術空間) focuses on the grand narrative of New York as “a stage for the world’s dreams” that has attracted large numbers of immigrants over the last century, writes the gallery. The exhibition includes illustrations and videos related to storytelling, magic and dreams. Have you ever dreamed of this place? is a series of illustrations Chang created during her residency in New York in 2017. Drawing on foreign-language newspapers collected in the city, the works are based on stills taken from the 1986 animated movie An American Tale.
■ Project Fulfill Art Space (就在藝術空間), 2, Alley 45, Ln 147, Xinyi Rd Sec 3, Taipei City (台北市信義路三段147巷45弄2號), tel: (02) 2707-6942. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11am to 7pm
Photo courtesy of Lin & Lin Gallery
■ Until June 8
Joseki: The Contemporary Elaboration of Classic Formations of Art (對弈_往昔藝術的當代衍繹) is a group exhibition curated by writer and researcher Shen Po-cheng (沈伯丞) at Lin & Lin Gallery (大未來林舍畫廊). Shen proposes a unique perspective of art history by comparing it to a game of chess. In his curatorial statement, he describes the dynamics between artist and art history as that of two competing players in a continuous battle. The artist challenges the status quo of art by critically responding to accepted ideas of aesthetics, making progress in art possible. The exhibition features eight Taiwanese artists who employ a diverse range of strategies such as geometric abstraction, symbolism, assemblage, appropriation and layering in order to reinterpret various artistic traditions.
■ Lin & Lin Gallery (大未來林舍畫廊), 16, Dongfeng St, Taipei City (台北市東豐街16號), tel: (02) 2700-6866. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11am to 7pm
Photo courtesy of TheCube Project Space
■ Until June 22
Each Modern (亞紀畫廊) presents Self-portrait (自畫像), a solo exhibition by Beijing-based artist Xu Jiong (許炯). Trained in Chinese ink and brush, Xu began experimenting with unorthodox styles of calligraphy in 2012, working with gestural marks imbued with the sensibilities of graffiti and abstract painting. This show is a sequel to Xu’s exhibition with the gallery two years ago, which featured black-and-white ink paintings reflecting upon the idea of the self. Continuing the exploration of this theme, this show presents a new body of work in which Xu takes on a more conceptual approach to self-portraiture. The gallery describes the exhibition as “a series of self-portraits without portraits,” referring to the less obvious means the artist uses to portray himself. The paintings offer a glimpse into Xu’s complex search for identity through compositions of contours, architectural shapes and handwritten text. Mother depicts a female torso, topped with an abstract sphere, stacked upon a crystalline, geometric shape. According to the artist, the painting expresses the strength of his mother and her great influence upon his character today.
■ Each Modern (亞紀畫廊), 156, Xinyi Rd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市信義路4段156號), tel: (02) 2752-7002. Open Tuesdays to Saturdays from 12pm to 7pm
■ Until July 6
Japan is celebrated for its exceptional levels of customer service. But the behavior of a growing number of customers and clients leaves a lot to be desired. The rise of the abusive consumer has prompted authorities in Tokyo to introduce the country’s first ordinance — a locally approved regulation — to protect service industry staff from kasuhara — the Japanese abbreviated form of “customer harassment.” While the Tokyo ordinance, which will go into effect in April, does not carry penalties, experts hope the move will highlight a growing social problem and, perhaps, encourage people to think twice before taking out their frustrations
There is perhaps no better way to soak up the last of Taipei’s balmy evenings than dining al fresco at La Piada with a sundowner Aperol Spritz and a luxuriant plate of charcuterie. La Piada (義式薄餅) is the brainchild of Milano native William Di Nardo. Tucked into an unassuming apartment complex, fairy lights and wining diners lead the way to this charming slice of laid-back Mediterranean deli culture. Taipei is entirely saturated with Italian cuisine, but La Piada offers something otherwise unseen on the island. Piadina Romagnola: a northern Italian street food classic. These handheld flatbreads are stuffed with cold
From a Brooklyn studio that looks like a cross between a ransacked Toys R Us and a serial killer’s lair, the artist David Henry Nobody Jr is planning the first survey of his career. Held by a headless dummy strung by its heels from the ceiling are a set of photographs from the turn of the century of a then 30-year-old Nobody with the former president of the US. The snapshots are all signed by Donald Trump in gold pen (Nobody supplied the pen). They will be a central piece of the New York artist’s upcoming survey in New York. This
In the tourism desert that is most of Changhua County, at least one place stands out as a remarkable exception: one of Taiwan’s earliest Han Chinese settlements, Lukang. Packed with temples and restored buildings showcasing different eras in Taiwan’s settlement history, the downtown area is best explored on foot. As you make your way through winding narrow alleys where even Taiwanese scooters seldom pass, you are sure to come across surprise after surprise. The old Taisugar railway station is a good jumping-off point for a walking tour of downtown Lukang. Though the interior is not open to the public, the exterior
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