Post Adolescence
2010.05.28～2010.08.08
09:00 - 17:00
This exhibition explores the theme of
Post adolescence,” attempting to delineate the characteristics shared by artists 25-35 years of age, revealing their ways of creating arts and society’s influence on them. The highly motivated generation of younger artists demonstrates novel art works using special visual language of comics, aimless/purposeful cacophony of voices, or internet-based technological device. The works of those artists embody innovative and surreal themes, reflecting their generation characteristics—passionate yet rebellious—and presenting an alternative form of art in Taiwan. I would like to thank the NTMoFA for initiating the proposal of cooperation which enables the valuable event both in Taichung and Taipei. This exhibition also presents the achievements of
Young Artists’ Works Purchase and Collection Project”, which took NTMoFA years of efforts. The Post-adolescence exhibition starts by displaying the rebellious spirit of young people but is curated in different styles in these two cities. In this event, artists of the younger generation are invited to exchange thoughts, build connections and achieve a blissful success. Apart from demonstrating their unique common traits, the artists have contributed their skills and abilities to this exhibition, delivering an independent voice from young persons.
Post adolescence,” attempting to delineate the characteristics shared by artists 25-35 years of age, revealing their ways of creating arts and society’s influence on them. The highly motivated generation of younger artists demonstrates novel art works using special visual language of comics, aimless/purposeful cacophony of voices, or internet-based technological device. The works of those artists embody innovative and surreal themes, reflecting their generation characteristics—passionate yet rebellious—and presenting an alternative form of art in Taiwan. I would like to thank the NTMoFA for initiating the proposal of cooperation which enables the valuable event both in Taichung and Taipei. This exhibition also presents the achievements of
Young Artists’ Works Purchase and Collection Project”, which took NTMoFA years of efforts. The Post-adolescence exhibition starts by displaying the rebellious spirit of young people but is curated in different styles in these two cities. In this event, artists of the younger generation are invited to exchange thoughts, build connections and achieve a blissful success. Apart from demonstrating their unique common traits, the artists have contributed their skills and abilities to this exhibition, delivering an independent voice from young persons.
This exhibition explores the theme of
Post adolescence,” attempting to delineate the characteristics shared by artists 25-35 years of age, revealing their ways of creating arts and society’s influence on them. The highly motivated generation of younger artists demonstrates novel art works using special visual language of comics, aimless/purposeful cacophony of voices, or internet-based technological device. The works of those artists embody innovative and surreal themes, reflecting their generation characteristics—passionate yet rebellious—and presenting an alternative form of art in Taiwan. I would like to thank the NTMoFA for initiating the proposal of cooperation which enables the valuable event both in Taichung and Taipei. This exhibition also presents the achievements of
Young Artists’ Works Purchase and Collection Project”, which took NTMoFA years of efforts. The Post-adolescence exhibition starts by displaying the rebellious spirit of young people but is curated in different styles in these two cities. In this event, artists of the younger generation are invited to exchange thoughts, build connections and achieve a blissful success. Apart from demonstrating their unique common traits, the artists have contributed their skills and abilities to this exhibition, delivering an independent voice from young persons.
Post adolescence,” attempting to delineate the characteristics shared by artists 25-35 years of age, revealing their ways of creating arts and society’s influence on them. The highly motivated generation of younger artists demonstrates novel art works using special visual language of comics, aimless/purposeful cacophony of voices, or internet-based technological device. The works of those artists embody innovative and surreal themes, reflecting their generation characteristics—passionate yet rebellious—and presenting an alternative form of art in Taiwan. I would like to thank the NTMoFA for initiating the proposal of cooperation which enables the valuable event both in Taichung and Taipei. This exhibition also presents the achievements of
Young Artists’ Works Purchase and Collection Project”, which took NTMoFA years of efforts. The Post-adolescence exhibition starts by displaying the rebellious spirit of young people but is curated in different styles in these two cities. In this event, artists of the younger generation are invited to exchange thoughts, build connections and achieve a blissful success. Apart from demonstrating their unique common traits, the artists have contributed their skills and abilities to this exhibition, delivering an independent voice from young persons.
Path of the post – Adolescence Curator / Chen, Howard As for Post - Adolescence, I focus on those young artists born after 1976 (35 years old or under). All of them are about to bid farewell to their adolescence; some are about to leave school, some have just left school, some are about to enter the army service, and some have just completed their service. These young artists are in the early stage of their creative career. As they say goodbye to their old arrogant selves, leave the leisure of student life behind, and enter into the real world, it seems that things should be settled before the age of 35. Under the influences of the external factor of creative environment and the internal factor of self-reflection, they have to decide whether they should continue onto the next stage in life as artists. Different to Generation X, this new generation is less bounded by the master-apprentice relations established in school. In addition, technology-based art has become the dominant trend in Taiwan since the 2000’s, and the new generation has also introduced, in their paintings, new ideas on how they view the era. Rapid advancements of computer and Internet turn digital technology artists into Otaku, yet they are able to independently take on tasks that traditionally required a team of artists to complete. Through high-speed Internet and cell phones, artists can search, download files, send data, create homepage, establish blogs, and upload clips to Youtube. They can access campus BBS, ICQ, MSN messenger, Plurk, Twitter and Facebook. With the evolution of platforms, digital tools, which seem to belong only to the new generation, enable cheap and easy access to information. Consequently, the new generation of artists can easily catch up with the world; their works do not only reflect their identity as global youths, but also reflect issues of globalization. These are the environment factors influencing the young artists, and the absolute source from which they obtain information. Artists connect to the Internet to start off their works, and they read digitalized texts. It seems that their thoughts and logic are influenced, directly or indirectly, by these environment factors as well. That is also the reason why we can find a wide range of contents of their image works; their works are unconventional, with MTV like images yet, at times, outrageous. Their works also reference the artists’ silent observations, reflect pop culture on TV, or even focus on the issue of international terrorism. The contents of image creation include reflection and criticism of their own attitudes toward creation, the crossing-over from visual arts to performance arts, and we can also find the artists playing multiple roles in their works. Artists taking on roles as directors and actors in art works that resemble MTV videos; these works are dramatic and entertaining, and at the same time, poke fun of the “present” of contemporary arts. Artists are multitasking, not only do they direct, but they also write scripts, act, and they even take on post-production works. Compare Post-Adolescence to Chinese contemporary artists born after 1975, the works of young Taiwanese artists have a rich creative spectrum that can be attributed to the sub-tropical climate. Their background, learning experience and the fact that Taiwan is an island of technology, are all factors Influential to their development. Together with the border-less Internet, and multi-facet art education system, which familiarize students with ideas from Europe, U.S., and Japan, the works of young Taiwanese artists showcase traits and characteristics authentic to this generation. Their works range from unique cartoonish images to technology-based video arts searching for the soul of city; from mechanical installation works that emphasize interaction to behavioral art works that faithfully reflect the observation of ordinary life; from paintings of imagery that covers a wide scope of matters to those focusing on subjects of daily life. Through their unique use of various materials as media, they try to portray an individual’s internal experience of a certain moment in life. The young artists showcase, from different facets, the different forms of Taiwanese contemporary art; their characteristic as Post-Adolescence, is that they are able to involve everything youthful. Though they, as Generation Strawberry and Otaku, often put their seniors through hard times, maybe Post-Adolescence is not suitable, after all, to be used to tag this group of artists. However, undoubtedly, they are quickly taking over the center stage. They are independent, yet they can quickly connect with others, in another place, school or country, through computer and cell phone, work together as a team and achieve great strength. (Exhibitions such as CO-Q, Feigning Movements, Sea-Cucumber, and Squid, later, Weak Painting, 21 Century Boys, and most recently, Post.O. Art groups such as Logico, Ping Pong, The Real One, and SeaFood).
Path of the post – Adolescence Curator / Chen, Howard As for Post - Adolescence, I focus on those young artists born after 1976 (35 years old or under). All of them are about to bid farewell to their adolescence; some are about to leave school, some have just left school, some are about to enter the army service, and some have just completed their service. These young artists are in the early stage of their creative career. As they say goodbye to their old arrogant selves, leave the leisure of student life behind, and enter into the real world, it seems that things should be settled before the age of 35. Under the influences of the external factor of creative environment and the internal factor of self-reflection, they have to decide whether they should continue onto the next stage in life as artists. Different to Generation X, this new generation is less bounded by the master-apprentice relations established in school. In addition, technology-based art has become the dominant trend in Taiwan since the 2000’s, and the new generation has also introduced, in their paintings, new ideas on how they view the era. Rapid advancements of computer and Internet turn digital technology artists into Otaku, yet they are able to independently take on tasks that traditionally required a team of artists to complete. Through high-speed Internet and cell phones, artists can search, download files, send data, create homepage, establish blogs, and upload clips to Youtube. They can access campus BBS, ICQ, MSN messenger, Plurk, Twitter and Facebook. With the evolution of platforms, digital tools, which seem to belong only to the new generation, enable cheap and easy access to information. Consequently, the new generation of artists can easily catch up with the world; their works do not only reflect their identity as global youths, but also reflect issues of globalization. These are the environment factors influencing the young artists, and the absolute source from which they obtain information. Artists connect to the Internet to start off their works, and they read digitalized texts. It seems that their thoughts and logic are influenced, directly or indirectly, by these environment factors as well. That is also the reason why we can find a wide range of contents of their image works; their works are unconventional, with MTV like images yet, at times, outrageous. Their works also reference the artists’ silent observations, reflect pop culture on TV, or even focus on the issue of international terrorism. The contents of image creation include reflection and criticism of their own attitudes toward creation, the crossing-over from visual arts to performance arts, and we can also find the artists playing multiple roles in their works. Artists taking on roles as directors and actors in art works that resemble MTV videos; these works are dramatic and entertaining, and at the same time, poke fun of the “present” of contemporary arts. Artists are multitasking, not only do they direct, but they also write scripts, act, and they even take on post-production works. Compare Post-Adolescence to Chinese contemporary artists born after 1975, the works of young Taiwanese artists have a rich creative spectrum that can be attributed to the sub-tropical climate. Their background, learning experience and the fact that Taiwan is an island of technology, are all factors Influential to their development. Together with the border-less Internet, and multi-facet art education system, which familiarize students with ideas from Europe, U.S., and Japan, the works of young Taiwanese artists showcase traits and characteristics authentic to this generation. Their works range from unique cartoonish images to technology-based video arts searching for the soul of city; from mechanical installation works that emphasize interaction to behavioral art works that faithfully reflect the observation of ordinary life; from paintings of imagery that covers a wide scope of matters to those focusing on subjects of daily life. Through their unique use of various materials as media, they try to portray an individual’s internal experience of a certain moment in life. The young artists showcase, from different facets, the different forms of Taiwanese contemporary art; their characteristic as Post-Adolescence, is that they are able to involve everything youthful. Though they, as Generation Strawberry and Otaku, often put their seniors through hard times, maybe Post-Adolescence is not suitable, after all, to be used to tag this group of artists. However, undoubtedly, they are quickly taking over the center stage. They are independent, yet they can quickly connect with others, in another place, school or country, through computer and cell phone, work together as a team and achieve great strength. (Exhibitions such as CO-Q, Feigning Movements, Sea-Cucumber, and Squid, later, Weak Painting, 21 Century Boys, and most recently, Post.O. Art groups such as Logico, Ping Pong, The Real One, and SeaFood).
An Introduction to the Characteristics of “Post-Adolescence” Artists Curator / Lin, Hsiao-Yu The “Post-Adolescence” exhibition is organized by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts of Taipei National University of the Arts, with the majority of the works selected from NTMOFA’s “Collection of Young Artists’ Works Program.” The exhibition targets artists aged between 25-35, whose works are diversified as they become adept at techniques and enjoy diverse and experimental presentations. Most importantly, the adolescence is a key divide between the artists who further develop their career and those who give up. Therefore, our motivation behind the “Post-Adolescence” exhibition is to explore the journeys and presentations of the young artists “before” they encounter the dilemma between pursuing an artistic career or not. We also try to conclude and analyze the characteristics of young artists from their works to present a different viewpoint and language of a generation. Hopefully this exhibition will inspire the audience to reflect on their personal experience of the past and the social phenomena of today. Switch and Play between Identity / Language Young artists seek to exhibit their personal characteristics – how they are different from or more stylish than others. However, the ego or “self” is sometimes obscure or hidden in their works as in the cyber space which young people are familiar with. Every one can get a code to hide his real identity in the cyber space. With the cover of this cyber identity, he can express his views and ideas freely, while his real identity is suppressed temporarily. Yet, at the same time, the artists question the switch and dislocation of personal roles in modern society as well as the “image” construed by “mass media.” It also points out the paradox in seeking and establishing an identity, a common question to the people of Taiwan. Young artists respond to this question in their unique ways: some humorous or sarcastic and others serious or subtle. A Microcosm for Grand Vision Young artists frequently take their personal lives as themes of their works, for instance, sketches of personal memories or magnifying the details of the items that we see and use every day. These viewpoints seem minute but they take us to view the scenery in our lives in perspective. They quietly open a door ignored by most people and lead us into a microcosm. As young artists base their works on what they learn in everyday life, common stuff can become unique and special things can be taken for granted. The minute details of daily life are magnified for discussion and the issues are pinpointed for debate. Young artists show the issues they are concerned with as well as their reflection and imagination of lives through the microcosm in their works. Imagination Embodied in Collage “Collage” is a technique and an idea to picture and construct one’s own “imaginative” world. It is presented in the assembly of “objects” as well as “messages.” Some young artists apply the collage technique to their works. They detach the objects from their native environments for placement in new ones with repetitive copy/paste. As the artists reshape the forms, they have changed the meanings of these objects. Young artists often change the functions of everyday items in their works. Through collage technique, they give brand new meanings to an “action”, a “scene” or “space/environment.” The results can be sarcastic, poetic or absurd. “Collage” has a long history as an artistic concept, yet young artists present special phenomena of our times with a new “language” and a play on the existing “meaning” of these items. For young artists, they can always find a way to adapt to the fast-changing pace of the world. A response that looks unintentional on the surface in not necessarily evasion in reality. It might be a dislocation for rebound of the original force. Artists need to learn how to prevent themselves from being affected and make decisive choices at the crossroads to find a different direction or hold on to their original journey. It is a test for all artists. In today’s world where people get worried easily, we hope the artists in their post-adolescence will find their directions in this personal and intimate dialogue with their works. Through this exhibition, we hope that every one of us will find a place of one’s own as we gaze into the eyes of others.
An Introduction to the Characteristics of “Post-Adolescence” Artists Curator / Lin, Hsiao-Yu The “Post-Adolescence” exhibition is organized by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in collaboration with the Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts of Taipei National University of the Arts, with the majority of the works selected from NTMOFA’s “Collection of Young Artists’ Works Program.” The exhibition targets artists aged between 25-35, whose works are diversified as they become adept at techniques and enjoy diverse and experimental presentations. Most importantly, the adolescence is a key divide between the artists who further develop their career and those who give up. Therefore, our motivation behind the “Post-Adolescence” exhibition is to explore the journeys and presentations of the young artists “before” they encounter the dilemma between pursuing an artistic career or not. We also try to conclude and analyze the characteristics of young artists from their works to present a different viewpoint and language of a generation. Hopefully this exhibition will inspire the audience to reflect on their personal experience of the past and the social phenomena of today. Switch and Play between Identity / Language Young artists seek to exhibit their personal characteristics – how they are different from or more stylish than others. However, the ego or “self” is sometimes obscure or hidden in their works as in the cyber space which young people are familiar with. Every one can get a code to hide his real identity in the cyber space. With the cover of this cyber identity, he can express his views and ideas freely, while his real identity is suppressed temporarily. Yet, at the same time, the artists question the switch and dislocation of personal roles in modern society as well as the “image” construed by “mass media.” It also points out the paradox in seeking and establishing an identity, a common question to the people of Taiwan. Young artists respond to this question in their unique ways: some humorous or sarcastic and others serious or subtle. A Microcosm for Grand Vision Young artists frequently take their personal lives as themes of their works, for instance, sketches of personal memories or magnifying the details of the items that we see and use every day. These viewpoints seem minute but they take us to view the scenery in our lives in perspective. They quietly open a door ignored by most people and lead us into a microcosm. As young artists base their works on what they learn in everyday life, common stuff can become unique and special things can be taken for granted. The minute details of daily life are magnified for discussion and the issues are pinpointed for debate. Young artists show the issues they are concerned with as well as their reflection and imagination of lives through the microcosm in their works. Imagination Embodied in Collage “Collage” is a technique and an idea to picture and construct one’s own “imaginative” world. It is presented in the assembly of “objects” as well as “messages.” Some young artists apply the collage technique to their works. They detach the objects from their native environments for placement in new ones with repetitive copy/paste. As the artists reshape the forms, they have changed the meanings of these objects. Young artists often change the functions of everyday items in their works. Through collage technique, they give brand new meanings to an “action”, a “scene” or “space/environment.” The results can be sarcastic, poetic or absurd. “Collage” has a long history as an artistic concept, yet young artists present special phenomena of our times with a new “language” and a play on the existing “meaning” of these items. For young artists, they can always find a way to adapt to the fast-changing pace of the world. A response that looks unintentional on the surface in not necessarily evasion in reality. It might be a dislocation for rebound of the original force. Artists need to learn how to prevent themselves from being affected and make decisive choices at the crossroads to find a different direction or hold on to their original journey. It is a test for all artists. In today’s world where people get worried easily, we hope the artists in their post-adolescence will find their directions in this personal and intimate dialogue with their works. Through this exhibition, we hope that every one of us will find a place of one’s own as we gaze into the eyes of others.
Works
