2011 09/10 - 2011 10/16

Annual : Shifting, Rapidly or Very Slowly - Lo Shih-Tung Solo Exhibition

You know, to talk about art residency, or some kind of art intervention in the community as idea of a “residence” must be an illusional condition. But the problem is, neither can we deny it.

 

“Annual”, a quantitive word that can be both short and long, rapid and slow. It is both a short time, and a lasting time. In this noun that seems to be extremely past-tense, but also future-tense, it is about how individual’s point of view or viewpoint responds to the issues (events, sites) of the world. This exhibition happens in September 2011, it is also just one year since the residency started in September 2010. Thus titled as “Annual”. The exhibition and artwork responds to a period of change in history: in one year, how can a site change us? What is the past one year in a site? Or what will happen in the future one year? How can one year be the unit of our questions? “Treasure Hill Soup” - from residence artist Lo Shih-Tung, who finished his residency in February 2011 there. Lo regards the special textures present in our daily life, seeing them as in Walter Benjamin’s discourse, fragments and reflection of a complete structure, a whole world. His works are organic documents attempting to inquire and contemplate ever-changing warped messages. Through the process of creating and interacting with spectators and communities, the fragmented, fissured, and forgotten history can be restored or even fictionalized. It is about seeking one’s identity, residence, hometown, and city; those long forgotten, unseen ghosts.

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View the embedded image gallery online at:
http://ocac.com.tw/index.php/en/archive/item/315-lo-shih-tung-solo-exhibition-annual-shifting-rapidly-or-very-slowly#sigProIde1bbda6c0d
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Alternative Space? Artist-run Space?
Alright, so today we have reached an understanding that “alternative space” has merely a historical connotation left, whereas “artist-run space” cuts directly to the chase, but still nothing is explained through these terms. We suggest a temporary halt on the investigation of terminology. The significance lies in what we do, what we did and what we will be doing next.

So what have you been up to?
In short, we practice art and curate exhibitions. When able, we also organize forums, launch publications and initiate projects for international artistic exchange. If you haven’t the time to read the brief introduction on the back, all you need to remember is this: our job is to generate new dialogues between art and the public and to offer the world something different for a change, or at the very least, we try our best when making mistakes.

Why not simply focus on practicing art?
It’s not that simple. In fact, there is no such thing as simply practicing art. Contemporary art and its viewers have broken away from the monotonous relationship of simply paying a visit to the museum. Whether people are aware of it or not, art has undoubtedly permeated into every aspect of our lives. Therefore, a genuine art practitioner would not shy away when met face to face with genuine public issues. We simply want to do it better.

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Unemployment subsidies. That was a joke. We operate with funds which come from our own pockets and occasional help from limited government funding—translation: we are often short of cash.

Are all members artists?
We were founded as an artist-based organization, but are delighted to have recruited more and more members from interdisciplinary professions in recent years. As for the artists, you may still catch a glimpse of them from time to time carrying a spear and shield, riding a scrawny horse and followed around by a fox hound.

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