LO Shih-Tung
LO
Shih-Tung

LO Shih Tung, born in 1983, graduated from National Taiwan University of the Arts, Graduate School of Plastic Arts. He currently lives and works in Taipei, Taiwan. Lo focuses on the special textures present in our daily life, seeing them as in Walter Benjamin’s discourse — fragments and reflections of a complete structure, a whole world. His works can be viewed as organic documents, unlimited to specific mediums, attempting to arouse inquiry and contemplation on ever-changing warped messages.

 

Lo has been an artist in residency at Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei in 2010, and at BankArt 1929 NYK, Yokohama/Japan in 2012. His works place emphasis on the temporality in processes of creating and interacting with the community, networks, or spectators, whereby the fragmented, fissured, and forgotten history can be restored or even fictionalized. They are about seeking one’s identity, residence, hometown, and city within contemporary society — those long forgotten, unseen ghosts.Lo has participated in the 2011 Rencontres Internationales Paris/Berlin/Madrid at Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris/ France, and also Une terrible poetique, La Biennale de Lyon, France.

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  • 2014 02/07 - 2014 04/06

    ThaiTai Fever - After and Before a Meeting

    The title of the last exhibition in Bangkok from OCAC was How to fix a leaking roof in rainy days?. This title speaks the multilayered concept of “relationship”, while OCAC was in residence in Bangkok for six months. It also questions while an exchange is in process, how do we compile in order to present...

     

  • 2016 07/09 - 2016 07/10

    CO - TEMPORARY : Southeast Asia - Taiwan Forum and Exchange Program on Arts and Culture

    We invite six essential art spaces from Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, which includes artist residency organizations, galleries and artist-based spaces. The common issue is that how the conditions of different countries, religious, culture, economy and geography influence the ecosystem of art.

  • 2014 09/20 - 2014 10/12

    NEO Romance - LIN Wen-Tsao and Morris KUO Duo Exhibition

    In 18th century, the era of Romanticism, intuition and imagination have been regarded as a crucial media to the enlightenment of knowledge about the universe. At the same time, the principles of Romanticism questioned whether we could allegorize individuals in a ubiquitous world amidst natural...

  • 2011 09/10 - 2011 10/16

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

    “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...

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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.

Where does your funding come from?
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.

Can I join?
Certainly, you are most welcome to join us. Please note, however, this is not a recruitment ad. Despite our wish to recruit more like-minded friends, we hope that all potential members first try to understand our situation before participating in anything. Acknowledgement of the process is in itself an important form of participation, which means that everything you imagine could be possible. In other words, we would love your attention starting from now.

How does one follow you?
This is an important question but extremely easy to achieve. Simply follow these steps:
(1) like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/opencontemporary
(2) e-mail us at [email protected];
(3) visit us and chat with us whenever

you’re free. You may even receive a cup of freshly brewed coffhee.

Do you accept donations?
Please don’t ask, just act!