26｜Beloved, Unforgettable Lover
WU Tien-Chang
2013-2015
Full HD, 2K
4’ 50”; 5’ 8”
Beloved
Beloved brings together the image of a boy scout and a peculiar sailor. Using the aesthetics of dolly in/out shot, the two identities are switched against the background sets in a filming studio. The exquisitely crafted face mask reveals the image of a perfect lover. With the loving gaze and ambiguously intense air, the work forms an interpretation of one’s obsession with death and love, delineating the longing for and attachment to the wonderful things before death.
Unforgettable Lover
Bringing together the identities of a vagabond, a soldier, and a sailor, and using the approach of “one-shot film” and “magical” outfit change, the work makes the audience incapable of denying the reality they are perceiving. Magical illusions and realistic apparatus design are combined to separate aesthetic perception and physical phenomena, and transform “viewing” into an incredible visual illusion.
WU Tien-Chang
Wu Tien-Chang (b. 1956) holds a BFA from the Chinese Culture University. In the 80s, Wu was reputed the first person in the Taiwanese art scene to “lift the Martial Law” with his oil paintings featuring topics of “politics and history.” In the 90s, he used photography and mixed media to formulate his individualistic “Taike aesthetics.” In 2000, he shifted to photoshop and composite technology. Combining physical movement design and his demand for accuracy, he created works of “set-up photography,” producing intensely powerful images. In 2010, he changed again to video art, and utilized the “one-shot” style enabled by computer editing to craft an eerie video style. He has presented solo exhibitions in multiple art institutions, including Conde Duque in Spain, TKG+, Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, etc. In 2015, he represented Taiwan in the 56th Venice Biennale.
The 7th Taishin Arts Award – Jury’s Special Award｜Shock‧Shot