蘇育賢<花山牆>, TKG+, Taipei, 04/27/2013 – 06/09/2013
Su’s solo show at TKG+ in Taipei takes on a “Taiwanese” theme of paper houses that are burnt as offering to the deceased. More broadly speaking it is the theme of beliefs and unfulfilled desires that are being projected into the life-after-death. The installation consists of remains of burnt paper houses which come over as some postminimalist sculptures, photographs (basically stills/details from the video) and a large video projection as the main work. In the projected film features an ambiguous story starring puppet-like figures, with the backdrop of the paper house which is set on fire in the end of the movie.
The whole film has a bit of a doll house play feel to it. While it incorporated elements from traditional Taiwanese culture, the whole plot did not make much sense to me. I wondered if this is caused by my lack of cultural understanding, but after talking to two Taiwanese friends and assuring myself that they were equally clueless, I conclude that the story taking place is indeed secondary to the visual effect produced: Colorful decorations, minute models of architecture and household goods, etc, concluded by the spectacular burning of the whole house. On a metaphorical level one then can talk about the fear of death and fascination with afterlife. The images provided then serve as a sign referring to the topic of funeral rites. However this signification chain is present in any paper house that comes across one’s vision and it is not specific to this artwork.
I felt that this artwork was playing on a folkloristic note, and it tried almost too hard to be distinctively ‘Taiwanese’. For me as a foreigner the spectacle of ‘Taiwaneseness’ was of course a source of visual pleasure and this may be the decisive effect which may help in attracting attention of curators/gallerists to this piece as well. Unfortunately spending more time with the piece did not result in an unfolding of meaning hidden inside. Maybe it was there, but not readable enough, who knows. Overall, an ambiguous feeling was left behind.
