Taiwan has a presence at the 60th Venice Biennale, which opened on Saturday, with the exhibition “Everyday War” by video artist Yuan Goang-ming (袁廣鳴).
Yuan said many people have asked him if he was intentionally addressing the conflicts raging around the world, including in Gaza, but he said it was a coincidence, having written his “Everyday War” exhibit plan in 2019.
“We certainly face real war threats, but I think this kind of ‘war’ also exists in daily life, such as income inequality and natural disasters, putting us in a constant state of war,” he said.
Photo: CNA
Arguing that minor wars exist in daily life, Yuan traced the theme back to his 2014 solo exhibition “An Uncanny Tomorrow,” which highlighted society’s prevailing anxiety by filming families and their living environments.
“At the time, although I did not mention war, it was all about the threats we encounter daily. From then on, I started thinking about the kind of crises that could occur in ordinary times,” he said.
Yuan’s display has the trappings expected of art chronicling war. He sets the scene in ordinary-looking living spaces, but breaks the original calm and stability with sudden sounds of explosions.
As visitors walk into the exhibit, they can also hear multiple interwoven sounds of Yuan’s video works such as Everyday Maneuver, Everyday War, sirens, explosions and national anthems.
“My works are actually about Taiwan. I’m not presenting what Taiwan is through storytelling, but rather trying to present Taiwan’s situation,” Yuan said.
“Whether it’s politics, life in general, or daily life, those are the things that my works encompass,” he added.
Taipei Fine Arts Museum director Wang Jun-jieh (王俊傑) echoed Yuan’s statement, saying that the theme of this year’s Venice Biennale is “foreigners everywhere,” which delves into the identity confusion experienced by “outsiders and foreigners.”
Wang added that Yuan often portrays doubt and unease within seemingly idyllic worlds through his artworks, which hint at human experiences amid tumultuous life situations.
Yuan is representing Taiwan at the Venice Biennale for the second time. He previously participated in 2003 alongside Li Xiao-jing (李小鏡), Lee Ming-wei (李明維) and Cheang Shu-lea (鄭淑麗) in an exhibit curated by artist Lin Shu-min (林書民).
The 60th Venice Biennale Taiwan Pavilion “Yuan Goang-Ming: Everyday War” exhibit is to run until Nov. 24.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
CAUTION: Based on intelligence from the nation’s security agencies, MOFA has cautioned Taiwanese travelers about heightened safety risks in China-friendly countries The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday urged Taiwanese to be aware of their safety when traveling abroad, especially in countries that are friendly to China. China in June last year issued 22 guidelines that allow its courts to try in absentia and sentence to death so-called “diehard” Taiwanese independence activists, even though Chinese courts have no jurisdiction in Taiwan. Late last month, a senior Chinese official gave closed-door instructions to state security units to implement the guidelines in countries friendly to China, a government memo and a senior Taiwan security official said, based on information gathered by Taiwan’s intelligence agency. The
President William Lai (賴清德) should protect Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), and stop supporting domestic strife and discord, former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrote on Facebook yesterday. US President Donald Trump and TSMC on Monday jointly announced that the company would invest an additional US$100 billion over the next few years to expand its semiconductor manufacturing operations in the US. The TSMC plans have promoted concern in Taiwan that it would effectively lead to the chipmaking giant becoming Americanized. The Lai administration lacks tangible policies to address concerns that Taiwan might follow in Ukraine’s footsteps, Ma wrote. Instead, it seems to think it could
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, said yesterday that it is looking to hire 8,000 people this year, at a time when the tech giant is expanding production capacity to maintain its lead over competitors. To attract talent, TSMC would launch a large-scale recruitment campaign on campuses across Taiwan, where a newly recruited engineer with a master’s degree could expect to receive an average salary of NT$2.2 million (US$60,912), which is much higher than the 2023 national average of NT$709,000 for those in the same category, according to government statistics. TSMC, which accounted for more than 60 percent
RSS