Experiment on how humans will interact with nature thru arts

30th of June, 2021

There will be an event or an experiment on how humans will interact with nature thru arts – that will tell how humans will react on nature thru arts exhibition. The organizers announced on Tuesday that a national biennial art exhibition will open in Taichung in October, featuring pieces by 49 artists and groups that examine the relationship between humans and nature.

According to Lin Chi-ming, director of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, the “2020 Taiwan Biennial – Sub Zoology” would explore what it means for humans to be an animal species. This is what the experiment on how humans will interact with nature through arts is all about.

A multi-channel video installation titled “The Extreme Journey of Perwira and the Calm Sea: In 3 Acts” by Malaysian artist Au Sow Yee is one of the 49 artworks that will be shown at the biennial.

The work is based on reimagining the voyage of Tani Yutaka, a historical character who was known as Harimau (Malay meaning Tiger) and was regarded as a local hero in the Malay Archipelago for aiding the poor in their fight against the rich, according to Au.

“It’s intriguing to me to consider him as a hybrid of a man and a tiger.” “He has a man’s body and flesh, but he has a tiger’s spirit,” Au told CNA.

Meanwhile, according to the exhibition’s curator Yao Jui-chung, another feature of the biennial is to allow the audience to re-think a variety of critical aspects concerning how humans utilize the Earth’s natural resources. Another experiment on how humans will interact with nature through arts.

“Because humans are thought to be more advanced animals, we tend to treat other species like slaves and steal the planet’s resources,” he explained.

Sheryl Cheung, a Canadian and Hong Kong artist, will also have work on display, which will be created on paper using pencil and natural materials such as mud, fire, and plants.

Visitors will be able to hear experimental music, as well as sounds from places she has traveled, in her installation area, according to Cheung.

“I also collect noises from nature,” Cheung explained, “such as utilizing different microphones to listen to plant pulses, experiencing the inner energy, and their changing interactions.”

The 2020 Taiwan Biennial, which will be held from October 17 to February 28, 2021, will be the seventh iteration.