Recently a few Taipei Teen Tribune writers visited Taipei’s famous Fine Arts Museum. They took the time to review some of their favorite exhibits. If you have the chance, head up to the museum near Yuanshan MRT Station for some amazing exposure to the arts.

“Cold Chain” by Hou-I Ting | Lily Chen – Grade 10

One of Taipei Fine Arts Museum’s current solo exhibitions, Cold Chain (冷鍊), explores artist Hou-I Ting’s observations and feelings about the modern manufacturing and processing industry. The exhibition guides the audience to deeply understand labor exploitation issues (the act of treating workers unfairly for one’s benefit) by showcasing interviews of employees and videos of their fatiguing lives – toiling in factories for hours day after day, and taking part on the production line, doing the same thing over and over again. Hou considers these hard working laborers to have been prisoners whose freedom and happiness were shackled by unfair contracts; for this reason, we saw prisoners’ uniforms and identification numbers during the visit. There were also a traditional delivery vehicle and several World War II historic photos which illustrate how Taiwanese students were trained and educated under the Japanese military.

“Cold chain” is a term describing a supply chain in which goods are maintained in a temperature-controlled environment, usually applied in pharmaceutical and food industries. Just like the products, the author reminds us of living in a society of control, one that is brought forth by power. Not only are labors surveilled by employers, and citizens ruled by dictators, but also people are governed by society. We are forced to agree with society’s consensus and adjust our behaviors to what the environment demands or what society finds acceptable. The exhibition is truly thought-provoking as it exposes the connection between “Cold chain” and “Society”: “Control”.

My favorite part is the room where performers sewed colorful threads onto black and white archival photographs. During the Japanese colonial period, Taiwanese female students didn’t have the opportunity to do academic study. Since going to school was perceived as waiting and preparing for marriage, the students back then only had courses that focused on domestic studies, such as dressmaking, cooking, language, and the tea ceremony. On the contrary, as a senior who goes to a girls’ high school a century later, I have the right to decide what subjects to take. I was shocked to find that people’s values had changed so dynamically throughout the time – girls are much more independent than they were before, which shows we’re narrowing the gender gap. It was also creative to add colors to pictures via sewing beautiful patterns on them. I could probably try after retiring. 🙂

“Musica Mobile” | Irene Lin – Grade 12

The “Musica Mobile” exhibit features various pieces of electroacoustic music to present a spatiotemporal vision of sound.

Various sounds like creepy laughter, chattering crowds, quartets, and many more sonic experiences were on display at the exhibit. Many projects featured videos to help interpret the meaning behind each piece, through which artists led listeners to enjoy and feel every sound they heard.

“Domestic Policy” is a project with a sofa and a television displayed in an empty room with the sound of politicians chattering in the background. The designs on the walls lead viewers to imagine themselves being in the middle of a buzzing crowd; in fact, all the different voices are giving a speech. The project shows the possibility of giving a speech through someone else’s voice.

The exhibit offers viewers an opportunity to listen closely to every sound and interpret what the artists’ messages are. Anyone, even those who aren’t fans of electronic music will definitely find one project that fascinates them.

“Ambush” by Ni Hao, Solo Exhibition | Carson Hu – Grade 11

Walking inside the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, you stand in front of famous paintings and works of art, wondering what they represent. Suddenly you hear loud machinery noises stamping in the far edge of the corridor. This exhibit is “Ambush” by artist Ni Hao, and it will change the way you look at the world.

In this exhibit, the artist takes viewers through a tour about power, speed, and violence caused by geopolitics. From videos showcasing drums and guns to huge office spaces and broken TVs, “Ambush” has lots of different art pieces that follow important themes.

This was not my first trip to the Fine Arts Museum, but it was the first time I’ve seen art combine visual and sonic effects. It was a great experience and it widened my view of what art is capable of, with so many pieces to see and hear.