This March, MOCA Taipei invited five artists, Isaac Julien, HSU Chia-Wei, John Akomfrah, WU Tsan-Chen, and Yael Bartana to showcase their artworks in this exhibition “The Rebellion of Moving Image”. This exhibition shows viewers how these artists connect reality and fiction by videos and sounds.
Ten Thousand Waves by British artist Isaac Julien now exhibits in the largest space in MOCA, playing on 9 large screen installation. The story was inspired by the 2004 tragedy with Chinese cockle pickers drowned on a flooded sandbank in Morecambe Bay, England. Julien adapted this incidence to a fictional movie. Super star Maggie Cheung played the leading role of goddess Mazu. Actress Zhao Tao takes part in a reenactment of the classic 1930s Chinese film The Goddess. Additional collaborators include calligrapher Gong Fagen and poet Wang Ping. Julien used intense colors, images, roles to symbolize the culture and politics of China, reflecting how Chinese immigrants moved countries and continents and meditates on unfinished journeys.
Isaac Julien is an internationally acclaimed artist and filmmaker. He was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2001. He was invited to participate in the Venice Biennale at the 57th edition and the 56th edition respectively. He was also invited join in the documenta 11, Kassel (2002). Julien’s work is held in collections that include: Tate, London; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington DC and so on.
Other four artists bring their artworks as follows. Drones, Frosted Bats and the Testimony of the Deceased by Hsu Chia-Wei, Inferno by Israel female artist Yael Bartana, Auto Da Fé by British artist John Akomfrah and Recode by Wu Tsan-Cheng. It is worth pointing out that both Yael Bartana and John Akomfrah are acclaimed artists. They were invited to participate in the Venice Biennale, the documenta, Tate Museum and etc.
At the same time, Steve McCurry now exhibits his solo show on the first floor in MOCA Taipei. The exhibition includes his iconic Afghan Girl. In addition, MOCA Taipei puts a large lens, an installation, outside its building, subtly corresponding the themes of the two shows.
The Rebellion of Moving Image
Exhibition Date: From now on to May 6, 2018
Venue: MOCA Taipei
Curator: Huang Hsiang-Ning
Figure 1: Isaac Julien_Ten Thousand Waves_Courtesy of Isaac Julien, Victoria Miro, London, and Metro Pictures, New York
Figure 2 left top: Steve McCurry 《Afghan Girl》Photo by YIART
Figure 2 right top: Yael Bartana 《Inferno 》Photo by YIART
Figure 2 bottom: Hsu Chia-Wei《Drones, Frosted Bats and the Testimony of the Deceased》Photo by YIART
