In May 2020, a virtual state Republic of Cynic (R.O.C.) was established in Taipei, the capital of the Republic of China.The abbreviation R.O.C. stands simultaneously for the Republic of Cynic and the Republic of China. The former emerged from the Cold War history and continues to haunt the contemporary society, acting as a parallel organization as well as a phantom, illusion or subconscious dependent on the latter. Artist Yao Jui Chung created this “state within a state” by applying the concept of parasitism, viz., “the Republic of Cynic (parasite) lives in the Republic of China (host),” aiming to untangle the political imbroglio among the United States, China and Taiwan since the Cold War, and to capture the spirit and embodiment of national identity in the new Cold War.

This light sculpture is the result of the interaction of technology and the blending of lighting, visual, and acoustic effects. A historical weight has been borne by this site since the Japanese occupation era (1895-1945). Today, this cultural experimental venue possesses a cross-disciplinary experimental spirit and abundant artistic energy. All are invited to gather in this esthetic oasis within a concrete city. While here, escape the hecticness of daily life by entering a story park picnic, listening to music, watching a performance, viewing artworks, enjoying a relaxing evening, and experiencing new forms of art and culture.

{Assimilator} is a solo exhibition by Hsien-Yu CHENG recipient of the 2nd Tung Cheng Art Award, which explores the influence of Internet globalization under the framework of modern technology. As technology gradually controls what people eat and wear and where they live and go, lifestyles, habits, and thinking have changed. If people give up authority over their lives to technology, do they possess “individual thought” and “imagination” during their assimilation? In this era of rapid expansion of and access to information, CHENG uses the term “assimilator” to symbolize the positive and negative relationships in the absorption of messages, learning, and obtaining of information.