In 2021, private and intimate images of countless young women were leaked in the “Chuangyi Sifang (創意私房) ” chatroom on the Telegram platform and the Facebook group “Domineering Society (霸社).” Perpetrators routinely exposed the personal information of thousands of victims using tactics reminiscent of South Korea's 2020 Nth Room scandal, but on a larger scale. Around the same time, the Sexual Image Processing Center observed a significant increase in reports of "online video sexual extortion," where primarily male victims were lured into sharing intimate images during online dating and video chats, only to be blackmailed later. In addition, "deepfake" technology was misused to create explicit videos by superimposing the faces of well-known public figures and politicians. This form of cybercrime caused serious personal and reputational damage, undermining the basic human rights upheld in a democratic society.
In July 2024, Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare published its “Tech-facilitated Gender-based Violence Status Survey Report,” revealing that nearly 60% of individuals aged 18 to 74 have encountered gender-related violence in online spaces. The report highlights that tech-facilitated gender-based violence can affect people regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, or appearance, indicating that anyone can potentially be targeted for commodification, harassment, or exploitation. Many become vulnerable to tech-facilitated gender-based violence while earnestly exploring their own identities and sexuality. The anonymity, ease of replication, and near-untraceability inherent in digital environments present significant challenges for law enforcement, undermining interpersonal trust and weakening the social fabric.
In response to these concerns, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Global Innovation Hub (hereinafter FNF Foundation) presents an exhibition titled “They told me it's not your fault. And I told them everything will be fine” by artist Ting-Ting Cheng. This exhibition explores the challenging realities of tech-facilitated gender-based violence, and invites viewers to engage with this issue through an immersive and interactive experience. Visitors navigate through various everyday scenarios guided by cues from phone screens and narrations that highlight the pervasive nature of tech-facilitated gender-based violence and the diverse identities of those involved. The exhibition aims to raise public awareness and empathy, foster a safe space that welcomes dialogue, and inspire collective action for change.
Following its first edition in September 2024 to widespread acclaim, the exhibition has been invited as an official side event of RightsCon 2025 in Taipei. The FNF foundation partners with Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB) this time to invite artist Ting-Ting Cheng to present a bilingual (Mandarin Chinese and English) edition of the work, seeking to once again ignite public dialogue on issues surrounding body, gender, sexuality and human rights in the digital era, while expanding these discussions to a global audience.
About the Artist
Born in 1985 in Taipei, CHENG Ting-Ting graduated from University of Westminster with MA Photographic Studies and Goldsmiths College with MFA Fine Art. CHENG had solo exhibitions in Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Galerie Grand Siècle (Taipei), Solid Art (Taipei), 182 Art Space (Tainan), Identity Art Gallery (Hong Kong), Gallery Nomart (Osaka), Iniva (London), Addaya Centre d'Art Contemporani (Mallorca), and Luis Adelantado (Valencia). Other exhibitions she participated in include Tokyo Biennale 2020/21, the Shenzhen Bi-city Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, Contemporary Art Festival Sesc_Videobrasil, São Paulo, Brazil and more.
About the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Global Innovation Hub
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) promotes democracy, human rights, economic freedom, and curbing climate change. In Taiwan, the FNF Global Innovation Hub was established in 2021. The Hub focuses on “digital transformation” and “innovation for democracy”, aiming to support the Friedrich Naumann Foundation on its way to becoming a creative innovation platform for liberalism. The Global Innovation Hub works with The Open Culture Foundation (OCF), Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy (TYAD), People Powered and other like-minded partners.
Artist｜CHENG Ting-Ting
Venue｜Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab, 2nd floor of i-CENTER (No. 177, Section 1, Jianguo South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City).
Opening Hours｜13:00-19:00 (Closed on Mondays)
Duration｜about 22 mins
*This exhibition offers an immersive experience for one person at a time. Reservations will open on Thursday, February 20, with priority given to those who reserve in advance.
Organizers｜Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Global Innovation Hub, Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB)
Executive Organizer｜C-LAB Contemporary Art Platform
Part of RightsCon 2025 in Taipei