Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition (TIVA) has been witnessing ceaseless breakthroughs and innovations over a decade as curators propose inquiries into images and challenge possibilities in variety. This year marks the very first time for inter-institutional collaboration of TIVA, organized by Hong-gah Museum and Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB). Independent curator, Eva LIN, and curator of C-LAB, YU Wei, are invited as the curators, endeavoring to expand the visual viewing experience into image experience for other senses on top of the exhibition theme. Also, it is an attempt to reopen the existing spaces in the museum via works while utilizing the properties of the unconventional space of C-LAB to showcase the fluidity of interaction between images and diversified spaces.
In line with the previous mechanism, the 7th edition of TIVA not only invites works, but also open call to entries worldwide. Over 700 entries of video works were submitted from artists around the world, which is a record-breaking number in the history of TIVA. The exhibition spaces encompass the venue of Hong-gah Museum and that of C-LAB. With the dual exhibition spaces and new spatial contexts, TIVA presents a sensational experience novel to visitors.
Themed with ANIMA, TIVA this year departs from the idea of “hypnosis as a ritual for image viewing” and sets visitors free from the image viewing model they are accustomed to. Through the hypnotic nature of images, new sensations are awakened for video works—the focus lies not just on the “reading” of image’s information through eyes, but also the “experience” of image’s power with body. It is to gain insights into the true words spoken beneath while delving into the souls of images in works that are hard to capture in words.
The word anima is “life” as well as “soul” in Latin. Under such theme, the 7th edition of TIVA invites visitors, with the loosest attention, to probe into the subtle experiences beyond description images bestow upon us. Like attending a ritual of hypnosis, we shall take a glimpse at the flowing images screened in mind amidst the mediated status betwixt clarity and oblivion while we are aroused to contemplation. As images deftly escape from the physical world we are accustomed to, what are these images that dwell in dreams, illusions, subconsciousness, and fragments of memories?
Hence, Taiwanese artists like NIU Jun-Qiang, LEE Ji-Hong, LIN Guan-Ming, and LIU Yu as well as Japanese artist Hiraki SAWA shall grace us with new commissioned works. Also, Alexei DMITRIEV (Russia), Mihai GRECU (Romania), Albert GARCÍA-ALZÓRRIZ GUARDIOLA (Spain), Meiro KOIZUMI (Japan), María MOLINA PEIRÓ (Spain), Stefano MIRAGLIA (Italy), Rossella NISIO (Italy), Nicolas PROVOST (Belgium), Ben RIVERS (UK), Ruth WATERS (UK), Gernot WIELAND (Austria), YAN Wai-Yin (HK), HUI Gi-Wai (HK), and TAO Hui (China) are among the many other participating artists.
As an extension and warm-up leading up to the exhibition, a series of public programs named “ANIMA Sessions” shall kick off in July, available till January next year in parallel with the exhibition period. With “mise-en-scène of realities” as the topic, speeches, workshops, and performances will be organized to investigate images beyond visual experience as well as the obscure lines in between image and illusion on the levels of consciousness and machine.
▍The 7th Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition – ANIMA
Date｜2020.10.16-2021.01.17
Curator｜Eva LIN, YU Wei
Venue｜Hong-gah Museum、Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB)
Presenter｜Chew’s Culture Foundation Hong-gah Museum、Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB)
TIVA Website｜twvideoart.org