ROCK & ROLLs:

The ROCK & ROLLs series illustrates my observations of the surrounding environment when I traveled in the Czech Republic. People used hay balers to roll up bales of hay and then positioned them intermittently on open fields. It was a rational process and an act of rolling up the earth. This is how humans treat gifts from the land. I rolled up corrugated cardboard pieces by hand. The diligent movement of my hand when I cut with a utility knife mingled together with the physicality of material manipulation. It was not unlike rolling up pavements, railroads, and floor tiles. The sensitivity of handmade objects was mixed with the notion of a mechanical civilization and the fertility of the land to create a powerful and harmonious picture. Sunshine was absolutely necessary for this beautiful scene.

Residency Recollections:



I wanted to learn a civilized attitude and represent it in a beautiful gesture.



My experience of building nests in nature when I participated in an Artist-in-Residence program in Vermont, USA initiated my usage of abandoned materials in art, as well as my practice working outdoors. The castaway materials spoke through art. As humans, we know too little about our natural environment. We need to continue thinking and reflecting.



I finally arrived at the Prague Airport after layovers in Hong Kong and Amsterdam. The Egon Schiele Art Centrum was still a three-hour bus ride away from the airport. It was a journey worth taking, however, as I was able to see and enjoy the roadway and landscape scenery of the country. Then I dragged my suitcase off of the bus and felt a sense of freshness toward a beautiful castle that emerged from fairytales. On my way to this castle, my suitcase made extremely loud noises: ‘Clank! Clank! Clank!’ Unless I stopped midway, this sound would continue to accompany me because I was now in a small hill town with graveled roads. The gravel seemed like it was making fun of me, creating all of those noises, but at the same time, it also seemed to be announcing my arrival.



As an islander, I had never experienced traveling through countless countries on a single train before. I discovered a secret when riding the train between Prague and Berlin. It was a beautiful musical movement created by the land and its dwellers from which new inspirations were born: Installation, recycled materials, and the recycling of my own work!



I brought my inspirations back when I returned to Taiwan. Ernest Hemingway once wrote, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” Culture, music, and history of the Czech Republic, as well as the town of Český Krumlov, and everything else I’ve encountered in Europe will live in my heart and soul, and it will continue to provide me with unlimited energy.