Artists
Photo Credit: NIU Chun-Chiang
LAI Chih-Sheng
LAI Chih-Sheng
| Location | France / Paris |
|---|---|
| Residency | Cité Internationale des Arts |
| Year of the Grant | 2014 |
| Work | ‘Room1734’ |
Thoughts on Residency Program:
Perhaps it is not just about maintaining the reference of creative contents here in Paris; I believe the overall social atmosphere, the thinking and mindset, and the way of living in Paris are all important experience. Here, I see how French people are concerned with values such as liberty and equity, and they also highly regard their traditions and culture. They have strong confidence and sense of superiority so they imitate no one. They regard themselves as the center of the world so they do not grow anxious when they are not in-sync with the rest of the world. In the metro stations, we see people walking in slow paces; it takes three hours to finish a meal in a French restaurant; and the banks of Seine are full of people strolling. The most nervous people in this city are the visiting tourists from other parts of the world in the rapid footsteps and long queues. The tourists are afraid of being mugged or robbed and are afraid of the homeless people. They are experiencing the most romantic city with an anxious mind. This state tremendously shocked me, as I have never been sure of the pride in my own tradition. We are always bustling, worrying that we would fall behind others, and trying to catch up with the world. We try to copy the models of the U.S., Europe, Japan, or even South Korea. We always compare ourselves with others and never think about the uniqueness and value that exist only in our distinctive position. We only worry about the economic issues and the status quo, and pay no attention our history, culture, and attitude for life. When I wandered in the streets of Paris, I often asked myself—what is important and what are we leaving behind to this world?