Artist Statement

Our art explores processes and visual languages that could construct the idea of relationships of human and human towards human and his/her society. Learning from each other, participatory and collaboration are processes to approach the idea. Because art is for all, a tool to connect people with people and experience, therefore it is about sharing and participation even to ordinary people. Hence, two-way communication and interaction is our vital key.

Residency Plan

Title: We are going to Taipei

Can one portrait bring us to friendship, life, living, family, community, relationship and understanding? ...

Our art direction is to focus on human relations and the learning process of living together. According to our work in 2010 that we do interactive performance by drawing portraits for peoples at different public locations in United States, they truly were treasured moment of sharing and learning between human without any possession. On the other hand, we draw each other’s portrait when there is no participant. In respond to the project, during the residency at the Taipei Artist Village, we plan to expand the project to a more in-depth level by:

- Continuing the learning process by drawing portrait in public. As usual, we will invite participant to sit in the middle and face to one of us. The one who sit behind the participant will draw his/her back portrait. We will choose some specific public areas in Taipei that is possible to meet local people and participants for this process.

- After drawing, the front portrait will be given free to the participant while the portrait of his/her back will be kept with us as a memory. We will then keep contact with participants and get in touch some of them to visit their homes and explore where they store/hang/pin/etc the portrait at their living space. This means, there could possibly be at least a few of them who will allow us to meet them again this is the significant process of “going to Taipei”.

- Along the process, we will make a map of all related route that take place during the meeting between us and all participants.

The work result will consist of:

- A Video work recorded and edited from the visit of each participant’s home and how they store/hang/pin/etc the portrait at their living space.

- An installation of the Map of “going to Taipei”, it shows the meeting route of the whole process between the artists and the participants from the first meeting.

- An installation of objects related to the process of “going to Taipei”.

- An installation of the back portraits random with our portraits collected during drawing in public.

- An installation title: Panels. It will include the short films of young student from  out propose educational program (please see the Educational program part).By projecting 3-4 short films of students to the center of exhibition space while there will be about 5-6 free standing panels for audience to move freely to acquire the short film on any desire direction.

All works will be in the gallery space that the residency provides at the end of the residency period. Hence, this project is about bringing street drawing as a bridge to enter “Taipei”. It is a process that helps us who are outsiders to access Taiwanese’ family, home, life and community to build up an understanding and relationship as a result.