TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) turned heads with a silicon doghead human sculpture in its latest show “Supernatural: Sculptural Visions of the Body,” which began on Saturday (Feb. 18).
Co-curated by Germany Kunsthalle Tubingen Director Nicole Fritz and Tubingen Institute for Cultural Exchange Director Maximilian Letze, the exhibition looks at the impact of technology on the future through sculptures and multimedia works.
Featuring 33 art installations by 23 international artists, the show is divided into four sections: hybrid creatures, genetically modified organisms, humanoid robots, and how technology influences civilization.
Co-curator Maximilian Letze and Patricia Piccinini's work. (Taiwan News, Lyla Liu photo)
“Artificial intelligence has an impact on the world, but the show aims at addressing elements to interact with our daily life and providing scenarios for the audience to think,” Letze said on Friday at the opening press event.
Some of the exhibition pieces view technological progress positively, while others are more critical. Letze said that he does not have a particular view about technology. “Our body is an interface for how we interact with the world and that also means our mind and soul.”
The exhibition covers a range of diverse issues and turns heads with its aesthetic centerpieces, which also challenge people’s ideas of modern-day beauty. From deserted lands, cyberpunk societies, to monstrous plants, the works of art represent artists' imagination in a post-human world.
Sam Jinks’"Doghead." (Taiwan News, Lyla Liu photo)
Australian sculptor Sam Jinks’ demi-human work “Doghead” pays tribute to Greek mythology. “The sculpture lies there in a rather vulnerable position. It shows that there is a part of an animal inside us and we are vulnerable as humans at the same time,” Letze explained.
In order to create a vivid human-shaped sculpture, Jinks created it layer by layer using silicone and stuck hair to the skin.
Australian artist Patricia Piccinini worked with The Royal Melbourne Hospital to bring “Graham” to life. “Graham” is a version of a human body made to prevent car accident injury. It was made with more giant bone structures, more ribs, and thicker skin.
Patricia Piccinini's "Graham." (Taiwan News, Lyla Liu photo)
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu reel)
