Participating Artists: CHANG Yung-Ta / Hsien Yu Cheng / Ariel Kuo
Exhibition Venue: New Age Gallery Exhibition Period: 2016.07.22~2016.08.31

Perception: Routes of Sensing

Perception refers to the process where the human sensory organs receive objective stimuli and interpret them through the brain. The body acts as an interface, receiving all stimuli from the external environment, which then enter our brain for thought and interpretation, constituting what we call perception. This perception varies based on the differing states of the subject (human) and the object (environment).

Living in an era of rapid changes in the external environment, technological advancements enhance our lives, alter our lifestyles, and accelerate our pace of living. Our bodily perceptions are undergoing drastic changes compared to the past. Modern humans' pursuit of material civilization and reliance on internet information illustrate how technology brings new spaces to human-world relationships, constructing new orders and values. Concurrently, these imaginings of civilization create a vast gap between us and our surrounding environment, leading us to subconsciously develop a selective reception mechanism towards our environment. Insensitivity and numbness have become apt descriptors of modern humans' relationship with their environment. As our sensory abilities progressively deteriorate, we are compelled to question the notion of progress. Is it a harbinger of disaster or a tool for salvation?

This exhibition features three post-1980s Taiwanese artists: Chang Yung-Ta (1981-), Cheng Hsien-Yu (1984-), and Kuo Pong-Jung (1985). Together, they present nine sets of works. The artworks encompass multiple media, forms, and expressions, with the artists using diverse creative materials to convey their perceptions of environmental changes. They extend fleeting sensory experiences, deconstruct and reconstruct, and three-dimensionalize all visible and invisible sensations. Unlike traditional visual-centric viewing experiences, this exhibition aims to expand the possibilities of interpreting artworks. Through interacting with the pieces, viewers construct their unique insights based on personal experiences and habits. The exhibition seeks to reignite our sensory awareness of the surrounding environment, recalling the subtle relationships between individuals and daily life.

The artists transform many subtle phenomena and issues in the environment into inspirations for personal creation, realizing their perspectives through their works. The pieces reveal the artists' concern and reminders about the environment and showcase the diverse creative energy of Taiwanese artists, demonstrating the potential for various contemporary artistic practices.