Exhibition Profile

This is a journey which documents the continuous evolution of how artists create their works.

"Transformation" denotes a change in perspective and also indicates an on-going movement. As people say, innovation today becomes tradition tomorrow. Such a journey involves not at the expense of the past, but rather a twist and fusion of the past, present, and future. People quite often ask why do artists choose a residency? What motivates them to leave their daily routine? Artists said this is to experience the process of familiarizing with the unfamiliar, and to observe their own transformation. At a new location, artists self-adjust, learn and give feedback, among other things. It is an experience that values the process of art creation more than the results.

Primitive arts gave birth to the development of crafts. In the past, these objects functioned as service for religious acts, entertainment for the noble and royal, and satisfied the needs of people of humble origins, all with specific purposes and utilities. Through the process of transformation, contemporary craft has come to emphasize, besides materials and techniques, values and conceptions, caring for humanity, social issues, and the environment follows, just as the complicated as the intertwined relationships of individuals and groups. Sociologist Richard Sennett once said, "Every good craftsman conducts a dialogue between concrete practices and thinking; this dialogue evolves into sustaining habits, and these habits establish a rhythm between problem solving and problem finding." Through these continued practices, artists can find, once again, the meaning and pace of life.

On the other hand, will viewers find the connection to their lives from crafts works? Anthropologist Jacques Maquet believed that when talking about aesthetic experiences, reality in life should be the focus, and not the perspective of a practitioner's interpretation of art. Life, as it is, reflects some common human experiences. Whether viewers understand a piece of art work depends on their personal stories, which continue to influence their future. Among different cultures, there must exist certain similarities, and as such comparisons are possible, and realities constructed by forebears can be expanded and extended. That process is a continuous upgrade.

When resident artists create, they repeatedly go through the cycle of construction, practice, reflection, adjustments, and reconstruction, just as a craftsman at work. Besides testing different media, trying technique upgrades, and changing ideas, what matters more to the artists should be their understanding and respect for different locales and cultures. Thus, they can help establish the relationship between them and those in the surroundings.

The four sections of this exhibit are "Local Connections," "Self Reflections," "Derived Dialogs," and “Reinterpretations." We invite 3 international artists to Caotun to create during their residency. In addition, we include works from 19 Taiwanese artists. Through the exhibition, we hope to provide a peek into the world of artist-in-residence, as well as the language of contemporary craft that artists intend to convey.

Exhibition Duration： 2020.05.02(SAT)-2020.10.18(SUN)

Opening Hours：Tuesday to Sunday and national holiday, from 9am to 5pm

Venue：Craft Exhibition Hall, NTCRI. No.573, Zhongzheng Rd., Caotun Township, Nantou County 542, Taiwan (R.O.C.)