Something Blue - Yao Jui-chung Exhibition

DURATION: 2013-09-14 ~ 2013-10-13
OPENING: 2013-09-14 16:30-PM
VENUE: TKG+ Projects
ADDRESS: 4F, No.15, Ln.548, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei

The greatest myth of history is not about being born then gradually die but the fact that we are constantly experiencing death in its perpetuity. Notes from 1993.8.19 Selecting from a bulk amount of his unpublished black and white photographs that were taken in the last twenty years, artist Jui-Chung Yao collaborates with independent publishing house Waterfall to publish the photo book Something Blue. From 14th September to 20th October, 35 pieces of the original hand-printed photographs will be exhibited at Tina Keng Gallery’s brand new project space TKG+ Projects. More than 20 notebooks of the artist’s hand notes and diaries will also be shown on site. Yao has been an active artist and actionist in the local and international contemporary art field. He does not shy away from employing the tone of cynicism and vulgarity in his works, in which he finds would aptly transcribe the sense of intensity and urgency in his chosen subjects. The social disorder is seen as monsters bred from the absurd system of states, making unjustifiable decisions that exploits the people and the environment. Since long ago, Yao has concerned himself with these political issues and societal disorders and tenders his own reading through his introspective yet sardonic works. These works includes photography, videos, performance art and paintings. Yao industrious working nature makes it difficult for anyone to get a taste of his personal life and art practice. To certain extent, these photographs taken between 1992 and 2012 fulfill the hiatuses between his other works. They carry a strong emotions and personal memories that seem to be closer to the artist’s life statement than anything else. One could engage this book as a visual autobiographical work that gives a tinge of magical realism and serves as witnesses of the desolateness and shifting of a generation. The book Something Blue contains 50 photographs. The design of bookbinding is inspired from the vintage photo album and the book itself bound by artificial leather. There are some excerpts from his notebooks in the back part of the book. This book does not only gives a glimpse to the artist’s own personal fleeting memories, but the sense of loss and evanescence within the missing pages and chapters is palpable and can still be felt by those who share similar life experience. Something Blue by Jui-Chung Yao is published by Waterfall in September 2013. For more information: hiwaterfall.com