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People’s Republic of China --- Republic without People By: Wu Dar-kuen " People’s Republic of China " is an exhibition that stands at the height of history`s axis. Its main axis, "Republic," is a concept with multiple meanings. This exhibition sifts through the political undertones that are embedded throughout the contemporary art scene of Taiwan. The word, "People’s," not only symbolizes the uncertain political future of the "Republic of China" and provides a taste of what is to come after its 100th anniversary, but also serves as a prediction of Taiwan`s future in light of the status quo . The concept behind " People’s Republic of China " partially comes from one of my favorite novelists, George Orwell, who, in 1948, wrote a classic science fiction novel "1984"; the other part is from observation of the political realities of Taiwan and its international status. Although 1984 has long past and the world has not changed into the one described in the book, "1984" invoked much thought about the future among later generations. 2011, the year of ROC`s 100th anniversary, has come. The exhibition attempts to do the following to the "Republic of China": By reflecting on Taiwan`s history as a reference to extrapolate the future, the blueprint for a hypothetical nation called the " People’s Republic of China " or simply, "Post-Republic of China," is created. The main purpose of this exhibition is to present a fictional future that poses a question regarding the future of Taiwan`s identity (or sovereignty). It also attempts to display an imagined future life by the islanders, while also showcasing the opinions of Taiwanese contemporary artists regarding current geopolitical situations. While the arts may not be able to provide a solution to the problem, they can provide a different perspective that serves as a reference to reality. The other axis of this exhibition is based on the perspective of Futurology [1] to address political and historical issues, and to discuss the endless possibilities regarding the virtual nation of the " People’s Republic of China." This hypothetical nation of the " People’s Republic of China" reflects both reality and the imaginary world in terms of form. With the vivid imagining of a futuristic world, I depict a virtual nation that is infused with the exhibition`s subtopic: Republic without People.A pun is used to expose the anxieties of people over uncertain social and political directions, reflecting a contemporary sense of a lack of collective identity and center. By introducing disturbances though a physical exhibition, the paradoxical relationship between Taiwan and the very name of this exhibition, " People’s Republic of China" is revealed. Moreover, we are faced with even larger forms of change in the modern world. The many uncertain dangers that Taiwan now faces far surpass the abilities of the current government system to solve them. Maybe every additional problem is accelerating us towards our ultimate destruction. This sets up the premise behind " People’s Republic of China." " People’s Republic of China" brings together a total of three generations of artists, totaling 24 groups of participating artists (26 individuals), who have been born, raised, and employed in Taiwan. They are: Wang Jun-Jieh , Walis Labai ,Chu Chun-Teng, Tu Pei-Shih ,Yu Cheng-Ta ,Wu Tien-Chang , Chou Yu-Cheng , Chiu Chao-Tsai ,Yao Jui-,Kao Ya-Ting , Tu Wei-Cheng , TSUI Kuang-Yu , Mei Dean-E , Chen Ching-Yao , Chen Chieh-Jen , Chen Wan-Jen ,Chen Chun-Hao ,Chen Jing-Yuan , Huang Hai-Hsin ,Yang Mao-Lin , Wonder Boyz (Su Yu-Hsien, Huang Yan-Ying, Jiang Zhong-Lun),Ye Tin-Hau ,Su Hui-Yu , Jao Chia-En. This exhibition features artists of three generations, bringing forth the hidden historical perspectives and insights of Taiwan. Through this exhibition method, features of past and future cultures of the island are re-described. Witness as the artists expand the time axis to gain a macro view of history`s "past," while focusing on the "microcosm" of individual events. By cutting in with a political and social angle, vastly different perspectives and cultural profiles are produced. This exhibition not only gets its contextual blueprint from fictional texts, but also reflects "realness" by reproducing reality. " People’s Republic of China" is an exhibition that is based on this understanding and suggests the strategy of "disguise": The fastest way to change a system is to infiltrate, mimic, disturb, undermine, and then rebuild it. Of course, for an artist to predict the future state of society based on historical and current events only leads to a bold and exaggerated imagining. There are too many accidents awaiting in the future as history is continuously rewritten. Maybe this is just our future. Because of this, this paradoxical exhibition becomes extremely interesting. [1] In 1943, Ossip K. Flechtheim first used the term, "Futurology," followed by G. Tournier who interpreted "Futurology" as: [It (Futurology) is like a genius in regards to researching the adaptability of the mankind in the future. Those who practice it should not only do so in their work, but also go beyond the future. That is just one traditional research approach in the study of distant and hidden physical objects."

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