IN THE MOMENT (即刻, 無需等待 ) Six Artists from Taiwan

Qi-Heng Xiao 蕭其珩. Flame Grass〈火焰草), 2023. Oil on canvas. 35 7/8 x 28 1/2 in. Photo courtesy of Nunu Fine Art. 

Nunu Fine Art 381 Broome Street New York

By CLARE GEMIMA October 28, 2024

In a world defined by global unrest, political upheaval, and the ubiquitous presence of digital technology, In the Moment (即刻, 無需等待) at Nunu Fine Art offers a lens into the intimate and fragmented realities of six Taiwanese painters born in the 1990’s, resulting in a collection of paintings inspired by a blend of imagined, real-world, offline, and online experiences. Shaped by the rapid cultural shifts of their upbringing, Chiao Han Chueh, Ning Fu, Bing-Ao Li, Guan-Hong Lu, Guan-Jhen Wang, and Qi-Heng Xiao have created works that reflect an era of both hyper-connectivity and isolation, and capture the nuances of daily life alongside shifting socio-political currents present across the globe. From the discordant hum of vintage dial-up right up to the internet age, these artists eschew the passivity of doom scrolling, using their hands to paint images and scenes that explore geography and identity instead. These artists’ convey deeply personal experiences that remain inaccessible to others, yet simultaneously engage with the relentless cycle of universal news driven and regurgitated by social media.

Ning Fu 傅寧. Supa Lonely〈超級孤單), 2023. Acrylic on canvas. 51 1/8 x 51 1/8 in. Photo courtesy of Nunu Fine Art.

The context of Taiwan's digital landscape further enriches the exhibition’s inquiry. Although just 110 miles of water separate mainland China from Taiwan, the two regions differ significantly in governance and human rights, particularly concerning internet freedom. According to Freedom House’s “Freedom on the Net 2021” report, China has been ranked as the world’s worst abuser of internet freedom for the seventh consecutive year, with a low score of 10 on a 100-point scale. In stark contrast, Taiwan achieved a score of 80, emerging as the fifth freest online environment among the 70 countries assessed, surpassing many established democracies, including the United States. 

Curated by Ching-Wen Chang, In the Moment delves into the tension between personal narratives and public discourse. Chang’s curation highlights the nuanced interplay of these artists’ experiences—how their practices are at once informed by their local geographies, yet deeply immersed in a broader global context. She has also navigated the spaces between digital artifice and lived authenticity, inviting viewers to contemplate the unspoken, the obscured, and the often-overlooked subtleties of existence in the information age. Drawing on philosopher Byung-Chul Han's critique of transparency, Chang positions the exhibition's paintings as reflections on a world that prioritizes exposure and visibility, which often sacrifices the richness of individual complexity. Her artists have pushed against this demand, opting for opacity and introspection in their work – a refusal to conform to the algorithmic gloss of social media’s polished realities.

Guan-Jhen Wang 王冠蓁. Moving (無法指認的物件), 2022. Oil on canvas. 47 1/4 x 72 7/8 in. Photo courtesy of Nunu Fine Art.

In Flame Grass, 2023 (火焰草), Qi-Heng Xiao harnesses Google Maps to craft surreal landscapes, and places memory and place in direct dialogue with the digital tools that help us navigate the world. His work meditates on how the internet distorts physicality and flattens the earth's enchanting details into an abstracted, interactive image. By intertwining memory and physicality, Xiao challenges conventional perceptions of reality, and prompts a reexamination of authenticity in a world increasingly shaped by digital interfaces, all conveyed through intricate, and labor-intensive brushwork. In a complementary exploration, Ning Fu’s Supa Lonely, 2023 (超級孤單), captures the paradox of loneliness amidst hyperconnectivity. Borrowing from the visual language of memes and social media, Fu examines the facade of interaction versus the reality of disconnection. Her work resonates with a generation that has grown up online, yet often feels alienated among a sea of digital acquaintances. By drawing from the lexicon of digital culture, Fu blurs the lines between public personas and private identities, poignantly reflecting upon the illusions of social engagement that frequently conceal problematic, and deep-seated isolation. Together, Xiao and Fu's works challenge viewers to rethink their relationship with digital technology, and urge a deeper understanding of connectivity's complexities, as well as the pursuit of objective and subjective identity. 

Guan-Hong Lu 盧冠宏. Apocalypse Now: Pig Rider〈現代啟示錄：野豬騎士), 2024. Oil on canvas. 35 7/8 x 28 1/2 in. Photo courtesy of Nunu Fine Art.

Guan-Jhen Wang’s Moving, 2022 (無法指認的物件), portrays an exhausted figure, practically immobilized by the weight of their lifeless limbs. Set against a backdrop of scattered trinkets reminiscent of a chaotic move into a new apartment, the painting suggests an imagined encumbrance of the artist’s own environment. This depiction captures the relentless pace of contemporary life, where the burdens of physical and emotional disarray can leave individuals feeling paralyzed. Wang’s commitment to creative exploration is evident across her figurative works, and, in this specific example, exposes the profound fatigue that often accompanies the pressures of modern existence.

Guan-Hong Lu’s Apocalypse Now: Pig Rider, 2024 (現代啟示錄: 野豬騎士), amalgamates playful absurdities with critical reflections, challenging audiences to embrace ambiguities, and question the prevailing narratives that inundate their cellphones, particularly those derived from news headlines and social media. Lu unveils the quirky humor and oddities inherent in daily life, prompting viewers to reconsider the strange yet familiar elements of their environments. By juxtaposing unexpected components from resources such as news headlines, historic and current events, he weaves a rich tapestry that invites a reexamination of conventional interpretations of the mundane. 

 Employing similarly unusual themes, Chiao-Han Chueh’s She-wolf, 2024 (母狼乳嬰) interrogates the intimate dynamics of human relationships, and explores the friction between desire and restraint through her often perverse compositions. Her emotionally charged work stretches the boundaries between public and private spheres, yet plays with these ideas as if they were in a state of constant flux. Chueh’s exploration of psychological dimensions invites viewers to reflect upon the delicate fine line between innocence and transgression, and ties threads of energy, impulse and the outright bizarre. 

As In the Moment (即刻, 無需等待) unfolds at Nunu Fine Art, (on view until October 31, 2024), you’ll find an exhibition that not only showcases the distinctive voices of six Taiwanese artists, but a collection of works that engage with the complexities of modern contribution, branding, and the boundless access to information and conspiracy theories provided by the internet. Across their diverse practices, Qi-Heng Xiao, Ning Fu, Guan-Jhen Wang, Bing-Ao Li, Guan-Hong Lu, and Chiao-Han Chueh aim to rewire perceptions of reality amid the drowning noise of digital life. By interweaving personal narratives with broader socio-political contexts, these artists heighten and blend differences found between solitude and connectivity, as well as chaos and beauty. In a world where individual experiences can often feel eclipsed by the constant flow of information, their works remind us of the value of engaging with our immediate surroundings, and the importance of embracing our own definitions of connectivity.WM 

Exhibition continues from September 7 – October 31, 2024

Chiao-Han Chueh 闕巧涵. She-wolf〈母狼乳嬰), 2024. Acrylic on canvas. 52 x 32 in. Photo courtesy of Nunu Fine Art.