Exhibit bolsters New Taipei’s digital arts scene

2015/11/19

The Digital Attraction Interactional Contemporary Art Exhibition is underway at FZ Fifteen Animation and Story Gallery in New Taipei City, showcasing interactive artworks and animated films created using the latest production techniques.

Organized by New Taipei City Government’s Cultural Affairs Department, the two-month event features 12 art installations and nearly 60 animated films by creative talents from Taiwan and 16 other countries and territories.

Lin Pey-chwen, one of the event’s curators and a professor of multimedia and animation arts at New Taipei City-based National Taiwan University of Arts, said through the use of the advanced lighting effects, digital installation art offers novel experiences while promoting audience interaction.

“The name of the exhibition discloses its appeal and we think the artists’ fascinating creativity is certain to ‘attract’ bumper crowds to the event.”

One highlight among the interactive pieces is “The Light in the Storm” by Chen I-chun and Lo He-lin from Taiwan. The work includes weaving pillars of light that are triggered when people approach. Visitors to the installation work are also invited to wear brainwave sensors, with the images projected on nearby screens alternating based on showgoers’ brainwave patterns.

Another impressive work is “Post-Human Card” by another Taiwan talent Tsai Ou-bau. Tsai compiled images of world-renowned sculptures such as Michelangelo’s David, and invites visitors to recreate the same posture as a random artwork that appears on a three-meter-high screen. A unique postcard is then created featuring an artistic representation of the showgoer’s pose.

Meanwhile, the exhibition’s animated film section presents many fascinating works, such as “BOB” by Jacob Frey and Harry Fast of Germany. The imaginative movie follows the story of a hamster that travels the world in pursuit of his love. In the end, it turns out that they are both pets living in neighboring cages while the magnificent background scenery is simply fluttering curtains.

Another praiseworthy piece is “Colosse—a Wood Tale” by Yves Geleyn from France. The film depicts the story of a puppet named Colosse who snaps his strings while chasing a woodpecker. Later, they develop a friendship and the bird helps him regain his mobility.

Running through Jan. 17 next year, the exhibition also includes other events and activities such as lectures, workshops and a graffiti wall covered with a special coating that enables visitors to draw on it using flashlights or smartphone lights.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=239066&ctNode=2194&mp=9)