After Our Dear Country Failed

“Failed state”remains a real but also unreal experience of the Taiwanese due to the odd situation in the international politics and complex historical settings of Taiwan. The reality lies in the experience of Taiwanese people, from different generations, going through various historical events that pushed the state to the edge of collapse. On the other hand, these events coincidentally helped Taiwan have narrow escapes from the doom of failure, and the close calls brought a sense of unreality of the unsteady nation. From the tension of being on alert all the time to the state of being numbed and detached under the long-lasting oppression, how the collective mental states shape the unique social spectacle? After Our Dear Country Failed traced the aesthetics of digital technology and political control technology to interpret the local social context. We brought a line-up of international artists to present an imaginative space of “failed state” via illustrating the current issues and crises around the globe, employing mechanical installations, and projecting visions toward the future, and to figure out what lies in the present, as it has become a picture of dystopia.