Closed & Renovation—Hsien-Yu CHENG Solo Exhibition

Since April 2018, Association of the Visual Arts in Taiwan (AVAT) started to be in charge of the operation of Digital Art Center, Taipei (DAC) and has repositioned and planned the labs and policies of research on digital and new media art. Extension of knowledge and equal attention on art and science have been set as the new direction of the center. Applications of the exhibition space of DAC Taipei are expected to break through the frames of exhibition space and be more flexible and versatile to support research, art experiments and performing art. In response, the second exhibition at DAC Taipei this year is “Closed for Refurbishment－Solo Exhibition of HsienYu Cheng”. The artist is invited to re-plan and modify the exhibition space with limited resources.

This exhibition is all about the process of renovation and refurbishment. Without actual or solid artworks, the exhibition is going to present the busy and noisy renovation site and process. However, DAC Taipei will hold lectures to raise discussions on various cases of planning and applications of exhibition space and expectations for exhibition space from artists of different categories and the public.

The modification of DAC Taipei’s exhibition space focuses on flexibility, systematicness, stability, security and comfort. To improve flexibility and systematicness, the structure of ceiling is re-designed as grid for adding lighting, sound, projection and other equipment, lifting efficiency of use and installation by separating basic lighting for work and projection lighting and reserving cable trays in individual areas. Additionally, circuits of different voltages will be separated as well to reduce interference to weak-current lines for higher stability and security. As for bringing comfort to visitors, the entrance will be resettled to the front of the center to improve traffic flow, create better seating area and enhance opportunities of direct communication and contact taking place at the lab and community space that are going to locate on the ground floor. In general, DAC Taipei looks forward to help artists produce versatile usages and imaginations in practical ways, and thus the flexible use of the smaller space at the ground floor fits the requirements of new media art and interdisciplinary art making, helping the center space return to a neutral status.

Digital Art Center Taipei is providing a platform for artists to put their ideas into practice under limited conditions, raising the interactivity between space and people and bringing new audience into this art world. Therefore, this exhibition is titled “Closed for Refurbishment－Solo Exhibition of HsienYu Cheng”. It involves renovation and refurbishment that are not presented by creating or displaying. DAC Taipei believes it is necessary to break the accustomed forms of exhibition and to concentrate on the process of artists creation and innovation.