Here-Elsewhere: Eight Enchantments to Transmute Time and Space

Organised by Juming Museum, the contemporary Taiwanese sculpture exhibition Here-Elsewhere: Eight Enchantments to Transmute Time and Space will open in mid-October, 2024 at Paroisse Saint-Pierre de Montmartre, Paris.

This exhibition is the first contemporary Taiwanese sculpture themed exhibition presented in France. Co-curated by Liu Chu-Lan and Christophe Comentale, the exhibition brings together Chang Nai-Wen, Kang Ya-Chu, Lin Shu-Kai, Lin Yu-Cheng, Liu Chien-Wei, Liu Po-Chun, Tu Wei-Cheng, and Wu Meng-Chang. The exhibited works of 8 Taiwanese artists include diverse materials such as steel, stones, yarns and fabrics, ready-made or found objects, demonstrating each of the artist’s distinct “enchantment” to transport viewers from the here-and-now to the real yet fictional elsewhere-and-then that becomes palpable within the exhibition space.

Entitled “Here-Elsewhere,” the exhibition showcases how contemporary Taiwanese sculptors explore the interplay of space and time. The eight participating artists focus on memories from the past and present, as well as the history yet to be formed in the future—all subject to constant change and reinterpretation. They particularly emphasise the multiplicity and dynamics arising from the interrelationships between “here” and “elsewhere”. The exhibited works are rooted in the artists’ perceptions and personal memories, leaving traces and creating a response for collective history and their era. These works address three themes: the imagination and remnants of modernisation, the history and future development of technology, and the global and local cultures.

Liu Po-Chun’s iron sculptures are showcased outdoors, sparking a visual dialogue with the nearby Sacré-Cœur Basilica. Liu pays attention to the evolution of the world and the development of civilisation, illustrating the micro-narratives about the history of the universe as well as the introspective questions of existence.

Chang Nai-Wen excels at deconstructing and reconstructing cultural symbols. In Doze, he presents viewers with his insight into contemporary society and a provocative reflection on its future development.

Stele No.BM2 belongs to the Bu Num Civilization Revealed series by Tu Wei-Cheng, where he has fabricated historical remains and archaeological artefacts embodying modern technology and civilisation. The work aims to imply that technology has emerged as a contemporary mythology and religion.

With minimal human intervention, Wu Meng-Chang exposes the intrinsic characteristics of materials. Cuts and marks left from mining form a stark contrast with the refined, polished surfaces, resembling fragments of buildings or residues of civilisation and bearing witness to the tension between modernisation and its accelerated pace of construction.

In Lin Yu-Cheng’s works, urban fragments are excavated, reassembled, and combined with scaffolding in a manner akin to “modern archaeology.” He integrates present and past moments, inverting his objects to expose the raw, unvarnished, messy textures and naked nature underlying modern cities.

Liu Chien-Wei collected fragments from an ancestral home passed down over four generations, relocated and reconstructed each brick and crumbling mortar shard. Through the process, the materials evolved into new forms, birthing a site that represents both individual and collective history.

Lin Shu-Kai’s Balcony City Civilization series was inspired by the intangibility and ever-changing nature of modern cities, a realisation catalysed when his family home was razed.

Kang Ya-Chu interweaves the fabrics and knits she collects, representing her personal life journey and memories while introducing diverse cultures, histories, and narratives through her textile-based works.

Liu Chu-Lan, Co-curator, said, “In the historical precinct of mediaeval-era churches, this exhibition employs contemporary sculptural installations to engage in a dialogue with the spirit of a place symbolising Western culture and the pursuit of truth. Drawing from the imagination and memories originating from Taiwan, the exhibition represents an attempt to contemplate the present across different times and spaces. While the Pandemic has disrupted all perceptions, this post-pandemic exhibition holds particular significance. Set amidst the bustling Montmartre, it creates a contact zone for visitors, highlighting the multiple meanings of distance and differences between the ‘here’ and ‘elsewhere’, prompting a comparison of their relationships.”