Refresh, Sacrifice, New Hygiene, Infection, Clean, Robot, Air, Housekeeping, jackercleaning.com, Cigarette, Dyson, Modern People. III

CHOU Yu-Cheng

Date:2018.05.12-07.08
Venue :TKG+

Comments on the Finalist

Chou Yu-Cheng’s highly precise conceptual approach expands how the forms and types of artworks are defined in the present-day field of art, and discovers a route of practice that is truly inspiring. Reminiscent of the unique “infectious agent” in social relations, the artist creates works that combine material resources, labor, service and even commercial brands in one space and form an atypical “cross-industry alliance.” Whether it is the handmade noodles from the mountainous area of Shiding in Taipei or the cleaning robot sponsored by a home appliance brand, all these elements encounter with each other in harmony within the framework of the exhibition, forming an ingenious mode of resource management and exchange. His distinctive problematic not only enables him to freely express his talents in art practice, but also continuously stirs the prevailing conception of the relations in art production.

 (Commentator: WANG Sheng-Hung)

Artwork Introduction

This exhibition marks the third stage of this project series, and the exhibition title is inspired by the common use of keywords as “hashtags” on social media. Following the first two stages of the project presented respectively in Shanghai and Hong Kong, this exhibition unveils the artist's new conceptions, including a painting album and a sculptural work, entitledCloud, Mist, and Field for Sun Dried Noodles– a collaboration between the artist and traditional noodle makers. Moreover, with the use of Dyson Pure Cool Link air purifiers and the Jackercleaning app that provides services to clean the exhibition venue, the artist integrates painting, sculpture, performance, publication, brands, machines (robots), service app and traditional handcraft to reinvent his personal approach to plastic arts, and foregrounds work processes behind visual art, creating alternative operational and thinking modes in existing mechanisms as well as a dialectic between the source and the outcome.

About the Artist

CHOU Yu-Cheng
Born in Taipei, Chou Yu-Cheng now lives and works in Taipei. He graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris and the research program - La Seine. Working across a wide range of media from installation, publication, painting, collaboration and performance, the artist investigates the interrelationship between society and aesthetics through a minimalist yet thoughtfully choreographed skill set of knowledge and aesthetics that allows him to reveal the peculiarities of art, object, and space while conveying his critiques of mass media as well as institutional and production systems. In recent years, Chou’s work has been featured in various major art museums and art fairs in the forms of solo and group exhibitions in both Taiwan and abroad. He was the recipient of the Visual Arts Award of the 9th Taishin Arts Award in 2011 and that of the First Prize of the 2012 Taipei Art Awards.

Production Team

In addition to the works, the artist participates in the exhibition design and visual design. Sponsored and co-operated by Dyson and Hsu’s Handmade Noodle.

藝術家對談

藝術家 周育正

在現代社會裡,「衛生」一詞幾乎成為某種生活表徵。從公共空間到私人居家環境的維護,「保持衛生」是防範疾病傳染之途,也維持著社會秩序。我們為翻新家屋而重刷油漆,為清潔打掃付出勞動,新的清潔工具出現,從除塵雞毛撢子進化各式家電,居家清潔服務平台也越漸熱門。即便何謂「衛生」,標準既抽象,觀念也不斷演變,這個概念與表徵仍全面影響著現代生活。與此對應,畫廊、美術館的白盒子空間,慣常是整潔乾淨,在一塵不染的環境中,成為藝術品的神聖殿堂。

多元複合的命名邏輯

近年作品多關注現代性的周育正,關注到「衛生」這個表徵,從2017年到2018年,推出了系列作品。2018年在TKG+展出的《刷新、犧牲、新衛生、傳染、清新、機器人、空氣、家政、潔客幫、香煙、戴森、現代人。三》是此系列計畫的第三階段,延續前兩階段在上海馬凌畫廊與香港巴塞爾藝博會的命名,以社群軟體關鍵字標籤(hashtag)為形式參考,並置數個字詞構成,邏輯延續周育正自2015年起的系列計畫《電鍍金,保持冷靜,鍍鋁鋅版,祈禱,漸層,灰燼,抗議,不均,不滿,資本,香爐,佼存,激動,擊,日光》。

作品命名在周育正過去作品一直扮演重要角色,但多以單一、直線邏輯進行,到了2015年,他從命名著手,突破過往創作語彙,在不具體明述個別字詞作用的情況下並置多元字詞,在相對感性的命名邏輯中,開展造型思維。

為系列計畫名稱時,周育正先挑出幾個較感興趣的關鍵字詞排列篩選,從2017到2018年,三階段的《刷新、犧牲、新衛生》在不同發生地點的名稱相同,僅有家政平台App的名稱發生變化,從上海、香港的「阿姨幫」變成台北的「潔客幫」。計畫名稱中較重要的當屬前三個字「刷新」、「犧牲」、「新衛生」,幾乎組合為現代進程中的循環。

以衛生為前提演繹造型

周育正系列計畫不討論衛生概念在當代社會的歷史演進與意義轉變,而是將之作為切入現代生活方式的視角,藉之演繹造型藝術。繼前兩階段,在台北TKG+的展覽進一步拓展新詮釋,加入在地特性。其中在視覺上最為顯著的,是與傳統曬麵師傅合作,生成雕塑《雲霧、山嵐、曬麵場》。 周育正前往新北石碇山區的傳統曬麵廠,看見門口標語寫著「好山好水才有好麵」,周遭環境則有山嵐圍繞。這個標語揭櫫食物與空氣潔淨的密不可分,周育正於是在展場重新按照原本製麵規格,製作麵條排列於展場特製木架,展覽再透過煙霧機製造模擬山嵐的煙霧。暴露於空氣中的麵條與展場環境直接接觸,有趣的是,煙霧機啟動時,現場空氣淨化機所顯示的清潔指數,也隨之上升。

展場也延續系列計畫裡固定有的線板造型,表現前述更新與衛生概念中最簡單的重新上漆,在刷油漆的方式中找尋造型方式。而此次展覽同時也宣示著「一個試圖擁有最佳環境的畫廊」:展場設置Dyson空氣淨化風扇,噴射強勁氣流,淨化有害氣體和微塵;展覽期間,一架掃地機器人也在展場平台自動來回清潔。另外,展覽中觀眾可用手機App預約「潔客幫」清潔服務,服務員抵達展覽現場,便使用Dyson無線吸塵器清潔走道。諸多環節的組織,延續討論關於衛生的勞動人力,以及新型態的機械形式。

展覽作品及內容的安排,網絡式地從視覺或勞動,構築出引發現代生活形態的不同連結。周育正以此形式概念出發,另回歸傳統繪畫形式製作作品,但系列畫作未在展場展示,全數收錄進出版物《刷新、犧牲、新衛⽣生、家居、洗滌、周育正、 顏料、抹布、菜瓜布、畫布、形象、繪畫集》 。繪畫過程中,周育正使用菜瓜布與抹布取代畫筆,也刻意營造畫作的視覺裝飾性,穿梭於家政和繪畫間,回應計畫裡的居家環境要素。

「這系列發展,等於將『衛生』當作前提進行不同分化,或是網絡式的描述過程。」周育正向來擅長處理美學與社會的雙面操作,強調視覺造型背後的工序,將概念形體化同時,揭露背後錯綜關係。 透過繪畫、雕塑、行為、出版,以及品牌、機器(人)、App服務系統、傳統技藝等元素的運用,周育正借「衛生」概念演繹造型藝術,再一次在既有事物機制中,產生另類操作與思考模式,形成辯證。

經過幾次系列展覽,周育正自言,他對於創作的態度跟過去有所轉變,不論是展覽或作品,都越能以自在從容的步調進行。《刷新、犧牲、新衛生、傳染、清新、機器人、空氣、家政、潔客幫、香煙、戴森、現代人。三》與其系列,是對過去創作軸線的突破,周育正持續尋找新語彙,期待著每一次的不同。

(採訪撰文/許祐綸)