Something Blue by Jui-Chung Yao
14 September – 20 October 2013

Opening Reception｜14 September 4:30 pm

Venue｜TKG+ Projects
4F, No. 15, Ln. 548, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei 114, Taiwan


"The greatest myth of history is not about being born then gradually die but the fact that we are constantly experiencing death in its perpetuity."
_____________Notes from 1993.8.19

Selecting from a bulk amount of his unpublished black and white photographs that were taken in the last twenty years, artist Jui-Chung Yao collaborates with independent publishing house Waterfall to publish the photo book Something Blue.

From 14th September to 20th October, 35 pieces of the original hand-printed photographs will be exhibited at Tina Keng Gallery’s brand new project space TKG+ Projects. More than 20 notebooks of the artist’s hand notes and diaries will also be shown on site.

Yao has been an active artist and actionist in the local and international contemporary art field. He does not shy away from employing the tone of cynicism and vulgarity in his works, in which he finds would aptly transcribe the sense of intensity and urgency in his chosen subjects. The social disorder is seen as monsters bred from the absurd system of states, making unjustifiable decisions that exploits the people and the environment. Since long ago, Yao has concerned himself with these political issues and societal disorders and tenders his own reading through his introspective yet sardonic works. These works includes photography, videos, performance art and paintings.

Yao industrious working nature makes it difficult for anyone to get a taste of his personal life and art practice. To certain extent, these photographs taken between 1992 and 2012 fulfill the hiatuses between his other works. They carry a strong emotions and personal memories that seem to be closer to the artist’s life statement than anything else. One could engage this book as a visual autobiographical work that gives a tinge of magical realism and serves as witnesses of the desolateness and shifting of a generation.

The book Something Blue contains 50 photographs. The design of bookbinding is inspired from the vintage photo album and the book itself bound by artificial leather. There are some excerpts from his notebooks in the back part of the book. This book does not only gives a glimpse to the artist’s own personal fleeting memories, but the sense of loss and evanescence within the missing pages and chapters is palpable and can still be felt by those who share similar life experience.


Something Blue by Jui-Chung Yao is published by Waterfall in September 2013.


Press: hi@hiwaterfall.com

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小幻影 — 姚瑞中攝影個展
Something Blue by Jui-Chung Yao
14 September – 20 October 2013

開幕茶會｜14 September 4:30 pm
Opening Reception｜14 September 4:30 pm

展覽地點｜TKG+ Projects
台北市內湖區瑞光路548巷15號4F


歷史最大的神話並非我們生下然後死去，而是我們一直都在死去。
_____________1993 8.19

集結二十年來從未發表之黑白攝影作品，藝術家姚瑞中與獨立出版品牌Waterfall合作，推出攝影集《小幻影》，並於耿畫廊全新空間「TKG+ Projects」舉辦同名個展，展期為2013年9月14日至 10月20日，一共展出35件手工放像原寸作品，以及20多本扎記。

姚瑞中活躍於國內外藝術圈，作品質量均豐，在嬉笑怒罵與刻意表彰惡俗的背後，總帶著前衛的警世行動與批判；亂象存在於我們的社會，有如荒謬體制下豢養出的怪獸，欺侮著人民與環境，而姚瑞中長期關注這些議題與扭曲的現象，提出自省與嘲諷，作品橫跨攝影、錄像、行為藝術、繪畫等等，皆讓人看見他旺盛的創造力。

這些年下來，姚瑞中似乎沒有停下來的時刻，然而，在這些作品的背後，鮮少有人能夠有機會看見他持續鍛鍊自身心智的過程；縱向來看，這批橫跨1992年至 2012年的黑白影像創作填補了他過往作品與作品之間的縫隙，它們帶著強烈的私人情感與過往回憶，宛如藝術家個人的創作自述，不以文字表彰，但卻能從影像中，看見一絲魔幻寫實的色彩，見證此一世代的蒼涼與移轉。

《小幻影》收錄50幅作品，以舊式相冊為裝幀設計的靈感，外覆塑膠皮料，並從姚瑞中數目龐大的扎記本中，挑選出數張內頁重新印刷。讀者捧在手上的，不僅僅是該位藝術家的流年記事，也同屬於我們這一代人所失落的篇章，持續亡佚、流竄。

姚瑞中攝影集《小幻影》由Waterfall出版，2013年9月發行。

媒體聯絡 hi@hiwaterfall.com