Why is history recounted as we perceive it today? Can it be otherwise chronicled or comprehended? And as an artist, can artistic practice be an alternative path to the conception and narration of history?
Backseat Boulevard is a continuation of Jao’s interest in historical remnants and their reproduction in modern-day society. In addressing these issues, the artist unfolds different interpretations of history, questioning the established, official versions produced by the nation-state and media. As the exhibition is coming to an end, TKG+ invites independent curator, Amy Cheng, whose curatorial research long explores the relationship between local culture and artistic practices, to join the artist in conversation. We cordially invite you to join us.
Amy Cheng
A curator and writer based in Taipei. She co-founded TheCube Project Space with Jeph Lo in 2010, which serves as an independent art space devoted to the research, production and presentation of contemporary art in Taipei. She has curated various exhibitions including The Heard and the Unheard: Soundscape Taiwan, Taiwan Pavilion at the 54th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia (2011), the exhibition series Re-envisioning Society (Taipei, 2011-2013), Shamans and Dissent (Hong Kong, 2013) and Towards Mysterious Realities (2016). She also co-curated these exhibitions: Melancholy in Progress: The 3rd Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition (2012), ALTERing NATIVism –Sound Cultures in Post War Taiwan (2015), Phantom of Civilization (Luxembourg, 2015), and Tell Me a Story – Locality and Narrative (Shanghai, 2016). She has also been appointed a jury member of the 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (2017).
Chia-En Jao
After received his bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Taipei National University of the Arts (2000), he graduated from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts in Paris (2004). Jao studied at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he received his master's degree in fine arts (2007), and attended a residency program in Paris in 2007.
In 2016, Jao was commissioned to create works that would enter Guggenheim’s collection as part of the Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Chinese Art Initiative. He was part of the exhibition Tales of Our Time at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York in 2016.
In the recent decade, Jao has exhibited at prominent international institutions, including Parasite, Hong Kong (2016); Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany (2015); National Museum of Art , Osaka, Japan (2013); QAGOMA, Brisbane, Australia; MOCA Shanghai, Shanghai, China; Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan (2012); Museo d'Arte Contemporanea di Villa Croce, Genova, Italy (2011); and Ludwig Museum, Budapest, Hungary (2010). The artist has also participated in notable exhibitions, including the 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, Shanghai Biennale (2012), and Taipei Biennial (2012, 2010).