The works of two Taiwanese artists, Ohau Chen (陳俊宇) and Wu Siou-ming (吳修銘), stood out from 20,000 contestants around the world and took home the Arte Laguna Prize (拉古納藝術獎) at the international art and design competition in Venice, Italy on March 11.
Chen was named the winner of the 17th edition with his video installation work "Back to Glory: Make __ Great again (重返榮耀：讓__再次偉大)" from the category of Sculpture and Installation; and Wu won the special prize in the Business for Art category with his project "River Concert (河流演奏會)."
According to Chen, his work was inspired by his personal experience in the military and his observation of his grandfather. Chen came up with the hypothetical proposal of sending the elderly to serve in the army. He further explained while the idea may seem absurd, if you think it over, it may solve many contemporary problems. The artist invites the audience to participate in a vote to decide whether letting old people sacrifice can be a viable solution to the problem.
Wu began recording underwater sounds with hydrophones on river banks for his project "River Concert." He examined the characteristics of the samples from different river basins and utilize audio technology to translate them into music.
This year, 240 artists from 50 countries exhibited their works at the event, including 8 Taiwanese artists whose works were shortlisted for the award. Nominated for his work "Water Ripples," Kuo Kuo-hsiang (郭國相) creates works between virtual and reality with a transparent element. He is glad that many Taiwanese artists were selected so that the world can experience diverse creative energy from various perspectives.
The Arte Laguna Prize was founded in 2006 and hosted by the Cultural Association MoCA. Arte Laguna Prize aims to promote visual art, encourage nature-themed contemporary artworks, and cultivate young talents.