Art Bank Taiwan on March 22 launched the first exhibition of 2021 titled "If There were Gaps Between Choices: Does Free Will Really Exist?" at its headquarters in Taichung, inviting the public to join artists in the exploration of the idea of "unrestrained" imagination.
With "gaps between choices" as the theme, the exhibition attempts, through Taiwan's contemporary artworks, to present the philosophical thinking regarding free will, that is yet to be defined by science.
The 13 artists whose artworks are featured at the exhibition include Wang Liang-yin (王亮尹), Wu Chien-hsing (吳建興), Wu Tzu-ning (吳梓寧), Wu Yung-chieh (吳詠潔), Show Shen (沈信佑), Lin Hung-hsin (林宏信), Chen I-chen (陳依純), Lu Hsien-ming (陸先銘), Huang Hai-hsin (黃海欣), Huang Zan-lun (黃贊倫), Ou Jing-yun (歐靜雲), Tsai Shih-hung (蔡士弘), Su Haung-sheng (蘇煌盛). The 17 artworks on display demonstrate these artists' interpretations of self, desire and imagination.
Director of the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) Liang Yung-fei (梁永斐) indicated that there is no barrier between science and humanities and arts, since the knowledge and philosophical understandings brought to us through scientific research have contributed to artistic creativity, and they have enriched civilizations and culture.
The museum presents these artworks to the public, allowing us to experience, understand, and care for our world in a different way, while triggering our longing and imagination for the unknown, Liang added.
Curator Yu Huan-ting (余歡庭) maintains that philosophy, science and art explore the same world from entirely different perspectives and angles in a seemingly contradictory yet non-conflicting manner.
An artist has the ability to make choices, outside of those laid out for him/her by others, allowing free expression of imagination, she said.
From the viewpoints of philosophers and neuroscientists, free will may seem difficult to grasp, yet, it is real and perceivable for artists, according to Yu.
This exhibition presents the everyday experiences immortalized by artists through their free-spirited and unfettered use of brushes, lenses, a variety of media and forms.
As of 2020, Art Bank Taiwan has purchased a total of 2,522 artworks by 1,511 contemporary artists. For more information, please visit here.