Taiwanese artist Chi Po-hao (紀柏豪) left for Medialab-Prado in Madrid, Spain on June 11 to engage in creative research as part of the artist-in-residence program launched by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA) last year in addition to organizing two public workshop and presentations, which have garnered enthusiastic responses from the local art community.
With a smartphone in hand, Chi was able to introduce and use innovative photogrammetric tools to reflect the creative capacity of digital art even during the pandemic.
The theme of the residency this time is "Collage of Hybridity," a concept drawn from the artist’s observation of the current hybrid phenomenon of "digital" and "analog" as people often take the initiative to superimpose digital filters in front of them.
"This is a mixed experience. For example, when people are watching a live performance, they put their mobile phones between themselves and the performers, and use an intermediary (the mobile phone screen) to record the events in front of them, and the resulting digital records will affect people's memory and understanding in the future," Chi said.
In echoing Medialab-Prado’s role as a “citizen laboratory,” Chi invited 11 participants to walk along the streets of Madrid, randomly look for suitable objects such as monuments, buildings, historic sites and abandoned items on the side of the road. A process is then designed so that participants can simply take photos to turn the physical scene in front of them into 3D models through "everyday technology." After editing and simplification, the object will be saved as a digital format, and then recreated according to this digital profile in re-enacting the conversion process of "analog → digital → digital hybrid analog."
Artist Chi Po-hao had publicly announced the results of the residency at Medialab-Prado on July 15, with more than 30 participants present. The artist hopes that this program will reflect the resilience of art in the face of the pandemic, facilitate use of digital tools, help connect people, and foster creative collaboration. After the residency, artist Chi also plans to share the results of his work, and continue to improve the project with co-creators located in Boston, Madrid and Taipei, in addition to organizing a complete exhibition at the Medialab-Prado this autumn.