Chi-WenGallery (其玟畫廊) marked its fourth year as the only gallery from Taiwan atFrieze-New York with a multi-national lineup and group show pondering overpresent-day environmental issues.
FromMay 3 through 6, the Taipei-based gallery showcased artists such as YuanGoang-ming (袁廣鳴), Tsui Kuang-yu (崔廣宇), and Jawshing Arthur Liou (劉肇興) from Taiwan, Takashi Arai and AtsunobuKatagiri of Japan, and Belgium's Heidi Voet at Booth D2 of Frieze-New York2018.
Yuan showcased"Landscape of Energy," in whichecological disaster looms in the form of a nuclear power plant sitting beside acrowded tourist beach, whereas Tsui engineered new suits that aim to helphumankind adapt to an environment changed by rising sea levels.
Liou,Arai, and Katagiri used their art – specifically video, daguerreotype, and flowerarrangement – to record the aftermath of the 2011 tsunami and subsequentFukushima nuclear incident in Japan. Katagiri placed a special emphasis on hownature is reviving itself as humans struggle to do the same.
Voetchose to work with plastic bags, "a vessel for an ever-changing content" highlightingthe immediacy and fleeting nature of everyday commodities. Her environmentalangle is clear – plastic bags do not respect borders and divisions, bringinginstead displaced ecological issues that complicate a globalized world.
Frieze-New York 2018brought together more than 190 galleries from 30 countries, showcasing theworld's most significant artists and hosting a series of talks at Randall'sIsland Park over five days.
PreviousFrieze-New York participants from Taiwan include Chang Chien-chi (張乾琦), aninternationally acclaimed press photographer who was also signed by Chi-WenGallery.