Supported by the Taiwan Academy of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Los Angeles, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco opened the exhibition “Yuan Goang-ming: Everyday War (袁廣鳴：日常戰爭)” on Apr. 3. The exhibition examines the fragmented and surreal nature of contemporary life through Yuan Goang-ming’s poetic video works and installations.
Yuan’s work trains an unblinking, glacially cool digital gaze on poignant scenes of global and domestic unease. From the eerie stillness of empty streets during Taiwan’s annual air raid drills to the chaotic aftermath of an explosion detonated in his own living room, the artist captures moments that resonate with current living conditions worldwide.
Featuring numerous works that debuted in Yuan’s critically acclaimed exhibition representing Taiwan at the 60th Venice Biennale, this exhibition is the artist’s first North American solo show. The exhibition is curated by Abby Chen (陳暢), curator of contemporary art at the Asian Art Museum and curator of Yuan’s celebrated Biennale presentation.
“The generational anxiety of this artist known as the ‘father of Taiwanese video art’ offers a timely message,” says Chen. “As Yuan strives to locate a sense of home and belonging, his visions of an unstable world convey a relatable yearning for safety and peace.”
The exhibition runs until July 7. For more information, visit the Asian Art Museum official website.