A History of Histories: CHOU Tai-Chun Solo Exhibition

Liang Gallery is pleased to present “A History of Histories," a solo exhibition by CHOU Tai-Chun, marking his return after four years. From November 15th to December 15th, this exhibition showcases CHOU Tai-Chun’s continued exploration of Taiwan’s historical context and land transformation. Since 2021, his frequent residencies in eastern Taiwan have allowed him to engage with various tribal communities, learning through their oral histories and family narratives, deepening his connection to the land and transforming these internal contemplations into a series of perceptual pathways of thought.

Examining Taiwan’s centuries of maritime migration history, this land has witnessed multiple transformations through ethnic conflicts, land disputes, industrial trade, and cultural integration. When tribal communities face events like the “Aboriginal Land Movement" and the “Group Relocation" land division policies, do we truly comprehend the complete picture? In our digital age, while people are accustomed to constructing knowledge through the internet, the influx of information makes it increasingly challenging to discern authenticity.

“A History of Histories" questions the process of knowledge construction. CHOU Tai-Chun positions “Why do we still need to look back at history today?" as the core proposition of this series. By examining perspectives from personal family history, Taiwan’s industrial history, and tribal histories, he reexamines migration narratives, attempting to transform fragmentary oral accounts into his own visual vocabulary, inviting viewers to transcend singular viewpoints in interpreting history and embrace multiple narratives for reflection.

The exhibition encompasses CHOU Tai-Chun’s experiences learning hunting culture and ancestral spirit worship in eastern Taiwan, exploring the wisdom of coexistence with nature and spirits. Through an empathetic shift in perspective, he transforms his immediate insights into symbolic elements and colors. As an artist, he poses the question: “As a Pailang(Han Chinese) living on this shared land, how can we establish deeper connections across different temporal and spatial contexts while rediscovering the meaning of seeking our roots?"

CHOU Tai-Chun breaks traditional painting frameworks by incorporating streamlined “digital brushes" across different spatial images. The transparent and opaque brushwork metaphorically represents the historical succession, erasure, and re-mapping of landmarks. He simulates common digital techniques like background removal and layering while incorporating ceramic objects and photographic installations to ground viewers in physical space. The works deliberately avoid replicating singular narrative contexts, embodying the multiplicity of historical narratives.

These works represent CHOU Tai-Chun’s reflection on “historical perspective" itself, aiming to open viewers to diverse viewpoints and reexamine our historical cognitive frameworks, generating new questions and thoughts. We sincerely invite you to attend the opening reception of “A History of Histories: CHOU Tai-Chun Solo Exhibition" on Sunday, November 17th, 2024, at 3 PM, to engage with the artist’s interpretation and insights into Taiwan’s history and culture.

About the Artist:

CHOU Tai-Chun (b. 1986, Hsinchu, Taiwan) demonstrates continued attention to contemporary social and historical issues throughout his artistic trajectory. Since 2011, from the Globe Silent to recent works, he has gradually constructed a unique visual vocabulary for his generation. His creative methodology has expanded from two-dimensional painting to painting installation, continuously exploring the tension between nature and human intervention while developing historically deep narratives through intensive research into Taiwan’s industrial history and geographical transformation.

The artist has held significant solo exhibitions including “State of Flux," (2016) at Taipei Fine Arts Museum, and “Action Through Inaction" (2018) and “TERRAIN, MAPS, TIME TRAVEL" (2020) at Liang Gallery. His international experience includes residencies at OCI Museum Seoul and BankART Studio NYK in Yokohama, and exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Yinchuan in China, Art Basel Hong Kong, and Art Düsseldorf. His recent accolades include the selection for the 2022 Austronesian International Arts Award at Taitung Art Museum and the Merit Award at the 2022 CTBC Painting Prize. In 2024, he was invited by the Gwangju Museum of Art to participate in ‘Serve the GOD, with the People,’ a group exhibition commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Gwangju Biennale. His artworks are collected by the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei Fine Arts Museum and White Rabbit Gallery in Sydney.

A History of Histories: CHOU Tai-Chun Solo Exhibition

15 November – 15 December, 2024

Opening reception: 17 November, 2024 | 3 PM

Location: Liang Gallery 2^nd Floor

(No.366, Ruiguang Rd., Neihu District, Taipei 11492, Taiwan)