International Digital Art Exhibition

　Seeing is not believing.

Organized by renowned curator of new media art, Wang Jun-Jieh, “Moment - An International Digital Art Exhibition” gathers the new media works of local and international artists along with those of the Taipei National University of the Arts’ Center for Art and Technology. Through the use of sensors and mechanically powered devices, Wang displays the characteristics of the merging of art and technology highlighted at the axis of time and space: From the viewer’s interactions, feelings of tranquility, surprise, or delight will arise. Sensing this finely-tuned psychological process has always been the valuable characteristic of digital art that occurs during the special interaction amongst the artist, the work, and the viewer. It brings the viewer’s body into a completely new environment.

| Opening Hours |

Mon-Fri 11:30 ~ 13:30,17:00 ~ 19:00

Opening for Quanta staff and group reservation visits

Sat, Sun 10:00 ~ 17:00 Open to general visitors
09/17 (Fri) and 09/25 (Sat) Opening hours extended to 20:00

courtesy: Galerie Fortlaan 17
photo: Dirk Pauwels

Nemo Observatorium

Lawrence Malstaf (Belgium)

Styrofoam beads are blown around in a big transparent PVC cylinder by five strong fans. Visitors can take place on the armchair in the middle of the whirlpool or observe from the outside one at a time. On the chair, in the eye of the storm it is calm and safe. Spectacular at first sight, this installation turns out to mesmerise like a kind of meditation machine. One can follow the seemingly cyclic patterns, focus on the different layers of 3D pixels or listen to its waterfall sound. One could call it a training device, challenging the visitor to stay centred and find peace in a fast changing environment. After a while the space seems to expand and one’s sense of time deludes.

2002, Polystyrene particles, fans, steel structures H400xW400xD400 CM

| Artist Introduction |

Lawrence Malstaf (Born 1972, Bruges, Belgium) lives and works in Tromso, Norway. After having studied industrial design, Malstaf starts off in theatre. He designs scenographies for choreographers and directors as Benoît Lachambre, Meg Stuart and Kirsten Delholm. Soon he develops more into installation and performance-art with a strong focus on movement, coincidence, order and chaos. In 2008 Lawrence Malstaf wins the Witteveen + Bos - prize for Art + Technology (NL), in 2009 he receives the Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica (A) and in 2010 he is the winner of the Excellence Prize at The 13th Japan Media Arts Festival in Tokyo (JP).

Photographed by Katsuhiro Ichikawa
Images provided by SPIRAL/Wacoal Art Center

Blinking Leaves

Yasuhiro Suzuki (Japan)

When a leaf-shaped sheet of paper that has an open eye or a closed eye drawn on each side falls, the rolling motion creates an animation of a blinking eye. A white circular cylinder with an inside fan makes a breeze to blow those leaf sheets out in to the air. You can pick up the leaf sheets fallen on the ground, put them into the cylinder, and let the fan blow them out into the air again. Your participation makes the circulation in the nature complete. The falling leaves will be like blinking eyes in the air.

2003/ FRP, printing paper, silicone fan/ H450xW70xD70 CM

| Artist Introduction |

Born 1979 in the Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, Graduated from the Department of Design of Tokyo Zokei University and in 2001. That year he won the NHK Digital Stadium Grand Prix Award for his Perspective of Globe-Jungle, an installation utilizing a revolving, spherical jungle gym for children, Globe-Jungle, as a screen. After this success, he was invited to a number of exhibitions and arts festivals. Many of his works apply an afterimage phenomenon. In Blinking Leaves (2003), he drew open and closed eyes on each side of a great number of paper leaves and scattered them. Property of Water (2005) expressed water by swaying rays of light on a drop-shaped revolving screen in darkness.

Image provided by TNUA Center for Art and Technology

In Van Gogh's Eyes

Liao Keh-nan (Taiwan)

During his study of oil painting, Liao Keh-nan was greatly intrigued by Vincent van Gogh’s unique spiral-like painting style. One night, when taking photos of Taipei 101, he noticed that the composition of images coincidentally resembled one of van Gogh’s paintings, “The Starring Night.” With Taipei 101 as its background, the work is displayed on a monitor. The waving motions of viewers’ hands in front of the monitor will then be captured by cameras and translated as spiral distortions onto the image to create van Gogh-styled images.

2010/ Mixed Media: digital photographs, computer programs, video cameras, LCD monitors Dimensions variable

| Artist Introduction |

Liao Keh-nan was born in 1971 in Taipei. He majored in mechanical engineering and developed a passion for computer informatics and digital technology. This led him to join information technology clubs at school and to, later on, work in the software industry in the field of 3D computer graphics. While receiving painting lessons from Lee Ming-Jong, Liao became familiar with the art scene and involved himself in digital art creation. He also provided technical assistance for the creative projects of others. In 2009, Liao graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts’ Center for Art and Technology. He has since gathered extensive experience in GIS, CAD, game software, and graphic engine development, and also gives lectures on software design. He specializes in software design, virtual reality and 3D computer graphics, mechanical structures, mechatronics and micro-controllers, and electronic interactive technology.

Image provided by TNUA Center for Art and Technology

Silent Hotel

Taipei National University of the Arts’ Center for Art and Technology (Co-created by Wang Jun-Jieh, Wang Fu-Jui, Wang Chung-Kun, and Wang Lien-Cheng) (Taiwan)

“Silent Hotel” is an installation piece that is primarily comprised of interactive sound control devices. Based on abstract narratives, it depicts a fictional story that takes place in a transparent, yet closed off space. Wearing earphones, the audience can emerge themselves in this fictional space and listen to the different sounds echoed across to them from each corner of the space. The random combinations of sounds can lead to either an intense, sorrowful, peaceful, or joyous ending to the narrative. “Silent Hotel” conveys the “real” and “illusive” duality of modern society’s environment, and its imaginary dimensions, which are dynamic like a movie.

2010, Interactive installation: digital outputs, acrylic, wood, aluminum extrusions, cameras, computers, wireless headphones

| Artist Introduction |

TNUA’s Center for Art and Technology (originally named Graduate Institute of Arts and Technology) was founded in 1992 to serve as a platform for integrating art and technology. It plays an important role as a bridge for international collaboration on this topic. The center consists of the following laboratories: Trans-Sonic Lab, Tangible Interface Lab, and Transdisciplinary Media Lab. The main goals for these primary labs are: fully support on-campus teaching and performance activities, promote research and creative work on art and technology in Taiwan, open up new vistas in the "art of the future" through a systematic fusion in art and technology, and establish the Center for Art and Technology as one of the main attractions of the university.