Taipei Travel

Small desks at homes are the extension of offices. Alleyways around us are tiny trips waiting to be explored. Using our imagination to observe the everyday landscape reveals gradually what we tend to ignore in the past. Now, the adapted eyes can perceive the steady, albeit small, light.

Since late 2020, the entire society has been clouded by the sudden outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gatherings that we take for granted are no longer allowed; and living in domestic isolation becomes the new normal. All the restraints and unease become annoyingly unsettling. However, it has also brought us to focus our attention on ourselves and the surrounding environment. Perhaps, the situation presents an opportunity to develop self-awareness, encouraging us to focus on and simply be with ourselves—a successful home-cooked meals; a fallen leaf found in a short excursion to nearby hills; and observations of all those small, wonderful things that we have taken for granted. Taking a flight is never a prerequisite for enjoying new discoveries and beautiful surprises in life.

The curatorial spirit of Seeking Our Original Light is inspired by the post-pandemic modes of life, and the exhibition invites artists to unearth the original light hidden in the street blocks of northern Taipei. The artists/art groups featured in the exhibition include LOUDLY LIGHTNING, 9 Grid Design, Initial Complex, Chiu-Hao Chen, Kou Tak-Leong, Zhi, and HwH project. Through the unique perception awakened by various constraints, it is hoped that the artists could find consistent inspiration from the ordinary to further develop their discoveries into works filled by a sense of hopefulness, which would in turn offer encouragement to pedestrians in the street blocks, empowering them to discover the cultural power they possess within themselves.