Vision of Taiwan expresses Wu Cheng-Chang’s observations, experiences and opinions regarding his experience of being in specific environments. Using light, time and light sensing materials, Wu creates images of scenery characteristic of Taiwan that between “beautiful” and “not beautiful” to present absurdist contradictions. His work produces intrinsic speculation and struggles in viewers.
Furthermore, Wu inserts himself in these scenic photos by flashing bright light on his face to form an image, a process of accumulation, shattering and blinding that suggests the peril in Taiwan’s scenery. This peril is the result of long term political, economic and cultural factors, and living in such an environment, we can only “look without seeing”.
The subject of the video is the photography in this exhibition, and its soundtrack leads viewers through reality and fantasy worlds suggesting transformations and contradictions in the environment. In the video’s transition from reality to the surreal atmosphere of Wu’s photographs, a loud sound is suddenly introduced which momentarily draws viewers into an exceedingly complex affective state.