XFUNS GALA'08
Interpreting the Secret of Life

Duration: 2008/11/22 - 2009/01/18

Curator: Akibo Lee

Venue: MOCA Studio

INTRODUCTION

Since the 21^st century, the globe was facing rapid and immense changes: highly development of digital technology, limitless internet communication web, global warming, short of resources, etc. As those changes keep going on, artists in the new era enjoy the variation and convenience of digital creation tools and, on the other hand, break the artistic tradition of being a silent complaint role; instead, they start to look into the nature and actively express their care about human life.

XFUNS GALA ’08 is hosted by XFUNS Creative & Design Magazine and directed by the renowned digital artist and designer Akibo Lee. The aim of the exhibition is to present modern artists’ interpretation of the secret of life. The exhibition is held in the creative experimental space MOCA Studio from 22 Nov 2008 to 18 Jan 2009.

The exhibition can be divided into two parts. The first part includes the works from Akibo Lee, Daniel Lee, Nick Veasey and Hsin-Chien Huang, and the other part is 32 pieces of XFUNSer from many famous artists in Taiwan and abroad. Moreover, 53 nominated works of this year’s X-CUP Design Awards will also be displayed.

The works of Daniel Lee have a dreamlike supernatural atmosphere overall. He uses the indefinite metamorphosis present in living things to create works that are half man, half beast in shape, which in a way perfectly interpret the secret image of “X”.

Nick Veasey is an artist who can see through things. He uses a unique creative tool—X Rays—to peel off the outer layers of objects and capture their inner vitality and beauty.

Hsin-Chien Huang uses technology to make us reexamine reading and language, which we tend to take for granted, as well as replicate the complex operations of small organs in the human body—eyes and lips.

Akibo Lee first started building robots out of his natural love toward his son, and now has already built many unique robots. Although these utilize digital technology, they are also cute in appearances and often considered attractive.

X=SECRET

The theme of XFUNS GALA ’08 is X=Secret. “X” embodies a myriad collection of imagination and creativity. Therefore, all participants in this exhibition will reveal their secret behind each work to the audience.

In this year’s exhibition of My XFUNSer, some rarely-seen materials such as clay mould of the XFUNSer, dismembered parts of the dolls and the hand-painted draft will all be opened to the public. The purpose of such a movement is, as the curator said, “to offer our audience some sort of inspiration, and nurtures them with the most wonderful energy and nutrients of art”.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

During the exhibition, artist will come through a series of activities to shorten the distance with the audience. In 30 Nov, there will be two symposia by Jason Lee, Akibo Lee, Hsin-Chien Huang, Push, Shout, and Viva Girl. In 21 and 28 December, there will be MOCA Workshops on how to create a XFUNSer respectively taught by Viva Girl and Cathie WH Chen. Moreover, tour guided by the artists will be held on Sundays.