Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei

The Ghost-list Body of Virtuality

What is “real”? What is “reality”? Reality is what continues to exist even ifwhen one stops believing in it; it is what lies independently outside one’s mind and thinking.

When contemporary technology gives birth to the virtual body – a fresh sensory system co-created by the corporeal body, program and machines – it manifests its existence in the form of ambiguous, elusive “ghosts.” —it It is characterized by an “absence” that suspends all “presence” and legitimate power structures as well as regular, habitual living experiences. This renders all that is “present” incapable of encoding, categorizing and controlling the “absent” ghosts; contrarily, the “absent” ghosts launch a total deployment and control over everything that is “present.”

The Ubiquitous Site of “Ghosts”

The death of a great or a savior-like figure might be viewed as a dividing point between the new and old worlds. Death is not merely the end of physical life. It also indicates the sublimation and continuation of existence, a transition from the physical body to the virtual “ghost.” Therefore, the death of a great, a savior-like figure could be sensationalized and virtualized by frenetic followers, deifying the figure into a being with the power of redemption. “Ghost” is the continuation of the figure’s life, ubiquitous and haunting. It infiltrates and permeates our subconscious, expanding into a multi-dimensional space of “microscopic power.”

Contemporary technological governance, at any given time, is “the invisible arrivant.” As governance technology advances in time, it lurks deeper, becoming ubiquitous and free from all rules. It manifests in unexpected contents and forms. It unrestrainedly infiltrates thingsmatters, domains, individuals and consciousness that it attempts to control and monitor, cancelling our privacy at any time and depriving us the freedom to survival while realizing full infiltration from the virtual realm to the physical world and achieving a total control over human consciousness and soul. Contemporary political powers take turn to evoke the spirits of “savior-like figures” and utilize “the faith and truth that is yet to come and yet to realize” to extend and enhance governance technology. The combination of contemporary technology and authoritarian regimes will give rise to a “ghost-like,” super-efficient governance system that is ubiquitous and unprecedented, surpassing the Orwellian totalitarianism.


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Notice to Visitors

1. The first floor of the exhibition space features interactive installations and AR works. The second floor is dedicated to VR artworks.

2. At the first floor exhibition space, please follow the instructions given by the Museum and our staff. Please do not touch the artworks.

3. The second floor exhibition space VR experience notice:

A According to the user safety guidelines from the device manufacturer, visitors from age 6 to 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Children under the age of 6 are advised not to use the device.
B Each artwork allows one person at a time to experience. Please follow the staff’s instructions and join the queue to wait for your turn.
C Please follow the procedures during the VR experience.
D Please do not touch or disturb visitors who are participating in the VR experience.
E Some content includes darkness, flashlights, enclosed spaces, eerie atmosphere and falling scenes. Visitors with disabilities, cardiac condition or other serious medical condition, or are pregnant or elderly, viewer discretion is advised.
F If you feel discomfort during the VR experience, raise your hand to ask for assistance from the staff.

4. Photography in the exhibition space is allowed. Please be aware of the visitor route and do not disturb the others. Flashlights, tripods, selfie sticks, camera stabilizers are not allowed. Filming and live-streaming are also prohibited.