Boundaries on the Move | A Cross-Cultural Dialogue

Curators: Fang-Wei Chang, Dalia Levin

May 18, 2012 - Aug. 11, 2012

An exhibition in collaboration with the Taipei Fine Arts Museum

The most obvious contextual concept of the boundary is linked to that of the nation-state. Often associated with the territory or borders of countries, boundaries also change over time. Throughout human history, nations have repeatedly gone to war over border disputes; consequently, people have migrated across borders for cultural, political, socioeconomic and other reasons, first as refugees and eventually as new inhabitants or citizens.

Boundaries are everywhere. Linguistically, the term “we” is a means to expand boundaries, while “and” creates a distinction between two sides: you and I. The differences between you and I allow us to comprehend these concepts, and through dialogue mutual understanding can be achieved – leading to consensus building, the blurring of boundaries and perhaps the opportunity to form new boundaries.

Boundaries temporarily establish the scope and concepts of a particular subject: inside/outside, you/I, here/there, East/West, past/present, real/virtual. Where there are boundaries, there are boundary crossings, but one is not outside of bounds even after crossing. Foucault proposed that resistance accompanies power: “Where there is power, there is resistance and yet this resistance is never in a position of exteriority in relation to power” (Power/Knowledge, 1980). Similarly, the crossing of boundaries never takes place in a position exterior to the definition of the boundary. Boundaries must be crossed to remain boundaries. If boundaries shift, they do so because of the continuous shifting, subjective and objective, in relations and in reality – affecting change both in the consciousness of people and in real life. This perpetual “crossing/changing” of boundaries transcends self to become a subject in its own right.

“Boundaries on the Move: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue” is an exhibition exploring various boundaries which, though presumably fixed, are in fact constantly changing. The exhibition features the work of sixteen Taiwanese artists active from the 1980s to present day, and four contemporary artists from Israel and the Middle East in dialogue with one another. They examine those boundaries “on the move” in everyday life, as well as the social, political and economic issues facing Taiwan, Israel and the Middle East today. Their works address the complex issues of individual identity, territorial borders, society, economics and immigration in this age of advanced technology and globalization.

The exhibition is organized by the Taipei Fine Arts Museum and Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art, and supported by the Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Taipei City Government Culture Affair Department, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel. The exhibition is assisted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel Aviv.

Participating artists: Chang Chien-Chi, Chen Chih-Jen, Chen Ching-Yao, Hou Chun-Ming, Hsieh Ying-Chun, Huang Chih-Yang, Huang Hai-Hsin, Peng Hung-Chih, Su yu-Hsien, Tsai Chia-Wei, Tsui Kuang-Yu, Tu Pei-Shih, Chu Chun-Teng, Wang Ya-Hui, Wu Chi-Tsung, Yao Jui-Chung, Nira Peleg, Miki Kratsman and Michal Shamir.

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