"Non-verbal Communication" is a proper noun in social psychology, communicating with others by not using words. In this exhibition, the "non-verbal communication" can be the way of message transmission. The artists by delicate observation and sound recordings toward human beings focus on these daily and unexpected voices which might seem unstructured but contain full of cultural background that can be transformed into communicative information. Through the camera lens and device, the artist concentrates on the long-term care issue for elder people in Taiwan and recording welfare migrant workers in the most intimate care and companionship in the exchange for linguistic imbalance and information. Furthermore, the artist imagines the communication between robots and employers in Hong Kong in 2035 which bring out the class relations in society and family.
Gabriele DE SETA from Italy who not only specialize anthropology but crossover art also was a researcher at Academia Sinica. However, on presenting his research method （thesis）, instead of using visual art as his way of expressing his statement. “Listening/Accidents” is an art piece about the exploration and perception of Taipei through the artist’s eyes and ears. The artist comes from Europe but speaks fluent Chinese, he is knit voice to display a microcosm city while making familiar but exotic interaction to the audience. Japanese artist Masayuki HARADA who through the camera to catch migrant workers’ daily life. Welfare migrant workers need to take care of their employers including immediate needs or some demands out of words even they cannot understand Chinese. Nevertheless, all these migrant workers can’t be justified due to the owner’s distribution and worries towards their parents. Long-term care’s contradiction and the situation can never be solved. “We may pass through them now, but we will meet to them in the future,” the scenes were set from Taipei Main Station to surrounding parks and streets, the artist records welfare migrant workers’ expression, such as their tiredness at work or happiness from gathering with their friends whose same nationality. All of these are far more explainable on the transformation of today’s social structure than spoken language. Yunyu Ayo SHIH created the second version of the reference book called “A Manual Book of Domestic Robot, Hong Kong, 2035.” which inviting Hong Kong writer Pak Chai and Wu Han comic artist June Lee jointly produced. Hong Kong has a long-term helper culture; however, labors have been replaced by machines today, then is empathy or equality still exists? In a family’s power relation comparing to Hong Kong nowadays, how is it to own a robot who’s not familiar with the ways of this world. Utilizing the manual within the language of mix imagination and reality to construct different levels of communication with the audience.
Our frequent social interaction is establishing by our daily lives which we need to send or receive non-verbal communication at all time. This exhibition expects to convey a variety of paths, the artwork does not represent single intention or type, it is open-minded and experimental but also hoping to stimulate collision and reflection between different viewpoints.
“Listening/Accidents” is a pairing of two works exploring the accidental aesthetics of urban sound and the situated articulation of listening practices. “Accidental Sound Art” offers a condensation of Taipei public spaces through a sampling of vernacular music reproduction, public audio devices, amplified advertisement, and sounding objects.
“Modes of Listening” repurposes cheap audio devices to play back field recordings and interview samples, contrasting situated understandings of listening with the limitations of consumer-grade sound equipment.
Artist Harada Masayuki from Japan, his residency project is focusing on foreign care workers and long-term caring. In contrast with Taiwan, Japan recent years has just started to let foreign care works can get a job in there. Will the situation now in Taiwan, becomes the future of Japan? Or how do the people that really hired foreign workers to think of? Through this questionnaire and having interview and research, the artist will visualize what he sees and feels. Trying to discuss the changes in the family relationship and social structure.
About “A Manual Book of Domestic Robot, Hong Kong, 2035.” by Yunyu Ayo SHIH and Hong Kong Writer Pak Chai and Wu Han comic artist June Lee jointly produced. This book is based on Mr. Chai's novel “Mercy Buddha.” Chai imagined that there'll be domestic robots in every Hong Kong family in 2035. In this project, a manual book of how the robot being assembled, the operation process and how to apply for restricted functions. By imagining the existence of this robot, the artist hopes to look at Hong Kong's employment history, fear of disease, and hidden class relations in society.